e30 325i Sport M-Tech1

[Mr Scruff]

This is fantastic, thank you so much for posting. Always wanted a 325i but as with so many things a good one is now too expensive for me (actually a bad one would be too, long term!) so seeing this is brilliant.

Enjoy, I hope the budget doesn’t spiral too far out of control...

[Krikkit]

I'd drop the current oil and filter off before running it up to temp, then replace again once you've run it for a few miles.

Otherwise it looks amazing, what a great find. I bet many PH'ers are very jealous, me included.

[oop north]

Add me to the envious list, too! I drove one in 1994 but bought a convertible 320i e30 instead. Oops. Nearly bought a 325i e30 like this a couple of years later but was too sensible and didn’t.

[Tri_Doc]

Aluminati said:

Have you squirted anything down the bores and let it soak before turning it over ?

The engine luckily wasn't seized at all and turned over perfectly, with compression when it was being turned to time it up for the cambelt change. Happy days!!

[outnumbered]

I missed this thread originally, great stuff. The car looks to be in very good condition considering it's not been used for so long. Please keep us updated !

[Tri_Doc]

Good news! The fuel tank has arrived from Germany and was fitted today, along with the new tyres.



Tyres proved tricky in 205/55/15, with two different retailers having stock showing but once the order was in, contacting me to say the tyres weren’t available (one even said September!). In the end I went for a set of falken rubber from demon tweeks as a middle ground between getting something actually on the car and having something I’d pick by choice.



The car is agonisingly close to being fired up now. We’re waiting on two pipes and a few clips from the fuel system, and a pressure chamber (sadly too far gone to salvage).






So. Hopefully the last parts will arrive on Monday, and MOT time by end of next week. Seems crazy but after years of waiting to get the car back to the UK, these last days are definitely the hardest.

[Tri_Doc]

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been pulling my hair out this week. Parts arrived ok for the fuel system and this was all finished off on Monday, however despite all being refreshed, there was no fuel or spark. Spencer at BMP Conversions spent the day picking through the car yesterday, checking the fly-wheel and CPS, along with fuses/relays etc etc, until it was narrowed down to a connector issue with a relay off the ECU. He sorted that, cranked it and the engine caught almost immediately..... on 4 cylinders....

After letting it run and warm a little, it was clear it was burning a lot of oil and running on 4. After switching it off, letting it cool and firing it again, it ran on all 6, but still with some oil being burnt.

About 1hr later, it was allowed to cool, oil was dropped, filter changed and fired up again - starting cleanly on the turn of the key, all 6 cylinders purring, no smoke and running as sweetly as you could hope after 14 years sat idle without any suck-squeeze-bang-blow.

So, the work is done. The list of parts required was comprehensive:

Mobil 1 Engine Oil
Engine oil filter
Power steering fluid
Gearbox oil
Differential oil (Castrol 373 LSD)
Brake fluid (Pagid)
Antifreeze
Gates cambelt kit
Gates alternator belt
Gates power steering belt
Water pump
Spark plugs
Distributor cap
Rotor arm
Fuel filter
Fuel pump
Petrol tank
Battery
Air filter
Hydraulic bonnet support ram
Front discs
Front pads
Front brake wear sensor
Rear discs
Rear pads
Rear brake wear sensor
Handbrake shoes
Handbrake fitting kit
Air inlet pipe / rubber boot
Fuel balance pipe
MOT test
Rubber u bend fuel feed pipe
4 x pipe clips
1 x fuel filler neck clip
Fuel tank pipe
Fuel feed pressure chamber
Tyres fitting and balance
Wiper Blades X 2
M Badge boot lid
M Stickers Side Skirts
M Sticker Front Bumper

Quite a list, but then the car hadn't seen an oil change since 2003 and hadn't fired since 2005.

All this excitement was tapered by the fact that the friendly MOT centre hasn't got any spaces until Thursday NEXT WEEK. Quite how i'm going to survive the coming days is beyond me. I've purchased my first clay bar for when the car is back home and i'm looking forward to giving it a mini detail/wash/hoover/clean and some general TLC before driving it properly.

To help soothe the time, I keep watching this video of it running:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9khtaNtrXo

Obviously plenty of pictures will follow.

[TheInternet]

That's a lot of work to have completed so quickly. I'd reiterate my previous point about checking all the brake lines, both rigid and flexible, and likewise for the fuel lines. A fault with either is the last thing you want.

Tri_Doc said:

M Stickers Side Skirts
M Sticker Front Bumper

Hmmm

[Tri_Doc]

TheInternet said:

That's a lot of work to have completed so quickly. I'd reiterate my previous point about checking all the brake lines, both rigid and flexible, and likewise for the fuel lines. A fault with either is the last thing you want.

Tri_Doc said:

M Stickers Side Skirts
M Sticker Front Bumper

Hmmm

The original sticker was still present on the rear bumper (the m-tech bodykit), the front and sides had fallen off/disappeared with time, so i've replaced them.

Rubber fuel hoses also being swapped for some new rubber as you're 100% correct, a split in the hose and this whole enterprise could go down in a small inferno. The chap who managed to get it started has checked the underside and lines etc, reporting back no issues on the brake lines, as that system was checked as well.

[TheInternet]

Tri_Doc said:

The original sticker was still present on the rear bumper (the m-tech bodykit), the front and sides had fallen off/disappeared with time, so i've replaced them.

Thank goodness, I had feared the worst.

[G111MDS]

great read, and cracking car! Just can't beat a roadtrip to collect a new car. I didn't realise it was possible to hire a transporter, and have usually hired car trailers, so will need to look into this the next time.

[mark.c]

Congratulations, exciting times!

I didn't see if you had changed the radiator or not. If not and judging by the sludge in the thermostat I would keep a beady eye on the engine temp once you get it up and about, you definitely don't want to be getting this too hot as they really really don't like it.

[Caddyshack]

I think I would be tempted to do the head gasket and flush it all through first. The head has keys had a weak point between 2 of the cylinders.

[mattswan]

Cracking motor, you are one seriously lucky chap! Can’t wait to see pics when you are all done and MOT’d.

My mum had a 323i coupe back in the 80’s and I would love to own one. I turned down a lachs silver 325 sport offered to me for a cracking price in 2012 which I still kick myself about. I recall that the e30 was not the most accommodating for taller folks though - is that just my aging memory or do the sport seats help with the way you can adjust the height a bit more? Mums car was not a sport I don’t think.

[mark.c]

Sports seats are height agjustable, I have them in my touring and am quite lanky and have loads of room.

[helix402]

No problems fitting in E30s and I am rather tall.

[Tri_Doc]

TheInternet said:

Tri_Doc said:

The original sticker was still present on the rear bumper (the m-tech bodykit), the front and sides had fallen off/disappeared with time, so i've replaced them.

Thank goodness, I had feared the worst.

You’ll love this next update....

BMW badges on the centre caps were looking scruffy and as you’ll be able to see from the photos from when I collected the car, the M-badge had been put back on in the wrong place, when he’d replaced it after some local vandals removed the originals off the car - apparently a phase back in the day?
Before you could slap an eBay m-badge on any POS from bmw, those days required you to ring the dealership armed with the VIN number so they could check your machine was the real deal, before handing over your hard earned dosh for the genuine article.

Anyway, new badges and a sticker set (no laughing) were ordered and the original centre cap badges removed as they were in poor condition:



New badges:



Replaced on caps and looking refreshed!



Then, the m-tech body kit sticker set was replaced and refreshed. If the car is deserving of these little touches, I’m keen to lavish them on it:





Overall, it’s these little touches that really do it for me. Keeping things as original as possible. I’m now hunting for an original figment blaupunkt headunit, so eBay aside, if anyone has anything kicking about in their loft, please DM me.

The last and most obvious error was the rear badge. This really made me uncomfortable. I’m 50/50 on whether to debadge the car entirely, as it was specced from the factory. With the glut of 116d cars driving around now adorned with m-sport badges, I’m still unsure if I want them to stay or not. I haven’t sourced a front grill badge yet.

Before:



After:



Much better. All this effort will be well worth it if the car suffers a significant fail come MOT time!!

[helix402]

I like your new wheel badges. I’m not a fan of the boot badge. I recently binned an old Blaupunkt, sorry!

[LanceRS]

My memory tells me that it would have a simple 325i badge rather than an M badge.

[helix402]

LanceRS said:

My memory tells me that it would have a simple 325i badge rather than an M badge.

Correct, unless it was ordered sans boot badge.