Advice for a Future E30 Owner

[McGyver]

Don't ever, ever buy a touring.

Don't ever, ever have a kid. Kids are impractical and useless.

[slammin.e28]

Don't ever, ever buy a touring.

[McGyver]

If it wont be your primary car off the bat don't worry too much about mechanical issues, as many E30 that are being sold need comprehensive overhauls. Instead buy the one with little/no rust and good paint. Not only will you feel better about the car, but it will be worth more if you go to sell it.

This is the absolute truth. Unless you know how to do body work and paint, it is much more expensive to pay someone to paint a car for you than it is to learn to work on it yourself. All the mechanical stuff is easy if you take your time and read, but painting is a much more difficult skill to master.

[roguetoaster]

If it wont be your primary car off the bat don't worry too much about mechanical issues, as many E30 that are being sold need comprehensive overhauls. Instead buy the one with little/no rust and good paint. Not only will you feel better about the car, but it will be worth more if you go to sell it.

If you need a daily driver be prepared to pay a serious premium for a solid body and good running gear, or a fair price for a well maintained rust mobile that someone needs to sell for whatever reason.

Whatever you do, be patient, wait for the right car for you, otherwise you are just wasting money.

[davidayeee]

Thanks for the advice guys

[itskingsteelo]

If I were you I would buy something that's ready to be a dd, I was in your shoes before I got my e30 and in my opinion if you're gonna buy a e30 might as well have it running good. One reason is because if you need it on the daily you shouldn't have to worry about leaks or minor fixes because after all you ARE going to be relying on it to get from point a to point b. Good luck buying your e30. Make sure you take a mechanic with you when you're checking out the car that way you know what you're gonna be dealing with. Don't forget to show us on R3v what you decided to purchase.

[rzerob]

Spend more money for a clean and mechanically sound E30 if you have the money. It will save you in the long run, is my opinion. It will break down soon enough that you will have plenty of opportunities to work on and learn. Plus you can enjoy the car immediately.

Just because you are ready to buy one, doesn't mean you will find one immediately. It might take you a year to find the right one, or longer. Good luck on your search and post pics when you get one.

[davidayeee]

Sup R3v,

So after approximately a year of on and off searching/thinking about buying an E30 it seems like the day is coming real soon. I am very motivated to buy one now and have the money ready. ;D

The only question is I'm not sure wether I should go cheap and buy a beater to learn with, or to spend some more money on a clean & mechanically sound E30 that's DD ready.

What would your advice be for someone like me looking to purchase their first E30.

Thanks for the help! :D