Do you need to be handy with a spanner to own an E30?

[nickpan]

Gents,

Having finally got my hands on a garage from the local council...I now have a safe and dry place to store a practical classic as a sunny weather weekend car / "investment".

I've always wanted a BMW 325i E30 saloon manual (not cab or touring) which is the first BMW I ever sat in as my Dad bought one brand new in 1986.

There are of course many to choose from. I am looking to pay slightly more for a close to "mint" example which will require regular servicing only and the odd bit of rust repair by a specialist.

Am I buying into a money pit with little mechanical knowledge? Can anyone recommend any specialists who might inspect a car prior to me purchasing or should I be going to the AA/RAC?

I have read all buyers guides available on Google and watched numerous videos on YouTube but nothing equates to the first hand advice available on this forum!

Many thanks,

Nick

PS: I have a 130i for everyday use!

[nickpan]

Thanks for the advice guys - I'm down with spending more to avoid costly jobs (that I may not even recognise need doing) later on down the line.

The Sport definitely seems to be holding its value better but many manual sports have 150k miles+ and some have been modified.

I'm looking for bog standard / unmodified with <150k miles although I appreciate this isn't easy to find anymore.

Can anybody point me in the direction of a specialist in the London area that might do a pre-purchase inspection?

Thank you

Nick