what to look for

[cormar]

sorry as im new to the forum and looked quickly around the sections/links but couldnt find
buyers guide when buying private

what to look for when buying a e30 ie rust spots/arches/ tell tale signs of a spray job, id like information please on 1987-90 4 door models i think theyre 318i and 325i but may stand corrected
regards craig

[capri_rob]

Craig

All the info you need is in the wiki section of the zone

If you don't know what to look for say where you're located and there will probably be someone near you who can go with you to view anything that looks worth a punt.

Welcome

[Grrrmachine]

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ing_an_E30

[polsta]

a whole section "E30 BUYING GUIDE" would be handy on here, everyone would see it and read the stickys in there, would have a general e30 buying guide, then ones about various other e30s, and maybe all threads about getting an e30 could be posted and kept in that section , and of course better for future refference and newbies to read

[Grrrmachine]

Zone's just to bloody big. We have a Photo Gallery forum AND personal galleries for each user, we have the Registers AND the Member's E30s parts, we have the Wiki, the Links sections AND stickies in every forum, and there's no one person who can co-ordinate the lot (excluding Steve, who's rushed off his feet as it is).

For now, all I can do is gather as much info into the Wiki as I can.

[polsta]

tbh, it takes 5 mins to add a new forum section in the admin panel- theres multiple "what to look for/going to look at " threads every week, would be handy, and also save threads of that sort getting lost in this section with regard to future refference

[Jim320i]

Grrrr's point is there is alot already being done on the zone and adding more areas to be looked after is more work. It might take 5 minutes to open up a new area and name it but then who mods it all when it gets out of hand and the usual zoners sacrifice the newbies?

[craggsyE30]

looking for respray:

check all contours for any soft edge masking
dry spray anywhere on the vehicle ( doest allways mean its a respray but could well be)
door checks for hard edges
any overspray on rubbers/door hands/windows/ ( anything that wouldnt be painted on the car)
orange peal ( if its had say a door and a wing painted it will have a different finish to it.
any runs in the paint or flat marks could be a sign.
hazyness to the paint as paint take a while to full cure
repair scratches
dirt nibs/silicon spots if there is alot in any area very likely a respray.
get the car in sun light and look along all panels for and lumps or creases. (could be body filler)
tap the panels as you can tell the difference between metal and a big lump of bodge.
fade outs ( if they havnt faded the paint out and polished it as you should it will show)
pig tales ( D.A leave scratches that look like pig tales if its a coarse grit)
colour difference

or you could just ask the guy if its been sprayed if not look for the above.

there are more things but thats a list that will help