Rose-tinted glasses?

[boxclever1753]

Hi guys

You may remember I rejoined recently (after a 10 year hiatus) as I'd bought a 320 convertible in order to revisit E30 ownership which I loved but had left behind needing commuter cars and then finally leaving the country for a few years.

I've had 7 E30's previously (between 2003-2011) and all had been 325's in either 2 or 4-door styes in both gearboxes. They were great cars - fast, reliable, look really good, great to drive etc... all the reasons we love them, right? And that's why I wanted to get another, this time a convertible. I spent a few months looking around and found one - pretty good value, with a few issues. Oh, and it didn't start!

I got it running, relatively simply when you have people like BrianMooore asking the simple questions and pushing you in the right direction! (Thanks Brian!) And now I'm using it as an alternate daily with my E46 330 convertible. I'm working through the E30's little niggles (wheel bearings, handbrake, sagging suspension, worn out seat foam etc) and I still love the look of it... but I've got to a point where I need to make a choice.

This time of revisiting the E30 they are now properly old cars - mine is 33 years old - they just aren't fast (enough), they don't stop very well, they have rattles and squeaks (yes I know it is a 33 year old convertible) and they always smell of oil, petrol and old leather.... and realistically i can forgive all of those things..... but my car either needs money and talent thrown at it to make it A1 once more, or it needs a modern engine and all the modern suspension and brake upgrades you read about. I don't have a spare garage to put it away in and I really don't know what to do. I don't.

Always goof to hear your points of view but I'm not really looking for solutions, just wanted to air my thoughts and see if I'm unique on the Zone, as I've a feeling you guys have moved on and are now mostly collectors and lovers, rather than users for anything more than a few sunny weeks of the year.

Cheers,
Rich

PS Just took it to the shops, and I do still love it!!

[steve_k]

Nice Post,

Mine has been laid up for the last 8yrs while I did a full rebuild of the replacement engine (highly speced hartge h27 2.7), redid all the suspension, upgraded the brakes (4 piston calipers on the front, dual diaphragm brake servo e90 25mm),

Done loads & loads more to it,

Should be back on the road in the next few weeks & will again be used as much as possible, maybe even daily.

Its true they ain't as quick as more modern stuff but they still manage to put a smile on your face.

As for the creaks, rattles & smells? Well thats all part of the "charm".

[coopman]

I was thinking something similar the other day about my 32 year old convertible. I've had fun fixing various things and I love the look, but the reality is that it drives like shit compared to many modern cars (which is part of the charm, because I find new cars are too "easy"). I don't own my E30 for any one particular reason, so on balance I think it's worth it:

• Nostalgia

• Wanting an outlet to practice my basic mechanic skills

• Wanting something different to the standard Sydney SUV

• Spare car when the family car isn't available

• A bunch of other little things, like getting to use a manual gearbox!

I aim to keep mine fairly stock, although I do sometimes wish it was fully kitted out with new engine, brakes, etc. The slightly worrying thing is the amount of money I've spent on it in the last year without making any substantial improvements!

[Tzantushka]

Aww come on guys aren't you being a little harsh?

Yep, a 30 y.o. car isn't as good as today's efforts.
But the 'nostalgia'....

At least we have disc brakes, fuel injection, power steering, proven & reliable engines - plus all the basic comforts e.g. power windows, mirrors & heat (some even with A/C).
All wrapped up in a package that looks great and fast becoming a timeless classic.

[Be30]

Think the other part of the fun is that these cars actually need driving.
Try barrelling into a corner in a modern car and itll probably sort it out for you, try it in an e30 and you’ll end up in a hedge unless you know what youre doing

[coopman]

Aww come on guys aren't you being a little harsh?

Yep, a 30 y.o. car isn't as good as today's efforts.
But the 'nostalgia'....

At least we have disc brakes, fuel injection, power steering, proven & reliable engines - plus all the basic comforts e.g. power windows, mirrors & heat (some even with A/C).
All wrapped up in a package that looks great and fast becoming a timeless classic.

True, but my newer BMW can reverse park itself whilst playing me a lullaby and massaging my bum.

[flybynite]

Think the other part of the fun is that these cars actually need driving.
Try barrelling into a corner in a modern car and itll probably sort it out for you, try it in an e30 and you’ll end up in a hedge unless you know what youre doing

Yep I'm with you on this, I guess I'm fortunate to have had some really quick motors in my time. They get really old on a modern-day road in the UK as you can't rag them and keep your licence. A car that gets to the legal limit in a few seconds and could spend its life in second gear is not as much fun as you would think.

It is about being able to feel like you are driving fast, without running out of road or speed limits.

Getting an E30 running how it should be will solve a lot of issues, all the bushes, joints rubbers bearings etc etc. Get the OEM brakes working properly with new lines and fluid and good pads. Bilstein B12 kit and Eibach arbs are tried and tested to give you all the handling you need on road. Purple tag rack and Z3 gear lever will bring a bit of the feel up to date.

As you have an M20, I think swapping it is a waste as the M50/52/54 are old engines too now and doing a swap is not easy or cheap to make it really run and feel OEM. I would stick with the M20. If you want more performance, standard Motronic 2.5 done well is enough. If you want more, a properly built Mahle-piston 2.9 M20 is a straight forward thing to do and keeps the M20.

[paultv]

My first "old timer" was a sit up and beg Ford Prefect...wooden floor, rod actuated brakes, no water pump, 6 volt, vacuum driven wipers, no heater and 10 horse power side valve.....it was huge fun to drive and raised eyebrows even in the 70's.

The E30 at 30 years old and more is a brilliant car to drive and no it's not modern in the sense of driver comfort or even safety, but I don't want a silent self driving automated comfort wagon, that's for retired old duffers...thrashing my vert at 120mph on the motorway is plenty fun and way quick enough...no it's not so easy to drive, but that's the whole bloddy point...it's fun and old school...and you know that you're alive when you hit the gas peddle...

My modern VW Polo is great, quiet and efficient as well as predictably dull, whilst the BMW is thrilling and a real driving experience....

Have fun!

Paul

[tha881]

There are positives and negatives to owning an e30. The biggest negative being you cant really use one all year round if you want to keep it in good condition.

However they are easy to work on, good quality parts are still available and most service items are priced modestly.

The build quality is great, especially on the mechanical side, if I'm at the lights with music running I have to check it's still idling because it's so smooth on tick over.

The driving experience. If you've been over most of the bushes and suspension it is s great little car to throw around, you can squeeze through many gaps that you wouldnt dream in a newer 3 series. The visibility is also a huge bonus, although its at a trade off with safety but if you know how to drive that shouldnt matter.

[martauto]

I bought my Baur purely for a bit of fun for a year or so
So after over seven years I can not wait to get back to driving her (Redundent etc .........put pay to that !! )
I choose the 316 M10 for a reason, ...........very easy to maintain, and parts are there and cheap and no six cylinder head probs along with major electrical issues , and fuel as well.
I have a 325 e46 cab to do the daily so there is my fix .lol

Mart.

[Lemon98]

I'm 22 and bought an E30 solely because I don't like all of the advancements and improvements in refinement, safety, speed etc of modern day cars. I also have a slight carcaine addiction as this is the 6th car I've owned...

3 of my 6 cars have been older than me, two classic minis and this E30. The others were my brothers 2007 fiesta as my first car, followed by mini 1, then a 2005 mx5, then mini 2, then a 2007 seat ibiza and now the E30.

I'm also graduating as a motorsport engineer this year so am well aware of the current developments in automotive technologies that find themselves in current cars yet I have zero interest for it.

Yes of course I would love to have some more power but I'm willing to do the design and development work myself (it's my dissertation project) and I don't find it's brakes or handling to be particularly lacking. They don't weight a lot so good tyres and a brake system that is functioning well should be more than suitable for every day driving, which is what I do come snow rain whatever and I am yet to have any scary moments or times when I wish I had ABS or anything else. The safety doesn't concern me of crumple zones and airbags but that could largely be down to my age and therefore having less responsibilities (kids, families etc).

I wouldn't change having an E30 for anything, despite it bankrupting me which isn't helped by my endless desired modifications. I'm actually taking it to a track day with the BMW Car Club GB in May complete with drum rear brakes and no rear roll bar. I love the car and I'm going to use it properly as it was designed to be used as a family saloon!!

I find mine fast enough, gets 25+mpg on the motorway and has heaps of space for camping gear & surfboards on the roof, moving house between uni and stuff & whatever else I throw at it. I thoroughly enjoy working on it and giving it the love and parts it needs to run at its best.


TLDR;

I'm young and love my 30 year old car, no nostalgia to speak of as it went out of productions years before I was born but I have no interest for the numbness of modern cars & the "convenience" that they offer.

My E30 is my daily and only car, it's going to cost me loads to get back to A1 but I'm willing to spend that money!! For me those that finance golf r's etc with horrid DSG farts and pop and bang maps aren't "enthusiasts" in my eyes. Maybe I'm old school because I enjoy a car that has character and needs routine maintenance, mechanical sympathy and plenty of time devoted.

[DanThe]

If you make it stop and go better you will like it even more

[boxclever1753]

If you make it stop and go better you will like it even more

That's definitely the way, let's see how deep my pockets are over the coming months!

Thanks for all your input, guys, please understand I am not hating on the E30 (I love it) but I don't have pots of cash or time or space and I'm questioning whether I'm the right owner for the car and not the other way round.

Anyway, wheel bearing is being done on Friday and it'll be top down for the weekend hopefully

[bab-91]

I daily drive my e30 in Germany & it’s on the autobahn 6 days a week. Certainly not the fastest thing on the road.... but it will do 110mph on the daily commute, which is enough for me.

Lucky enough to drive silly modern cars in work but don’t feel the itch for something modern or feel short changed. In fact, a second old snotter will be joining the e30.

That said, it makes absolutely no ****ing sense to daily drive one and it’s been a fairly expensive affair. 16mpg, going through tyres like you wouldn’t believe, then there’s the frequent trips to the mechanic. His 3 year old daughter knows my name.

Do I have plans to change to a modern daily? No way.

[reggid]

People own E30 because they are fun to drive and you can work on them easily as project/restoration or just regular maintenance. its nothing more than that.

If you are owning one for any other reason than because it is fun drive or an enjoyable project then get rid of it

[ocde30]

People own E30 because they are fun to drive and you can work on them easily as project/restoration or just regular maintenance. its nothing more than that.

Couldn't agree more. Had a great drive out yesterday in the late evening sun - couldn't resist getting the camera out. That's the thing....we do enjoy our cars and can't help wanting to share the experience.

[Dr Firefly]

Just got my old convertible back - after 10 years! And I can categorically say selling her was one of the worst mistakes I ever made and I’m SOOO thrilled to have found her again!!

Thread here:
viewtopic.php?p=2983428#p2983428

Driving is now an event and fun again. Every moment I’m in a boring modern car I’m regretting not being in her. Seriously considering selling my Kia e-Niro and having her as my main car again but young kids and being an eco-hippy is making that not an option. But when kids leave home (13 yrs away ish) there’ll hopefully be synthetic fuel from renewable electrolysis etc and then I can just have her... forever.

Just a wonderful wonderful car.

As an A&E and air ambulance doctor for 13 years now I can honestly say it’s about the quality of driving you do. If you drive well accidents are vanishingly rare.

[ocde30]

Just seen the new iX from BMW and I think I would need more than rose tinted glasses when I opened the garage door every morning. A bag of carrots might come in handy though.

Come on BMW

[martauto]

Just seen the new iX from BMW and I think I would need more than rose tinted glasses when I opened the garage door every morning. A bag of carrots might come in handy though.
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Screenshot 2021-05-23 at 15.43.17.png
Come on BMW
Front.jpg

Absolutely no issues with that Trevor !!!!!!
Your e30 is soooooooooooooooo pretty compared to that piece of crap !!!!

Mart.