Hello R3V, I've been mostly a lurker for a while but finally decided to introduce myself via my 1990 325is. I am the 2nd owner of this car and purchased it in 1998. Ironically, the day I found it, I was living in the SF Bay area and had just sold my 1995 540i (which I had stupidly bought 4 months previously after trading in a pristine 1991 318i sedan...argh!) and was driving it to its new owner. As I was driving through Los Gatos, I glanced to the right at a Honda dealership, and what do I see sitting in the used car lot? Why, this 325is. I could swear it had a halo glow around it and...was that angels I hear singing? It was in not-so-good shape: the paint was dull, it was leaking profusely from the RMS, it was lowered and running 16" Borbet Type C's and some really loud Falken tires, the ride was rock-hard and the interior was intact but grubby. Pre-purchase inspection found a bunch of other stuff, but despite this, for some reason this car called to me and I answered--I had an order in place at the time for a new Audi A4 which I promptly canceled after closing the deal with Los Gatos Honda for this car. 8-year old E30 with needs vs a brand new Audi...the choice seemed clear. :-)
The 14 years since has been a slow, steady progression to return the car to factory-original condition. While I appreciate a lot of the creative modifications folks like to make to their cars, and I'm sure with some aftermarket stuff it can be made to perform better in one way or another, I've always been a sucker for cars that are preserved at or near original condition--especially if they are maintained while being used regularly.
The deviations from original are minor: it has 15" Euroweaves (including spare); it's riding on Bilstein Touring shocks on stock springs; the front spoiler is black rather than body color; and since I don't smoke, I modified the front ashtray make it a more useful covered storage bin rather than getting the open-top factory piece. Oh, and it has one of those BMP design front bumper fillers, the only aftermarket piece on the car, because front license plates aren't required in AZ.
Exterior is all original paint except for the left rear quarter panel, which appears to have been repaired by the PO after a minor fender-bender to the wheel arch. It's still the original panel (the VIN sticker is still in place behind the bumper) but was repaired and repainted.
Interior is original as well. LOTS of leather conditioner applied to restore the leather, carpets shampooed to get rid of stains. Dash is crack-free, even after years in Arizona, thanks to use of a windshield sunscreen when parked.
Thanks to rampart05 for the new owner cassette which was missing when I bought the car.
Transmitters and keyless entry system still works. :-)
This is the modified front ashtray. I basically removed the two metal pieces and then dremeled out the slots which hold the metal pieces in place. I then cut a piece of mousepad rubber material to shape and placed it on the floor of the tray. That's it.
Engine is stock. It was quite difficult to find some of the wiring connectors to replace old ones that have cracked over the years. Some are still available new, but others required scavenging at the nearby Pick-n-Pull. I still haven't found a blue connector for the windshield washer pump; new ones are now gray but the original was blue.
Can't forget the underside. All leaks were fixed and it's dry as a bone underneath, which makes keeping things clean much easier. Also makes it easier to work on. Work included refreshing the suspension and replacing the groaning original LSD differential with a quiet LSD. 3.73, of course.
I think I lucked out when I found this car. Fortunately, I realized it before doing something crazy like selling it. Since I bought it I've owned other cars, including a 911 Carrera 3.2, a 2002 BMW M coupe, and a Lotus Elise. They've since moved on while my trusty E30 remains, 14 years and counting. :-)
The 14 years since has been a slow, steady progression to return the car to factory-original condition. While I appreciate a lot of the creative modifications folks like to make to their cars, and I'm sure with some aftermarket stuff it can be made to perform better in one way or another, I've always been a sucker for cars that are preserved at or near original condition--especially if they are maintained while being used regularly.
The deviations from original are minor: it has 15" Euroweaves (including spare); it's riding on Bilstein Touring shocks on stock springs; the front spoiler is black rather than body color; and since I don't smoke, I modified the front ashtray make it a more useful covered storage bin rather than getting the open-top factory piece. Oh, and it has one of those BMP design front bumper fillers, the only aftermarket piece on the car, because front license plates aren't required in AZ.
Exterior is all original paint except for the left rear quarter panel, which appears to have been repaired by the PO after a minor fender-bender to the wheel arch. It's still the original panel (the VIN sticker is still in place behind the bumper) but was repaired and repainted.
Interior is original as well. LOTS of leather conditioner applied to restore the leather, carpets shampooed to get rid of stains. Dash is crack-free, even after years in Arizona, thanks to use of a windshield sunscreen when parked.
Thanks to rampart05 for the new owner cassette which was missing when I bought the car.
Transmitters and keyless entry system still works. :-)
This is the modified front ashtray. I basically removed the two metal pieces and then dremeled out the slots which hold the metal pieces in place. I then cut a piece of mousepad rubber material to shape and placed it on the floor of the tray. That's it.
Engine is stock. It was quite difficult to find some of the wiring connectors to replace old ones that have cracked over the years. Some are still available new, but others required scavenging at the nearby Pick-n-Pull. I still haven't found a blue connector for the windshield washer pump; new ones are now gray but the original was blue.
Can't forget the underside. All leaks were fixed and it's dry as a bone underneath, which makes keeping things clean much easier. Also makes it easier to work on. Work included refreshing the suspension and replacing the groaning original LSD differential with a quiet LSD. 3.73, of course.
I think I lucked out when I found this car. Fortunately, I realized it before doing something crazy like selling it. Since I bought it I've owned other cars, including a 911 Carrera 3.2, a 2002 BMW M coupe, and a Lotus Elise. They've since moved on while my trusty E30 remains, 14 years and counting. :-)
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