1983 Low Mileage Chromie

[tonybtonyb]

Well done Murph,what ever you do with your new car it will be the right one for you!good luck

[magpie]

what did Dan's car start off at

a 316 carb turd mick
all the cr24v chaps have used 316's but retained the body colour

Dans car has awesome oily bits but it still retains it's original body shape/colour ect it could be reversed in a day if it ever needed to be, it is also a later car,

changing the colour and adding coilovers, tech1 kit ect to this would be a damn shame how many 1984 E30's still exist in this colour, spec ? Believe me, very very few exist, and still have all their metalwork, show me another clean 1984 320i in sapphire blue ?

surely some E30's deserve to be as they were intended this being one of them,
sorry to go on, but for me it's about preservation of cars like this, they deserve to be kept original so others can enjoy them in the future.

i hear you Steve. but this was up for sale for a while and price dropped + when lance1a owned it.

maybe worth a punt on old colonel etc with it's history ?

the colour change is the biggest factor imo also m8 as said in a pm to murphy.

i'm on the fence m8 it's not my car.

[Ollie_bwoii]

A sad thread. A truely stunning, well documented, all round original car, lost into the world of molestation.

To say it won't be molested is laughable... what original part of the car will remain if you undertake all your plans? Will the work all be done to the standard BMW would have undertaken? I.e. glass out respray...? Tech1 retrofit undertaken PROPERLY etc....?

However, it is your taste that will dictate what happens to the car, and i'm the type that thinks things should be left as intended.

[sunnyr83]

Just out of intreste how did Russ feel when you told him your plans? Reading his posts he clearly loved this car alot. End of the day Russ got what he wanted and you got yourself a beauty of an e30 at a bargain.

[RustyRuss]

Just out of intreste how did Russ feel when you told him your plans? Reading his posts he clearly loved this car alot. End of the day Russ got what he wanted and you got yourself a beauty of an e30 at a bargain.

Hi mate,

Ive been keeping well out of this thread until your post lol.

Everyone knows im a complete purist when it comes to classic cars / any cars for that matter, im oem or nothing - always have been, always will be. In normal non related to me threads on here id usually be the one reeling in recoil from the computer at such a thing but the fact of the matter is that Murphy has helped myself and Claire out hugely in gaining what we needed buy way of a house deposit and I will always be grateful for that. Murphy is a really nice genuine guy who has been brilliant throughout. Over the years ive been so protective of who i passed my classic cars onto when ive sold them, even going to the extent of turning people away from a potential sale if they werent going to keep the car standard. A few times now ive sold cars to people who promised to keep them standard and the next year i see them with them at shows and they have been completely changed. It has made me learn that really once you decide to part with a car you have no control or say to its destiny. Under normal circumstances id not of sold the E30 but my hand was forced and at the end of the day where im at in my life at present the house is more important so im glad Murphy is taking the car ill always be grateful, its his car now to use and enjoy as he sees fit and i have no control of its destiny but am a man happy that i have secured my future and thanks have to go to Murphy for that in helping us both out. I think we should just let Murphy take delivery of his new car and let the man enjoy what he has stumped up his hard earned for.

[B7]

Very disappointed.

As has been stated,

how many 1984 E30's still exist in this colour, spec ? Believe me, very very few exist, and still have all their metalwork, show me another clean 1984 320i in sapphire blue ?

[capri_rob]

I'm also disappointed with this - however I'll reserve judgement until I see the finished product.

Plenty of people were quick to bash DanThe for converting a low mileage, low owner immaculate E30 - but look at the finished result.

My 2p's worth - Murphy don't spend money painting a car which doesn't need painting - this car looks stunning as is - some 15" or 16" proper BMW /Alpina / Hartge wheels and a mild drop are all it needs externally - and coilovers for road use are a waste of money - put your cash into making sure that the engineering part of the conversion is done to the highest possible standard using the best quality bits - the car doesn't need any help in the looks department

[sh55123]

Makes me very sad....very rare car that should be cherished in its current state.

It's not about OEM guys vs modifiers, but about a piece of genuine original BMW heritage that is being lost forever.

I am genuinely surprised that anybody would want to change a car as original and full of history as Russ's.

[MurphyE30]

for those of you that are disapointed and shocked ect... without sounding rude which is not my intention, please dont feel that you have to follow my progress, as i dont want to have a thread full of Murphy you shouldnt do this shouldt do that.

with that said in a similar circumstance is it also wrong to buy a nice clean mk1 or mk2 scort and create mint mk1 mexico, rs1600, rs2000s also? which many of the ford boys do. and to be honest i give credit to. i am a big classic ford enthusiast as well as e30's having many fords in my past and am a subscribed member of classic ford magazine to whicj this year has had a mk1 scort on almost everycover with the odd exeption of a few mk2s

mostly very high spec and most did not start out anything like they left the production line.

for the people giving it how does Russell feel?... i spent a good while with Russell yesterday chating about the car and if i bought it my plan, and he was sound with that.

In having all this discussion in the thread on this, (which i fully expected) i spoke with Russell last night on his views and what he wants with the car as to be honest the only other man i feel should have a say is him, and hes happy enough with me taking the car on and keeping it going.

i will be spending a large sum on the car as i do with all my cars and i hope in the finished outcome to have a Mint pre facelift to my taste (nice black Tech I sport) with a solid NO rot shell.

[Duke137]

Murphy you need to speak to steviebmw

[MurphyE30]

Murphy you need to speak to steviebmw

Ferg you cheeky f**ker

the Tech I sport look is no where near the quality of stevies awsome project

[sunnyr83]

Fair enough Russ, and Murphry I'm not having a dig or anything I was just curious as to how he felt being a purist. Good luck Russ and Claire with your new venture and looking foward to the outcome of your build Murphey, if it's anything like your cab in terms of standard and quality then good luck mate.

[magpie]

A sad thread. A truely stunning, well documented, all round original car, lost into the world of molestation.

To say it won't be molested is laughable... what original part of the car will remain if you undertake all your plans? Will the work all be done to the standard BMW would have undertaken? I.e. glass out respray...? Tech1 retrofit undertaken PROPERLY etc....?

However, it is your taste that will dictate what happens to the car, and i'm the type that thinks things should be left as intended.

is that why you lowered your car and promptly wrote it off ?

too many are too quick to jump on the band wagon here it's a car not fookin murphy season



if any purist wants it i'd reckon murphy would sell for £1500 so buy it or back off.

blue dis- comfort interior anyone ?

[Nick325]

Murphy
I,ve got a nice pair of undamaged MTech 1 Skirts for a 2 door, they have been re-sprayed cirrus blue and are located in Washington,
no mounting clips or fasteners.
40 quid and they're yours.

Nick 07711 153024

[Duke137]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

Murphy, your donor awaits.....

[E30BeemerLad]

I'd forget kitting the car up, all a chromie needs is a sensible drop on good gear, I wouldn't re-paint the car either.

Although on one hand it seems a shame to play about with a car so original, at the same time I can totally appreciate starting with the best platform possible.

[Ollie_bwoii]

is that why you lowered your car and promptly wrote it off ?

Wow. That was low of you.

[magpie]

is that why you lowered your car and promptly wrote it off ?

Wow. That was low of you.

if you read what you wrote m8 so was your comment

re laughable and how hard do you think it is to 'retro-fit' a tech1 kit ?

i don't wish to fall out with you Ollie .

[Ollie_bwoii]

Well what is a car that has had a colour change, running gear change, interior change etc.. etc.. classed as? Imo that's molested, hence the laughable remark.

I don;t want to fall out with you mick, but bringing up my chromie was low. That car meant alot to me.

[kieran325]

if any purist wants it i'd reckon murphy would sell for £1500 so buy it or back off.

Why back off ??

And why would any purist line his pocket with an extra £500 ??

I seem to recall donating into the collection fund for Murphy to get his money back from the tech 2 incident last year because he didn't have the money for fuel for the trip.

How attitudes have changed

[magpie]

who said he never had the funds,iirc Danthe suggested a whip-round which indeed was true zone spirit.

[gooner1]

who said he never had the funds,iirc Danthe suggested a whip-round which indeed was true zone spirit.

Which has just reminded me.

[Simon13]

my 2p, if that was me and i just HAD to M52 it then i'd bear in mind the position e30 values seem to be going at the moment.

So keep EVERYTHING! 2.0 the box the lot gear selector prop suspesnsion the bottle tops the f**king lot and store it away. So it can be bolted to 100% stock.

Anything done to it has to be bolt on. No tech 1 kit sh!te and no paint change. Bodywork stays as it. BBS and some 325i running gear along with the M52 for a epic sleeper. Like a plain jane e28 M5.

It is your car and we can all bitch but thats all it is just words. Just think hard before you start it is all i'd say.

[bss325i]

re laughable and how hard do you think it is to 'retro-fit' a tech1 kit ?

Its not hard but more how well its executed!

I have seen retro fitted M technic (and ford RS) kits that have been retro fitted then where some clown has nailed it on, has caused the car rust issues from poor installation.

Murphy, here's my say on things.

I can fully understand where you are coming from by using the best shell you can get as a donor to build something nice. I did the same thing and got myself a low owner 2dr 318i Lux to reshell and S50 powered touring i bought off another zoner who built it.
Do what you got to do but does the idea of a chromie sleeper not tickle your fancy?

320i badge on the back but with a 230+bhp M52 up front?

Clean stock looking chromie with a slight drop on BBS RS packing some heat?

All reversible if desired at a later date as Simon said. Its a happy medium not that you should listen to anyone as its your car and all that but its food for thought.

[Alyman]

I bought a pretty much identical low milage 1983 Sapphire Blue 2 door 320iA chromie a couple of years back and asked the zone's opinion on (tastefully) modding it:



There were 75 votes on my poll -
56% percent said it was too nice and original to mod.
44% percent said go for it.

Mind this was two years ago, and there were still quite a few of these cropping up.

In any case I ended up modding it. Keeping a bog standard car isn't really for me, I like E30s because I like having projects to do on them.

My car now sports a high comp 2.5 on 1.3 management, CR gearbox, LSD, 51mm struts, some 16" period alloys, 6 branch, rear discs, heated leather inside and an ACS front valance on the outside at the moment:



Do I ever think I shoudn't have modified it? Totally, when I see how rare examples like this are becoming. But if I hadn't modified it, I'd have sold it, because a standard 320iA is not a fun car to drive really. Smooth, yes. Fast, no. Economical, no. good in the corners, no.

I'd never change mine back now - I love driving it way more than when it was standard. And I've still got things to do on it. Eventually I might even go 24V.

[MurphyE30]

my 2p, if that was me and i just HAD to M52 it then i'd bear in mind the position e30 values seem to be going at the moment.

So keep EVERYTHING! 2.0 the box the lot gear selector prop suspesnsion the bottle tops the f**king lot and store it away. So it can be bolted to 100% stock.

Anything done to it has to be bolt on. No tech 1 kit sh!te and no paint change. Bodywork stays as it. BBS and some 325i running gear along with the M52 for a epic sleeper. Like a plain jane e28 M5.

It is your car and we can all bitch but thats all it is just words. Just think hard before you start it is all i'd say

magpie wrote:
re laughable and how hard do you think it is to 'retro-fit' a tech1 kit ?


Its not hard but more how well its executed!

I have seen retro fitted M technic (and ford RS) kits that have been retro fitted then where some clown has nailed it on, has caused the car rust issues from poor installation.

Murphy, here's my say on things.

I can fully understand where you are coming from by using the best shell you can get as a donor to build something nice. I did the same thing and got myself a low owner 2dr 318i Lux to reshell and S50 powered touring i bought off another zoner who built it.
Do what you got to do but does the idea of a chromie sleeper not tickle your fancy?

320i badge on the back but with a 230+bhp M52 up front?

Clean stock looking chromie with a slight drop on BBS RS packing some heat?

All reversible if desired at a later date as Simon said. Its a happy medium not that you should listen to anyone as its your car and all that but its food for thought.

Thank you for the input lads, to be honest i am not a fan of the standard chromie look as i have said, yet the idea of a Mint Tech I is very apealing and using the best possible base also apeals to me.

i havnt even got the car yet as not collecting till the weekend, and as said earlier the chromie will stay as it is until i have finished the cabby which is more than likely to be a year or so and know one knows whaat can happen in that time.

[MurphyE30]

I bought a pretty much identical low milage 1983 Sapphire Blue 2 door 320iA chromie a couple of years back and asked the zone's opinion on (tastefully) modding it:



There were 75 votes on my poll -
56% percent said it was too nice and original to mod.
44% percent said go for it.

Mind this was two years ago, and there were still quite a few of these cropping up.

In any case I ended up modding it. Keeping a bog standard car isn't really for me, I like E30s because I like having projects to do on them.

My car now sports a high comp 2.5 on 1.3 management, CR gearbox, LSD, 51mm struts, some 16" period alloys, 6 branch, rear discs, heated leather inside and an ACS front valance on the outside at the moment:



Do I ever think I shoudn't have modified it? Totally, when I see how rare examples like this are becoming. But if I hadn't modified it, I'd have sold it, because a standard 320iA is not a fun car to drive really. Smooth, yes. Fast, no. Economical, no. good in the corners, no.

I'd never change mine back now - I love driving it way more than when it was standard. And I've still got things to do on it. Eventually I might even go 24V.

Similar to myself then, i dont like the standard take on e30s and enjoy the building them up to what i would like

Yours looks very nice and its great too see a start and present picture to see how you have transformed the look

its just a shame that im not a massive fan of the sapphire blue or i wouldnt bother to change the colour

[Blitz]

I think you should leave it un-kitted.

This is perfection.

[Ranchero]

From my point of view, I love the look of an unmodified chromie. However, there are some nice examples above of tastefully modified vehicles.
The thing is, as time goes by there will be fewer of the former and more of the latter. Surely there are thousands out there that have already been molested, yet are still solid bases for further modification.

Why not keep some, as is, for historical reasons if nothing else. Ultimately they'll be worth more in the long run.

[kieran325]

if any purist wants it i'd reckon murphy would sell for £1500 so buy it or back off.

who said he never had the funds,iirc Danthe suggested a whip-round which indeed was true zone spirit.

How zone spirit is both ways

I hope it survives what ever happens.

[Duke137]

although it is a 320i auto which sadly is about as desirable as gonorrhea

[nickso]

did this seriously go for £1000? I must have been asleep as i would have snapped it up for that......i would have molested it too though.

i say go for it murphy but don't do the paint, coilies or kit. it doesn't need that sort of butchery.

get rid of the interior though

[martinpallot]

Food for thought: a proper windows out respray, with door shuts, under bonnet etc is going to set you back 2-3k if you want it done to a high standard, M52 conversion 1k, decent coilovers 800 quid wheels and tyres another 1k. Add to this a clean interior for say 600 quid and a decent tech 1 kit (if such a thing still exists) 300 quid.

From my calculation and adding on another grand for misc. items like a rebush, disc conversion and the cost of the original car, your looking at spending at least 6-7k on a car which will be worth a few grand when its done.

You could easily buy a mint tech 1 sport for that and do a 24v conversion at a later date.

Isnt intended as critiscisim but I think i'm singing form a slightly differnet hymn sheet to some of the others on here, in that I honestly couldnt give a sh*t how original and clean the car you start with is.

[oldroydsr4]

I personally wouldn't spray the e30 or fit a tech 1 kit. For the cost of this, just find a mint tech 1- It will be a far more financially viable solution.

However ,I would 100% modify it , a 320i auto is a crap e30.

My 2p
Keep the colour, get the stance sorted on the gaz coilovers, refurb the suspension bushes, fit a rebuilt 40% lsd , bbs rs's (16's if you can afford them) , a recaro leather retrim and a M52.

Then you will have a disirable e30 that will be worth strong money - not just a tec 1 replica.

Also also these mods are reversible, so in 5 years time if a 320i auto is the most soughtafter car on the planet, you can get strong money, + the mods mentioned are all quality and will be easily sellable if required.

[magpie]

i wonder what beardy matt will find when he strips it down