How did you get into E30's?

[ButtJuice]

Great stories, especially OP. Your dad and his friends were badasses back in the day for sure!

I got into e30s because of my buddy in high school, he had a hand-me-down 84' 318i and I loved the classic look. After that I didn't want anything other than an e30, so I bought an 86' 325e. I didn't know anything about e30s or cars in general, let alone the fact that there are e30 nutcases out in the world like us. After a year I found r3v, and holy shit my life has changed ever since. I know more about cars/e30s than most people do about their own assholes because of these cars and this forum.

Here's my 91' 325i

[svtlmr]

I got into e30 thru my dad.
In 1993 He bought from Germany a 1987, 4 door bmw 318, carburetor, with a 4 speed manual transmission, trunk lid spoiler and a BBS front valance. It was a dream:)
Factory tinted windows , rear window retractable shade, beauty.
I am glad he still have it because I have I big plans for it when I go back home one day.
Here is a recent picture of it:)
Please ignore the fake m3 badge on the grill:)))

[Rsully70sev]

I actually have clavinZERO to thank. I'd say it was around 2005 when I first spotted his e30 walking to my gym in Petaluma. It was always parked in the same spot- just about everyday. I always admired it, knew nothing about cars, but knew I wanted one. I was probably only a freshman (maybe sophomore) in high school at this time. I owned several other gems before eventually landing in an e30. Years later I sold my prerunner Titan and couldn't decide what to get next, miraculously I spotted clavinZERO driving one day (who I hadn't seen in years) and it sparked my BMW fuse. Five years after his car initially caught my attention, it led me to purchase my first e30. It's funny how impressionable his car was on me without him even knowing. (If you're reading this, I'm the kid you met in the Santa Rosa Best Buy parking lot a few months ago.) I guess all I can say is THANKS! :D

[mikeedler]

In 1991 I had a '64 Chrysler with a 383 pushing about 400hp. Used to do ALOT of street racing on the weekends in the NW suburbs, and North side of Chicago. There were tons of "new" then Camaros and Mustangs hanging out everyweekend, and one weekend a bunch of Japanese guys showed up with a brand new E30 M3 in white( at the time I had no clue what it was). Me being young and hardcore Muscle Car guy, laughed when they poped the hood (hahahah backwards) and there was a tiny 4cyl. in there.

Well, an hour later, they raced a friends 5.0 Mustang with a bit of a worked motor. Needless to say, that M3 KILLED his Mustang that ran constant 13 sec. 1/4 mile times!
Later found out that th M3 had a 75hp dry shot of NOS.........

Every weekend after that, I always admired the boxyness of the car, and laughed every time it beat a Mustang or Camaro that didn't know what it was about. Best yet, didn't even know what or where BMW was from, but knew I wanted one.

Fast forward to 1992 (My drivers license was REVOKED due to illegal street racing so I joined the Army). 1994 I got stationed in Germany- still had no clue what a BMW was or where they were built, but seemed to see alot more of those "boxy" styled cars with that same propeller, as well as a TON of lightning bolt cars (OPEL) cars. from then on I was hooked. In 1994 bought my first e21-didn't have enough cash for an e30 that I wanted, and in 1999 traded my 1998 S10 for my 1986 M3 that I still have! Have owned atleast 60-70 BMWs since then too.

[slammin.e28]

My first one was $500 on Craigslist. Second was a trade for the first (sold now), then my current shell was free for doing work on one.

e28 to the core though.

[bigdrick323]

First car was an e28 and wanted a convertible of similar styling.

I am away from my computer, being lazy!

[defaultName]

I read this magazine when I was a kid and I started loving E30's...



About 10 years later (when I was finally old enough to drive) I saw EMPOWERED's E30 at a show (disposable camera FTL) ...



So I went and bought this...



That was 10 years ago and I'm still obsessed!

[Mr. Burns]

cool thread idea-

similar story to some...

my dad had bought my mom a 1983 BMW 320i as a anniversary/bday? gift...

anyhow, she didnt' like it, my dad drove it, and I recall having some great memories from my childhood in that car.

the hood opened funny, and the headrests where super angular...in a time when everyone was driving Pontiac 6000's and 1988 Chevy 4door blazers, it was really different.

always had a soft spot for the E21, which is likely why I got into e30s' finally

[Pac1373]

I always liked different car's, and although I was a "Muscle car" guy, I was also a "Euro car" guy. I liked Audi's, Benz, and BMW's

I saw a copper E21 in a little car lot on White Ave in Edmonton after a night of debauchery in 1992 or so, I was a couple of years out of high school and had my first decent paying Job, so I went Back the next day and picked the little Honey up. it was a 82 or 83' I think.
Paid like 3g for it, I loved it, my friends loved it, the Ladies loved it. It cemented my love for BMW over Audi and Benz.

also, I remember driving down 156st in Edmonton one rainy shitty day, and as I crossed the intersection this Amazing black beast was pulling up into the left turn lane across from me (oncoming) it had just come off of the Whitemud free-way with some "motivation" at it as it came to a stop, looking all muscular and the way it decelerated and stopped with authority as I was passing this car I was looking out the window, it was pretty sexy from all the angles I was seeing the rain and overcast only made it look that much tougher. it was the first time I actually really noticed and Identified an e30 M3.

although my tale does the experience no justice, it was one of those moments in life that for some reason "burns in" idk why. but I can see it in my mind as clear as that day in the late 80's

Loved them ever since, had a 2002Tii project for awhile in the 90's but didn't get my first e30 till 2007. played with some Ae86's and Mr2's (MK1) before that too.

keep coming back to Bimmers though. I wan't another e30, but there is a little niggle in the back of my mind regarding e31's too...

[jeffnhiscars]

I was moving from the PNW to FL and wanted to trade my Lexus (and its payments) for a free and clear car. I knew a dealership owner so was wandering his lot for half an hour and the only car that looked worth getting out of the rain for was a 157k e30.

First thing I noticed was how yummy clean it was. Started right up, drove great & turned out it had belonged to the sales managers neighbor (for real). I called the dealer who sold it new and their service dept confirmed the full history and that it was, in fact, one owner who basically brought the car in and said "do what ever it needs".

That was 1998, I paid $3400 and the car is still in my driveway along with 3 other e30's...only now with 208k

[Hooffenstein HD]

Always had a thing for light weight, RWD cars. Used to play around with early Escorts, AE86's, Celicas etc and after realizing how great it would be to have a small, light weight sports car like an AE86 that came factory with some decent power/torque, I jumped ship and moved on to the 6 cylinder E30's.

Yes, euro spec early models are actually feather weight cars. 1090KG for a 1985 323i.

[Nick_S]

I've always liked them but never knew much about them. Then about two years ago I was derping around thecarlounge.com and there is a 70 page thread called the "you need an E30 thread". I went through about 40 pages of it and knew I had to have one. Sold my beloved Cherokee to a friend a few days later and picked up my 318is the next day.

Here's that thread

[fronton]

My dad bought my mom a slicktop 318is in 1993 when I was transitioning from micromachines to appreciating real cars. I in turn learned to drive in that car at 14, then drove it through college, and have been hooked since. We still have it in the family and daily drive it with over 300,000 miles on the original engine, paint, and interior. My oldest brother keeps meticulous care of it, along with my old e34 540i/6.

E30s never fail to deliver nostalgia and smiles. They also just never seems to fail.

[EREKSHUN]

My dad has owned 3 E30s growing up. So i have had fond memories in those vehicles. i remember being a passenger in his alpine 325 sedans taking weekend drives through angeles crest. what a drive and superior handling this lil car had. but in all honesty i was a huge American muscle fan (still am). im 29 and i have owned over 20 vehicles. about 2-3 years ago i bought my dads 3rd E30 for $1000. i am what you call a fanatic now. im on R3V EVERYDAY. reading everything and anything i can to further my E30 knowledge. i own a 2012 GT 5.0 which i love and a Cherry 79 Bronco but my 89 E30 is my absolute biggest obsession. i cant tell you how many nights including last night that i just lay there fantasizing about what parts i need to get and how my baby is going to sit so low and nice. yes i wish i dumped a couple grand into her before i bought my stang but i cant turn back time. i will take my build slow and low. i vow today here in front of all my R3V brethren to forever own a E30!

[flyboyx]

It's such a versatile car that its perfect for a lot of things. I love those classic euro and also am an American muscle/classic fan. Always wanted a 1955 Chevy Nomad wagon. Then again, if I could ever afford one, I couldn't have as much fun with it as I do with my e30

my neighbor has a rust free drivable 55 nomad that needs full restoration. it is for sale i guess but he really doesn't want to sell it. the price is 30 grand. it is a powder blue with white accents. i think the interior is white.

i grew up with 60's mustangs. when i was 16, my dad and i restored a 67 coupe that i drove to school and such. in parallel to your nomad, my "other love" would be a 67 fastback with rack and pinon front suspension, lincoln mark 8 independent rear suspension, and a late model dohc cobra engine/trans.

my dad still has a 67 convertible mustang to this day. i keep trying to get him to buy a cabrio e30, but just can't seem to push him over the edge.