is this a stupid move to do to an E30 ?

[nrubenstein]

I'd probably leave the engine alone, but fix the transmission.

It's a 100% easy bolt in that requires no wiring modifications, so there is no reason not to do it. Pony up for a rebuilt transmission, or a 320d 6spd.

[JasonC]

Tell them to stuff it.

No one wants an automatic e30; and if someone has one, I guarantee a manual transmission swap is part of their build. Like Barry said: e30s are a market control by the enthusiast, so doing a 5-speed swap will only add to the car's value. Having 3 swaps under my belt, I can attest to the fact people want a 5-speed standard car over a 4-speed auto

Oh really? I'm enjoying my automatic e30. Gets me to where i'm going. It isn't fast and it isn't slow. E30's aren't the race cars that people think they are...


Back to the OP, it is your car and you can do what you want with it. And I can see what the shop is saying. They're calling it a classic car, so a classic car in most senses should stay original as it can. That is if it has some collectability to it. If you do the swap I'd suggest to save all the automatic stuff so if down the road someone would want to put it back to original they can have a full matching numbers setup.

[Roysneon]

To me, E30's, unless super super nice, are just begging to have dumb shit done to them. The ones that are 'ruined' are usually my favorites.

[McGyver]

^^ This kids, is why buying a swapped car can be a gamble.

True life.

I swapped my coupe, so i guess it's all '87 325i stuff, but fuck if i know for sure. I just put on a bunch of used parts that worked fine before my friend's car got t-boned.

Then I did a 5-lug swap on the vert, seller told me that it had 318ti rears. When I went to replace the rear wheel bearings I found out it had a much bigger diameter wheel bearing, so maybe I have z3 m5x trailing arms, half shafts, and brakes?

[Roysneon]

True life.

I swapped my coupe, so i guess it's all '87 325i stuff, but fuck if i know for sure. I just put on a bunch of used parts that worked fine before my friend's car got t-boned.

Then I did a 5-lug swap on the vert, seller told me that it had 318ti rears. When I went to replace the rear wheel bearings I found out it had a much bigger diameter wheel bearing, so maybe I have z3 m5x trailing arms, half shafts, and brakes?

That's why I could never sell my car.

Well it's got E30M3 suspension, but the cailpers are from an e24 635, but only the late model ones will be the same. The master cylinder is from a late e32 735 but it's had the pushrod shortened and the firewall redrilled. The master cylinder is from an e30 325iX.

Don't get me started on the engine swap, or the transmission that doesn't match the car or the engine donor car, or the clutch that doesn't match either.

Oh and make sure to put the CSB on backwards if you need to replace it.

Good luck to whoever tries to buy it off me. :giggle:

[JinormusJ]

Oh really? I'm enjoying my automatic e30. Gets me to where i'm going. It isn't fast and it isn't slow. E30's aren't the race cars that people think they are...

You are more the exception, not the rule.

In my experience, my manual cars have gotten 3-4 times more interest than my automatic cars. Always

[agent]

To me, E30's, unless super super nice, are just begging to have dumb shit done to them. The ones that are 'ruined' are usually my favorites.

Hopefully more people will adopt this outlook so the value of the ones that haven't had dumb shit done to them keeps going up.

[eur04lif3]

Swap it.

[Kevinl]

No E30 deserves to be an automatic I had a Black 1990 325i that was an auto I hated it the Zf 4hp22 is slow as crap off the line and wants to upshift early unless you keep it floored all the time. I got rid of it because I was to busy to swap it at the time

[Hooffenstein HD]

Anybody that thinks it's a bad idea to convert a slush box auto to a proper manual transmission can pretty much be disregarded entirely on any topic ever.

[tig welder]

Great value but how you gonna drive that thing on its side?

5 speed swap without a Q.

[G-Man the Visionary]

lol you guys make me feel like a loser for having an auto in a cruiser vert... with an m30...

[Stanley Rockafella]

yes its a garage queen in perfect conditions, just needs a bit of service update. the old man that had it didnt drive much, it has 116k original miles.

so my headgasket leaks(maybe head needs to be reworked - i need to check the old invoices for the car we stored), my transmission needs a reseal, and its due for a timing belt.

doesnt' seem like much of a "garage queen" to me

Also, pic looks like an 88 325i, not an "is" (missing proper front spoiler)

OP do whatever you want. It's your headache now

[helalo]

It's an is. The front spoiler was changed. I have the title as well to know it's an IS. It's not a headache :)

[ak-]

5 speed swap it / fix whatever it needs / maintenance.
Just enjoy the car man.
There is something very special about a problem free, clean body, stock e30 that will tickle your fuzzy - just enjoy it the way customers did when they drove it off the lot in the late 80's.