Owning an E30. Is it worth it?...

[rhE-30]

^^^ That and interest rates for someone that has less than spotless credit suck as well.

[Hooffenstein HD]

An E30 is a far better investment than a new car.

A new car cost what, $30,000+ and halves in value the second you drive it off the showroom floor.

An E30 cost $500-$5,000 and another $5,000-$10,000 in maintenance and mods will be more reliable, more fun and and hold its value greater.

People that buy new cars because older cars are "moneypits" are truly retarded. They might be slightly cheaper on fuel but I doubt they will ever save as much as they lose in depreciation/outright cost over an older car. If you were to spend anywhere near the cost of a new car on an E30, you would have a balls to the walls insane build, not some shit heap Camry etc.

[eur04lif3]

My 91 318is has about 480,000 miles and the only thing under the hood I've replaced was the radiator because I got a sweet deal on a new M3 radiator.

I'd like to see a pic of your odometer, probably the most miles on a m42!

OP, i bought my first e30 about 6 years ago. Sold it to my brother, and regretted ever since. Started looking for another one right away, searched for about a year, bough one and never selling it!
It's a love and hate relationship, you hate it when it needs attention(it always will, its an old car), and you smile every time you drive it!

[Bullwings]

This

The answer: Maybe.


I love my car. I also hate my car. If your goal is to go fast, don't buy one. If your goal is a silly little fun car that looks pretty nice and will make you fall in love while simultaneously making you want to sell it, then buy one.

And this.

If I ever get rid of mine, I'm never getting another one. Too niche. I mean, it's a fun car to drive, but then most cars with a decent amount of power, good suspension and nice tires are.

Buy something 'Murican or Japanese. Make sure it's a popular car, you won't have too much trouble finding aftermarket or performance parts. **cheap** aftermarket/performance parts ;)

Literally. No difference. Just buy by what you want, what you think looks good and how solid people say the car is.

Both sum up my sentiments completely and exactly.

That said, I'm becoming more and more attached to the car the longer I have it and drive it. I see myself with the car for a least another 4-5 years, maybe longer - gonna see where finances take me with my dream of owning an 87-89 carrera coupe. At the very least, this is a very good eye opener for owning an older car and DIY jobs - i've done more than i'd initially planned and thought i would do, but not nearly enough to make it as economical as i'd like it to be (didn't have the time or patience to do the r12 to r134a conversion myself).

[quikveedb2]

I love my e30, but to be honest I hated it for a while when it was my only car & daily driver. In the summer it's absolutely great as pretty much everyone has mentioned; it is light on it's feet, predictable, and just powerful enough to have fun without getting in too much trouble.

That said, and I know there are plenty who will argue otherwise, it fucking sucked to drive in the winter. Yeah, yeah "Snow tires and and LSD!" Don't get me wrong I got around, but try living where I am; we get over 360" of snow a year on average (376" last I counted for this season), and driving a lowered car. It's no fun. When I was younger I probably would be fine with ripping off my front valence once a winter and having to do some serious planning everywhere I go to keep from getting stuck all over the place, but being my older and slightly wiser(?) self I love getting in my Subaru wagon & turning my brain off for the morning commute. 18" of snow over night that still hasn't been plowed? Whatever, extra coffee & boots instead of sneakers it is, off to work! I only mention this in relation to your locale, I hear it snows there too.

I guess what I'm getting at is that the e30 is a fantastic car if you have the right purposes in mind. For me, having acquired 2 large dogs, hobbies involving lots of gear, mud, and snow, and living where it snows like it's the Apocalypse every other day for 6 months of the year, it is not a good daily. But I love my e30 to death. Yes. Worth it.

[SlamedIAm]

There are a lot of factors that go into this. Are you mechanically inclined? If something goes wrong will you have the time and money to take care of it?

I bought what I thought was a grade A e30. It turned out to be more of a C- and being in college with limited time and resources it was a problem at times. I've also learned a ton about cars so I don't regret the experience.

As long as you buy an example that is compatible with your abilities and resources they're a great car to own. Keep a budget of $500ish for if something goes wrong. Luckily these cars are extremely easy to work on, there is a ton of community resources, and with vendors like Blunt the parts are relatively inexpensive.

Have realistic expectations and you won't regret it.

[iwannam3]

Well now that's just a straight up lie. I've got a 5 series wagon and it's roomie as hell back there, the e30 is not, although it's not bad for it's size.

Try it with a child seat and two boosters. E30 seat is flat and not bolstered.

[hendrixvodu]

My girl friend daily drives hers (only car) and I daily mine in the summer. Extramly reliable cars and when things do go wrong as long as you are a diy'er you are fine. Yes there are some shitty things like flex disc or timing belts but other then that not bad. either of our cars has Evers left us stranded mines made over 6 trips to sc with out a problem

[cferb]

I can fit three kids in back easier than in my 5 series wagon.

Well now that's just a straight up lie. I've got a 5 series wagon and it's roomie as hell back there, the e30 is not, although it's not bad for it's size.

[Aguedae30]

I've owned mine for just 2 years, bought it when I was 19 and did so cause I "did not" like bimmers,I swear,my idea was only getting some nice cheap wheels and little customization,after 2 years a M50 swap,D2 coilover conversion,fully leather interior,custom built LSD and a long list have gone in already and yet a lot to come.
It is worth it? probably not, the money you invest will be gone and it is not as comfortable as other car can be for a DD,but you will have your own e30,sure a blast to drive,pretty "fast" in comparison with cars you can get for the same price and good looking IMO.
I would do it,but for sure,it is just an owners opinion.

[rmosca594]

Ive had 3, in which all of them I got screwed over on with and the first one had a destroyed wire harness and never ran. They are money pits. I do not advise buying one unless you have atleast 7 grand to match it to the reliability of a new/pre-owned vehicle.
Just my 2 cents :)

Not saying this because I got screwed on them, I did rebuild 2 of the cars motors entirely, that being said they are still money pits lol, but I cant seem to stop buying them

[dustyperez]

YES OWN ONE!!! why.......cuz racecar

I bought mine having never seen one in person or driving it. It had a bad engine. So i had no idea what i was getting beside what i read about how great they are. And I fell in love like a virgin on prom nite! So i bought a rust free version owned by a girl that didnt change the timing belt. I'll never look back

[Nick_S]

Yes. It's the only car I've ever driven that simply puts a smile on your face. They're not mind blowingly quick, they don't handle like a oh cart...they're just fun. However, they're also an incredible platform for just about any form of Motorsport you want to get into.

[iwannam3]

Oh and my username refers to an e30 m3. ;)

[iwannam3]

I won't bother reading all the various replies. Mine is a simple yes. My e30 only has a hr bilstein sport pkg and a short shifter. Its a super fun car. I enjoy as much or more than my e36 m3. Maybe because it is surprisingly fun to drive and exceeds expectations. You don't have to drive like a d bag to enjoy it and I can fit three kids in back easier than in my 5 series wagon. If you want to do stop light drags and get looks from non car guys get an e46 m3 or vette. The e30 is for those in the know.