E30 325 as Daily Runner prospect.

[supersport]

I thinking about getting into an E30 325 as both a family daily runner and occaisonal track toy. Given that these are now 15 - 25 years old is this a reasonable proposition.

I have seen quite a few at shows etc over the summer and seems that there are still plenty around in what looks to be good condition.

I am guessing that a lot are looked after by enthusiasts and therefore are well looked after and cared for and hence not going to be in the same condition as other 15+ year old cars.

So having had a quick search around there seem to be a number around the £1500 mark, are these likely to be dogs at this level.

Cheers

[belleair302]

As ever check the history of the car and the bodywork....rust will be your biggest enemy as will suspension, steering and gearbox issues. I would either get a car looked at before buying or get it onto a ramp and look underneath and at bodywork / shutlines and under the carpets.

Pricewise upto maybe £2500 is not daft money.

[benny.c]

Mine is a daily driver and it does the job well. Quick enough, fun to drive and also surprisingly refined. That straight 6 sounds lovely too

The only issue as a daily driver would be leaving it outside if you don't have/can't be arsed using a garage. Rust is an issue and a year or two outside wont do them any favours.

[buggalugs]

I've got a 320i as my daily driver, put about 20K on it in the last 18 months. It's reliable enough, i.e. it hasn't broken down at all. It's needed a couple of wheel bearings so far.

I've refreshed the suspension and upgraded the stereo in mine which makes it a nicer place to spend time. I just did the main bushes which made the ride and handling much better, and for the stereo I've gone with a USB head unit, amp and upgraded speakers.

I'm also in the process of dropping an M50 engine into it, which I fired up for the first time in situ today

The way I've got it now, I can't think of anything I'd want to replace it with!

[4rephill]

As I have noted in a previous post, be aware that E30's with the M-TECH II bodykit can have serious rust in the sills that cannot be easily be seen,even in an MOT test.

My previous car was a genuine '89 E30 325i sport that had passed an MOT with no problems.A few months later it needed some work doing that required the sill covers to be removed. It was then discovered that both the inner and outer sills on both sides were severely corroded and that in a crash,the car would have most likely have folded in half!.The reason it was not found during the MOT was because they are not allowed to remove any body panels (including bodykit sill covers) to check the condition underneath.

Another place to check for rust is in the drainage channels for the sun roof that run beneath the roof skin.

Also, if Your looking at 325's, check the rear diff mounts are not slowly ripping out (had sparks flying out the rear on the M45 late one night as the prop was bouncing off the underside of the car!.Only cure would have been a complete new boot floor!).
This combined with the sill corrosion and the rust in the sunroof drains resulted in My beloved sport being scrapped off after 12years of ownership (I still miss her, but the rust was too far gone to be worth repairing).

Don't let this put You off searching though, an E30 325i with a limited slip diff is a hoot to drive!.

[supersport]

Thanks for the replies chaps. As expected in cars this age it is the demon rust that is likely to be killer.

At the moment I have decided (well the wife has) that I can infact scratch my other itch and we have decided to get a similar age Porsche 944. Hopefully picking up at the weekend, subject to a good inspection.

I just felt in the end that I am more comfortable with older Porsches as this is more what I know. Having said that, we may just swap cars a bit more often since at this price point there is not a lot to loose, so maybe the BMW will be next.