Thoughts on BMW e30's
Discussion
Looking at picking up a bmw e30 for a bit of a fun car. Would be a early 316/318/320 in manual I imagine. The 323/325 are fetching 2k+ all day long.
Plans would be to aim for a track car while learning to do work myself. So basic coilovers, stripped interior, bucket seats and wider wheels.
So really asking, what are people opinions on them? Bad/good idea?
Edit: Only 21 and starting uni next year so would be done on a budget.
Plans would be to aim for a track car while learning to do work myself. So basic coilovers, stripped interior, bucket seats and wider wheels.
So really asking, what are people opinions on them? Bad/good idea?
Edit: Only 21 and starting uni next year so would be done on a budget.
Edited by Slow on Sunday 22 November 15:56
Look up the Production BMW Championship. It's a one-make series for the E30 318i and 320i, and they're a really friendly bunch, so you'll find a wealth of experience on preparing E30s amongst them. You may as well make sure that everything you do to it is within the championship regulations, too, because even if you don't plan to compete, there's a good market for eligible cars.
Good E30s are rare and expensive now aren't they? I mean even the "lesser" ones.
I had a 318i a long time ago, they are quite good fun compared to more modern BMWs but they're not exactly sports cars and I wouldn't say it would be the best choice for a track car out of the box (obviously you can turn anything into a decent track car with work though).
If you're buying it because you like E30s (like I did) then go for it, but if you're just looking for something to turn into a good trackday drive I think you could do better for less money.
I had a 318i a long time ago, they are quite good fun compared to more modern BMWs but they're not exactly sports cars and I wouldn't say it would be the best choice for a track car out of the box (obviously you can turn anything into a decent track car with work though).
If you're buying it because you like E30s (like I did) then go for it, but if you're just looking for something to turn into a good trackday drive I think you could do better for less money.
Can still be had for sub £1k if not a hugely desirable model. Think its a mix of I like the look of them and parts arent too expensive if things break.
Like the look of 80s cars even though I wasnt even alive then. Got a 83 cherry which is going to have to go sadly. Parts are too expensive and hard to get hold of.
Like the look of 80s cars even though I wasnt even alive then. Got a 83 cherry which is going to have to go sadly. Parts are too expensive and hard to get hold of.
Slow said:
Can still be had for sub £1k if not a hugely desirable model. Think its a mix of I like the look of them and parts arent too expensive if things break.
Like the look of 80s cars even though I wasnt even alive then. Got a 83 cherry which is going to have to go sadly. Parts are too expensive and hard to get hold of.
Well there's something undeniably cool about a track-prepped E30 so if you can get one go for it. I just remember even when I was looking for mine 10 years ago they'd mostly fallen into bad (chav) hands and were largely knackered though.Like the look of 80s cars even though I wasnt even alive then. Got a 83 cherry which is going to have to go sadly. Parts are too expensive and hard to get hold of.
318is would be the one I'd choose for a track car but I imagine they are either impossible to find or very expensive as they were even back then!
crashley said:
They're very easy to work on. Lots of parts available both new and second hand.
A wealth of knowledge and parts here: www.e30zone.net
Rust. Rust. Rust. Solid ones are increasingly harder to find.
Fun chassis, great steering. A very enjoyable car and I'm sure it would be entertaining on the track.
As mentioned above, great steering feel, especially if non pas or pas deleted. I've had a few and love them. A much better low-budget alternative to a rwd Escort. They're small cars so the road seems so much wider than with modern cars. Great fun with a lsd. A stripped out e30 is a great fun car. I'd say go for it, but don't buy a very rusty one. And it has to be a 6-cylinder. Prices for the 16v 318is are rapidly rising and are seen as a junior M3.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Edited by sun.and.rain on Sunday 22 November 18:04
If I was buying an E30 for road use I'd spend the money on a two door 325i or 318is, preserve it and keep it standard. If I were buying one for track use I'd spend the minimum I could get away with for a solid shell, the engine and gearbox being secondary. The transplant of the later, more powerful M50 / M52 engines is a well trodden path.
HustleRussell said:
If I was buying an E30 for road use I'd spend the money on a two door 325i or 318is, preserve it and keep it standard. If I were buying one for track use I'd spend the minimum I could get away with for a solid shell, the engine and gearbox being secondary. The transplant of the later, more powerful M50 / M52 engines is a well trodden path.
The e34 2.0 and 2.5 24v engines are bulletproof. Not massive power by any stretch of the imagination but very smooth and the 2.0 likes to rev. I ran a 1994 e34 520 for around 10yrs. When I had it I showed it no mercy and it spent it's last 3yrs as my wife's runaround. Totally std except for k&n and a drilled airbox. Couldn't give it away in the end, still running strong at 234k miles.sun.and.rain said:
The e34 2.0 and 2.5 24v engines are bulletproof. Not massive power by any stretch of the imagination but very smooth and the 2.0 likes to rev. I ran a 1994 e34 520 for around 10yrs. When I had it I showed it no mercy and it spent it's last 3yrs as my wife's runaround. Totally std except for k&n and a drilled airbox. Couldn't give it away in the end, still running strong at 234k miles.
Glad to hear it, got an M50B25 in my E34. That said, I'm secretly hoping it blows up so I can stroke it out to three litres... If the car itself is finished before the engine I'll be putting that engine into something else... Could well be an E30, E21... 2002...Debaser said:
E30s are great fun to thrash. Slow steering though so you need to be quick and precise when it starts to slide.
That was the thing I disliked about them - luckily these days you can get a quicker rack off an E36 etc but back in 1990 the Griffin rack was expensive. Made a big difference to the whole 'feel' of the car though imo. I'm not sure why they thought such slow response was ok for the sporty versions. ( excepting the M3 which was a bit quicker )Edited by s m on Sunday 22 November 20:31
I had a Dolphin Grey E30 325i sport when I was 19 and owned it throughout uni. Purchased it for just under £2K in 2009. By 2014 rust had gone too far, behind the Mtech kit. I broke the entire car and made ~£3K. Parts were being shipped off all around the world!
I loved the car and it was 100% reliable. In the end it had 170,000 miles on the clock. The 2.5 engine is the one to go for definitely, but this engine can be put into any E30 pretty easily. Brakes leave a lot to be desired relative to new cars and the steering is painfully slow, but with a working LSD they can be great fun.
Prices are going up and many are becoming more corroded sadly.
I loved the car and it was 100% reliable. In the end it had 170,000 miles on the clock. The 2.5 engine is the one to go for definitely, but this engine can be put into any E30 pretty easily. Brakes leave a lot to be desired relative to new cars and the steering is painfully slow, but with a working LSD they can be great fun.
Prices are going up and many are becoming more corroded sadly.
Ok, so no messing about here.... Bought this just now on ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1984-BMW-323i-Manual-E30...
Guess its time to buy a non rusty shell unless this one is saveable for a decent price.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1984-BMW-323i-Manual-E30...
Guess its time to buy a non rusty shell unless this one is saveable for a decent price.
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