Decided to sell my E30. I bought the car from Texas with 93,000 miles on the clock 4 years ago. The man I purchased it from was the second owner, who purchased it from the original owner (an elderly lady from Las Vegas) with 75,000 miles on the clock. This makes me the third owner. The car has always been garage kept and never been in an accident. Always been meticulously maintained. The paint is all original aside from the added “iS” lip and the rear bumper which I had repainted because it was faded by the sun. I have always been a freak about keeping the car clean, often washing it multiple times a week with the two bucket wash method and drying with compressed air to make sure I don’t harm the paint. I have spent countless hours and dollars on detailing the car to make sure it is the cleanest I could possibly make it. I have always used top of the line detailing products to ensure the best results. It was my daily driver up until this past fall as I did not have covered parking at my new apartment and I did not want the car to get damaged. The car has sat in my parents garage and probably been driven about 1,750 miles this past year and has rarely been driven in the rain. The car is 110% reliable and I would not hesitate to drive it across the country. I have driven many 8+ hour trips to Tennessee without a hiccup and even drove a 26 hour round trip to Maryland and back with no issues. I have always bought the best parts I could and always did every job to the best of my ability. I always reference the Bentley manual for proper torque specs and do everything as specified. I often get made fun of by my friends for doing everything by the book. That car has been featured on multiple websites and is well known in the BMW community.
A year and a half ago I decided to pull the original M20B25 out and swap in an M30B35 from a 1991 535i. The engine was disassembled and all parts inspected and cleaned. The head was sent to the machine shop to be hot tanked, resurfaced, valve guides replaced, valve seals replaced, valve seats recut, and pressure tested. The cylinder walls in the bottom end still had the factory cross hatchings so I did not replace anything on the bottom end. The motor has great compression test numbers. The firewall was pushed back to make room for the bigger engine. The original M20 harness was used with minimal modification and re wrapped in OEM Certoplast harness tape. The E34 ECU was put in the factory E30 location and the E30 harness plugs right in. All gauges work 100% perfectly; even down to the MPG meter. No check engine lights and the car starts up perfectly every time. No smoking and no burning oil. The A/C system, cruise control, and washer fluid systems were removed to keep a clean look in the engine bay and allow the use of the factory E34 airbox. On my trip to Maryland, I got over 27mpgs on the highway. On average, I can get about 22mpg around town. The engine swap looks 100% OEM and is period correct. The only people that notice it is engine swapped are BMW enthusiasts. All silver parts on the engine are raw aluminum, not painted. Every single nut and bolt was cleaned with a wire brush or replaced and torqued down to the proper spec. I have all receipts available and pictures of most of the process. By the time all the kinks were worked out, I have over 5k invested in the engine swap alone.
The car is in very good shape. It is very hard to find an E30 this clean both inside and out. Everyone knows that Calypsorot falls apart. This however is one of the few left with great original paint, as you can see in the pictures. Never been wrecked and really speaks for itself on how the car has been taken care of over the years. There was no option for a 325is in 1991, however this car had almost all of the sport options from the factory. Including sport seats, basketweave wheels, the iS rear spoiler, and iS side skirts. A limited slip differential was added by the previous owner and an iS front lip spoiler was added by me to complete the iS package. OEM euro parts were purchased new to help set off the OEM+ styling. Never been tracked/drifted/autocrossed; strictly a cruiser with an occasional run through the mountains. Car rides and handles great with no shakes or shimmies as all the suspension components have been replaced. I really do love the car; however I have another project (a Del Sol) that won’t be able to get underway until this car sells. The car has been through many phases (see pictures) but its final form is with the Ronal LSs. It is time to move on to something new. I have now realized I care more about actually building the car itself rather than the finished product. I really hope it goes to an enthusiast that cares for it in the same way I did. Clean E30s are few and far between and this is one of the cleanest and most complete cars around.
What I have done in the past 15,000 miles:
Suspension/Steering/Brakes:
- Ground-Control complete E30 coilover kit (400f/550r) with shortened strut housings and adjustable Konis
- Ground-Control touring camber plates
- Ground-Control High Rise reinforced RSMs
- Ground-Control adjustable M3 front sway bar end links
- Power Flex rear subframe bushings
- Power Flex control arm bushings
- BMP/Korman rear trailing arm bushings
- Lemforder rear sway bar end links
- Lemforder tie rods
- Lemforder control arms
- Power steering hose replaced
- New power steering fluid (ATF)
- New front wheel bearings
- UUC vented and slotted rotors all around
- PBR brake pads
Wheels and Tires (about 300 miles on the setup):
- Ronal/ACT LS mesh wheels 15x7.5 +25 (direct E30 fitment with 4x100 pattern and 57.1mm hub bore)
- Falken Ziex 912 225/50/15
Drivetrain (about 10,000 miles since the engine swap):
- M30B35 swap (pictures of the whole process available)
- E34 535i ECU with Dinan chip
- Every single gasket replaced. 100% leak free
- Valve cover powder coated by Renewed Finishes
- Head removed and resurfaced, pressure tested, valve seals replaced, valve guides replaced, and valve seats recut. All components chemical dipped to look like new
- Intake manifold chemical dipped and cleaned out
- Good & Tight E30 M30 motor mounts in the rear position
- AKG M20 motor mounts
- Rubber M20 trans mounts
- E30 rear drive shaft with E28 front. Shortened and balanced with all U-Joints replaced. New center support bearing and guibo. Done by Driveline Services of Atlanta OEM hardware everywhere I could get it.
- Getrag 260/6 with Redline fluid
- All shift bushings replaced. Stock E30 shift lever with E24 carrier (shifter does not line up like factory)
- Spal pusher fan wired to E36 318ti temp switch so it automatically kicks on(runs very cool)
- New Behr E28 radiator
- Resurfaced E34 M5 flywheel (20lbs lighter than stock)
- Sachs E34 M5 clutch kit (~400 miles on clutch and flywheel)
- New throw out and pilot bearing
- New clutch slave cylinder
- New 19lb Bosch design 3 injectors from fuel injection connection (balanced and flow tested)
- Full custom exhaust manifold back exhaust system. Down pipes to Y-pipe, single 3 inch pipe with E34 oxygen sensor to catalytic convertor all the way back to muffler and Magnaflow exhaust tips. (passes emissions with flying colors)
- M20 engine harness
- New crank sensor
- New coolant temp sensor
- All fluids and filters up to date
- 100% leak free
- 3.73 Limited Slip Differential
Exterior:
- iS front lip (has some chips in it)
- New roundels
- Front plate filler
- Euro rear plate filler
- Euro trim all around
- Euro grilles
- US projector lights
- New lenses for headlights and fog lights
- Lots of detailing
- Fenders rolled flat, no pulling
- Front and rear valences straight as an arrow
- No cracks in bumpers or trim
- All original paint
Interior:
- MB Quart speakers all around (installed in factory Premium Sound grilles so all looks OEM)
- Pioneer DEM-4300UB headunit (blends nicely with the screen a perfect match color-wise)
- Monster Cable all around
- Coco floor mats
- Leather shift boot
- Leather e-brake boot
- Leather e-brake handle
- New center console
- Map light mirror
- Houndstooth door cards (have originals I can include)
- Natur color interior
- Rare trunk storage boxes with battery cover
- Tool kit has all the tools there
- Factory jack kit is all there
- Headliner in great shape
- Dash 100% crack free
- All door and window seal rubber supple and like new
- All original carpet and seats
While the car is in very nice shape, it is not perfect:
- Minor clear coat failure in some spots. The biggest one if from taping up the fender to prevent damage while doing the engine swap. The paint is 22 years old, while it is in amazing shape, don’t expect a show car. Minor chips and dings. Nothing major.
- Shifter does not line up perfectly.
- Sunroof leaks only when washing the car, not during regular rain.
- Piping has a few cracks in driver's side bolster on the driver seat. No tears or anything in the actual seat.
I don't have many pictures of it on the current wheels but you get the idea (I haven't actually taken for sale pictures yet, so these are just whats been around) :
Current:
You guys know the car and have seen it around. Everyone that has seen it in person and knows me can vouch for the car and I. I try my hardest to keep it as clean as possible and do not skimp out anywhere. Every modification I have made has been done to the best of my abilities with no expense spared. If you are looking for the perfect OEM+ E30, this is it.
I am looking for $13k. If anyone knows E30s, it is you guys. You know that E30s this clean practically don't exist and something like this does not pop up this often. Original paint and no wrecks means everything is perfectly straight and I am not trying to hide a rough past. What you see is what you get. If you have any questions please let me know.
A year and a half ago I decided to pull the original M20B25 out and swap in an M30B35 from a 1991 535i. The engine was disassembled and all parts inspected and cleaned. The head was sent to the machine shop to be hot tanked, resurfaced, valve guides replaced, valve seals replaced, valve seats recut, and pressure tested. The cylinder walls in the bottom end still had the factory cross hatchings so I did not replace anything on the bottom end. The motor has great compression test numbers. The firewall was pushed back to make room for the bigger engine. The original M20 harness was used with minimal modification and re wrapped in OEM Certoplast harness tape. The E34 ECU was put in the factory E30 location and the E30 harness plugs right in. All gauges work 100% perfectly; even down to the MPG meter. No check engine lights and the car starts up perfectly every time. No smoking and no burning oil. The A/C system, cruise control, and washer fluid systems were removed to keep a clean look in the engine bay and allow the use of the factory E34 airbox. On my trip to Maryland, I got over 27mpgs on the highway. On average, I can get about 22mpg around town. The engine swap looks 100% OEM and is period correct. The only people that notice it is engine swapped are BMW enthusiasts. All silver parts on the engine are raw aluminum, not painted. Every single nut and bolt was cleaned with a wire brush or replaced and torqued down to the proper spec. I have all receipts available and pictures of most of the process. By the time all the kinks were worked out, I have over 5k invested in the engine swap alone.
The car is in very good shape. It is very hard to find an E30 this clean both inside and out. Everyone knows that Calypsorot falls apart. This however is one of the few left with great original paint, as you can see in the pictures. Never been wrecked and really speaks for itself on how the car has been taken care of over the years. There was no option for a 325is in 1991, however this car had almost all of the sport options from the factory. Including sport seats, basketweave wheels, the iS rear spoiler, and iS side skirts. A limited slip differential was added by the previous owner and an iS front lip spoiler was added by me to complete the iS package. OEM euro parts were purchased new to help set off the OEM+ styling. Never been tracked/drifted/autocrossed; strictly a cruiser with an occasional run through the mountains. Car rides and handles great with no shakes or shimmies as all the suspension components have been replaced. I really do love the car; however I have another project (a Del Sol) that won’t be able to get underway until this car sells. The car has been through many phases (see pictures) but its final form is with the Ronal LSs. It is time to move on to something new. I have now realized I care more about actually building the car itself rather than the finished product. I really hope it goes to an enthusiast that cares for it in the same way I did. Clean E30s are few and far between and this is one of the cleanest and most complete cars around.
What I have done in the past 15,000 miles:
Suspension/Steering/Brakes:
- Ground-Control complete E30 coilover kit (400f/550r) with shortened strut housings and adjustable Konis
- Ground-Control touring camber plates
- Ground-Control High Rise reinforced RSMs
- Ground-Control adjustable M3 front sway bar end links
- Power Flex rear subframe bushings
- Power Flex control arm bushings
- BMP/Korman rear trailing arm bushings
- Lemforder rear sway bar end links
- Lemforder tie rods
- Lemforder control arms
- Power steering hose replaced
- New power steering fluid (ATF)
- New front wheel bearings
- UUC vented and slotted rotors all around
- PBR brake pads
Wheels and Tires (about 300 miles on the setup):
- Ronal/ACT LS mesh wheels 15x7.5 +25 (direct E30 fitment with 4x100 pattern and 57.1mm hub bore)
- Falken Ziex 912 225/50/15
Drivetrain (about 10,000 miles since the engine swap):
- M30B35 swap (pictures of the whole process available)
- E34 535i ECU with Dinan chip
- Every single gasket replaced. 100% leak free
- Valve cover powder coated by Renewed Finishes
- Head removed and resurfaced, pressure tested, valve seals replaced, valve guides replaced, and valve seats recut. All components chemical dipped to look like new
- Intake manifold chemical dipped and cleaned out
- Good & Tight E30 M30 motor mounts in the rear position
- AKG M20 motor mounts
- Rubber M20 trans mounts
- E30 rear drive shaft with E28 front. Shortened and balanced with all U-Joints replaced. New center support bearing and guibo. Done by Driveline Services of Atlanta OEM hardware everywhere I could get it.
- Getrag 260/6 with Redline fluid
- All shift bushings replaced. Stock E30 shift lever with E24 carrier (shifter does not line up like factory)
- Spal pusher fan wired to E36 318ti temp switch so it automatically kicks on(runs very cool)
- New Behr E28 radiator
- Resurfaced E34 M5 flywheel (20lbs lighter than stock)
- Sachs E34 M5 clutch kit (~400 miles on clutch and flywheel)
- New throw out and pilot bearing
- New clutch slave cylinder
- New 19lb Bosch design 3 injectors from fuel injection connection (balanced and flow tested)
- Full custom exhaust manifold back exhaust system. Down pipes to Y-pipe, single 3 inch pipe with E34 oxygen sensor to catalytic convertor all the way back to muffler and Magnaflow exhaust tips. (passes emissions with flying colors)
- M20 engine harness
- New crank sensor
- New coolant temp sensor
- All fluids and filters up to date
- 100% leak free
- 3.73 Limited Slip Differential
Exterior:
- iS front lip (has some chips in it)
- New roundels
- Front plate filler
- Euro rear plate filler
- Euro trim all around
- Euro grilles
- US projector lights
- New lenses for headlights and fog lights
- Lots of detailing
- Fenders rolled flat, no pulling
- Front and rear valences straight as an arrow
- No cracks in bumpers or trim
- All original paint
Interior:
- MB Quart speakers all around (installed in factory Premium Sound grilles so all looks OEM)
- Pioneer DEM-4300UB headunit (blends nicely with the screen a perfect match color-wise)
- Monster Cable all around
- Coco floor mats
- Leather shift boot
- Leather e-brake boot
- Leather e-brake handle
- New center console
- Map light mirror
- Houndstooth door cards (have originals I can include)
- Natur color interior
- Rare trunk storage boxes with battery cover
- Tool kit has all the tools there
- Factory jack kit is all there
- Headliner in great shape
- Dash 100% crack free
- All door and window seal rubber supple and like new
- All original carpet and seats
While the car is in very nice shape, it is not perfect:
- Minor clear coat failure in some spots. The biggest one if from taping up the fender to prevent damage while doing the engine swap. The paint is 22 years old, while it is in amazing shape, don’t expect a show car. Minor chips and dings. Nothing major.
- Shifter does not line up perfectly.
- Sunroof leaks only when washing the car, not during regular rain.
- Piping has a few cracks in driver's side bolster on the driver seat. No tears or anything in the actual seat.
I don't have many pictures of it on the current wheels but you get the idea (I haven't actually taken for sale pictures yet, so these are just whats been around) :
Current:
You guys know the car and have seen it around. Everyone that has seen it in person and knows me can vouch for the car and I. I try my hardest to keep it as clean as possible and do not skimp out anywhere. Every modification I have made has been done to the best of my abilities with no expense spared. If you are looking for the perfect OEM+ E30, this is it.
I am looking for $13k. If anyone knows E30s, it is you guys. You know that E30s this clean practically don't exist and something like this does not pop up this often. Original paint and no wrecks means everything is perfectly straight and I am not trying to hide a rough past. What you see is what you get. If you have any questions please let me know.
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