BMW E30s - Talk to me
Discussion
Totally BORED of my M135i daily and tempted to use the £16K I'd get for it towards something older and more interesting. I pretty much mostly commute to work by bicycle now so it would not see much use. Therefore am considering an E30 - a 318is or 325 3 door, must be manual........... overwhelm me with PISTONHEADS wisdom, buying tips and let me know if you know of any decent cars that are about or any experts I should be speaking to?
IS the 325 engine really much better than the 318is? don't think there is much in it power wise? and are chassis pretty much the same? i Know the 318 has an LSD doe the 325 tech2 sport have one too?
Thanks!!!!!
IS the 325 engine really much better than the 318is? don't think there is much in it power wise? and are chassis pretty much the same? i Know the 318 has an LSD doe the 325 tech2 sport have one too?
Thanks!!!!!
jackpe said:
Totally BORED of my M135i daily and tempted to use the £16K I'd get for it towards something older and more interesting. I pretty much mostly commute to work by bicycle now so it would not see much use. Therefore am considering an E30 - a 318is or 325 3 door, must be manual........... overwhelm me with PISTONHEADS wisdom, buying tips and let me know if you know of any decent cars that are about or any experts I should be speaking to?
IS the 325 engine really much better than the 318is? don't think there is much in it power wise? and are chassis pretty much the same? i Know the 318 has an LSD doe the 325 tech2 sport have one too?
Thanks!!!!!
Firstly accept that there was never an E30 3 door IS the 325 engine really much better than the 318is? don't think there is much in it power wise? and are chassis pretty much the same? i Know the 318 has an LSD doe the 325 tech2 sport have one too?
Thanks!!!!!
Are you blinkered by BMW or are you considering anything else?
Turbobanana said:
Firstly accept that there was never an E30 3 door
Are you blinkered by BMW or are you considering anything else?
Ahhh, indeed I meant two door of course!! Are you blinkered by BMW or are you considering anything else?
The E30 seems to be what I’m set on right now.. feel free to suggest alternatives ! Nothing too modern though, want something interesting.
jackpe said:
Turbobanana said:
Firstly accept that there was never an E30 3 door
Are you blinkered by BMW or are you considering anything else?
Ahhh, indeed I meant two door of course!! Are you blinkered by BMW or are you considering anything else?
The E30 seems to be what I’m set on right now.. feel free to suggest alternatives ! Nothing too modern though, want something interesting.
Turbobanana said:
Well, £16,000 would buy you TWO very good Saab 900 Turbos, in 2 or 3 door flavour (or even a convertible, if you want one). Quicker than an E30, quirky and stylish and about the same age. Relatively easy to find decent ones, too.
Good call and it had crossed my mind actually.. will take a lookI've owned two, both convertibles, but most of the information is the same. A 320i and and a 325i.
There is quite a lot of difference between the 318is and 325i. From memory I think the 318 has 135bhp ish and the 325i 170ish so that's quite a difference in a fairly light car. 325is still feel a bit naughty, in that they feel like a big engine in a small car with narrow (for today) tyres, even though 170bhp isn't very much these days. Low geared steering means that some people find them hard to catch, though I never had a problem, I sold my car to a journalist from Evo who then crashed it, apparently because of oversteer on a motorway slip road.
They all rust (though convertibles possibly less so). They are fairly tough mechanically but will be getting old by now so are likely to suffer issues. My 325i, for example, had a very worn camshaft because the oil supply had got gummed-up.
There are lots of modifications and uprated parts, if that's your thing. And quite lot of interchangeability with other BMWs.
Its been a while since I had one, but at the time the E30 Zone was a useful source of knowledge.
BTW, don't discount the 320. It is smoother and revvier and comes with a closer ratio gear box and, although it is noticeably slower, is arguably the purist option!
There is quite a lot of difference between the 318is and 325i. From memory I think the 318 has 135bhp ish and the 325i 170ish so that's quite a difference in a fairly light car. 325is still feel a bit naughty, in that they feel like a big engine in a small car with narrow (for today) tyres, even though 170bhp isn't very much these days. Low geared steering means that some people find them hard to catch, though I never had a problem, I sold my car to a journalist from Evo who then crashed it, apparently because of oversteer on a motorway slip road.
They all rust (though convertibles possibly less so). They are fairly tough mechanically but will be getting old by now so are likely to suffer issues. My 325i, for example, had a very worn camshaft because the oil supply had got gummed-up.
There are lots of modifications and uprated parts, if that's your thing. And quite lot of interchangeability with other BMWs.
Its been a while since I had one, but at the time the E30 Zone was a useful source of knowledge.
BTW, don't discount the 320. It is smoother and revvier and comes with a closer ratio gear box and, although it is noticeably slower, is arguably the purist option!
I've had 2 E30's, an M3 and a 325i sport. They are great fun if a bit of a handful.
The noise of the 6 cylinder is fabulous and the grunt over a 318 is significant. The M3 is now over the horizon price wise however you could hunt down a 320iS. This is a Euro spec only car not sold in the UK with a 2litre version of the M3 engine in what is essentially a 325i sport chassis.
Saab is a good shout but not sure about handling dynamics with 185bhp through the front wheels.
The noise of the 6 cylinder is fabulous and the grunt over a 318 is significant. The M3 is now over the horizon price wise however you could hunt down a 320iS. This is a Euro spec only car not sold in the UK with a 2litre version of the M3 engine in what is essentially a 325i sport chassis.
Saab is a good shout but not sure about handling dynamics with 185bhp through the front wheels.
Venisonpie said:
Saab is a good shout but not sure about handling dynamics with 185bhp through the front wheels.
Not as bad as you'd think. OK, not M3, but because of the longitudinal engine location you have equal-length driveshafts, hence little in the way of torque steer. Rear axle is well located so, assuming you have decent tyres, you're good to go. 185bhp was only in the Carlssons: 16v Turbos had 175 as standard, 165 in the convertibles and 145 as LPT low-pressure turbos (the ones without the intercooler). Basic engine design was such that tuning is easy and productive, however: many run 300bhp +. These cars are all about torque though, not 0-60 times. In-gear acceleration was supercar quick for the time.E30's are old, very nickable and require a lot of work to maintain to a good standard. Daily use without regular fettling will ruin one.
325i's are too much money now for what they are. As was mentioned earlier, a late 320i with rear discs gives you much of the 6 cylinder E30 thing for less dollar. A 318iS is OK but as with any E30, you might tire of the regular trips to a garage to fix stuff.
I would give a late 3 door Turbo garage space - a proper one that is, nothing GM or the floppy Convertible where back follows front, sort of. A decent 2.6 190E is also worth consideration.
325i's are too much money now for what they are. As was mentioned earlier, a late 320i with rear discs gives you much of the 6 cylinder E30 thing for less dollar. A 318iS is OK but as with any E30, you might tire of the regular trips to a garage to fix stuff.
I would give a late 3 door Turbo garage space - a proper one that is, nothing GM or the floppy Convertible where back follows front, sort of. A decent 2.6 190E is also worth consideration.
I have had two 325’s but in touring format.
Both relaxed cars to drive with a wonderful soundtrack.
I hear good things of the E46 in 325 format. I hope I have the number correct. Basically a hatchback with with a better rear end and the lovely 6 cylinder engine.
Good luck with your quest.
Both relaxed cars to drive with a wonderful soundtrack.
I hear good things of the E46 in 325 format. I hope I have the number correct. Basically a hatchback with with a better rear end and the lovely 6 cylinder engine.
Good luck with your quest.
I looked at getting an E30 a few years ago but realised they’re very small inside - worth trying one for size first.
I also had a 900T16S on the list - I do like them but wasn’t really what I wanted in the end. And they do torque steer albeit nowhere near as much as you might think.
What about a 306GTI6? Or Celica GT4?
I also had a 900T16S on the list - I do like them but wasn’t really what I wanted in the end. And they do torque steer albeit nowhere near as much as you might think.
What about a 306GTI6? Or Celica GT4?
Turbobanana said:
Not as bad as you'd think. OK, not M3, but because of the longitudinal engine location you have equal-length driveshafts, hence little in the way of torque steer. Rear axle is well located so, assuming you have decent tyres, you're good to go. 185bhp was only in the Carlssons: 16v Turbos had 175 as standard, 165 in the convertibles and 145 as LPT low-pressure turbos (the ones without the intercooler). Basic engine design was such that tuning is easy and productive, however: many run 300bhp +. These cars are all about torque though, not 0-60 times. In-gear acceleration was supercar quick for the time.
I'm a big "Saab" Saab fan and agree, it's roll on acceleration where they shine. A T16 on 3 spokes would be a nice classic to burn about in.Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff