Looking for my first

[boon_ship]

Hello all,

I have always had an affinity for bmw's and specifically the e30 platform, I'm originally from the New England area (southern New Hampshire) where growing up as a kid I could never find the e30 I was looking for because either rust had already had its way with the vehicle or the asking price was too much for my youthful bank account. Here I am now, in Lemoore California, stationed here because I am in the navy working as a jet engine mechanic on the f18. I get the sense that if there was ever a place to buy an e30 California would be as good as any..

That being said, I currently drive a mint 1992 Toyota mr2 turbo, and although the car is special it's not an e30. I currently have it listed on craigslist because I would like to turn it into a e30, preferably a 325is or 318is somewhere between the years of 88-92.

I'm not sure if I'm breaking protocol or if it's just bad etiquette to ask because I'm new to forums this being my first post of any kind but if anyone knows of one for sale I would pounce on the opportunity to purchase it in a heartbeat if it were the right one.

Please, feedback and advice is welcomed, for I'm sure you all know more about these cars than I.

Thank you kindly.

[george graves]

Cars.com, Craigslist, forums.

My simple advice

- do you plan on doing a lot of modding? Then don't be picky - you'll replace everything stock anyways. I was so happy to find loaded 89's iS(kinda the perfect e30) - turns out the only thing I gained by that was the lighted rear view mirror.
- Are you more of a "stick a ebay chip and exhaust" kind of guy? You'll be really disappointed with e30's IMHO. Mod on these cars take some real wrenching.
- What clean paint? Good luck - not to many e30's have stock paint that is fixable. E30 started for sale in 1984 - so it's a good 30 years for some of us. (My paintis fubar'ed)
- No such thing as a 328i e30 - it's either a 4 banger or 6. 120 HP or 160HP. Currently a car with a $500 junk yard m50 motor seems to command a $5000 additional price tag. If you find a car with a s50, it might be worth it - skip an m50 swapped car IMHO.

But welcome....You'll have to tell us more about yourself for to even venture a guess at what you might like.

[boon_ship]

Whoops, I meant to say 318is not 328, that's my bad.

And as for modding I do not wish to mod my e30 heavily if at all, the s50 swaps seem enticing but I know so little about these cars that I wouldn't feel comfortable purchasing one.

As long as paint looks nice that's all I can ask for preferably the original factory color so that under the hood and door sills match up.

I'm just looking for a relatively lower mileage, clean e30 that I can drive as a daily, it could have tears in the seat or nicks and scratches because that's expected.

I'm willing to spend a decent amount of cash on the right car. somewhere maybe in the ballpark of 6k.


Thank you for your quick input.

[decay]

You should consider keeping that car. The fanboys here won't know anything about it, but an SW20 turbo is a good ride. Get an E30 "in addition to", not "instead of". You'll regret selling it.

[boon_ship]

Unfortunately decay, i only have enough money for one or the other. And i do love my SW20 its a great ride and probably the closest thing to a lotus ill ever own. But there are a few key aspects that im not crazy about with the car (id go deeper into detail but i dont want to upset anyone talking about a toyota on a bmw forum). Ive driven the car thoroughly and enjoyed it. Im pretty sure at this point id be able to let it go and be okay with it within reason.

I do miss every car ive ever sold though consisting of.

A 98 town and country minivan

A mechanical nightmare of a 98 audi a4 2.8 quattro that leaked and burned enough oil to ward off enemies in a james bond film.

And a 1990 mazda miata with the gutless 1.6 engine, swiss cheese rust holes from being a Massachusetts vehicle for 20 years, and 253,000 miles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CaliDazze]

If you "miss" those cars, you'll wither away from regret after selling that Turbo...

[CarsonE30]

Well if you decide on getting an E30, I have one for ya! 1989 325iS

[decay]

Unfortunately decay, i only have enough money for one or the other. And i do love my SW20 its a great ride and probably the closest thing to a lotus ill ever own. But there are a few key aspects that im not crazy about with the car (id go deeper into detail but i dont want to upset anyone talking about a toyota on a bmw forum). Ive driven the car thoroughly and enjoyed it. Im pretty sure at this point id be able to let it go and be okay with it within reason.

Send me a PM, please.

[CarsonE30]

Boon, PM'd!

[Vivek]

Here's my advice:
Mileage matters exactly 0%. Buy a well maintained car in good condition.
E30's aren't exactly plentiful so be prepared to wait a while to find the right car. Don't buy the first car you look at and I personally would not buy a car the day I look at it. I'd say the most important thing is to be patient and get to know these cars by browsing forums before purchasing one.

[mtech325]

Welcome!

It seems like you're on the right track. After going through a few e30s myself over the years, this is what I've learned:

California certainly has a large number of them compared to other parts of the country (the Pacific Northwest has quite a few too, and probably spots on the east coast as well).

If you buy a car from an enthusiast, you'll probably pay a bit more, but you're more likely to have someone address some of the issues that arise with age, maybe even do a few upgrades. The other side to the coin is to find an original car. I bought a 318 not too long ago from a lady who owned it for the last decade. It's all stock, but also the suspension is blown and motor needs a tune up too....so there goes a paycheck or two to get it up to snuff. These cars are at the point where either enthusiasts are hoarding them, or the old lady driven ones are on their last legs being driven into the ground.

Find the cleanest example you can. Even if the color isn't your first pick, a straight car is much easier to deal with. Like others have said, high mileage isn't the end of the world as long as someone maintained it properly.

I know you would like an "iS" car, but an "i" car can converted rather easily (namely an LSD and some sport seats).

-Joey