e30 lust.... the search for a 325i sport begins....

e30 lust.... the search for a 325i sport begins....

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RC1

Original Poster:

4,096 posts

218 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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iSore said:
Like E30 M3's, most of these have seen some action and even more with a mig welder. There are very few really good opens - plenty of cars that look tidy but which have seen some very substandard repair work. They rot like a bd behind the sills covers, the rear wing plastic bodykit bit as well as the front jacking points, rear arch tubs, roof skin (sunroof cars) etc etc.
A very good one that passes muster is a 10 grand car now but there's plenty of shiny substandard ste about for less. A proper inspection is essential and depending on where you are in the country I can point you jun the direction of guys who know their stuff. Do not assume either that cars sold by dealers with smart studio photography are anything special either.
im a pretty experienced buyer and my local indies are cpc and dmworx and old colonel cars are just around the corner. im handy myself but always good to know of others esp if they come recommended. ive registered on e30 zone as well.

i would not be averse to getting the bodywork properly sorted but i need a good and honest basis to work from

JungleGus

61 posts

200 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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Good man! It can be a ballache at times, but worth it! At least on a slight modded one. Don't be scared off by good quality mods - they need them to be moderately interesting to drive. I've had around 10 and a well sorted 325i Sport is my fav. I have mine with an M52 and E30 M3 suspension/brakes and she's great around a track, back roads...bit noisy at speed on the motorway but hey.

Number 1 thing as mentioned is rust - get it up on a hoist and have a good poke around with someone who knows what they are doing. Almost all of them are, but there are good ones out there.

Depending on what you want it for, I would strongly recommend a M52'd Sport - the owners loss in £ will be your gain, and they drive way better with the extra power/torque. If it's got an M52 manifold it should be around 50hp up on stock pretty easily. If you want to return to standard, it's not too tough.

Another option is to find a rust free shell and play around with engines/suspension, depending how adept you are mechanically. You probably want to be anyway if you're buying an E30.

Good luck! I have the same username on the E30Zone, happy to chat if you have any questions. If you want someone to do a pre-purchase inspection I can strongly recommend Barry - bss325i on the zone

RC1

Original Poster:

4,096 posts

218 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
quotequote all
JungleGus said:
Good man! It can be a ballache at times, but worth it! At least on a slight modded one. Don't be scared off by good quality mods - they need them to be moderately interesting to drive. I've had around 10 and a well sorted 325i Sport is my fav. I have mine with an M52 and E30 M3 suspension/brakes and she's great around a track, back roads...bit noisy at speed on the motorway but hey.

Number 1 thing as mentioned is rust - get it up on a hoist and have a good poke around with someone who knows what they are doing. Almost all of them are, but there are good ones out there.

Depending on what you want it for, I would strongly recommend a M52'd Sport - the owners loss in £ will be your gain, and they drive way better with the extra power/torque. If it's got an M52 manifold it should be around 50hp up on stock pretty easily. If you want to return to standard, it's not too tough.

Another option is to find a rust free shell and play around with engines/suspension, depending how adept you are mechanically. You probably want to be anyway if you're buying an E30.

Good luck! I have the same username on the E30Zone, happy to chat if you have any questions. If you want someone to do a pre-purchase inspection I can strongly recommend Barry - bss325i on the zone
ill take you up on your offer!

im also a strictly 'as it left the factory' kind of guy boring i know but i like mine just plain vanilla

my daily is an alpina b3s coupe so the e30 will be largely a garage queen for special weekend action

RC1

Original Poster:

4,096 posts

218 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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nickpan

570 posts

188 months

Saturday 4th July 2015
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I've had a few E30s, driven loads, and seen even more.

People will always tell you they rust from the inside out. They don't, especially the later ones. The E21s did however.

My best tip for buying one of these is to buy the person selling it before you even think about buying the car.

Also - £8k won't get you very far in this market unless you want 150k miles with 17 owners and a patchy service history.

I reckon the 325i SE's are probably the best value buy at the moment if you can find one and are more likely to have had owners that have looked after them.

Good luck.

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
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nickpan said:
I've had a few E30s, driven loads, and seen even more.

People will always tell you they rust from the inside out. They don't, especially the later ones. The E21s did however.

My best tip for buying one of these is to buy the person selling it before you even think about buying the car.

Also - £8k won't get you very far in this market unless you want 150k miles with 17 owners and a patchy service history.

I reckon the 325i SE's are probably the best value buy at the moment if you can find one and are more likely to have had owners that have looked after them.

Good luck.
The E30 has a reputation for rusting because it rusts! - That's just a fact of the matter!

If you want to argue with e30Zone be My guest: http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/Rust

I had an '89 E30 325i Sport for 13 years which never wanted for anything!: Brand new engine fitted - Not because the old engine was faulty (had 69K miles on it when I bought the car), I just wanted a brand new engine in it, all of the suspension (shocks and coils) and bushes replaced, brand new exhaust fitted, brand new clutch and flywheel, brand new sunroof panel fitted, all done by BMW main dealer, it was only ever serviced by BMW main dealers, and only ever failed one MOT due to rear tyre wear (after I'd asked them to replace the tyres first before carrying out the MOT! rolleyes ).

From the outside, the car looked to be in showroom condition!

One night on a motorway the diff was partially ripped out of the floor due to corrosion that had been hidden by the under-seal underneath the car and so I had BMW remove the body kit and check the car thoroughly for any other corrosion.

They found:

Inner and outer sills severely and dangerously corroded (the only part that was not corroded on both sides was a little square around a cut out in the body-kits sill covers used for inspecting the sill condition!)

Inner wheel arches badly corroded underneath the under-seal.

The sunroof drainage channels badly corroded which would require a new roof skin fitting.

Both inner rear arches corroding severely underneath the under-seal.

Severe front bulkhead corrosion.

They stated that when just looking at the car with the under-seal still in place, the car looked to be in perfect condition, but when the under-seal was removed, the corrosion was severe. They also stated that had I been involved in a side impact, the car would almost be guaranteed to fold in half due to the sill corrosion and they strongly advised Me against driving the car in the condition it was in.

I was seriously sceptical about all this and so they allowed Me into the workshop to see the damage for Myself (The corrosion was unbelievable on a car that had been pampered all it's life and never damaged in any way! I'd go as far as to say it was down right scary!).

They put the car back together so I could take it away (I did drive it away, very gingerly! - They had Me sign a statement to say that if anything happened, they had strongly advised Me not to drive the car and that I had done so fully aware of the issues that the car had and against their advice so there'd be no comeback on them in the event of an accident).

With the amount of work required, I sold the car as spares or repairs with the BMW report to advise any buyers as to what was required.


So I know for a fact that they do rust!, and they do it in a way that can be very hard to detect without removing parts/scraping away under-seal.

To claim that they don't rust from the inside out is not only wrong, it's irresponsible!

RC1

Original Poster:

4,096 posts

218 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
quotequote all
gents thanks so much for sharing your personal experiences... i have to say that i wasnt quite expecting to hear so many horror stories and it really is making me think carefully about my next move

i think the tip about the buyign the person before the care is one that ill definitely take on which means ill likely need to source through the enthusiast community

im also getting a little wary that a car that should be a pleasure to own could end up being a real pita if not careful...

my only issue now is whether i continue to focus on the e30 or whether i should cast the net wider

the only other things ive considered include an s series tvr..

iSore

4,011 posts

143 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
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JungleGus said:
Depending on what you want it for, I would strongly recommend a M52'd Sport - the owners loss in £ will be your gain, and they drive way better with the extra power/torque. If it's got an M52 manifold it should be around 50hp up on stock pretty easily. If you want to return to standard, it's not too tough.
It's the M50 manifold you need on the 2.8 litre M52 engine. But they don't give you 50 bhp. 20 at a push with a good remap.

iSore

4,011 posts

143 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
quotequote all
RC1 said:
gents thanks so much for sharing your personal experiences... i have to say that i wasnt quite expecting to hear so many horror stories and it really is making me think carefully about my next move

i think the tip about the buyign the person before the care is one that ill definitely take on which means ill likely need to source through the enthusiast community

im also getting a little wary that a car that should be a pleasure to own could end up being a real pita if not careful...

my only issue now is whether i continue to focus on the e30 or whether i should cast the net wider

the only other things ive considered include an s series tvr..
Good - forewarned is forearmed etc.

The trouble with the E30 is that it's now an old car that wasn't particularly well rustproofed from new and was a pretty poor body design with a lot of rust traps. The Mercedes 190E was a far better built body for example.

M52 converted stuff is alright but they will never be worth anything like a factory correct 325i Sport, plus EVERY conversion I've seen has involved some form of bodgery ranging for sound but ugly to downright bloody dangerous.

As for casting the net wider, think about a 328i Sport E36. Good ones are thinning out and a good one will be a sound investment - and they're magic to drive. I reckon £4000 would buy a really nice one, and an early one with the LSD rather than the ASC traction control system has added kudos. Nice E36 M3's are starting to firm up in value too - a seriously fast car for less than a 325i Sport that's worth buying.

mark.c

1,090 posts

179 months

Monday 6th July 2015
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nickpan said:
I've had a few E30s, driven loads, and seen even more.

People will always tell you they rust from the inside out. They don't, especially the later ones. The E21s did however.

My best tip for buying one of these is to buy the person selling it before you even think about buying the car.

Also - £8k won't get you very far in this market unless you want 150k miles with 17 owners and a patchy service history.

I reckon the 325i SE's are probably the best value buy at the moment if you can find one and are more likely to have had owners that have looked after them.

Good luck.
You have either been very lucky or not looked hard enough. The ONLY e30 that I have ever owned or worked on that isn't rusty somewhere is my current 320is and that is because it came from Portugal and has led a very pampered life. Even my M3 which has also led a very pampered life is just starting to show some corrosion which will need nipping in the bud to prevent having to break out the welder.

My Dad had various E30's when I was in my twenties and they were rusty then...Im in my forties now!!

Tread carefully OP. A good 320is is an alternative to a 325i if you're spreading the net wider, they certainly aren't silky smooth like a straight six but love to rev, if you dont mind LHD the chances are the body might be better.

FurryExocet

3,011 posts

180 months

Monday 6th July 2015
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I used to own G723RCW many years ago, sold it with around 140k on the clock, I put a lot of those on it myself. It was a lovely 325i Sport in grey, just checked online and its no longer on the road (sorn'd)

Will try and dig out the only picture I have if it later

Fantastic car's

RC1

Original Poster:

4,096 posts

218 months

Monday 6th July 2015
quotequote all
ok so this is where im at so far... im still open minded but it looks like i will now also have a poke around for a chimaera...

prob with the e36 is that it doesnt grab my soul in the same way the e30 does and i would rather not compromise unless i really have to.... the tvr tickles the soft spot but i never had anything but german cars before so i need to have a careful think

cerb4.5lee

30,170 posts

179 months

Monday 6th July 2015
quotequote all
RC1 said:
it looks like i will now also have a poke around for a chimaera...
the tvr tickles the soft spot but i never had anything but german cars before so i need to have a careful think
Now we are talking! cooldriving

iSore

4,011 posts

143 months

Monday 6th July 2015
quotequote all
RC1 said:
prob with the e36 is that it doesnt grab my soul in the same way the e30 does and i would rather not compromise unless i really have to.... the tvr tickles the soft spot but i never had anything but german cars before so i need to have a careful think
An E36 M3 might do. They're still a pretty rapid car with a fantastic engine. I'd go for a four door saloon rather than the usual Coupe - £6000 will buy a really nice one.

Billy_Whizzzz

1,989 posts

142 months

Monday 6th July 2015
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I've had various e36s including an M3 and a 328i sport and they didn't grab me anything like the e30s I've had and still have. I know my e30 has minimal rust (as I've had it 20 years and has always been obsessively waxoyled everywhere and I'm sure there are other rust free ones out there. I've seen various sports with full bare metal restorations that were available for around £10k ish and they'd make great buys. Any old car will rust if used daily in winter - Mercedes certainly do and an e30 is no different. But if they've been cherished and waxoyled regularly then they should be fine. But as someone else said - buy the owner. If the owner doesn't know the provenance of the body don't buy it. Proper 320is e30s (not 320i) are fantastic if you can find one - and they're usually rust free. If you're spending 10k and want something with character and can't find an e30 how about a 996?

JungleGus

61 posts

200 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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iSore said:
It's the M50 manifold you need on the 2.8 litre M52 engine. But they don't give you 50 bhp. 20 at a push with a good remap.
Correct, my typo. Was meaning 50hp over a stock M20 (170hp)

Leins

9,412 posts

147 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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mark.c said:
You have either been very lucky or not looked hard enough. The ONLY e30 that I have ever owned or worked on that isn't rusty somewhere is my current 320is and that is because it came from Portugal and has led a very pampered life. Even my M3 which has also led a very pampered life is just starting to show some corrosion which will need nipping in the bud to prevent having to break out the welder.

My Dad had various E30's when I was in my twenties and they were rusty then...Im in my forties now!!

Tread carefully OP. A good 320is is an alternative to a 325i if you're spreading the net wider, they certainly aren't silky smooth like a straight six but love to rev, if you dont mind LHD the chances are the body might be better.
What value on a 320iS these days Mark? I always put them at about twice a 325i Sport, half a non-Evo M3 and around the same as an Alpina C2. Not seen one for ages, so maybe about £14-15k? Or more?

mark.c

1,090 posts

179 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
quotequote all
Leins said:
mark.c said:
You have either been very lucky or not looked hard enough. The ONLY e30 that I have ever owned or worked on that isn't rusty somewhere is my current 320is and that is because it came from Portugal and has led a very pampered life. Even my M3 which has also led a very pampered life is just starting to show some corrosion which will need nipping in the bud to prevent having to break out the welder.

My Dad had various E30's when I was in my twenties and they were rusty then...Im in my forties now!!

Tread carefully OP. A good 320is is an alternative to a 325i if you're spreading the net wider, they certainly aren't silky smooth like a straight six but love to rev, if you dont mind LHD the chances are the body might be better.
What value on a 320iS these days Mark? I always put them at about twice a 325i Sport, half a non-Evo M3 and around the same as an Alpina C2. Not seen one for ages, so maybe about £14-15k? Or more?
Hi mate, yeah I would imagine £14-15 is a real world figure for a nice one and would be the ball park I would consider selling mine for. I'm sure there are dealers out there that would put their premium on one but I think your assessment is a fair price. I guess they are quite difficult to judge since as you said they dont come up for sale very often. Obviously if someone wants to offer me more I won't be turning them away wink. If I did ever sell its only fair that you stop hogging that C2 of yours and let me be its custodian for a bit;)

One of the things to be wary of for any potential buyer of a 320is is that an M20 will be FAR cheaper to rebuild should it need it compared to an S14, parts prices are quite alarming. Mine had an engine refresh at the hands of the previous owner and the bills are quite arresting! Still for potential buyers the chances are it won't be as rusty as a UK car and if you like your thrills raw and revvy then they really are great cars.

Gratuitous pic.




rsv gone!

11,288 posts

240 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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I saw a black one in Greenford today. It had blacked-out lights and all kinds of tat stuck on it. It just needed being brought back to standard.

Leins

9,412 posts

147 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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mark.c said:
Hi mate, yeah I would imagine £14-15 is a real world figure for a nice one and would be the ball park I would consider selling mine for. I'm sure there are dealers out there that would put their premium on one but I think your assessment is a fair price. I guess they are quite difficult to judge since as you said they dont come up for sale very often. Obviously if someone wants to offer me more I won't be turning them away wink. If I did ever sell its only fair that you stop hogging that C2 of yours and let me be its custodian for a bit;)

One of the things to be wary of for any potential buyer of a 320is is that an M20 will be FAR cheaper to rebuild should it need it compared to an S14, parts prices are quite alarming. Mine had an engine refresh at the hands of the previous owner and the bills are quite arresting! Still for potential buyers the chances are it won't be as rusty as a UK car and if you like your thrills raw and revvy then they really are great cars.

Gratuitous pic.

Love the look of that car Mark! Such a rare little beastie

And of course I'll send the C2 over to you - as long as there's something from Stuttgart coming the other way wink