Increasing (theoretical) resale value.

[reelizmpro]

He's forgetting that e30s bottomed out a long time ago and the reason they have gone up is less supply of clean examples and a thriving cult following. This is y a modded m3 can fetch 25-50k and stock 325is can fetch e36 m3 money. U cannot underestimate a cult following.

[Vivek]

In my opinion, you're completely wrong, but I guess we'll just have to wait 5 years and find out.

[stamar]

they remove all of those values from the kbb sales.

all cars but especially bmws tend to sell for below the low kbb value.

More so every year.

You can be hopeful but just in the value an 88 e30 fell in the last year it would be unrealistic to think any e30 would be worth more than 1000 in 5 years. Even in perfect condition with coilovers and an m50 swap.

dont even try to sell yourself on it.

there are WAY more valuable cars in their day already below that.

in this area they go for well 300$ to 4500 too like theres a tax day sale.

[PeteD]

It's a Crazy Market

Like most of you, I keep a keen eye on the e30 market relative to where I live (New England). Not considering comparables, and simply isolating CL prices, current sales in NE range from $950-$8,000, with a guestmated average of $3,500. I've seen a few recent expamles under the $1,500 range sell within a day on CL.

The $950 car was a stock 4-door running car, in fair condition (not sure if it was an "e" or "i") - seller needed money for bills, so it was priced to sell ASAP. The $8,000 is a diving board "IS" that looks super clean and well sorted. The $1,500 examples that sold upon market exposure appeared to be good quality cars in DD driving condition. There is one in RI with a blown engine going for $1,500 that is still for sale, but I'm not sure if it is still available.

Around here, the higher priced cars are the ones well sorted - mechanically and structurally, regardless of mods or not, or completely stock and in good condition. If you mod your car, do it with a high degree of professionalism and try to keep it as tasteful as possible or just keep your stock car looking good and running right. I feel the best ROI on a clean, well running car is proper upgraded shocks and springs with a nice set of wheels and tires.

[Vivek]

kbb is not actually an opinion its an average of what all the vehicles sold for in the us in the last year based on dmv records.

They do go by area.

in my area since I bought my car I havent ever seen an e30 go for 2000. Ive seen a lot of them go up for sale for a lot but never sell. most e30s kind of sit on craigslist for a month. Im not that far from you also, cars are even cheaper where you are.

I wouldnt invest in your 88 car in the hopes that youd ever see half the money in reselling it. You may well find that your car is worth less than 1000 even with a turbocharger and a new paint job in a few years when youre ready to get rid of it.

Most people fake the value for tax reasons. Even if they bought the car for 5k, they write 500 bucks on the bill of sale since it's an old car and can get away with it. I've seen numerous e30's sell for good amounts of money, and I'd say that in many cases you can get back what your paid for a given e30 if you're prudent.

[stamar]

kbb is not actually an opinion its an average of what all the vehicles sold for in the us in the last year based on dmv records.

They do go by area.

in my area since I bought my car I havent ever seen an e30 go for 2000. Ive seen a lot of them go up for sale for a lot but never sell. most e30s kind of sit on craigslist for a month. Im not that far from you also, cars are even cheaper where you are.

I wouldnt invest in your 88 car in the hopes that youd ever see half the money in reselling it. You may well find that your car is worth less than 1000 even with a turbocharger and a new paint job in a few years when youre ready to get rid of it.


I would not count on getting more than kbb for your car when selling it as a private party. now more than ever everyone shopping for a car can just look it up. You might but I would count on getting much less.


a buyer like you that bases car value on im not sure what is rare really. a buyer who would pay retail price or above for any car is pretty rare.

particularly in a case like this, no lending organization would loan you money for a car thats 3x its kbb. because as far as they are concerned its worth its trade in value ( re almost nothing) if they repo it.

so its a cash in pocket sort of sale. people with that much cash in their pocket can pull off something a lot newer and nicer. Its a rare buyer what can I say. Dont count on a rare buyer for your 80s car. Dont delude yourself.

[Vivek]

The value of e30s is falling at a rate of free fall. Even the top examples like a 92 convertible will be worth about 500 within a few years. Basically worth 1000 if its running perfectly.

Did you literally just say that? e30's are almost ONLY bought by enthusiasts or people who like older BMWs. They are definitely not selling because they're cheaper than an older e36 (because they aren't).


For e30's KBB has no value. I never even bothered to look up the KBB for ANY e30 that I looked at when buying mine, because it means absolutely nothing.

[irish44j]

If your goal is to someday sell it as a "classic" car, the best thing you can do is keep it in excellent condition, and keep it all-stock. Someday years from now a clean 318i with a bone-stock M10 and diving boards will be worth alot more than a clean 318i with an S52 swap and euro bumpers, for example.

All depends on when you want the resale to take place. If you mean 2 years from now, "original" isn't worth much on an e30 necessarily, especially if you're trying to sell in an enthusiast community. But 10-15 years from now, it will be.

Look at prices (for example) on 2002s being sold at auctions, etc. The original cars fetch far more than ones that have been swapped or modified, in most cases.

That all said, if your main plan to make money in the future rests on re-selling e30s you might want to find an investment with a healthier return. e30s aren't rare now, and they won't be rare for a long time.

[Joe G]

put a bag of cash in the trunk

[stamar]

The value of e30s is falling at a rate of free fall. Even the top examples like a 92 convertible will be worth about 500 within a few years. Basically worth 1000 if its running perfectly.

You have reached past the point where e36s are for sale, ob2 ones for 3k and below. the percent of people in the world who would spend 3k on an e30 is very small.

there are no e30s that kbb ranks as worth 3000 much less a 88 with 200k miles etc.
more than 90 of cars go for their kbb or below. Particularly bmws which devalue heavily after 5 years. youre selling your car to a small minority of the market having a bmw in the first place.

used car buyers want civic.

[JinormusJ]

That's true.. Honestly, a NICE e30 that would be worth $7-8k on forums would not fetch anywhere more than $3k on the open market.

That being said.. As more and more new cars are getting older and depreciating to equal that of an e30; would you think the price of open market e30s would go down while enthusiast examples would go up as more and more work would be required to recreate the ultimate driving machine..?


Last thoughts. A clean body, good Carfax, a good running engine, and definitely a great sellers attitude is what really sells me on a car. Minor body damage, but nothing crazy like rusted out/crazy damaged quarters or anything. A engine that doesn't sound like a lawnmower and isn't leaking is a plus aswell, and I'm pretty reluctant to deal with people who are douchey about their car isntead of being open to more offers and treatin me like a valued customer and not a wad of cash; I wouldn't want to hand over money for a deal I didn't like much to a guy who treated me like a sack of meat just to get an extra bill or two.

Basic things I looked for when I bought my e30, bit there was a lot more wrong with the engine, suspension, and body than I expected or was said, and the guy was an oldman looking to get a quick sale, so he was much more flexible to work with me

[reelizmpro]

Having bought a turbo car I know what u mean. Turbocharging and aftermarket fuel systems need to be understood by the owner as fi cars r finicky but the added power per dollar is unparalleled. I would only take a s50 or greater over turbo m20 because of comparable power and reliability.

[acolella76]

I agree with what people say about turbo cars. They are usually less reliable than NA cars, and most people don't want to deal with that. Another part is people don't know every detail of how the PO set up his turbo, so there is potential for a huuuge headache. The only real exceptions are cars with turbo kits (TCD, TRM, HPF, etc.). Kits make it easy to understand what exactly is in the kit, how it was setup, etc.

[BrassDrummer]

Definitely have Vlad Paint it.

[SimplyDope]

Sell it in BC, Canada. You will get at least double for your car than what you would in the good 'ole USofA.