e30 325i Sport M-Tech1

[Tri_Doc]

After a mixed few years of motoring (I sold my half of a turbocharged MX-5 track car to my co-owner to fund a bicycle purchase), I've missed not having a car as a plaything. With me being unable to find my way out of a mk5 golf GT TDI 170 as a daily, this left me feeling quite melancholy towards cars. But finally a few things fell into place and I had the thumbs up from the wife.

My in-laws moved to the south of France in 2003, taking with them their current car at the time. It got parked up in a garage at the back of the house, and they bought a Renault Kangoo because of their driveway being a bit dodgy and wanting something French and 4wd. Luckily they didn't keep it long.

When I went out to France in 2005, my Father-in-law took me to see his old car that had been tucked away since they'd moved. My wife had always just said - it's an old BMW. When he pulled back the covers I was shocked. Its an original 325i sport m-tech1, with 45k on the clock. All in original condition, including the tin of Sytner BMW travel sweets in the glove box. He fired it up, we took it for a very brief and untaxed/uninsured drive down the road and back (they live rurally). It got put back in the garage and he lost interest in it. I kept pestering about it and prior to our wedding in 2012, he said I could take it off him. We didn't have a garage at the time and there were always a multitude of reasons why it didn't happen sooner, but finally, the time has come to bring the beauty home and get her back on the road.

Its essentially been under a cover in a dry garage since being brought across from the UK 15years ago. This is the only photo I have of the car when it was last rolled out of the garage:



Some investigating by Barney at Classic Heroes showed up the original spec from the factory:

Vehicle information

VIN long WBAAB320********7

Type code AB32

Type 325I (EUR)

Dev. series E30 ()

Line 3

Body type LIM

Steering RL

Door count 2

Engine M20

Cubical capacity 2.50

Power 0

Transmision HECK

Gearbox MECH

Colour LACHSSILBER METALLIC (203)

Upholstery ANTHRAZIT (0211)

6000

Prod. date 1987-06-25


Order options
No. Description
209 LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL (25%)

288 LT/ALY WHEELS

300 ZENTRALVERRIEGELUNG ELEKTRISCH

314 HEATED WINDSCREEN WASHER NOZZLES

320 MODEL DESIGNATION, DELETION

333 M TECHNIC SPORTPAKET

339 SATIN CHROME

350 WAERMESCHUTZGLAS GRUEN, RUNDUM

401 SLIDING/VENT ROOF, ELECTRIC

410 WINDOW LIFTS, ELECTRIC AT FRONT

481 SPORT SEATS F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER

497 CENTRE ARMREST IN REAR

498 HEADRESTS IN REAR, MECHANIC. ADJUSTABLE

551 ON-BOARD COMPUTER II W REMOTE CONTROL

562 MAP READING LIGHT

704 M SPORT SUSPENSION

708 M-SPORT LEATHER STEERING WHEEL II

812 ENGLAND VERSION

850 ADD FUEL TANK FILLING FOR EXPORT



So, after I worked out my mk5 golf wasn't up to the job of towing it home, i've rented a transit car transporter from Wallis rentals (https://wallisandson.co.uk/vehicle-rentals.html) and on June 14th I'm catching a ferry at 8pm to France with a mate, driving through the night to collect it, arriving 8am, hopefully then catching the return ferry Sunday 6am to drop the car with BMP conversions locally to me to give it a thorough going over and outline just what might be involved getting it back on the road.

12 days before the off. Garage banners arrived and cleared the space for it to go into:



I've treated myself to some new reading material as well:




Ferry crossing is 8pm Friday 14th, so very excited and will update with more pics and details as the project rolls on.

Edited by Tri_Doc on Wednesday 5th June 13:43

[helix402]

Excellent. Now change the cambelt and water pump! (When it’s home). Looking forward to updates.

[CornedBeef]

Lucky chap, that's very cool. Keep us updated!

[si_xsi]

Proper motor and great back storey. Look forward to hearing about the collection, journey home and inspection. Lucky man indeed.

[Superhoop]

have you picked the best weekend to "pop over to France" to collect it?

That's the weekend of the 24 hours..

[TheInternet]

This is the manual you want:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BMW-E30-Service-Manual-Co...

[toon10]

Awesome! The only thing anyone in my family has in their garage is a brown DAF variomatic. We can't move it or even open the door as a slight breeze will reduce it to brown dust.

[Escort3500]

Bookmarked. Love these cars

[Tri_Doc]

TheInternet said:

This is the manual you want:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BMW-E30-Service-Manual-Co...

Not cheap but will have a look.

Superhoop said:

have you picked the best weekend to "pop over to France" to collect it?

That's the weekend of the 24 hours..

Sadly had no other choice - perhaps that means we will see some cool stuff on the ferry, but heading south via Paris, so should maybe miss the big traffic..

[Sf_Manta]

Bookmarked as well, Miss my 325i wagon, though they are classics these days.

[mark.c]

I love to hear stories like this!

Great choice of car too, I'm a bit biased of course having owned a lachs tech1 sport many moons ago, sadly long since rotted away. I've got these two now so will follow with interest. E30's are cracking cars and a bit of a sweetspot in my opinion, even more so in sport form. I daily my touring and the M3 just took me to the Spa Classic a couple of weekends ago.

Good luck with the car and keep us updated please

Edited by mark.c on Wednesday 5th June 18:37

Edited by mark.c on Wednesday 5th June 19:11

[mark.c]

[Baked_bean]

Lovely, great story aswell.

I have had two E30’s in the past and loved them (318is & a 325i tech 2) but struggle to justify the cost of a good one now.

Look forward to seeing updates.

[agent006]

TheInternet said:

This is the manual you want:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BMW-E30-Service-Manual-Co...

Yep, the combined E30/E34 Haynes manual is awful. Nothing factually wrong in it, but the cars share so little, bar the drivetrain (and even then not all of it) that it makes it a really frustrating thing to use.

These are lovely things to work on though. Parts are still readily available from BMW, and still at realistic prices.

[Stu08]

I had a 325i Sport Mtec 1 with cloth (may have been half leather) interior when I was 18 - It was Dolphin Grey and absolutely stunning.

How I now wish I had known what I had at the time. I part exchanged it for a new mk4 Astra SRi in 2003...….

Looking forward to updates.

[Tri_Doc]

Good to see some interest in the vehicle. I'll be honest and say that these have never been on my radar at all, until I started researching it once my FIL said he'd be happy for me to bring it back to the UK. Combination of RWD, modest power, lightweight (relative to modern stuff) and a classic shape has got me rather excited about it and the reviews are all positive and there is obviously a big enthusiastic following for the cars. I'm really keen to keep it as original as possible.
I asked my FIL to send me over some more photos and he send a couple of snaps of the car from back when he first picked it up in Nottingham in 1992. Looks brilliant:





I also managed to find the vehicle was produced as a Corgi toy back in the day so couldn't help but snap one up:



Thanks for all the interest.

[farbbm]

[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/gFu3FgBh[/url

Good luck transporting it back, I'm a little jealous of the mileage of your one, as mine is about to go over 196,000 miles.

Still an excuse to include a picture of mine though!

[LanceRS]

A family friend had one of these when they were current. As impressionable youngster I loved it and still do. I’m ever so slightly jealous.
Good luck with this, I’m looking forward to following this thread.

[anonymous-user]

Lovely

[Mr Tidy]

That's a great story OP, and you must have acquired one of the lowest mileage E30s around.

Back in the 80s I wasn't into BMWs, but love the look of the E30s now.

Which meant I didn't discover how good manual straight 6 N/A petrol BMWs were until 5 years ago, but I'm trying to make up for that now!

I hope the collection goes well.