The E30 Prices Are TOO DAMN HIGH!!

[ReallyDirtyThirty]

I'm an avid craigslist hunter and general "for sale" thread crawler, and I can't help but notice over the last year or so the price to get in to a decent E30 has gotten, IMO, stupid high.

It used to be, you could get a "nice" E30 for $3,000. All day long. A member on here 02stu sold his '91 318is two years ago for $3600 and it had bilstiens, H&Rs, power steering delete, nice sport seats, good paint, Kosei K1's, working everything, etc. It was a nice E30. Now I feel like if it was up for sale the asking price would $5,500 or something like that. What gives?

What made E30's so appealing to me was that you got a well built, reliable, rear wheel drive, sports oriented car with a great platform to build on for around three grand. Now I'm more inclinded to go towards Miata's, E36's, E28's, or 944's as opposed to E30's. You're going to get screwed over by insurance if you get in a wreck because they'll never give what it would take to replace your car.

I preface this whole thing by saying I love E30's and I think they're arguably the best car that has ever been built. But Jesus, I hate to sound old, but I remember them being so much cheaper to buy!



/rant

[alB5]

sold my clean D/S 318is for $3500 with tons of extra's, vogtlands/bilsteins, and working everything. Deals are everywhere it just matters where to look.

[Nick's e30]

Bought mine cheap last year, still have and maintain. In many years when I sell her she will sell for more.

This makes me feel nice. But being unable to get a cleaner one for just a bit more makes me RAGE!

[iamsam]

OP: You are tellin me man. The prolific influx of crack smokin' craigslisters in the Denver area in the past year has been staggering. Not only E30s, but E30 parts, and old bmws in general. People on CL continually claim that E30 parts are impossible to find and therefore can charge $225 for a 2.93 LSD, $300 for interior door panels, or $1500 for E28 TRX b-caps. That's right, all three examples are actual CL listings I have seen recently.

[ReallyDirtyThirty]

Maybe I've been losing at the track, it just seems like the asking prices have gotten absurd.

[slammin.e28]

This is why I do e28s.

[spike68]

^$200 Shipped?

[Cronopoulos]

drift tax?

[hendrixvodu]

I remeber having my e30 9 years ago and looking at an e30 m3 (i was trying to trade up) that was almost perfect for 10k ...i cant believe how much they go for now it makes me laugh they are awesome cars i love mine, but i mean over 10k for an e30 is kinda silly.

[MoreMayhem]

What made E30's so appealing to me was that you got a well built, reliable, rear wheel drive, sports oriented car with a great platform to build on for around three grand.

I think you explain right here why prices have gone up. Good, clean examples become harder to find for sale each time an E30 gets scrapped, totalled, or turned into garage queen status!

[InuFaye]

I remeber having my e30 9 years ago and looking at an e30 m3 (i was trying to trade up) that was almost perfect for 10k ...i cant believe how much they go for now it makes me laugh they are awesome cars i love mine, but i mean over 10k for an e30 is kinda silly.

Clean Swaps are bringing over 10k.

[hendrixvodu]

This is why I do e28s.

dont worry they will be at that point soon people are jumping on them now

[SkiFree]

We've seen the same thing with 2002's, E9, Etc. There was a day you couldn't pay someone to haul away your 2000cs, 1600, Isetta, etc.

Pretty basic.... Car model hits bottom of depreciation after 20ish years, stays there for a few years and then starts to rise slowly as the car gains "classic/keeper" status. I would expect the prices for E30's start to rise fairly steadily over the next decade.

[iamsam]

well, i'll be hoarding E28s then. ...more than I am already, that is.

[SpeicherBimmer]

I had a chance to buy a PERFECT 325i 2 door here about 2.5 years ago for $2,000. It was immaculate with a ton of maintenance done on it. I passed because I wanted an E34 535i...I kick myself now as they go for $4,000+ or 5,000 Euro easily.