General E30 related discussions -
Please put technical questions in E30 Tech Help forum below
Moderator: martauto
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
-
stephen
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 36
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: North Herts
Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:11 pm
No oil cooler on there. I thought all 325i's had one.
Looks crisp though..Nice interior!
-
garyp_E30_325i
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 724
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Sunny (I wish!) Glasgow
Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:18 pm
Don't know it, but it looks good!
Even better being black and NOT having the goddam beige interior!

'89 325i - was an SE but not anymore, was bronze-beige metallic (yeuch!) but now techno-violet (thankfully)
'89 Toyota Corolla GTi-16 - track, hillclimb & sprint car (yeeha!)
'08 Buell XB12Ss - American engineering at it's 'best'... good fun though
-
Hyperion
- E30 Zone Squatter

- Posts: 1727
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: JHB, South Africa
Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:08 pm
cars looks good mate, but like Stephen said check the car out for the oil cool, all 325's have a extra oil cooler in the front (looks like a little radiator) . should be vents in the front to get air to it.
Cheers
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:31 pm
Hyperion wrote:cars looks good mate, but like Stephen said check the car out for the oil cool, all 325's have a extra oil cooler in the front (looks like a little radiator) . should be vents in the front to get air to it.
Cheers
Thanks ill look for that, dont know what im looking at but ill have a look, lol!
What if it doesnt have one?
-
Richy325iTouring
- E30 Zone Addict

- Posts: 3490
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Newport SouthWales
-
Contact:
Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:40 pm
check the vin plate as well cos if its had an engine transplant it will what it was befor ie 318 etc
-
Hyperion
- E30 Zone Squatter

- Posts: 1727
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: JHB, South Africa
Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:43 pm
hmmm....not sure, you say you already paid for her, you just going to pick her up...if it doesnt have one ask the seller why , when who etc.... make sure she is a 325... but if it is there, then no biggy just replace the plastic covering with a vented type
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:46 pm
Ive not paid for it yet, its an ebay job and im going with the cash to pay for it (if its worth buying).
Where abouts would the intake be?
-
Richy325iTouring
- E30 Zone Addict

- Posts: 3490
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Newport SouthWales
-
Contact:
Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:59 pm
Vehicle details
Manufacturer BMW
Model 325I
Body type 2 DOOR SALOON
Colour BLACK
Fuel type PETROL
Date manufactured 31 December 1990
Number of previous owners 3
Last owner change 21 February 2005
-
jmc330i
- Engaged to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 6621
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Somerset
Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:00 pm
The oil cooler should be behind the front valance where that long plastic strip is (below the number plate).
This isnt the best pic of mine, but you can just make out the grill where the cooler would be....
This is what the cooler looks like. Ignore the pipes and connections as they are for something different...

James
'91 325i Sport
'93 318i touring 16v
-
Hyperion
- E30 Zone Squatter

- Posts: 1727
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: JHB, South Africa
Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:13 pm
well looks to be 325i , nice one Richy325iTouring. and the picks from jmc330i is spot on.
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:36 pm
Thanks for the help, I know what im looking for now.
Is there an easy way to spot a 325 engine?
One more thing, whats below the headlight controls? Looks like some switch? My 320i had nothing there....
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Ive emailed the guy asking but I get the impression he doesnt know much about the car.
-
bmwe30mtech
- Engaged to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 5288
- Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2005 11:00 pm
Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:51 pm
Nice looking car. Is it just me or is the bonnet bent up on the offside corner in that first pic?! But it looks mint.
1988 M3 EvoII, Macau Blue/EvoII trim
1989 325i Sport M Tech II, Diamond Black/Black leather
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:54 pm
It may just be the reflection cos it continues on the wing.
-
orangecurry
- E30 Zone Addict

- Posts: 2512
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: West Sussex
Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:07 pm
'One more thing, whats below the headlight controls? Looks like some switch? My 320i had nothing there....'
if you mean the recessed thingy, that's the headlight angle changing dial, y'know if you tow something heavy and want to point the headlights back down again at the Earth.
Easiest way to spot a 2.5 (over a 2.0) is that 2.5 or 2.5 over 2.7 is stamped on the side of the cylinder head, in a circle.
Is that correct Zoneurs?
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Thu Oct 13, 2005 5:43 pm
The owner assures me that it does have an oil cooler and doesnt know why it has the blanking plate there, guess ill be after the correct bit of trim soon!
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
Thu Oct 13, 2005 6:02 pm
one more thing, my first e30 was this colour and it's 100% the worse than white/metallic black to keep clean. honestly 2 days and it will look dirty again, paint shows every single tiny mark!
i liked it though when it was clean!
looks just like my old one too! wonder where it's gone now............
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Thu Oct 13, 2005 6:13 pm
My old one was the same colour, and yes it gets dirty quickly but it looks soo nice when clean and polished.
-
Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Loughton, Essex
Sat Oct 15, 2005 11:08 pm
I got the car today instead and it drives lovely! Think it neds a clutch release bearing though.
Gonna hand it over to my usual mechanic for him to fit the clutch release bearing, new clutch (any advice on which make/type?), cam belt, tappetts and valve stem seals and also to give it a once over.
It did touch a happy 130 though

-
Hyperion
- E30 Zone Squatter

- Posts: 1727
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: JHB, South Africa
Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:54 pm
congrats on the car, i say just go for the Standard clutch , no need to put any fancy performace clutchs in,
-
jmc330i
- Engaged to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 6621
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Somerset
Sun Oct 16, 2005 2:43 pm
orangecurry wrote:
Easiest way to spot a 2.5 (over a 2.0) is that 2.5 or 2.5 over 2.7 is stamped on the side of the cylinder head, in a circle.
Is that correct Zoneurs?
Yup, its on the exhaust side of the cylinder head just above the exhaust manifold, between the sparks for cylinders 1 and 2.
James
'91 325i Sport
'93 318i touring 16v
-
Cotty
- Hartge Crew
- Posts: 5926
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Orpington, Kent
Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:50 pm
Looks really nice.
If you ever decide to change to leather interior ill have you seats

-
schmick325
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 878
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Sydney, Australia
-
Contact:
Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:49 pm
My bet is that it was a 320i.
It couldn't have been a 318i because it has the check control.
Check the compliance plate or run the VIN through the decoder on the internet.
Looks very clean though, definetly been looked after.