This is to document my car build & engine swap, and to dissuade anyone foolish enough to follow behind me on a modest budget. I set out to build a simple, inexpensive sports car with ‘80’s style, with enough power to be interesting, but with 4 seats to accomodate kids. A Porsche 911 was out of my budget, an Alfa Romeo GTV-6 was too finicky, and Camaros had no style. I settled on a BMW E30: With a sweet 6-cyinder, great handling, a nice sports package, it seemed ideal. I was intrigued by the Spec racing series and GrassRoots Motorsports project cars, and the Kelly Blue Book says they can be had for $2k or less. So I set out to find a nice example.
A word about objectives: Keep expenditures modest, and do most or all the work myself. I had moderate mechanical skills and limited tools. I didn’t want to go overboard, so I set a goal of keeping the car within the limits of the SpecE30 series. If some solid tightening up and a few thousand in bolt-ons would make it raceworthy, then the only thing left would be to “tighten the nut that holds the wheel.” Serious racing was out of the question, but I had an interest in trying autocross. Clutching my latest issue of GRM, I set a hard budget at $5k, including the cost of the car.
After wasting time looking a thrashed-out beaters, I came across a great example: all-original 1988 325is, two-owner, with an inch-thick maintenance folder. It was a nicely optioned, Alpine White with black leather sport seats, maplight mirror, basket weaves, the works. The bad news: The suspension was worn out, shifter was like stirring paint, and it needed some deferred maintenance. It was also well beyond my target price, but… never wrecked, no rust, hey, it was all there.
A word about objectives: Keep expenditures modest, and do most or all the work myself. I had moderate mechanical skills and limited tools. I didn’t want to go overboard, so I set a goal of keeping the car within the limits of the SpecE30 series. If some solid tightening up and a few thousand in bolt-ons would make it raceworthy, then the only thing left would be to “tighten the nut that holds the wheel.” Serious racing was out of the question, but I had an interest in trying autocross. Clutching my latest issue of GRM, I set a hard budget at $5k, including the cost of the car.
After wasting time looking a thrashed-out beaters, I came across a great example: all-original 1988 325is, two-owner, with an inch-thick maintenance folder. It was a nicely optioned, Alpine White with black leather sport seats, maplight mirror, basket weaves, the works. The bad news: The suspension was worn out, shifter was like stirring paint, and it needed some deferred maintenance. It was also well beyond my target price, but… never wrecked, no rust, hey, it was all there.
Attached Files
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