Buying a BMW E30

vintagevrs · 04-07-2016 5:53pm #1

I would like to get an E30 saloon. Preference would be the 325 in manual. I would also consider the right 4 cylinder model. I have read that only the later 4 cylinder models are worth considering as they changed the engine. Any thoughts on this?

Currently looking in the UK, carandclassic and autotrader. Is there anywhere else I should be looking?

Does anyone have an idea of how much a solid/reliable one should be going for? There seems to be a huge range in prices, from a couple of grand to 25k.

Thanks in advance

bazz26 · 04-07-2016 6:44pm

Pistonheads:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/e30-3-series-82-94/bmw-e30-3-series-325i-se--1-owner-unbelievable-service-history/5603661?v=c

Price wise like anything good ones cost good money. Cheap ones will either be project cars or money pits.

vintagevrs · 04-07-2016 7:00pm

Thanks Bazz, I'v been looking for a few days properly now and yeah, been on Pistonheads too, forgot to say. You had my attention there big time with that link, exactly what I am looking for, until I saw the gearbox....that one would be perfect if it was manual.

Is spending 8-10 sterling on one of these madness though?

pippip · 04-07-2016 7:02pm

I can't remember which show it was on last year but they were saying how that model was going up in price as they were so sought after at the moment. The more stock the better.

bazz26 · 04-07-2016 7:05pm

No real idea on their values as I'm no expert on them but I'd imagine as they get older and rarer their values only get stronger.

pippip · 04-07-2016 7:14pm

Interesting read for you.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/bmw-e30-3-series-a-better-investment-than-gold-55374.html

Seweryn · 04-07-2016 7:15pm

vintagevrs wrote: »

Is spending 8-10 sterling on one of these madness though?

The price may be OK if it goes with the condition of the car, but you are not going to know how much VRT is due until you buy it and bring it in for the VRT inspection.

vintagevrs · 04-07-2016 7:23pm

They are on the VRT calculator so would have a fair idea, it's not gonna be mega money anyway as its an old car.

carsfan2 · 04-07-2016 7:32pm

Was the 320 a six cylinder in the e30?
Remember trying to convince my dad to buy one of these in the 80's.
Have you looked at Munich legends.co.uk ? Usually gorgeous stock of old beemers

Seweryn · 04-07-2016 7:37pm

320i is 6 cylinder, M20 Engine.

high horse · 04-07-2016 8:00pm

I had an E30 318is, probably the later 4 cylinder engine you were referring to in the first post (it's the best 4 cylinder E30 after the M3).
It's a high revving DOHC engine with 136bhp and no traction control... It was a lot of fun!
I presume you've found e30owners by now?
Rust is the biggest problem with cars of this age, scuttle panel, rear wheel arches, under the battery tray, around the sunroof, in the boot where the sunroof drains can get blocked, around the boot lock and finally, around the rear tow hook are the areas that I can think of that are prone to rusting

noelf · 05-07-2016 2:01am

www.oldcolonelcars.co.uk e30 are his speciality getting expensive now this one has only 41000miles £8995..

millington · 05-07-2016 8:32am

vintagevrs wrote: »

They are on the VRT calculator so would have a fair idea, it's not gonna be mega money anyway as its an old car.

E30 325i Sports are over €1600 to VRT. I'd call that mega money :eek:

You'd want your head looked at it if you paid £8k+ for a 4 door E30. Don't bother with a 4 pot saloon if you want any sort of reasonable performance. The only one worth it's salt is the 318iS which was 2 door only.

Good luck and watch out for rust. Everywhere!

Stephenc66 · 05-07-2016 8:42am

I have some experience of direct comparison between an E30 6 cylinder M-Tech 320i and a 318is having covered a lot of miles in both cars during the very early nineties.

While the 6 cylinder is super smooth I preferred the driving characteristics of the 4 cylinder it was better balanced almost more nimble

vintagevrs · 05-07-2016 8:49am

Thanks for the input so far. Funny the more reading I do the more I am swaying to the 318is. Was that dohc engine also in the 318 saloon after 1989?

This has caught my eye but he does mention rust and the dash is cracked. Looks good otherwise.

http://m.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C757492

Captain Slow IRL · 05-07-2016 8:54am

The 318is was only available in the 2 door coupe here; it was in the saloon in 'murica.

The earlier m10 engined cars (4 cylinder) are a lot hardier than the m40 engined cars. The m40 engine was introduced about 1989/1990 but suffers badly from camshaft wear if any neglect is shown to oil changes. The 6 cylinder engines suffer from cracked heads and give symptoms similiar to a failed head gasket if gone.

Rust is the biggest problem though, as you can do most mechanical jobs with simple tools. If you go to look at one, especially for big money, make sure you look over every square millimetre for rust.

listermint · 05-07-2016 8:56am

Buddy bought 325i a few years back paid top money at the time and received top rust. Footwells and worse around the front windscreen and drainage panels.

Get your specs about and be prepared for metal work...

vintagevrs · 05-07-2016 9:02am

Yeah sounds like the same story with anything of that vintage. Bought a classic camper years ago and advice was the exact same, rust is the biggest worry. We got a great one back then that served us well so hopefully I can get as good an e30.

millington · 05-07-2016 9:06am

They tend to be a lot cheaper here than the UK but takes a while to find a good one. That 318iS you just posted would struggle to make €4500 here.

carsfan2 · 05-07-2016 9:17am

Having looked at some uk sites now they seem very dear over there.
Would you use this every day or occasional use?
You won't cover ground as quick as you do in the golf R!

unkel · 05-07-2016 9:18am

10k sterling is very strong money. I'd nearly expect an M3 for that...

vintagevrs · 06-07-2016 7:39am

https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/bmw-325i-e30/12747284

Anyone any thoughts on this? Thanks

millington · 06-07-2016 8:20am

vintagevrs wrote: »

https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/bmw-325i-e30/12747284

Anyone any thoughts on this? Thanks

Could do with more pictures but looks reasonable to me. I'd like the 15" BBSs on it but other than that it has nice few bits. It would be a quick little car with the 4.1 diff too.

carsfan2 · 06-07-2016 10:01am

Lot cheaper than some of the stuff I've seen since you posted originally.
Are you looking for a project though?
Could be fun thing to do/ own if you have time.

millington · 06-07-2016 11:13am

carsfan2 wrote: »

Lot cheaper than some of the stuff I've seen since you posted originally.
Are you looking for a project though?
Could be fun thing to do/ own if you have time.

Every E30 is a project

Captain Slow IRL · 06-07-2016 12:09pm

That's mine, were you talking to me on the phone about it?

Henry Ford III · 06-07-2016 2:05pm

vintagevrs wrote: »

https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/bmw-325i-e30/12747284

Anyone any thoughts on this? Thanks

320i on the logbook! :eek:

millington · 06-07-2016 3:06pm

Henry Ford III wrote: »

320i on the logbook! :eek:

Because it is a 320i and always will be

If you want to change the capacity to 2500cc and the engine number it's a simple job. No big deal.

Henry Ford III · 06-07-2016 3:24pm

millington wrote: »

Because it is a 320i and always will be

If you want to change the capacity to 2500cc and the engine number it's a simple job. No big deal.

Sounds like a motor tax dodge though.

millington · 06-07-2016 3:45pm

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Sounds like a motor tax dodge though.

Considering the car isn't taxed at all then I doubt it

Anyway I'd leave it 2.0 but very easy to change it to 2.5

carsfan2 · 06-07-2016 3:45pm

So do you pay tax on a 2.5 litre so?
If not than surely it is a tax dodge?

millington · 06-07-2016 3:49pm

carsfan2 wrote: »

So do you pay tax on a 2.5 litre so?
If not than surely it is a tax dodge?

No you don't and since the engine is all but indistinguishable from a 2.0 one then I (me, mise, not anyone else) would happily leave it as is.

It's up to the new owner to change it to 2.5. The car is exactly as described, a 320i with a 2.5 fitted, and was a project car not on the road so there was no great need to change it over.

carsfan2 · 06-07-2016 4:02pm

That's fine and grand if the car is off the road but in the eyes of the law if an owner was to tax it as a 2.0 litre with the existing engine in place they would be in bother if stopped and checked( very unlikely)

Doesn't bother me but I know a guard who inspects vehicles that are seized like big engined 5 series badged as 520d. He tells me they are clamping down big time on this.

Sorry off topic as the car looks like a good buy regardless.

Henry Ford III · 06-07-2016 4:46pm

millington wrote: »

No you don't and since the engine is all but indistinguishable from a 2.0 one then I (me, mise, not anyone else) would happily leave it as is.

It's up to the new owner to change it to 2.5. The car is exactly as described, a 320i with a 2.5 fitted, and was a project car not on the road so there was no great need to change it over.

It's advertised as a 325i!

kdevitt · 06-07-2016 8:18pm

unkel wrote: »

10k sterling is very strong money. I'd nearly expect an M3 for that...

An E30 M3 starts at around GBP20k for a tatty one. E30 prices have stiffened up massively in the UK.

carsfan2 wrote: »

Doesn't bother me but I know a guard who inspects vehicles that are seized like big engined 5 series badged as 520d. He tells me they are clamping down big time on this.

The clampdown is on bigger engined cars where engine swaps were declared to put in a smaller engine - which makes it pretty easy to identify them. All those owners received letters in the post telling them to get a BMW garage to inspect the car and verify the swap. Any car where they've been caught out on for doing that is more or less scrap now - all back taxes are due, and its not wiped by 'selling' the car on.

Best case solution for a car like the E30 in the ad is to insure it correctly, and pay the slightly lower motor tax for the 2.0 engine imo. Its not that far off 56 a year either.

Anyway - in terms of E30's and their rust issues, its definitely a problem - and more than likely the main issue you'll have with one. Ideally you want to take the rear seats out to inspect the inner arches, check outer arches, around the boot, around the windscreen, the scuttle panel - both by the wings and inside the vents behind the wipers, jacking points, sunroof. You get the idea.

Virtually everything else which goes wrong on them is cheap enough, and easy enough to source. I've kicked off a new E30 project now, and will say that the prices of decent upgrades has risen massively since my last one a few years back.

noelf · 18-07-2016 3:40pm

Love this thread op d'ont want to see it die

have you given up on the idea of a E30 ..

Buying a BMW E30

Comments