Identifying an ETA?

[Roysneon]

I've found an E30 literally rotting into the ground and stopped to take a look. It's an auto, sedan, early model (high rear arches and DB's) low rpm tach (tops out at 5k) but has houndstooth interior and premium sound. The seats and door cards are in good enough shape that I'd pay a couple hundred bucks if they want it gone just for those and the speakers. I just have two questions about it.

Would this be an Eta? It only says "325". No i, no e. I wouldn't mind having an M20b25 to build up for my 318i.

Would the front sedan door cards fit my coupe?

[Wishno87]

Most likely an eta and no sedan door cards do not fit a coupe.

[jlevie]

The DBs and tach strongly suggest that this is a ETA.

[Roysneon]

If I can get it for the right price I might still pick it up for the seats and speakers. The car is pretty far gone body wise but would be a wicked winter/rally-x car if I could patch it up.

[jeffw]

The eta is marked just E so if you can see if there was an i removed or if it is a stock 325 badge only then you will know

[Roysneon]

Yeah I double checked and there were no indicators of there ever being anything other than 325 on the decklid. That is also assuming the trunk lid on it is stock.

[lateracer]

run the vin through one of the decoders. That'll tell you most of what you need to know.

[Kershaw]

pop the hood. the icv (idle control valve) will be on the exhaust manifold side of the engine.



the icv is that little piece between the intake manifold and the coolant reservoir. the hoses going across the intake manifold lead to it.

[nadodude111]

The '87 etas were only labeled as 325's for some reason BMW dropped the e. I have an '87 eta and it only says 325.

[Imagine_M]

Then 88 was a seta with early rear valance and still only said 325

[E30SPDFRK]

325 is just a base model 325e. It's an eta

[Roysneon]

Still probably worth it for the seats and speakers if the car itself isn't repairable. Who knows, I might even get really retarded and build a low comp 2.7i and boost it.

[Wh33lhop]

If there is no "i" on it, it's an eta. If there's no "i" on it and it's got a late model front valence and big ugly tails, it's a super eta. If it doesn't have a 7k tach, it's an eta. Not sure how many telltale clues you need before you accept it. Nobody is going to get a 325i, remove the "i" from the badge and put an eta cluster in it.

[Roysneon]

Never debated it, dude.

I'll probably offer them a couple hundo's just to get the parts I want off it and then build a 2.7 out of the engine if I don't do an m30 or m50 swap, part out the rest and try to recoup what I paid for the car. As you can tell, I'm not 100% up on e30 knowledge yet.

[nadodude111]

Then 88 was a seta with early rear valance and still only said 325

I never said '88's didn't just say 325........I said '87's were labeled 325s.