Take this as a warning Funkyboogalooo
Take this as a warning Funkyboogalooo
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funkyboogalooo

Original Poster:

1,844 posts

299 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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As you may or may not be aware I recently have owned a TVR S3c (lovely not practical though), a Maserati Karif (faultless but couldnt afford to run it), Lancia delta Integrale (excellent drivers car but no where near the class of a Maser).
So I sell the Integrale. What to buy? I find an absolute minter of a BMW E30 M3 Lachs silver leather interior 55,000 miles form new and 2 owners only. After two weeks of deciding I go for it and go and pick her up. £6500.00 like new, powerfull (but not too much), 4 seats, leather, class but not major leagueexpensive to run. Brill just what the doctor
ordered. So there I was on my home in what WAS a fantastic car when for no reason at all the ass end decided to overtake the front end on a right hander. Shit on the road, blowout who knows?
The car span once, crossed the road and ended up coming to an incredibly quick halt against a mud bank.
Now the worst bit, it was a left hooker (as are the majority of E30 M3) and my 12 year old boy was in the passenger seat so took the brunt of the force his side. Fortunately after 8 hours in hospital for us both we are home and mending (couple of stitches and bruises). the car is write off and shaped like an S hook.
So all I have to say is, we werent going quick but neither were we going slowly. If it hadnt been for the fact it was a quality car (all be it old) I dread to think what would have happened to my boy.
Just be aware that we all know speed kills but it can happen even if your not speeding.
Dont really know what i'm trying to say (perhaps its the drugs) just be carefull and thank your lucky stars that it never happens too you. Seeing my son unconscious and covered in my blood (which I thought was his) wasnt nice and I wouldnt wish it on anyone.

Mrs Fish

30,018 posts

289 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Bloody hell... I'm so glad that you are both ok

domster

8,431 posts

301 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Shiiite. Glad you are both OK and sympathy from all of us here at PH.

They can be a bit tail happy. Have driven E30 M3s and they are not as fixed at the rear as you would often like. Anyway, main thing is you're both uninjured.

umar b

1,484 posts

298 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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That really is very bad news, good to know you both are OK as you can always buy another car but never replace a loved one.

i know exactly what you mean about the build quality issue. I had a semi major crash in my first golf GTI, the car was obviosly written off but had i been in a escort or something i KNOW i would not be here anoying people today.

Get Well Soon

Umar B

>> Edited by umar b on Monday 10th March 12:51

judas

6,244 posts

290 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Holy sh!t - glad to hear you and your son are OK. Certainly puts my incident this weekend into perspective.

craigw

12,248 posts

313 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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very sorry to hear of your accident, hope you both recover asap.

Hughesie2

12,802 posts

313 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Similar thing in my old Company Car M3, travelling at 60 (ish) on the motorway merrily on our way to a conf in Brighton, rear end overtook the front until it was helped back around by my bosses rear end + a couple of spins up against the central reservation i ended up the wrong way in the fast lane on a monday nights rush hour on the M25...
Anything else i swear i would have been a gonner, good ol BMW
Couldnt fault the car in the dry though...

apache

39,731 posts

315 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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glad to hear you are both ok, hope your son is not too traumatised. I'd be interested to know what happened once you have both recovered, you have driven rwd performance cars before so a relatively
'hot' saloon shouldn't catch you out like this. Were the electronic driver aids used?

cotty

42,269 posts

315 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Glad to hear you are both OK.

I am on my second E30 and can confirm they are a little tail happy.

Ace-T

8,412 posts

286 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Seems to have been a bit of a weekend for 'incidents' doesn't it

Mucho glad to hear you are both OK though. Take it easy over the next few days (generally, not just driving) as you will probably still be reacting to what happened.

Take care

Ace-T

bennno

15,299 posts

300 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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apache said: glad to hear you are both ok, hope your son is not too traumatised. I'd be interested to know what happened once you have both recovered, you have driven rwd performance cars before so a relatively
'hot' saloon shouldn't catch you out like this. Were the electronic driver aids used?



Glad to hear you are both ok, apache E30 M3 is the first one from 1988 and is devoid of electronic driver aids.

Bennno

apache

39,731 posts

315 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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bennno said:

apache said: glad to hear you are both ok, hope your son is not too traumatised. I'd be interested to know what happened once you have both recovered, you have driven rwd performance cars before so a relatively
'hot' saloon shouldn't catch you out like this. Were the electronic driver aids used?



Glad to hear you are both ok, apache E30 M3 is the first one from 1988 and is devoid of electronic driver aids.

Bennno


hmmn, interesting, one has to ask, why didn't they make the frigging thing handle then instead of adding electronics?
If TVR can produce rwd cars putting out 350+ bhp with the same weight as an empty crisp packet and using nothing more elaborate than an lsd and long travel throttle pedal surely the mighty BMW could have as well



>> Edited by apache on Monday 10th March 13:59

shnozz

30,673 posts

302 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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apache said: and using nothing more elaborate than an lsd and long travel throttle pedal



LSD? only on your modern Tivs! now, in my day.............

Funky - glad to hear you are both ok. certainly makes you think about things.


bennno

15,299 posts

300 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Apache,

The handling of a E30 M3 is universally admired as one of the most controllable on the limit cars ever. It won touring car race after race, and the road car is very closely related to the race car unlike later models.

I guess with any 15 year old car there is the likelyhood that it will not have been maintained as highly as would have been justified by its first owner whom would have shelled out almost £38K back in 1988.

Things such as cheap tyres, knackered or cheap dampers, bushes, geometry, crash damage will over a 15 year period affect the balance.

I guess its just a good job that it was well built enough to withstand the impact and protect the occupants.

Bennno

Deester

1,607 posts

291 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Im glad you two are OK! Sounds like a nasty one... Its only a car, main thing is your OK.

Buffalo

5,487 posts

285 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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bennno said: Apache,

The handling of a E30 M3 is universally admired as one of the most controllable on the limit cars ever. It won touring car race after race, and the road car is very closely related to the race car unlike later models.

I guess with any 15 year old car there is the likelyhood that it will not have been maintained as highly as would have been justified by its first owner whom would have shelled out almost £38K back in 1988.

Things such as cheap tyres, knackered or cheap dampers, bushes, geometry, crash damage will over a 15 year period affect the balance.

I guess its just a good job that it was well built enough to withstand the impact and protect the occupants.

Bennno



Very good point that Benno

This happenend to me, it looked mint, but i didnt really scrutinise the car too thoroughly. The car turned out to be a good 'un, but only after a brake, suspension and tyre re-fit!!!

When you can possibly turn your thoughts to insurance, remember to get an independant competent person to look over the wreck and look for any possible causes, there may be some come back with PO...

Glad to hear you and even more importantly your nipper are fine though!!

Take it easy for a bit!!!

edited to add: my car mentioned here was not an M3, i wish..!

>> Edited by Buffalo on Monday 10th March 15:03

Tony Hall

23,635 posts

313 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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Glad to hear you're both well. I had an E30M3 for a few years and never once had a big moment in it. Always thought the stories were over egzagerated. get this one checked out thoroughly, sounds like somethings given out down below. They really were a great car.And solidly built.

minimax

11,985 posts

287 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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umar b said: but had i been in a escort or something i KNOW i would not be here anoying people today.

Get Well Soon

Umar B

>> Edited by umar b on Monday 10th March 12:51


pbrettle

3,280 posts

314 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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bennno said: Apache,

The handling of a E30 M3 is universally admired as one of the most controllable on the limit cars ever. It won touring car race after race, and the road car is very closely related to the race car unlike later models.
Bennno



Firstly, Funky - hope everything is OK now! Sorry to hear about the crash and glad to hear that everyone is OK. To be honest, this is one thing that completely frightens the hell out of me - I have a little 2 year old and simply couldnt imagine any harm coming to him! I hate to imagine what you went through.... mucho sympathy...

Secondly, a biker friend a few years ago came into work one monday morning gobsmacked by the fact that a well driven M3 (E30) kept up with him on his looney machine. So much so that he stopped to have a chat with the guy and find out what the hell he had done to it (which turned out to be nothing). Always had deep respect for that model since - however, BMW lost the plot slightly with the E36, but hey, who am I to criticise....

Cheers,

Paul

Del Sydyway

101 posts

289 months

Monday 10th March 2003
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for £6.5 an M3 E30 should be in pretty good nick. I found that the first time that I drove an E30 (325) the back end was a bit happy compared to what I was used to (then I got a Pug 205, but that's an other story) but that was relative to what I had driven before. I once went round a slip road onto the M8 with the wife and the kids in the car and the thing just span for no reason and by that time I was used to it. The only thing I could think of was that there was diesel on the roads as buses use that slip road frequently. Luckily, though we did a 720, we missed everything bar a couple of traffic cones. My oldest still buries her head in her lap when we go round that corner even now after 2 years.

To see your kid like that must have been shocking, I can't even imagine how I would feel if it was one of my own. My sympathies are with you and hope your boy recovers well and gets over it soon. I hope you're not kicking yourself over about it. These things happen and you're obviously a concerned enough parent not to have put your children at risk while you're driving.