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

[slampig]

You will never get back the money you put into it.

So no, not worth it.

You can say that about any car. They are all bad investments. My E30 is a blast to drive and pretty cheap/easy to maintain.

[JasonC]

E30 beats Mustangs and Camaros of the same age in value, hands down..

Have you priced 3rd gen Camaros lately (don't know about Fox bodies , never really looked into buying one)? There's a reason the e30 is mostly in the hands of cheap penniless kids who beat the cars up (check out the r3v Facebook page for examples lol)



But my opinion on this matter it's up to you if you want one or not. I've had 3 e30's so far. I do love the cars, but I also love my domestics. My domestics always put a smile on my face, more so then the e30 ever has. Also I'll echo others about not getting your money back out of your e30 if you was to sell it.

[bruner]

Is this a joke? Are they worth it? No, thats why we all have one...

[LagunaVert]

I've had my fair share of headaches with my e30, but everytime I start it up, I still get a smile on my face. IMO thats worth it.

[Verdurous]

E30 beats Mustangs and Camaros of the same age in value, hands down. Unlike modern BMW's the parts are reasonable and they run FOREVER if you take care of them. You also have a track PROVEN platform that you can do just about anything with. I used to be into Camaro's until I test drove my e30 in the rain, and seeing how it cornered I bought it on the spot and never turned back to Chevy's Mexican made trash buckets again.

Also for resale value, rust free clean ones are becoming harder to find and the price has been creeping up. I already know I can sell mine at anytime for more than what I bought it for 55K ago. The only other car I own that has done that is my 1974 VW Sunbug Wolfsberg. If you can manage to get your hands on the M3 version, look at the resale! They are getting ridiculous money on Ebay.

[Conki]

Is it worth it? I had my E30 for 2 years. It was lowered on H&R sport springs, had a limited slip differential, to me it looked better than anything else on the road, had the best time driving it every day.
This is what it cost me:
- Regular oil changes (uh-oh, $20 every few months)
- Timing belt & water pump replacement for piece of mind
- I replaced the throw out bearing at one point ($40 part & 6 hrs of work)

And I bought the car for $1500.

I might've gotten lucky, but I believe that these cars, if taken care of properly, will last much longer than anything else on the road of similar age.
Parts aren't really more expensive than other brands' parts, and they are so easy to work on, you'll never have to take one to a shop.

Now if you want to do a full resto and/or a track car build, it will cost you, but not because of the platform -- anything else built up is a money pit.

In my opinion you can't find another platform for current E30 prices that offers the same versatility, performance, and overall aura. Altho a big part of this is subjective appreciation of the brand and the model.

[00Cherokee]

Like a lot of these guys have said; they can be finicky, annoying, and will piss you off at points. That being said I wouldn't trade it for anything. You also have a lot of searching to do before you make your final decision because it's just like any other 20+ year old car. Find one with NO RUST, none, don't do it, you'll hate your life and yes they do exist. Second, make sure you get the proper motor and trans combo. the 325 has a bit more power than the 318, but the 318 has a timing chain, while the 325 has a timing belt which will require somewhat regular changing. But if you get one that hasn't been beat to hell, and owned by someone who loves them as much as we do, your fine. 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.

[mulletman]

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.

[nando]

I don't get the expensive parts comments - when all of my friends with modern domestics tell me what they pay for parts my jaw hits the floor. One guy was out $2500 on brakes, you could buy new everything 5x for that much. Everything seems to be cheaper to me..

[00o00]

Not really. But once you have one, you're screwed. Don't even go down this road.

troof

but srsly, the feeling you get driving it is worth it. below is a common occurrence:

Open the fridge-> no orange juice :(... no bit deal though becuase i now have a good excuse to drive the e30 on a nice quick trip to the grocery store 10min away ;D...

... 3hrs later I've made it home with a huge smile on my face because i've driven 5 circles around my town

[AndrewBird]

You will never get back the money you put into it.

So no, not worth it.

[Roysneon]

Not really. But once you have one, you're screwed. Don't even go down this road.

[TSI]

I bought mine for $350, put in about $1000 in repairs, upgrades and general maintenance for each of the last three years. It is by every measure the best car I have ever had. For 10% of the cost of a new commuter econobox, you can have a car that is fun, well-made (seriously, how many 25-year-old commuter econoboxes do you see on the road?) and reliable. Most importantly, though, is that you can make it your own.

Suspension, engine mods, interior, electronics, you name it. Want more power? Turbo or swap. Want tighter steering? E36 rack. Want low? Coilovers. Want big bass? Want a racecar? Want a bloody 4.4 litre v8? The world is your oyster, and it's good-looking, cheap and simple. And you will learn a lot doing it. Almost every e30 is different, and each reflects their owner. That's the primary win for me: nobody will ever have the same car as I have, and I can change anything I don't like. And then change it again. And I will still have an e30, and feel like a million bucks with it.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

They are totally worth it If you can do your own wrenching then they really arent that expensive to own.

[NeedaE30]

My first car was an e30, my 3rd car was an e30, my 6th car is an e30.. I hate them with a passion, but i love them soo damn much, the amount of compliments and neck breakage that e30's cause is absolutely hilarious, because everyone wishes they were smart enough to buy a 20+ year old bmw instead of there $500+/month car payment lol