Official Inroduction/Noob looking for advice

[ElJimo]

Hey everybody, i posted on r3v a couple times before but figured i'd post a little intro thingy.
I am....
- 20 years old
- Born/raised in Chicago suburbs
- Junior at Illinois state
- Engineering Technology student
- E30 fan....but not yet owner :/

I've been looking for an E30 for the last year now but still haven't found one that is right for me. I just had some general questions about what to look for/what my expectations should be.

I'm looking for an 88 or newer E30 (can't do the DB's), 2door, and a manual trans, anything else i could really care less about. I have a budget of up to 3,000 and i currently own an 09 mitsubishi lancer, so i would have a DD while being able to work on the E30.

Being from the Midwest, a large concern is going to be rust, but is that the biggest thing i should be concerned about?
If i find a clean auto E30 should i go for that and then just do a manual swap?
realistically, what kind of condition E30 could i get for under 3,000?

Also, i know dealing with new people can be rather taxing, so i did try to do some research on my own. I'm just asking for some opinions/advice.
Thank you.

Here are two E30's on my current local CL listings

http://racine.craigslist.org/cto/3124726473.html

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/3141881669.html

[JinormusJ]

My Build thread is a classic example of an e30 you can get for under $3k.
I think my current list of how much I've put into it so far is ~3.1k with initial purchasing price, and I get compliments on it all the time. If I had a couple more dollars to spend, a drop, wheels, and rear lip would set it off. Its not fabulous, but for how much I've actually spent on it, I'm very content with the rep it gets

You just gotta keep looking; if you find an auto that has a clean body and a nice engine at a good price, don't hesitate to buy it. Autos are generally cleaner, owned by older folk, haven't been abused (Slushbox LOL!), have been well maintained, and a swap will only run you $600-$800 after everything.

Its easier to find a clean auto for $1000 and put $1000 into it to make it a manual and do maintanence than find an even decent $3k 5-spd that doesn't need work and end up spending another $1500 to get it top


Also, just some tips; When looking for a starting e30, look for a "325i/is" or "318i/is"; if you settle for a regular "325" or "325e" you'll be pretty disappointed and want an engine swap or a chip to get it to enjoyable level; "325es"es are exceptions, but even that is teetering on disappointing. Just know exactly what you want and don't settle. The right e30 will find its way to your CL someday.

Since your in CI, check for rust everywhere aswell. Tailights, rear licence plate lights, front windsheild grommets, and trunk lock are common trouble places.


Just keep looking. it took me 4 months to finally find mine and bite the bullet. Good Luck and welcome to r3v! Cover your butthole always and grow thick skin: Remember those rules and you'll be fine ;)

[ElJimo]

Just keep looking. it took me 4 months to finally find mine and bite the bullet. Good Luck and welcome to r3v! Cover your butthole always and grow thick skin: Remember those rules and you'll be fine ;)

Hahaha, thanks for the warm welcome and i appreciate the advice. Your build is looking nice, how long did it take you to do the 5-speed swap? A day? a week?

[Rsully70sev]

Fly somewhere and drive it back if you can't find one locally. Late models are a little more expensive, 5spd ups the value, then you have things to consider such as suspension modification, interior condition, paint, rust, etc. You'll most likely have to make a sacrifice in one aspect and deal with it later on.

(If you find a nice auto, buy it and do an easy 5spd swap when you have the money...If you find one with a nice exterior but shitty interior, save and do it later...if you find one in immaculate condition with a tired motor...motorswap!)

[JinormusJ]

How long did it take you to do the 5-speed swap? A day? a week?

It took me 2 days; I ran in to a snag and we stripped 2 of the tranny bolts, so I had to stop and continue when I bought an extractor socket set the next day. If we didn't run in to that snag, we would've finished in 10-12 hours time the first day. Its fairly straight forward; drop one tranny, put the other one back in. As long as you ahve all the parts and fluids topped off, you'll be fine. Mind you I had no prior transmission work experience before this; I had an online guide and someone who did it before thought, so that helped a lot.

Honestly, I recommend anyone who's starting off to buy an auto for cheaper and swap it themselves. The experience you gain is invaluable versus just buying a 5-spd off the bat. Plus, you might even be able to save a small fortune. Since it looks like your exactly in my position: you've got more time than money, and a couple hundred bucks is a lot of cash :-P


Sully's got some good advice too. I bought mine with beat up fenders and auto. The paint was good and the motor and interior was immaculate, so I thought I made a good purchase. Next thing on the list is fixing all the body damage and a professional respray. You just gotta know what you'd rather want to deal with later down the road when your making the "final awesomeness" stuff to your car. Yeah, could I have looked for a nice shell? Yeaah, but what if the motor was clapped out or the interior was dreaded?

Its all what you'd rather have in the here-and-now and what you don't mind working on later. I needed a good DD, so a working motor was crucial. You on the other hand..

[slaterd]

Also, just some tips; When looking for a starting e30, look for a "325i/is" or "318i/is"; if you settle for a regular "325" or "325e" you'll be pretty disappointed and want an engine swap or a chip to get it to enjoyable level; "325es"es are exceptions, but even that is teetering on disappointing. Just know exactly what you want and don't settle. The right e30 will find its way to your CL someday.

True, however the 88 325e is an exception. I have a 1988 325e "super eta" which allows you to interachange the head and intake system from a 325i model and keep the high torque from the 325e and the horsepower from a 325i model. 88 seta is the way to go IMHO. This I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, is for the '88 year only or it may be 88 and after, I don't know.

[camip]

Go the second. Try and get it for a G or a little more 885 head swap clean it up and you'll be set.

[dannyyisntt]

Just wait it out till you find a clean rust free e30. All other aspects of the vehicle can be changed (interior, engine, etc), but rust isn't a battle worth fighting.

[Yourmum]

Save up an extra 1k and buy a clean one from head to toe. I see plenty of good deals but you'll probably need to head interstate to Cali or Arizona for the best ones. Always remember when buying a car that you want to spend time and money on, that the body and paint are as close to perfect as possible. Mechanical isn't an issue as much, especially with an e30. Good luck.

[ElJimo]

Fly somewhere and drive it back if you can't find one locally.

I have found some pretty good looking deals elsewhere in the U.S., but the fact that i'm mainly shopping on criagslist makes me weary to go for them. It's easy to be shown one thing online and then see something else entirely when you get there, ya know?

It took me 2 days; I ran in to a snag and we stripped 2 of the tranny bolts, so I had to stop and continue when I bought an extractor socket set the next day. If we didn't run in to that snag, we would've finished in 10-12 hours time the first day. Its fairly straight forward; drop one tranny, put the other one back in. As long as you ahve all the parts and fluids topped off, you'll be fine. Mind you I had no prior transmission work experience before this; I had an online guide and someone who did it before thought, so that helped a lot.

Damn, i'm impressed. Especially since you said you had no prior experience. Could you link me to the guide? I've been trying to find one on here, but haven't been able to.

[JinormusJ]

Sure thing; Yoshi did a write up. it's a little oversimplified, but it does the job
Yoshi's Write-up
I probably read it top to bottom 5 or 6 times before I even did my swap haha. Good luck on whatever you plan on going for? If you plan n going that route, also make sure you have the obscure parts too (flywheel bolts, pressure plate bolts, fluids, hydraulic lines, etc.) nothing is worse than taking your car apart only to find you can't finish because your missing some bolts.

Also, you could go the super eta route if your planning on doing a budget e30 build. MR 325 sells amazing high flowing 885 heads that work wonders combined with an eta block.
Honestly, Etas aren't the end of the world, but it'll leave you feeling like the e30 magic still isn't quite there. Plus, knowing your car is badged as an "I", for me, brings me more personal satisfaction in my "catch".
Everyone's tastes are different though


Generally, a good deal can be had for roughly a grand if you patiently wait. Anything after that is what you want to do to the thing really. If you broaden your budget, you can still definitely find a $1500 or $2k deal. Really, it's what it's worth to you; the only trick being you have to make sure what your buying is worth what your paying ;)

[ElJimo]

Thanks Jinormus. I appreciate the help

[MattPro]

Damn, i'm impressed. Especially since you said you had no prior experience. Could you link me to the guide? I've been trying to find one on here, but haven't been able to.

I actually just completed this swap last week, I used this guide without any problems whatsoever:

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108141

It took me over a weekend to do 90% of the work then I waited for parts for 3 days... And this was with no air parts or a lift, just a couple of floor jacks and one regular jack. It's definitely doable. Plus I lost last Saturday due to the Chicago heat... I didn't want to be out in the garage in 100+.

[ElJimo]

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108141

Plus I lost last Saturday due to the Chicago heat... I didn't want to be out in the garage in 100+.

Wow, that guide is quality. Step by step instructions with pictures, can't beat that. Thanks for the link. and i know what you mean with the heat, i haven't been brave enough to step out of the A.C. for the past week. Can't wait for summer to be over.

[CrusherCurtis]

Just wait it out till you find a clean rust free e30. All other aspects of the vehicle can be changed (interior, engine, etc), but rust isn't a battle worth fighting.

This and Welcome. Nice seeing another Chicagoan.