What can be expected form an E30

[Inniswhe]

I am looking for some comments from those of you who drive upgraded E30's and have had experience with other sports cars such as older porsche 911's

I have been searching for an older german sports car project . Started looking for a 325IS or 325I in good shape with the idea of substantial suspension upgrades , tires, performance chip, to improve performance to the best I could get for that car for street use. I really like the look of the old E30's but I understand they are not a real high performance car as stock. I also figure that when the other avenues are upgraded I can move on to a stroker project or an M50 engine swap.


I am having a difficult time finding a 325IS that has not been driven to death as a daily driver,rusty etc. and am now thinking that by the time I get a 325I or IS upgraded I might as well look for an older porsche such as the 911SC. It will still probably be more money but I would expect it will retain its value much better as I expect it is basically impossible to get your money back from modifications toan E30. Also it seems many older Porsches are better maintained, and it looks appearseasier to find quite a number of good examples on the market in good condition.

I also considered E30 M3's but they are rare and see very costly.

My questions are what level of performance can be achieved with the basic mods I planned for the E30 , then with say a stroker upgrade (I like the idea of keeping the original engine).
How much better is the performance in a well maintained basically stock older porsche 911SC over an upgraded E30. I understand it is not really a fair fight but I am wondering how good can the handling be improved in the E30's with lowered springs, bilstein sports, heavy sway bars etc and a performance chip etc.

Thanks for any comments

[peteM3power]

I don't have a 325i/iS but after springs, shocks, swaybars, new brakes, tyres, SSK, chip and many other things, my 318iS is certainly very entertaining to drive. I don't know how it would compare to an older 911SC however I can say that if you're after a fun, economical and good handling car, the mods as I have and as you mentioned will certainly give it to you in an E30.

If you are planning on going the M50/S50 route, then you'd of course have even more power to play with and while I do desire more torque in my 318iS, it is still fast (enough) and can provide for a very enjoyable drive. Either way, I would say that throwing money into an E30 would not make you money (which is why I don't plan on selling mine) but at the end of the day, it's really up to you. My E30 hasn't cost me any where near a fortune to maintain. It's been as reliable as anything its age and is always bags of fun to drive.

Just my thoughts, I hope they help in your decision making process.

Pete

[motorprestige]

with extensive modifacation you can make damn near anything outperform a 911sc... but as you asked you can make an e30 a very good contender even when compared to the porche... with heavy suspension mods, maybe even a 5 lug conversion so you can run larger wheels... like some m contours so you can stick some wider meats on them... and an m50 or s50 you will be able to outperform such vehicles... its not as easy as that but it answers your question wich basically is "does the e30 have potential?" the answer is yes...

[Marvin_Hecht]

First of all, any E30 is very fun to drive and great at handling, stock. I've had mine for 19 years and it can outhandle many cars TODAY and that is with stock suspension albeit Bilstein (upgraded) shocks. Once you start putting in really good suspension (e.g. Ground Control Coilovers) an E30 will feel as fun and sporty as an older 911 (I did this comparison back-to-back). LOL, the other day I was test-driving a Targa and it just seemed old and unappealing and then a nicer red e30 drove up beside me and caused me to turn my head..

It may seem like the cost is the same--lets say 5-7k for a nice 90/91 325i/s low miles + ground controls, suspension/bushing overhaul, springs, bigger wheels, etc. But for that price in the 911 world, you can only get a beater 911, usually a Targa that may run, but is in need of an engine rebuild (5-10k) and paint (2-3k) and then it's still a Targa. Or you can get a 912 coupe (which has the nice pear ass shape) but you have a 4-cylinder. And those cars might go up in value or stay the same but with the sinkhole that they are going to be moneywise you'd be lucky to not go into the red quickly. Read the book "The gold plated Porsche" to see how you can spend 60k on an SC without too much trouble. Can you say flush, flush?

Believe me, I have tried, and tried,to find that "miracle" 911 that is under 10k, and has already had its engine rebuilt AND a paint job, and is not gray market and passes smog, etc. It doesn't exist. There is a guy on Rennlist who says "All Porsches are 20k - you will either spend it upfront or later."

Now if you want a 914, 944, 924, 928 those are all cheap -- but they are seenby many as not "true Porsche's" and people who have those are in the same boat as e30's where the value of the car could get exceeded with just one major repair (e.g. a clutch, broken timing belt, etc)

So I am waiting until I have 20k and then will buy a nice 87-89 911 coupe- the best of the last classic shaped--and in the meantime I'm looking at having
some fun continuing to mod my 86e (now has chip,sports seats, m-tech steering wheel, bilsteins, strut bar etc) and/or sell it and buy a 90/91 325i/s,
then put my goodies into that. One other possibility for you is to buy a 91 318is low miles, then dump an M50 or S50 into this for really nice fast car.

[terrybpp]

I have had 3 p-cars a 76' 911S (3.2 engine swap), 914-6, and a 944. With koni's and swaybars its hard to outhandle a 911. But the cost are much greater. You will spend $1000's a year just maintaining a 911 or any porsche for that matter.

I finally realized for that kinda of money I could build a sick e30 that would be very streetable and good for the track.

[Inniswhe]

TerryBpp

So I think what you saying is that for what it costs in maintenance on the Porsche I can build a E30 that will be comparable for street performance.

What I am looking for is great handling on the twisties and reasonable power so that I won't get left behind on the road. I will probably do an occassional driving course as well.