Lets talk E30-IC

[rcsoundn1]

Sitting up late at night and began to think.....Lets talk verts. I have a pair, happen to be 325 series, but, lets start a vert thread. these are not coupe, nor sedans and seem to me to be less common than both mentioned. Will these become rare? I know some things are different and hear conflicting stories regarding their rarity. Seems to me this forum needs an IC forum....no? I for one would love the specific information. So "what say you R3? Do we need an IC forum? How rare are IC models compared to other models? I want to learn. I do my research. I want to learn more. Let talk!

[reelizmpro]

I don't think they are rare at all. Perhaps on an enthusiast forum they are but generally speaking they were quite popular back in the day. There are still quite a few verts for sale if you look. Another thing to consider is not everyone wants a now 25 year old vert, especially in a cold or wet climate. At least not without a hardtop that is now crazy expensive. They are heavier, tend to leak, rear windows get cloudy and crack, the body flexes more, the top can be slashed and is expensive to replace correctly with the seals.

I really do like the verts because they offer an experience that the others do not. They are very fun in nice weather and look great. The facelift verts may be the ones to get but the m technics are the only ones I see being collectible.

[RetroAde]

Would you believe that here in cold, wet England we buy more convertibles than any other country in Europe. Also a lot of verts led charmed lives as second cars or summer cars so have stood the test of time better.

I love my vert, totally different car to the 2 door, it's a cruiser rather than a hooligan car.

[mr2peak]

Here's a fun site.

http://www.e30ic.com/

These are world-wide production numbers

Model Dates Total Built
325i Convertible 03/86-01/93 85,246
320i Convertible 07/86-01/93 32,686
318i Convertible 07/90-04/93 24,706
M3 Convertible 05/88-06/91 786

The E30 chassis has a global production figure of 2.3 million cars. According to the production numbers they have listed, a normal vert is not rare, but still 1/16. For comparison, the 318is is 1/50 and an M3 is 1/135.

North American M-Technic (real S771A) are about 1/9200
Appearance package cars (S770A) are around 1/575

Will people want them in the future? I think so, convertibles make great classic cars in general.

The M-Tech cars are not listed separately, they are listed as 325ic cars. There's a full page dedicated to the M-Tech cars on that site. Full M-Tech cars are a rare breed, they are rarer than the M3 Evo 3, and rarer than the 2 door Italian 320is. It isn't unrealistic to believe that a REAL (non-appearance) M-Tech car might one day be worth as much as a normal production M3.



We should definitely have an IC section! There are a lot of differences, I think enough to have our own section. I started a thread to support it here, please weigh in on the subject.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=111

[rcsoundn1]

Posted for support in your thread. There seems to be many more made than I expected. Interesting specs regarding the #s. These are def cruisers, points well taken. Many verts did duty as a pleasure car and prob why there are some nicer examples left. One of mine was a daily driver from day 1 and spent it's whole life uncovered outside, in the north,and it shows in it's condition.

[Das Delfin]

I would def like a forum dedicated to vert info and differences between models... for instance I know all about the metal bumper to plastic bumper and taillight transitions for all the hardtop cars but still don't know much about the verts, even though I've owned one going on two years (plastic bumper verts were only in '92 and '93? But what about the lower rear wheel arches???).

Stuff like where to get a vert carpet, how to modify coupe seats to fit in a vert, seeing pictures of coupe door cards installed in a vert (does it work or doesn't it?), the emiata rear window install, home depot $7 window seals, whatever you can think of that is specific to the vert, installing a battery in the rear of the car, which rear lowering springs you can get that have stiffer rates than their coupe counterparts (and how the H&R vert springs also work in an IX??)

A for sale section for convertible specific parts (ahem interiors).

Basically it would be awesome to have a section of the forum dedicated to keeping these cars on the road. Like the IX forum

[KIRIEIW]

After testing driving my friends vert about a year ago, my search begun and I finally found one about 3 months ago that where up to my standards. Convertibles would be my second choice for owning any e30, with a coupe being first. A sedan would be my very last choice.

[KIRIEIW]

But what about the lower rear wheel arches???).

-They all had lower rear arches


Stuff like where to get a vert carpet, how to modify coupe seats to fit in a vert, seeing pictures of coupe door cards installed in a vert (does it work or doesn't it?)

-Seats should work with no issues, besides the rear seats of course. Door panels would have a small gap where the coupe "B pillar" on the door is. Fits however but just will have a gap.

[Das Delfin]

^ My early 1987 has the higher arches. But it looks like the body changes happened in late '90. Anyone have a picture of the coupe door cards in a convertible fitment?

[Semblance]

Yeah, there's enough vert-specific stuff for its own thread, I'd say. I'm in.

[KIRIEIW]

^ My early 1987 has the higher arches. But it looks like the body changes happened in late '90. Anyone have a picture of the coupe door cards in a convertible fitment?

Yup, I'd estimate really late 90' (for late model tails, plastic bumpers). I'll try to get my friend to post pics of the gap on the door panel. Also the whole 87' higher arch thing was only for coupes, all verts had lower arches

[Das Delfin]

Yup, I'd estimate really late 90' (for late model tails, plastic bumpers). I'll try to get my friend to post pics of the gap on the door panel. Also the whole 87' higher arch thing was only for coupes, all verts had lower arches

That just shattered everything I thought I knew about tire fitment

[mr2peak]

^Revelations

Awesome thanks for the support guys. Really hoping for our own tech section.

[JasonC]

^ My early 1987 has the higher arches. But it looks like the body changes happened in late '90. Anyone have a picture of the coupe door cards in a convertible fitment?

All verts got the low rear arches.

[shameson]

I don't even have a vert but support them getting their own section. If I get a second e30, it will be a vert (unless it's an M3)