new guy, buyers giude?

[CraigG]

hi guys, as youve probly guessed from the thread title, im new here
im from scotland, and currently drive a 2ltr 16v nova... cue the hate party trying to burn me. but to be fair, its not a chavved up big bumper GRP pile up, totally standard kit, vaux alloys, big brakes, coilovers. purely a go car
im wanting an E30 2door, but i know very little about them as a car.

so im looking for some sort of E30 buyers giude (things to look out for, prices etc etc) ive had a search for similar and nothing really jumped out at me

wanting a 318is or 325i sport, i dont know if any of you have any experiance with vauxhalls, but as i said above ive currently a 2ltr 16v nova. so i dont think the 318 will be fast enough for me? or the 325 for that matter but i love the look of them(sport kit looks superb, they hard to come by second hand? retro fitting to a 318 possibly?) whats tuning like for em? with the vauxhalls its all fairly straight forward, plenty of development about (SBD, QED etc) anything like this for the motors listed above?

whats the deal with the engine codes, it seems pretty messed up (m10's m40's etc? dont seem a very logical numbering system)

ive heard to avoid like the plauge the: 316, 318, 320 as they aint much cop?

things to look out for on them, they getting on abit now? bad bits? good bits?


have had a fair root around, and it seems a pretty cool place


cheers
craig

[Zayyan]

Welcome Craig, there's a good buying guide here that might be worth sifting through.

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... ic&t=22543

316/316i/318i are good cars to start off with, but if you can insure a 2.5 you shouldn't be looking at anything else.

320i has a bit of a bad reputation but for wafting along at low revs and the noise it makes they're perfect. As you have a 2-litre Nova though I expect you're not one who wafts along

[ad318i]

2ltr 16v nova. so i dont think the 318 will be fast enough for me? or the 325 for that matter

i like that how many 325's you beat in a race

anyway i like to see you found the light and welcome to the zone, youll find it very helpful here

the main thing to check with any e30 is rust!!

as soon as you find a car you gotta post up some pics for us!!!

[ad318i]

or how about buying a good e30 shell and chucking in a huge engine!!

conversions are popular on here and you'll get loadsa info and adivce on how to do it

[Zerotonine]

Fair play on deciding on a beemer. I've had 3 vauxhalls and personally I think BMWs have superior build quality and a 2.5 fails to disappoint. Good luck mate.

[CraigG]

my mates got a minted 318is in white, not a spot of rust on it, just out the bodyshop 5-6months ago, been garaged since(for some strange reason, he prefers his sierra) its a really nice car, and he has done alot of work to it to bring it up to scratch. apart from it being white, its ideal(really want a black/grey one)

his dont have a rear LSD, and im guessing with my 'give it some on the backroads' driving style, im gonna need a rear LSD if i dont want to end up in the next hedge.

he seems to know abit about them, and says that you can fit a 325lsd, and they are much easier to come by than the actual 318is ones, what work is involved, im guessing, that i cant just bolt on a 325 rear dif, it wont match the front gearbox? am i correct? so whats needed?


'how many 325's youve beat in a race'

none actually, they are rare as hens teeth up here, seen off a e36 m3 fairly easily round the bends, the guy was gutted, pulled in to the garage and had a chat with him he started rambling about it needing a service or something, sore looser i guess :/

[CraigG]

Fair play on deciding on a beemer. I've had 3 vauxhalls and personally I think BMWs have superior build quality and a 2.5 fails to disappoint. Good luck mate.

that is what im looking for tbh, the nova is a great go car, wanting abit of refined comfort, i guess im getting old :S (im 19 )

[georob]

whereabouts in scotland are you craig?

[CraigG]

livingston mate, outside edinburgh