Replacing E30...options

[uturn]

A few people had touched on what I would get if I had to replace my E30.

R32 Nissan Skyline Gts-t

Inline 6 engine
makes the same amount of horses turbo'd as my NA E30M30
4 wheel steering (HiCAS)
Big Brake kit up front
just enough JDM to daily drive

Cons... right hand steering at the drive thrus

[Vincenze]

S12 are pretty cheap. People say it's difficult to get parts, though.

I think the wheels will look good on an E30.

[TobyB]

Perhaps a controversial take, but I don't see E46s as being worth the trouble.

This, I think, is becoming pretty much true. They're a hassle. And they're aging out.

And:

I commute in an E46. 330 coope, 5 speed. When it's working, it's a nice car.
It's heavier and less connected than an E30, but far better than anything
new(ish). I'm very fond of it.
It's far more powerful AND corners better than an E30. By far.
Aircon works, defrost works, traction control sucks, ABS is excellent.
DSC is... annoying. But has saved my ass more than once.

The thing is, it's an ongoing project, and if you're not willing to spend real time
replacing the things that wear out, it's just frustrating. God help you if you pay someone else to work on it.
We have a fleet of 2 of them and a couple of E39's as backup, and when I get behind on maintenance for them, it sucks.
When they all decide to break at once, it REALLY sucks.
Then I have to drive a 1993 Ferd Eff Too Fiddy wid a 351, and it's miserable.

The super shitty thing about E46s right now is that all the plastic parts have been profitsourced.
So to replace anything in the cooling system, it's pretty much BMW-only if you want it to stay stuck
together. And BMW is really raking in the dough on the (still made by Modine, et. al.) baggie surcharge.
Just recently, Lemforerder packed it off to Malaysia. Rein used to be Turkish- now, China. Mahle aftermarket? China, now.
Sachs and ZF have already gone that way.
(this hoses us with E30s, as well. The Sachs parts are coming from Taiwan if you're lucky, China if you're not)

So for something to mostly drive and just 'fix it when it breaks' the E46 is too old and too undersupported by the aftermarket.
It stinks. I really like mine. I'll keep it going as long as I've got the energy for it, but I can see the day coming
when something electric will take over as the primary commuter, and it'll join the fair weather fleet...

t

[e30davie]

A few people had touched on what I would get if I had to replace my E30.

R32 Nissan Skyline Gts-t

Inline 6 engine
makes the same amount of horses turbo'd as my NA E30M30
4 wheel steering (HiCAS)
Big Brake kit up front
just enough JDM to daily drive

Cons... right hand steering at the drive thrus

This would be my choice.

Get an M-spec with the bigger brakes and the skirts, put on a GTR front bar and bonnet. (the gtst bonnet always looked a bit odd in comparison...)

Here in Australia the R32 GTS-t that you'd want to buy have all but disappeared though, I think the drifters ate them all.

That RB20DET is a sweet sweet engine.