E30 M3 Barn Find

[jpw]

Located a E30 chassis M3 that has been garaged collecting dust for the last 6 years. It supposedly was running but blew the clutch then garaged.

Mechanical s I can handle, what I need to know is there certain known chassis/body issues with the M3 E30 such as rust prone areas etc. that I need to pay close attention when inspecting the car.


Just for you guys stuck on baked goods!! See the picts --- bought it for 3K -- I'll have my cake and eat it to!!!

[phreshkid]

Just sell me the car. Seriously. Sell it to me. I can help.

[Hooffenstein HD]

Was this barn out the back of a bakery?

[wilholl]

Was this barn out the back of a bakery?

Wasn't that the $500 blue M3 in Texas that turned out to be a white Mercedes or somethin like that...

[SSE30]

This thread smells of bread and various other baked goods.

[TheTacoMan]

1 post.

It checks out guys, he found a real m3!

[ELVA164]

I vote that it is real. Pics will follow, just you wait. OP, just like any E30 check for rust on the rockers and floors. But seriously, it's an M3. Buy it.

[Ray Smoodiver]

Firstly, welcome to R3V! You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

The first thing I would do would be to buy it or at least put a deposit on it. If you can get the car for less than 4K (feel free to correct me on this one, Americans) you'll be making your money back no sweat, especially on stuff like a complete S14 and the 5 lug suspension.

Now: rust is rust, and all (most) E30's have it.

Main areas will be sunroof drains front and rear (the sunroof panel itself is particularly bad), under the accelerator pedal, behind the elephant drain in the engine compartment, around the rear tail lights, rear battery tray, depending on the year - up in the rear arches, under the fuse box is a goodie, under the bootlid seal is almost guaranteed to yield some rust, the front arches like to collect all manner of grime and dirt and will rust from the inside out which isn't very fun, the sills can rot front and rear - particularly around the jacking points, the windscreen scuttle panel is almost a guarantee - especially on an M3 where the front screen is bonded (glued) to the car, rather than the usual E30 gasket arrangement.

Now all that is worst case scenario and not all of it will apply; it depends entirely on the climate. The drier US states are consistently producing cars for sale that don't have a skerrick of rust on them, but then you have the opposite end of the spectrum like cars from the PNW, which are riddled with tin worm.

It depends on your commitment, but if you have a search you'll find a bunch of thread with crazy Scandinavians rescuing E30 rust buckets that would be thrown in the crusher anywhere else, so if your aim is to end up in God's Chariot (aka E30 M3) then go for gold, but just be aware of what sort of financial commitment you're going to be making.

Good luck! :up:

[LivingLegend06]

Firstly, welcome to R3V! You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

The first thing I would do would be to buy it or at least put a deposit on it. If you can get the car for less than 4K (feel free to correct me on this one, Americans) you'll be making your money back no sweat, especially on stuff like a complete S14 and the 5 lug suspension.

Now: rust is rust, and all (most) E30's have it.

Main areas will be sunroof drains front and rear (the sunroof panel itself is particularly bad), under the accelerator pedal, behind the elephant drain in the engine compartment, around the rear tail lights, rear battery tray, depending on the year - up in the rear arches, under the fuse box is a goodie, under the bootlid seal is almost guaranteed to yield some rust, the front arches like to collect all manner of grime and dirt and will rust from the inside out which isn't very fun, the sills can rot front and rear - particularly around the jacking points, the windscreen scuttle panel is almost a guarantee - especially on an M3 where the front screen is bonded (glued) to the car, rather than the usual E30 gasket arrangement.

Now all that is worst case scenario and not all of it will apply; it depends entirely on the climate. The drier US states are consistently producing cars for sale that don't have a skerrick of rust on them, but then you have the opposite end of the spectrum like cars from the PNW, which are riddled with tin worm.

It depends on your commitment, but if you have a search you'll find a bunch of thread with crazy Scandinavians rescuing E30 rust buckets that would be thrown in the crusher anywhere else, so if your aim is to end up in God's Chariot (aka E30 M3) then go for gold, but just be aware of what sort of financial commitment you're going to be making.

Good luck! :up:

Ray,

Even if the car is wrecked for 4k you could very easily get your money back breaking it. If the body is straight and relatively rust free then you would be making money at 8k pretty easy.

The dry south western states are pretty rust free but the wet PNW is actually pretty rust free for the most part too. The states with the big rust are going to be Northern states that make cars rusty with salted roads in the winter and eastern coastal states that I think get it from the relative high levels of humidity and possibly natural coastal salt.

OP, if this car is real (which I seriously doubt) then jump on it as fast as you can. You can always ask questions after you have the car in your garage.

[dougie30]

I didn't want to be the one to say it but...




Bakery address?

[ANDRÜ]

Watch out for black widows in that bakery. I mean barn

[QUKBMER]

In for pic's or buy bread from the bakery for everyone.

[Roysneon]

Bring a coathanger and preferably your dad.

[fronton]

M3s like to rust around the front windshield seals.

[Stanley Rockafella]

isn;t that common for all e30's?