Buying an E30

[EvanMitchell]

Hey guys, new here. For the past 2 months I've been working with my dad on my dad's 1990 325is. Beautiful car. We are swapping from automatic to manual, honestly a blast.

So, I see people on social media that daily e30s but that's always just the good parts of driving one. Never really a blunt perspective. I currently drive a audi a3 and want to actually daily an e30.

Have any of you daily driven one? How has it gone, would you say it's fine for me, a college kid, to daily an e30. Are they reliable? Thank you

[lukeADE335i]

Welcome.

If you start with a well maintained car, and then continue to maintain it then the e30 can be very reliable as a daily - I daily drove mine for 10 years, and it never let me down either as a 2.0L M20 powered car, or after I swapped it to M30 power.

Most parts e30 parts are quite cheap - especially if you're willing to do your own wrenching, which sounds like is the case for you. I now use mine as a weekender with an e92 as a daily, and as far as maintenance goes the e30 is cheaper than a modern BMW. Fuel economy is a bit sobering though vs. the e92.

Obviously now that the e30 is hitting proper classic territory, the prices for well maintained ones are on the rise, so I guess whether you can insure one etc. might be a factor for a college student.

[rturbo 930]

A major factor you need to consider if what environment it's going to be in. If you're gonna be driving on salted roads, I'd stick with the Audi.

[EvanMitchell]

Thank you guys so much, I appreciate it. Yeah I would be driving on salted roads. Are there methods to reduce the salt damage? I guess e30s are prone to rust?

[e30strokr]

its just a regular car.... look it over and you will see how simple it is... enjoy driving it... being in cali i dont worry about rust .. but a good undercoat will help out

[cheffy30]

I've daily driven my 90 325i for 21 years. I live in seattle. rain or shine she rides. I've maintained her meticulously. that's the key. drive it. maintain it. keep it pristine. go for it. sent from hell using Tapatalk

[e30vert]

Dont buy anything less than an M20 B25 Powered e30. i.e. 325i 325 is.
There will be the need for more power and responsiveness even with the basic 325 i or 325 is. Its like a drug. You will find yourself wondering how you can gain more power and that leads to the 24 valve swaps, turbo, and LS options... Can you drive a 318 i daily sure , but it wont be a powerhouse...

[ZeKahr]

No 30+ year old car, especially a premium German car like the E30, is a good idea as a daily driver for a college student. Cars this old are better suited as weekend toys for rich people. The parts are getting more expensive because these cars haven’t been mainstream for 10-15 years (you can also thank Uncle Sam for printing more dollars every year). Some of the parts aren’t even made anymore and if they get reproduced, they’ll cost a fortune.

Most of the E30s you see for sale at reasonable prices ($3000-7000 range) will be projects with a shabby interior (cracked dash, ripped seats, and worn discolored trim), shot paint, and an AC that most likely won’t even function. These kinds of cars will have hidden problems like rust, electrical gremlins (aging 30 year old wiring) and will most likely need thousands in repairs. The owner will most likely have modified it with obnoxious wheels or a noisy exhaust or done other trashy mods to it. You do not want to daily something like this.

What I consider a clean, reliable E30 that is daily-worthy costs $10000-15000 in today’s prices. If you can afford one at that price, then you’ll be more or less okay. Otherwise, I would wait until you graduate college and have saved up/invested from working a well-paying job before you dip your toes into an E30.

I dailied my E30 to work until my job went remote. Now I drive it like 20 miles a week at most. TBH I like this newer arrangement better because it saves gas and reduces wear/tear. I also feel more “smitten” driving my E30 semi-regularly as opposed to regularly. If you drive any car regularly, the novelty fades and you get used to it.

[82eye]

i'd keep the e30 away from salt. at this age a couple yrs winter driven will create or accelerate lot of damage.

[cheffy30]

again... 21 years. never gets old. the novelty is fresh. maintain anything and it goes and goes... sent from hell using Tapatalk

[lukeADE335i]

That has been my experience too, but I guess some have nightmares.

Note that post ‘88 cars have galvanised body panels, so should hold up to salt better than the early ones

If you’re looking for an indicator of e30 reliability, compare how many are left on the road vs 80s Corollas, Civics etc. The Toyota / Honda thing really is a myth.

[nando]

You could definitely DD an E30 in 2021, it's not totally insane. They are simple to work on and pretty reliable overall. I also did it for many, many years as my only car. To be honest though, not having it as my only car is more enjoyable. Although it seems like it's always one of the other cars that is broken, and the E30 is always there like a trusty steed when I need a backup.

Otherwise these days I have vintage plates on it, and only drive it either when I want to, or in rare cases when another vehicle needs extended maintenance. I really enjoy bringing the kids to school in it, the looks from the other dads in their minivans and bland crossovers is... priceless.

The only thing I'd have second thoughts on is driving on salt. E30s aren't especially rust prone, but they have some trouble spots, and given how much they cost these days I would avoid salt if at all possible. I'm guilty of driving on salt occasionally myself, but it's not a regular occurrence.

[Slybeanx]

Thank you guys so much, I appreciate it. Yeah I would be driving on salted roads. Are there methods to reduce the salt damage? I guess e30s are prone to rust?

E30s are pretty protected from rust thanks to the factory undercoating. The issue is 30 years of potential for rust to start.

I think its a fine choice for a daily, cheap and easy enough to not break the bank, and plenty reliable. Just keep spare fuses and other electrical parts that might leave you stranded in the glove box and stay ahead of maintenance.

I bought mine in undergrad at 20 for 4.5k, put about 3-5k in maintenance during undergrad and drove it exclusively when I was back at home (no fucking way was I taking it to downtown MKE and driving in the salt there).

I "daily" mine when im back from college/law school but thats usually only summer months and winter break. Never had an issue that I didnt cause myself. And I could afford it and my W204 easily on a budget in college.

[Slybeanx]

That has been my experience too, but I guess some have nightmares.

Note that post ‘88 cars have galvanised body panels, so should hold up to salt better than the early ones

If you’re looking for an indicator of e30 reliability, compare how many are left on the road vs 80s Corollas, Civics etc. The Toyota / Honda thing really is a myth.

I feel like those rust into oblivion vs E30s who people actively try to restore even when they are pretty far gone.

[82eye]

at this point an e30 is definitely not a daily unless you're a die hard fan or it's a shit beater. sun belt and super dry parts of the US are the only places i would attempt it if you want to continue to have a nice car.

dry cars don't exist where i live. i get weekly offers on a car with no drive train for over double what i paid less than 7 yrs ago. only because it is still saveable. if you find a good one, keep it that way.