RE: BMW 325i Touring (E30) | Spotted

[Kawasicki]

Seeing as others posted e30 pics! Here’s my old 318is in Australia.

[buggalugs]

I loved my E30, so much character. I put a 24V M50 engine in mine, LSD, Z3 rack, ram raided a scrapyard basically. I still regret getting rid but it was rusting just everywhere.

[kylos27]

Remember to change the timing belt as part of the preventative maintenance

[161BMW]

I had an 325i SPORT (E30) Tech1 Manual with LSD, M-Technic springs, Bilstein dampers. It drove a bit rubbish when i first bought it because rear bushes needed replacing. It got better with time as i spent thousands sorting it mechanically as well as every time it broke down got it fixed. Most people would have scrapped it to begin with as it looked nice on outside but needed alot of work at £4250 in 2010. In the end i sold it in 2020 for £5500 on 200k miles. It had alot of rust such as on the roof. Spark plugs fouled up quickly so needed replacing every week or engine rebuild. I miss it every day and wish i had kept it. It was such fun to drive i didnt want any newer BMWs except maybe M240i or M2 or E46 M3 CSL as a daily. Had plenty of tail happy moments in it and it got so much attention that drivers in newer cars didnt like. Generally quite often get asked about it by other people or stopped by other people asking if i want to sell. I miss that car every day. It was rough around the edges but great fun and looked good. I could park it where ever i want and not worry about it getting stolen with the Disc Lock except maybe in certain parts of the country where car crime is common.

[161BMW]

sidewinder500 said:

Worked at BMW prototype under Max Reisböck in 86 as an apprentice before uni, was a seriously funny guy with loads of car knowledge.
Was like a kid in the candy store for me then, great times!

Would love to hear more about what it was like. Which department were you in ? What was the culture like ? What did you do at uni ? Did you meet Paul Rosche ? Love the E30 325i.

[Leins]

Kawasicki said:

Seeing as others posted e30 pics! Here’s my old 318is in Australia.

Very nice. I had one of those for a while too (actually owned it twice), nice alternative to the likes of a Golf 16v, although a bit more civilised

It was in good condition with very little rust, etc. and I used it as a daily for a while, but it still took an age to sell for less than €2500

[cerb4.5lee]

Leins said:

Kawasicki said:

Seeing as others posted e30 pics! Here’s my old 318is in Australia.

Very nice. I had one of those for a while too (actually owned it twice), nice alternative to the likes of a Golf 16v, although a bit more civilised

It was in good condition with very little rust, etc. and I used it as a daily for a while, but it still took an age to sell for less than €2500

I remember the 318is always getting really good reviews at the time.

[Leins]

cerb4.5lee said:

I remember the 318is always getting really good reviews at the time.

It’s funny Lee, everyone loves the E30, especially the 325, 318iS and of course the M3. But no-one gives the E36 Compact a second look. I loved my one, and actually really fancy something like a run-out 318Ti Dakar Edition again now

[cerb4.5lee]

Leins said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I remember the 318is always getting really good reviews at the time.

It’s funny Lee, everyone loves the E30, especially the 325, 318iS and of course the M3. But no-one gives the E36 Compact a second look. I loved my one, and actually really fancy something like a run-out 318Ti Dakar Edition again now

I really like that colour and I came close to buying an E36 M3 in the same colour years ago.

Agree and the Compact just didn't seem to take off for some reason. I would love a go in one though to see what they're like.

Edited by cerb4.5lee on Thursday 30th March 12:00

[JuiceTerry]

Leins said:

Any excuse to post my old E30





Ordered by John Clarke BMW Aberdeen as a 325i in factory special Alpina Blue, then sent straight to Sytner Nottingham for conversion to C2.5 spec. Alpina cams, ecu, bodykit, etc. meant 190bhp so it moved along nicely. I couldn’t source an original replacement Alpina exhaust (I never did find out who they used to make them, some suggestion of Jetex), so I went with a SuperSprint system which sounded lovely

It really was a special car to drive. Never forget cruising down through France on a balmy July morning, sunroof open and that straight six purring along. It didn’t matter that a 320d would leave it for dead, that was bliss!

That just looks great

[Maxus]

Leins said:

Any excuse to post my old E30



Ordered by John Clarke BMW Aberdeen as a 325i in factory special Alpina Blue, then sent straight to Sytner Nottingham for conversion to C2.5 spec. Alpina cams, ecu, bodykit, etc. meant 190bhp so it moved along nicely. I couldn’t source an original replacement Alpina exhaust (I never did find out who they used to make them, some suggestion of Jetex), so I went with a SuperSprint system which sounded lovely

The E30 Touring was always a cool car, even better as an Alpina. I believe the exhausts were made by Boysen in Germany.

Were we on the E30 Zone at the same time? I had the same spec Alpina as you but in Convertible flavour. At the risk of being shot down, my E46 is such a better proposition to run although worth a fraction of todays value - it cost twice as much as I sold my Alpina E30 for but now worth maybe a quarter of what the Alpina would be today.

[Leins]

Maxus said:

The E30 Touring was always a cool car, even better as an Alpina. I believe the exhausts were made by Boysen in Germany.

Were we on the E30 Zone at the same time? I had the same spec Alpina as you but in Convertible flavour. At the risk of being shot down, my E46 is such a better proposition to run although worth a fraction of todays value - it cost twice as much as I sold my Alpina E30 for but now worth maybe a quarter of what the Alpina would be today.

I was an occasional poster on the E30 Zone, so quite possibly. That convertible is lovely

When I had mine I also owned an E46 CSL and an E34 M5 3.8, both of which were subjectively better and quicker cars. However, I did find the E30 more of an occasion to drive, and it’s the only one of the three that I still miss. There was just something about it

cerb4.5lee said:

I really like that colour and I came close to buying an E36 M3 in the same colour years ago.

Agree and the Compact just didn't seem to take off for some reason. I would love a go in one though to see what they're like.

A good friend of mine owns a Dakar M3 Evo, and it gets a lot of attention. Incidentally that was his red E30 M3 in one of my pics from France on the last page, on the way down to the Le Mans Classic a good few years ago. That was a fun trip, and the Touring was very handy for all the camping gear

Edited by Leins on Thursday 30th March 13:07

[Jeremy-57bxb]

AmyRichardson said:

Got traipsed around the UK in a similarly modest spec, grey 325i touring (people forget how sparse most BMWs were) in the late 1980s. Cord seats and all. Apparently you don't need a deathstar on wheels to accommodate a family of four with hobbies and a shnauzer, though the XM that followed seemed very plush in comparison.

I assume the XM was the original (Citroen) not the hideous new BMW XM??

[Court_S]

nickpan said:

I was fortunate to own (what i perceive to be) the holy grail of tourings about 8 years ago.

Malachite green on tan leather, and a manual.

Obligatory photos below.

That is stunning; what a lovely thing.

[Maxus]

Leins said:

When I had mine I also owned an E46 CSL and an E34 M5 3.8, both of which were subjectively better and quicker cars. However, I did find the E30 more of an occasion to drive, and it’s the only one of the three that I still miss. There was just something about it

Wow, what a fleet. Whilst not the cream of the crop like yours, I do flit between the E46 330 and the E34 525i Sport (manual in Daytona Violet!) as my favourite BMWs i've owned.

[Leins]

Maxus said:

Wow, what a fleet. Whilst not the cream of the crop like yours, I do flit between the E46 330 and the E34 525i Sport (manual in Daytona Violet!) as my favourite BMWs i've owned.

Thanks, although I’d have traded them all along with my soul for a B6 3.5S. That was the holy grail that never happened

Daytona/Techno Violet is a gorgeous colour, probably my favourite after Avus Blue

[161BMW]

Leins said:

Maxus said:

The E30 Touring was always a cool car, even better as an Alpina. I believe the exhausts were made by Boysen in Germany.

Were we on the E30 Zone at the same time? I had the same spec Alpina as you but in Convertible flavour. At the risk of being shot down, my E46 is such a better proposition to run although worth a fraction of todays value - it cost twice as much as I sold my Alpina E30 for but now worth maybe a quarter of what the Alpina would be today.

I was an occasional poster on the E30 Zone, so quite possibly. That convertible is lovely

When I had mine I also owned an E46 CSL and an E34 M5 3.8, both of which were subjectively better and quicker cars. However, I did find the E30 more of an occasion to drive, and it’s the only one of the three that I still miss. There was just something about it

cerb4.5lee said:

I really like that colour and I came close to buying an E36 M3 in the same colour years ago.

Agree and the Compact just didn't seem to take off for some reason. I would love a go in one though to see what they're like.

A good friend of mine owns a Dakar M3 Evo, and it gets a lot of attention. Incidentally that was his red E30 M3 in one of my pics from France on the last page, on the way down to the Le Mans Classic a good few years ago. That was a fun trip, and the Touring was very handy for all the camping gear

Edited by Leins on Thursday 30th March 13:07

That is cool set of cars. I was flitting between E30 325i Sport, E38 750iL and E46 M3 CS Manual while back. The E38 drove like a big E46 or big E30 but without alot of the tail happyness and needing an LSD if you switched off DSC.

[williamp]

It wasnt a 325, it wasnt a touring. But I owned it in the late 90s and I loved it.



I keep looking at them for sale today. Itll be the same as my youth, wont it???!!!

[LeftField500]

Had an M-tech II (albeit in auto guise) back in 2007/8. I liked the car initially but it was a wallowing brute of thing. Suspect it could have probably done with a full suspension refresh. The auto box was terrible and so was the MPG because of it. It was quite fun stamping on the loud pedal on a motorway slip road and engaging the sport "click".

It was also cursed and had numerous "incidents" that resulted in its eventual demise. Can't say I was all that sorry when I watched it leave on the back of a low loader.

[SpudLink]

williamp said:

It wasnt a 325, it wasnt a touring. But I owned it in the late 90s and I loved it.



I keep looking at them for sale today. It'll be the same as my youth, wont it???!!!

The car might be the same. You, on the other hand, probably won't be.