Should I Buy a BMW E30?

[welsh blackbird]

I have been offered a 1991 325i auto cabriolet, 60k miles, FSH, excellent condition - circa £3,000.

Having owned a 1983 323i in the past, I am sorely tempted. However, I don't have a garage and I don't know how a soft top would stand up to winters outside.

Also, it would be used as a weekend and summer evenings car.

Common sense says leave well alone, but my heart is telling me to go for it.

What should I do?

Is it a good price?

Will it survive Welsh winters?

HELP!!!

[belleair302]

Don't waste your money. Unless you have a garage and know about bodywork let your head rule your heart.

[castex]

Buy it

[EDLT]

Are these cars really fetching £3k now?!

For £3k you can get a much better car.

[castex]

EDLT said:

Are these cars really fetching £3k now?!

For £3k you can get a much better car.

I expect you're right. There's just something about that engine.

[EDLT]

There is a better version in the E36, and it won't rust as hard.

[RodentRacing]

belleair302 said:

Don't waste your money. Unless you have a garage and know about bodywork let your head rule your heart.

What's wrong with E30's bodywork? (Genuine question I'm not being defensive. Well maybe a bit...)

To the OP get yourself on e30zone.co.uk. Plenty of cab owners over there with brains to be picked. I'm sure there are plenty that are kept outside.

[Vixpy1]

Its an Auto..




WRONG!

[Globulator]

Vixpy1 said:

Its an Auto..




WRONG!

This is the only fault with the car - apart from £3k looking a little high.
The 325i engine is fine, 175bhp, my one is 160,000 miles and still pulls like a train and uses no oil. Check under the oil cap for cleanliness: bright is good, dark is bad (use a torch).

The bodywork on mine (1986) is still rust free, I can't see many 21 year old cars that applies to.

Stunningly well designed cars, www.e30zone.co.uk is the website for them.
The only downside is the auto box (in general - not that one) and the slight thirst of the 325 when pushing on

[Vixpy1]

I need to get an E30 M3 to add to the collection

[davegsxr]

I have been looking at old E30 sports, some are as high as £6K!! They are going up in value, so buy it! If you don't like it you can sell it for the same or more than you paid. It's a classic shape that seems to get better with age.

[Mustard]

For the mileage if the condition ad history matches then at £3k its a good buy, shame its an auto, but sadly alot of these are (rich womans car when new)

Nothing wrong with E30 bodywork, just requires arches thoroughly 'de crapping' regulary with a jet wash as per any slightly older car



a 91 car will have plastic bumpers

Other points to note/ask

1. Leather Trim Adds a fair bit to Value
2. Does it have a power hood? These are more trouble than they are worth on E30s (technology still in its infancy at this age)

Edited by Mustard on Sunday 11th November 16:37

Edited by Mustard on Sunday 11th November 16:38

[MrFlibbles]

RodentRacing said:

To the OP get yourself on e30zone.co.uk. Plenty of cab owners over there with brains to be picked. I'm sure there are plenty that are kept outside.

Equally though...some of the guys on there appear a little, er, blinkered.

I spose you get that everywhere though.

[Mustard]

PS Minor Rant which has happened alot recently

POST IN THE BMW FORUM!

I'm loosing track the amount of posts made in GG about BMW's, its not as if the 'BMW Forum' is quiet

[75_Steve]

EDLT said:

There is a better version in the E36, and it won't rust as hard.

You are joking, yes?

How many early E36s do you see these days? - I'd wager that a later E30 would be in better condition than an early E36.

My brother's E36 rotted like a 1976 Alfetta.

[m3evo2]

Vixpy1 said:

I need to get an E30 M3 to add to the collection

[Globulator]

Mustard said:

Other points to note/ask

1. Leather Trim Adds a fair bit to Value
2. Does it have a power hood? These are more trouble than they are worth on E30s (technology still in its infancy at this age)

I thought all cabs were leather? Maybe I'm wrong?
Power hood can be disconnected I think, so it reverts to manual.

Anyhow an E30 325 cab will have electric mirrors, check computer, service interval management, central locking, abs, and be very tough and pretty easy to fix - the engineering was really very good indeed.

[welsh blackbird]

Mustard said:

PS Minor Rant which has happened alot recently

POST IN THE BMW FORUM!

I'm loosing track the amount of posts made in GG about BMW's, its not as if the 'BMW Forum' is quiet

Sorry!

Thanks all for the replies!

My main concerns about the car really are the price, ie is it reasonable, and the viability of keeping it outside through the winter, albeit with some sort of cover.

I had an E30 323i saloon of 1985 vintage which I had to scrap because of the dreaded tinworm. The engine was still sweet at 130,000 miles. The driver's seat had collapsed, which I understand is fairly common on E30s.

The 325i is in excellent condition. It has a cloth interior and a power hood, full service history and the cambelt has recently been changed.

I don't mind the fact that it's an auto; I'll be using it as a weekend car for swanning around in. I have a Honda Blackbird for my adrenalin fix

[75_Steve]

Nothing wrong with keeping it outside - it's the salt that causes the issues, not just living outside.

I'd even be wary of using a cover - it's better to have decent airflow, so you don't get pockets of moisture trapped in there.

Just make sure you give it a really good treatment of waxoyl every couple of years as a precaution.

As for price.... E30 Cabrios are still quite sought after and there aren't that many nice ones out there.

I don't think you'd lose much on it, if you were keeping it for several years.

Ultimately, it's not about the value printed in a book - it's about how much you think it's worth. If it's really nice and it's exactly what you're looking for, then it's worth paying a bit more for it.

[derin100]

EDLT said:

Are these cars really fetching £3k now?!

For £3k you can get a much better car.

Depends what you mean by: "...better..." doesn't it?

Anyway...if you decide not to buy it please point your friend in my direction!

Being the old fart that I have now become having recently sold my E30 M3...I don't mind Automatics at all! Indeed, for the first time in my life and despite currently owning six and a half BMWs I no longer have a manual car! Well, the 'half' is a manual but I've seen to it that it'll never turn a wheel again that's for sure!


Oh, forgot to say...I can see Wales from where I sit!

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 11th November 23:38