Friday 1st January 2010

SOTW: BMW 325i Cabriolet

It's cold outside, but a cheap BMW cab gives Shed a warm feeling

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Everybody knows that winter is not the best time to run soft-tops, especially those fabric-roofed cars that dwell at Shed's end of the automotive spectrum.

For less than a grand, the sort of ripped-hood, cracked rear screen, mouldy interior problems you get with an old soft-top motor generally make a convertible shed a distinctly risky undertaking for inclement weather conditions.

On the other hand, winter is absolutely the best time to buy a convertible shed, as the cold weather, wind and rain depress the roofless market almost to the floor.

This, then, is the reason you see this (mostly) gleaming E30 BMW 325i sitting before you. As E30 3-series go, this one's a pretty desirable spec, too: It's got the powerful 168bhp straight six, it's a manual, it has leather (in dark blue to match the hood), and it looks to us as though it's an SE model as well.

In short, its spec is about as good as a 3-series cab's gets without the car being the mega-rare M3 version.

So why's this one so cheap? After all, this generation of 3-series cab normally fetches north of the magic £1k. A clue, we reckon, lies in the seller's line that "the arches are good and solid altough (sic) it does has (sic again) rust running along the sills and bottoms of the doors."

Ah. That probably indicates some serious rot so, even if it does pass its next MOT, the one after that is going to be doubtful unless you chuck a large lump of cash (no doubt far more than the asking price) at getting those sills fixed.

Still, if it's a short-term chunk of open motoring you're after, you could do a lot worse than this 325i for £995.

Our advice? Buy it now, stick it in the garage, run it when the weather's dry and bright and get rid of it next August, while the weather's still good and the car has some MOT left. You might even make a profit on it...

Advert is reproduced below:

e30 325i convertible manual (1990)

155,000 miles £995

e30 325i convertible, in silver with dark blue leather and matching hood. The car has 9 months MOT and 4 months tax. The hood is in excellent condition. The arches are good and solid altough it does has rust running along the sills and bottoms of the doors. It has a small scrape on the drivers wing and dint in the drivers side boot. It runs and drives very well, has 4 excellent tyres but centre caps missing.Heater motor not working, hot air does come out of the vents but no blower. Any inspection welcome. £995 no offers

See SOTW on Facebook

 

[Monkjail]

......oooo...first comment.....I love the E30......

[dudleybloke]

a nice but cold way to start the new year.

[anonymous-user]

Why on earth is the PH Meter only Reading 5 at the moment!?

It is a classic, straight six, drop top BMW for less than a grand!!!!!!

Edited by Simps on Friday 1st January 01:46

[bananapieface]

Replacement sills would be a doddle on that, you cant just paint them black with stonechip paint out of a can too.

[carinaman]

£995 is a bit strong. It is a shed. It'll never be worth doing up, and aren't those cambelt engines? The non blowing heater does restrict the winter posing appeal, but could prove handy if you want to play being David Coulthard and your other half wants to play being Louise Goodman.

Icy roads and hang overs are effecting the current PH meter reading?

You could get your money back in parts if the hood is good? Turn the first nine upside down perhaps.

[4hero]

Monkjail said:

......oooo...first comment.....I love the E30......

Get out with your "I'm 1st" posts

Seems like a good deal, currently looking around for a banger for getting to work, hmmm....

[bananapieface]

Heater control valve has probably failed, spin the dial from full hot to full cold and you should be able to hear the solenoid slam shut, should be easy on a RHD is was a dash out job to do that and the matrix on my E30 M3 LHD.

[Libertine]

I've always liked these! A good choice for the first SOTW for 2010!

[fwaggie]

I never thought I'd turn into a BMW man but after having a old 535i and now an oldish M3 I've taken a liking to them.

I like this, and for that money I'd imagine well worth a punt. Even better if you've got a friendly garage who can do the sills cheaply before the summer starts.

[carinaman]

'Ah. That probably indicates some serious rot so, even if it does pass its next MOT, the one after that is going to be doubtful unless you chuck a large lump of cash (no doubt far more than the asking price) at getting those sills fixed.'


How much? I can't weld, a mate has a welder but I can't cajole or pay him to do it. £1K in welding? That's without the VAT going back to 17.5%?

[steptoe362]

hmmmmmm, cant see how it can be a heater control valve when it says NO BLOWER MOTOR......
the valve only sends water into the car not stops the motor!!
however, still a overpriced, overaged, and overestimated shed....
595 would be closer

[Mustard]

one I bought over 4yrs ago for not much more

Edited by Mustard on Friday 1st January 11:39

[h4muf]

Shed of the year!


So far

Love e30`s,suppose the big question is how good is the hood?

[Mustard]

h4muf said:

Shed of the year!


So far

Love e30`s,suppose the big question is how good is the hood?

I did a pucka DIY job, importing a very good quality OE spec hood from the USA and had change out of £250 (though the exchange rate was a bit better back then!)

Edited by Mustard on Friday 1st January 11:43

[Gallen]

That won't be around long at that price, especially as it's a manual in that colour and the G makes it a late 6 cylinder.

Billy bargain!

Great SOTW!

[bananapieface]

steptoe362 said:

hmmmmmm, cant see how it can be a heater control valve when it says NO BLOWER MOTOR......
the valve only sends water into the car not stops the motor!!
however, still a overpriced, overaged, and overestimated shed....
595 would be closer

Didn't bother reading, well the heater motor is only behind a plastic panel on the scuttle area so not hard to have a look at that either.

[Motorrad]

There's nothing worse than a ropey E30 and I'm speaking from bitter, bitter experience here.
Love the car but I'd be spending twice the price and getting a far better car in the first place.
Not my kind of fixer-upper shed.

[Gixer_fan]

The question is - is it a drivers car?
I heard the drop-tops didn't handle so well - no structural rigidity. Besides we're not in California.
Surely be better off with the saloon or coupe version, and an LSD...

[pSyCoSiS]

Happy New Year to all at PH and all the members!

Well done - what a brilliant SOTW.

Def worth a grand, considering it had tax and test, and the fact that even decent E30 325i coupes are going for more than a grand these days.

Don't think the issues will be too major to sort out, and if rectified, after enjoying it, you prob could sell it on for over £1500.

In my opinion, the best-looking 3 Series ever made - especially in M3 form!

Best wishes for 2010.

[80quattro]

If you bear in mind what you would pay for a same age MK1 Golf Cab with no pas, cloth interior and a gutless 4 pot engine, this 325i looks a very peachy shed for the price.