BMW E30 as first car

[Roshy28]

Hey there just wanted some information regarding getting an E30 as my first car. Im currently 18 and live in London and am looking to purchase an E30 coupe preferably a 325i,however I was wondering are the maintenance costs on these really high.And are parts readily available if something goes wrong or are they hard to source.I have been saving up money with work and am looking to spend around 7/8k on the car.
Any help would be much appreciated

Cheers

[brutus]

im in London, have 2 e30s avail,,
320 vert & 316i baur,
( inquire for details )

yes parts are readily avail,,
i have many parts at hand !
its the rust issues that will cost u $
some maintenance can be done by owners.
.


,,, go on surprise me,, a 325i for an 18 year old on insurance

[Roshy28]

Yeah insurance is the big obstacle with purchasing an E30,I think when I checked last it was around £500 a month but personally I am willing to pay this.Is maintenance on E30's relatively easy to do yourself,as I am looking to some of the maintenance myself

[Speedtouch]

Yes, most routine servicing is straightforward - see the Zone Wiki pages (third button in top left of the home page) to give you an idea.

[Roshy28]

Ok thanks for the help guys,is around 7-8k enough for a decent E30 coupe manual,thats been looked after reasonably well?Mileage doesn't really matter as long as its been cared for.

[Cloggy Saint]

E30 doesn't come in coupe form, just saloon, touring and convertible

[Roshy28]

Sorry I meant two door saloon

[arrisbmw]

rust is the main problem. check all the old m.o.t for corrosion issue. gov web site is really useful.
You will be buying a car that is nearly 30 years old. so obviously the tech is not there.
Servicing is great , every service item is readily available some more expensive that a ford focus.
if you know your way around a car , your beable to do the basics no problem. engine oil change, checking gearbox and back axle. plugs airfilter distributor cap, leads all pretty stardard. Cambelt is a must service item
later cars with the plastic bumper are probably more reliable than the earlier carburettor models. but does depend on what model you get ( wiki on here tells all ) brakes are pretty standard but not as efficient as a modern car unless been uprated. 7-8 grand should be able to get a very good one. but look at as many as possible and do your homework. if youe talking running costs on a 325i your probably going to get 22 mpg around town, maybe 30 on a run if you DON,T boot it. good luck with the hunt

[Roshy28]

Thanks for all the help and information guys.Will definitely do my research before potentially buying one but once again thanks to all who those helped.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Good lad, nice to see someone buying what they want and to hell with the insurance costs

[Roshy28]

Good lad, nice to see someone buying what they want and to hell with the insurance costs

Cheers man,its just the fact that insurance is ridiculously high anyway for people my age so might as well pay extra for something that I can truly enjoy!

[Cloggy Saint]

As said previously, rust, rust and more rust! Go over any car with a fine toothed comb and remember the usual trouble spots aren't always obvious. Front and rear inner arches, floor pans, bulkhead (especially under the fuse box). If the car ticks all the boxes but is a basket case then walk away, there will be better ones available.

[fb]

What colour are you after?

I have a white immaculate sport i was toying with the idea of selling
but something tells me i will regret it if i did!

[Roshy28]

I am looking at white,dolphin grey and calypso red.But wouldn't mind a black one as well

[Satan]

As your only car I don't think you could sure it under a classic car policy, if someone else did and you where a named driver then it may be an option, I know they have been clamping down on this over the last few years.

I really prefer the Polish way, the car is insured and as long as someone else has the paperwork they can drive it.

[csl]

What colour are you after?

I have a white immaculate sport i was toying with the idea of selling
but something tells me i will regret it if i did!

Any pics?

[aimlessrock]

good on you- bought my first E30 at 21 (some years ago) and loved it. Don get hung up on it having to be a certain engine- the shell and its condition are far more important. The mechanical s by comparison are straight forward.

A good rust free shell with a tired engine is a better buy than a rusty shed that runs well.

I have no mechanical background but with a descent toolkit, a manual and the help of this place Ive managed to do a surprising amount of maintenance and overhauling on my cabby. The cars are logical and well screwed together.

Only top tip i would give is to avoid buying one that's been bodged or badly modified- you will be chasing problems forever.

[martauto]

Good lad, nice to see someone buying what they want and to hell with the insurance costs

Cheers man,its just the fact that insurance is ridiculously high anyway for people my age so might as well pay extra for something that I can truly enjoy!

For that money you could buy a very "individual euro training shoe " and definately stand out in the crowd !!
Top marks my friend , top marks !!!

Mart.

[Roshy28]

Say if I decide to buy an 318i or 320i will it be relatively straight forward in engine swapping to something more powerful in the future,such as the S52 from the E36?

[martauto]

Say if I decide to buy an 318i or 320i will it be relatively straight forward in engine swapping to something more powerful in the future,such as the S52 from the E36?

No idea mate but there are guys on here who have done this type of thing and will give you a load a of advice.

How about looking at the 318is ?
16valve, twin cam.
140 bhp
140 torque for a 1800cc nearly indestructable engine .
Loads of fun and not bad on the gas either.
Some say that it is the baby M3 ! ( I`ll not go there.lol.)
Disc all round and larger suspension.
I had a 318ti compact and that was brilliant.

Mart.

[Roshy28]

Say if I decide to buy an 318i or 320i will it be relatively straight forward in engine swapping to something more powerful in the future,such as the S52 from the E36?

No idea mate but there are guys on here who have done this type of thing and will give you a load a of advice.

How about looking at the 318is ?
16valve, twin cam.
140 bhp
140 torque for a 1800cc nearly indestructable engine .
Loads of fun and not bad on the gas either.
Some say that it is the baby M3 ! ( I`ll not go there.lol.)
Disc all round and larger suspension.
I had a 318ti compact and that was brilliant.

Mart.

Was not considering but having looked at it,this seems quite a good option.Also it will mean lower insurance costs meaning with the rest of the money I save I could put it towards maintenance and any mods I could potentially do.

[Cloggy Saint]

The only people who call it the baby M3 are those trying to sell one!

[Brianmoooore]

All Tourings, all cabs., the iS, and the 325i saloon in 2 and 4 door guise, have suspension and brakes that are suitable for a considerably more powerful engine. All other saloons, except those which have ABS, have brakes and suspension that will need upgrading.
My own 18 year old lad has just started work on a 318i touring for daily use, and has an insurance quote around £1800 a year which he seems happy with. He's also laid claim to a M52B28 engine and box that's in the workshop to liven it up in a couple of years time.

[Roshy28]

Will a six cylinder engine fit in quite easily into an 318is?

[Speedtouch]

Yes, since they already have the beefier suspension and brakes as standard. May well devalue it though...

[Roshy28]

Yes, since they already have the beefier suspension and brakes as standard. May well devalue it though...

These come with an LSD as standard dont they?

[Brianmoooore]

M20 + drive train will fit straight in. M50/52, S52 will fit in with the correct sump fitted, but issues arise with the inlet manifold and exhaust system occupying space that is already occupied in E30s. Plenty of well documented solutions to these problems.
Turbos have been added and V8s and V12s have been fitted by some.

[Brianmoooore]

These come with an LSD as standard dont they?

A myth, I'm afraid. LSD was a relatively cheap option on all E30s, but very few chose that option.

[Roshy28]

These come with an LSD as standard dont they?

A myth, I'm afraid. LSD was a relatively cheap option on all E30s, but very few chose that option.

Will it be easy to retrofit an LSD to the 318is?

[Roshy28]

These come with an LSD as standard dont they?

A myth, I'm afraid. LSD was a relatively cheap option on all E30s, but very few chose that option.

Will it be easy to retrofit an LSD to the 318is?

[Brianmoooore]

Easy to retrofit, but the iS uses a 'small case'' diff., which is too weak for power upgrades, so won't be able to be used after fitting a bigger engine.

[sweep]

A nice 325i is a good place to be.

[cheffy]

I'll second the 318 is I've had mine for nearly 4 years, and its a great little car, as others have said, it has the beefier - (and lower) suspension and thicker anti roll bars, and that little 16v engine loves to rev, and its just a great car to drive, if you do get one, and a good one, dont even bother doing an engine swap !!
I'm sure theres a few for sale at the mo on the usual sites.
Just dont call it a "Baby M3"
Hope you find what your looking for