Feeler: '88 325iS

[Tangent]

A couple of months ago my e30 broke the timing belt and bent a few valves. I tried to get away with a new belt/tensioner/gaskets and swapping the head from an 89 I'm parting onto it but it didn't work out. Either it also had bent valves, or I simply did something wrong and replacing the head gasket the right way will fix it, I don't know. In any case it just looks like I won't have the time or money to work on this anytime soon and it's otherwise in too nice of shape to let it rot...

In no particular order:
1988 325iS
Alpine White
183,000 miles
5 speed
Engine ran great before the timing belt...
No piston or cylinder damage was done. (see pic of cylinder wall, you can still see crosshatch)
Comes with second head
Brand new 19# injectors installed, never run
Black crinkle finish valve cover and intake manifold
Rust free
Tinted windows
Power sunroof/windows
Plastic bumpers from '89 325i
15" Fittipaldi wheels
Excellent condition BFG G-Force sport tires in 205/55/15, less than year old
Radiator replaced less than a year ago
Driveshaft/CSB replaced about a year and a half ago
Alpine CD head unit
Premium sound
US Ellipse headlights
A/C converted to 134 and blows cold
Paint in very good shape except the usual microcracks on hood which still looks good from a few feet

I'm in Hemet, CA (near Riverside)
$2500

Pic of car is pre-bumper swap and tint...

[nmlss2006]

Do you happen to have more pictures, especially of the interior? Thanks.

[Tangent]

I'll get some pictures this weekend since I'll have to wash it first. (It's been under a car cover for a while and is kind of dusty.) The interior looks good though. The dash has no cracks. The driver's seat has some scuffing and cracking; nothing horrific, but I have seat covers over them anyway. (Not the sheepskin covers you can see in the one picture...)

I'll try to have pics up by Saturday afternoon.

[Tangent]

OK, here are some pics:

[Tangent]

Some more:

[Tangent]

[Ablice]

That's like what I'm looking for. I'll call first dibs.

(if I can)

Tell us more. What is it running like? More interior pics please.

[Tangent]

Before the timing belt broke it ran great. The broken belt bent a few valves and the head I swapped on from the 89 325 I'm parting out wasn't good either. I've been planning to rebuild one of the heads and swap it back on and make this a track/just-for-fun car but it's becoming clear that I just won't have the time to do it. I'm now driving the '01 330i that you can see behind it in one of the pics and I'd rather put the money from selling the E30 into a few mods for it at this point.

The chassis is in great shape; it's never been in any accidents. I have pics of all VIN tags except the passenger door (double-locked it and the battery's dead so I have no way to open it at the moment) and they all match. The only rattle/squeak it had was from the 3rd brake light housing and it would go away if I adjusted it aver couple of months. The brakes are in great shape, the pads and front rotors were replaced earlier this year and the fluid was flushed with ATE Super Blue.

What do you want to see in the interior?

[Ablice]

Dash, seats and carpets, cluster, area around the glovebox, sunroof/headliner.

What options does it have? i.e 13 button OBC, maplight mirror, sport seats, cruise, LSD, power windows, manual/electric sunroof, heated seats, opening rear side windows, etc.

Is there a way you could get it running good enough for now? As in, good enough for a trip? Edit: Also a good close up of each piston (unless you already put a head on) Edit2: :D is it not running due to...I'm befuddled...

[Tangent]

It's pretty well loaded options-wise. 13 button OBC, leather sport seats, LSD, Power windows and sunroof, opening rear windows, cruise control, maplight mirror. No heated seats though.


I think it's not running because the valves in the replacement head were also slightly bent. I've never done a head swap before so I might have screwed up the job and it's blowing by the head gasket, I just don't know for sure. I just know that the 2 middle cylinders have low compression. I ran the compression test before I even re-fitted the radiator so it's in the trunk. For all I know it would run albeit rather poorly at this point. As it sits now it's fully reassembled except for the radiator and the hoses. (see the pic that shows the painted valve cover and intake manifold, I took that today.) I simply don't have the time to troubleshoot, I had to take a bunch of vacation time to do the job the first time...

I don't have close-ups of each piston, but I do have a big shot that shows all 6 where you can see that all that happened was the carbon was knocked off the valve reliefs. I cleaned the pistons off a bit before I reinstalled the head, but I have no pics of that...

More pics of the interior and a link to the huge pic of the pistons will be in the next post.

[Ablice]

Very well. My interest kicked up one notch.

So you haven't started it or anything? it has a good head on it now and everything?

Sorry for being a nutcase, honestly, I'm just a nutcase when it comes to E30s and E31s. And I'm moving up from my 325e up to my dream car, an 325i. And I live about 400miles from you, but I'm very much interested now.

[Tangent]

[Tangent]

[Ablice]

Alright...:D

If you have AIM, hook me up at...spiralbeez and we can discuss things further.

I also have MSN and YIM if need be.

[Tangent]

Big pic of the pistons:

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9418/may06004pe4.jpg