Seriously, what the wang wrangler happened to the E30 market

[glucklich21]

I just sold mine for $5000. It was listed at $5200. The interest is there at that price point for a clean low mileage example, however it wains quite quick for a M42 model that isn't a coupe I've found. The biggest factor for my price was you couldn't even get close to the same level of maintenance or modification for what I was selling it, let alone the cost of a nice clean car to start with.

The days of $500 E30s are far and few in between, if not gone, at least around here in Austin and we should be happy. Few will be sacrificed to new drivers, shitty owners, drifters (yes you cheap fuckers), and the Honda bros who ventured onto stanceworks now wanting a real car. The chassis will survive another 5 years when I plan on buying another one, albeit more expensive, but it's better than any of those fates imo.

[canadiankid]

E30s could be a solid investment. Quick buy all the <$1000 craigslist cars.

[MR 325]

I bought my car in 2004 with Bilstein Sport and H&R Sport for $1500.

I sold it in 2006 (with a lot more mods +turbo 2.7) for $9400.

I bought it back in 2010 (similar shape but needed a rebuild) for $5500.

[rustybullet]

All my e30s have been under $2k

1. A 91 318is, diamond schwartz, 123k miles, stack of receipts. $1,100
2. 86 325e, very good shape $1,250
3. 87 325e also in good shape, $750
4. 88 325ix, good shape, lots of new parts, good working awd. $1800

E28
1. 82 525i, a real euro. M30 2.5l in this beast, all manual standard. $1000
2. 84 533i very nice car $1,200


I just found a 88 528 for 700 I need to buy.

[2ndName]

I paid 1500 for my 91 318is about 5 years ago.

Pretty stock fabric interior, white, BBS weaves. I have since replaced the interior with all black, leather, Borbet rims, MHW rears,HID heads and IS side skirts. No engine mods.
Mileage is 167,321.

I was offered 6k just based on this description, sight unseen. WTF?

Yes my friends, the market has changed!

Damn! That's a flip.

[FL318is]

Right

I paid 1500 for my 91 318is about 5 years ago.

Pretty stock fabric interior, white, BBS weaves. I have since replaced the interior with all black, leather, Borbet rims, MHW rears,HID heads and IS side skirts. No engine mods.
Mileage is 167,321.

I was offered 6k just based on this description, sight unseen. WTF?

Yes my friends, the market has changed!

[2ndName]

Wait till that movie about Bill Casswell comes out. Slingshot its called. I don't know how big it will be but if Fast and Furious is an example, e30s prices will skyrocket. Not to mention we will start to see e30s with big wings, fart cans, stickers, body kits, etc etc.

I read about that pitch a while back, seems to be a promising movie. I can't wait to see it, 1991 318i for $500 on CL. People are soooo going to start CL hunting after watching the movie...

[canadiankid]

Wait till that movie about Bill Casswell comes out. Slingshot its called. I don't know how big it will be but if Fast and Furious is an example, e30s prices will skyrocket. Not to mention we will start to see e30s with big wings, fart cans, stickers, body kits, etc etc.

[gtdragon980]

I got mine as a hand me down back in '07, guess I got lucky!

[Vivek]

No, this was all over a year ago.

[2ndName]

There are good and bad deals. I looked at a car that was a piece of SHIT in every way, and the guy wouldn't go below 3 grand. Worn m20 with like 300k and no power, shifter so sloppy you couldn't tell what gear you're in, rattle canned matte black to cover up a hit and run that destroyed the quarter panel (which of course he didn't mention before I went to look at it), stupid orange autozone shit all over it, which he made sure to point out and say was "custom"...he even had me start it without pressing the clutch in to show how awesome and unique his car was . Then there was a bagged coupe that is one of the cleanest e30's i have seen in my life, and he went down to I believe 2.5k. I regret not buying that car, but it basically needed a new engine. If i had the mechanical knowledge then that I do now I would be driving that white coupe.

lol, are you talking about that one car on Bay Area CL that's been there for weeks? The charcoal gray looking one?

I missed one hell of a freaking deal last week, was an 87 5 speed 325i coupe. Had all the bells and whistles for 2.5K. I had a baby shower that day and lost out, sonofa!

[Vivek]

There are good and bad deals. I looked at a car that was a piece of SHIT in every way, and the guy wouldn't go below 3 grand. Worn m20 with like 300k and no power, shifter so sloppy you couldn't tell what gear you're in, rattle canned matte black to cover up a hit and run that destroyed the quarter panel (which of course he didn't mention before I went to look at it), stupid orange autozone shit all over it, which he made sure to point out and say was "custom"...he even had me start it without pressing the clutch in to show how awesome and unique his car was . Then there was a bagged coupe that is one of the cleanest e30's i have seen in my life, and he went down to I believe 2.5k. I regret not buying that car, but it basically needed a new engine. If i had the mechanical knowledge then that I do now I would be driving that white coupe.

[Chapel]

yeah, fuck this... I bought a minty E36 for the same price as some of the rotbox E30s I looked at...

[bastianshaw]

inflation dollar is weakkkkkk

[reelizmpro]

Who would have ever guessed that nostalgia about the car a guy couldn't afford at 18 years old, or the one your lucky friend had, or the one you grew up with or...etc, would have a market develop as the guys getting to a point in life where they can afford to purchase the Nostalgia machine they didn't have/did have/rode around in, etc when they were young?


oh wait, anyone who lived during the late 80's Muscle car boom!
I watched as $3500-$4500, used Cuda's turn into a half million collector piece in a couple of years, (upwards of a million now) I suspect it happens to some extent with every generation.

ZM, good on you guys for analyzing the market I bet you will be way out ahead of most guys on this one.

Isn't that what always happens? Don't we all get a little bit nostalgic at some point? Some of us don't have to wait till mid life crisis before acting. The longer you wait, the more expensive and hard to find the car you always wanted becomes. The m3 came out when I was in Jr High and I barely knew of it's existence through pictures in the Roundel. I had to have one but they were way out of my league at the time. As luck would have it in 1998, my 85 325 2.7i got rear ended and I picked up my M3 at a time when they were about 10 years old and prices bottomed out. I always knew it was a special car but never thought they'd be so popular outside of the BMW CCA circle. It's very cool to have that "time machine" car that takes you back to your youth. Many people pay top dollar to relive those days.