To ruin or not to ruin

[dbeast]

Hello everyone,
This will be my first post on the forums, although I do read throughout regularly because of my love for the E30.

I currently own a 1991 318is (purchased in 2012) and drove it through out my college years. The car needs TLC and I am through some other projects to where I can start planning and pursuing rebuilding/ restoring this one.
The more I read about particularly the 318is the more uncommon/ rare it seems to be. I am looking for advice and not here to beat on my chest about how cool my car is with it being uncommon etc.

What I initially wanted to do was cut it up, tube up front and rear + roll cage, and throw a 13b rotary or LS and have myself a drift missile; however, after the reading I've been doing, I cannot see myself ruining it if it is in-fact as uncommon as the evidence shows.

It is a 91 318is with black exterior as original paint, no sunroof, and black leather sport seats and of course has the 4 lug style 5s. I believe it does have the factory LSD option as well. The car is pretty rough but the chassis & body are solid. Interior will clean up well, and drivetrain is solid as far as I remember. Obviously will need to go through it all and make sure it is sorted out 100%. The original M42 is trashed but I picked up another one 2 days ago incase I decide to keep it closer to original.


I do not expect it to be worth all the money, or 100% Barrett Jackson type car, but for my own sake, I would like to know if this is the type of car that is best kept original. I can always hunt for another shell to use lol.

Any advice from those who keep track of production numbers and e30 gurus are welcome. I do not want to go beyond return with this vehicle if it is more special then not.

Thank you.

[It's Soda Not Pop]

Do you have the means to buy another E30? Or maybe a clean shell? If this is one is kind of your baby then why not buy another one and go crazy with it. Either way at the end of the day she's your car and if it makes you happy then do it. I never let resale value or "next guy" sway what I want in a car.

[MrBurgundy]

Let me tell you something dude.

Do whatever the fuck you want. Who is going to do the work if you do want to chop it up?

If you got money burning a hole in your pocket and that's what you want, go for it. Everyone here is going to give their opinion, but at the end of the day, your butt is going to be in the seat.

Yes a 318is with no sunroof is a desirable configuration. That car sorted out the right way will probably fetch more than doing a swap on it, unless the swap is done not in your backyard and by a really reputable shop with lots of documentation. In the long run, original cars will average much higher selling points than swap cars. Mostly because most swaps are DIY.

Complex swaps like a rotary or LS cost a lot of money compared to an S5x for example because of all the fab that goes into it.

[dbeast]

I agree. I don’t think it’s the actual value of it restored, but more of knowing I own one that IS different then a lot of the others and preserving a little bit of the history.

I am considering an s5x swap and a restomod with a few modern changes and maybe small tasteful mods as a compromise to both options.

[roguetoaster]

I agree. I don’t think it’s the actual value of it restored, but more of knowing I own one that IS different then a lot of the others and preserving a little bit of the history.

I am considering an s5x swap and a restomod with a few modern changes and maybe small tasteful mods as a compromise to both options.

It's not different from many others, sure it's a slicktop, but it's not special, it's a mass produced vehicle, and a few options one way or another do not matter. Also, after owning it for a decade you should know that the seats are vinyl, not leather from factory, and if it has a locking differential or not.

[varg]

I don't care about 318is vs 325is, each has its merits for different people, but slicktops are cool. Don't trash it drifting. E30s in general don't deserve to get chopped up and wadded up as a drift car, which is their inevitable fate, as drifting eventually involves crashing. There aren't enough of them left. You want a good, cheap, out of the box drift car that's still common and nobody cares about it? S197 mustang.

[lukeADE335i]

e36s are popping up more and more in drift circles too it seems - I’d go in that direction for a drift car. They’ve bottomed out and there’s still plenty of parts available for them.

[dbeast]

I think I’ll do a restomod like a mature adult 🤣

[AceAndrew777]

I think I’ll do a restomod like a mature adult

Good. It sounds like you were starting to like the smell of your own farts there. You have to watch out for that kind of thing.

Coming from the 2002 world, there's been an influx of investor-enthusiasts who, rather than understand/learn all the nuances that have made them a popular car in the first place (they were almost engineered to be hotrodded, as evidenced by more than forty years of show/track photos), are much more inclined to promote the idea of being "all original" as a means to take the easy road with regard to perceived value and ease of restoration. I find most of them end up down a road of them trying to convince themselves of how "special" their car is ..... only to have the attempt to cash in on their "investment" end in a "reserve not met" situation.

It's sad .... but entertaining to watch.

[McGyver]

Do whatever the fuck you want.

[s-thetikz]

pretty much this brosephistan

[ube91]

e36s are popping up more and more in drift circles too it seems - I’d go in that direction for a drift car. They’ve bottomed out and there’s still plenty of parts available for them.

E36s are starting to be uncommon in junkyards in my area. Mostly E46s and early E90s popping up these days.

[varg]

E36s are starting to be uncommon in junkyards in my area. Mostly E46s and early E90s popping up these days.

Same. I see hardly any E36s in the junkyards now, mostly E46s and E90s.

[moatilliatta]

Anyone else cringe at the word Drift-Missile?

[MrBurgundy]

Anyone else cringe at the word Drift-Missile?

Yeah- kind of an oxymoron