E30 reliability

[TurboJake]

I've never owned another car with half a million miles on the original unopened M20.... 300k from me.

Yes. It looks like crap, but damn is she reliable.

[jalopi]

Short answer: If you did a shitty job on the swap or installed shitty parts, you will have to spend your shitty money replacing stuff.

Fact: you just re-read that sentence in Mr. Kim's voice

[Stanley Rockafella]

http://www.amazon.ca/Zen-And-The-Motorcycle-Maintenance/dp/0060589469

read it, learn it, live it

/thread!

[IRON-E]

I've owned my car for 9 years now, going on 3 timing belts services, 2 coolant flushes and regular 3k miles oil changes.

My car has slowly started to brake down (fuel pump, master cylinder, axles, AFM, ICV, brake lines, suspension, etc etc, etc...) but, I always comeback with a better aftermarket replacement or new OE part.
The m20 is still strong and going, for a motor with over 400k miles., my buddy checked the head the bolts and said it had the head gasket done once before.

Anyway my point is that, I refuse to do the 24v because I can't afford to do it the right way.

Wish you the best and hopefully your troubles with your swap end soon.

[Javier h]

Tempermental

Having owned one since new back in the 80s, I could tell you these are temperamental car regardless of maintenance. And yes, the e30 owners I knew back in the days shared similar sentiments.

80s euro cars were just that. It was always something...minor...relays, ICV, panel bulb, brake switch etc but always something.

[Stanley Rockafella]

The m20 is still strong and going, for a motor with over 400k miles., my buddy checked the head the bolts and said it had the head gasket done once before.

Anyway my point is that, I refuse to do the 24v because I can't afford to do it the right way.

Wish you the best and hopefully your troubles with your swap end soon.

:eeek:

I honestly never knew the non-etas was good for that long

[Benjamin_Button]

Well you already stated the issue in the first line of posting... "M50". M20 is the best engine of all time. LOL

[johnt325ix]

325ix daily driver for 11 Years. 262,000mi. I turn my own wrenches and still have close to 10,000 into this car during that time. Still more fun then a barrel of monkeys and NEVER left me stranded. Still less then 1/2 the price of an average, boring car.

[IRON-E]

:eeek:

I honestly never knew the non-etas was good for that long

Bought it with a broken cluster at 195xxx miles, like every other previous owner will say "it had just happened".

I drive the car daily, did the douche bag canyon drives for years, t autoX and trips to vegas, San Diego and central California. I have racked up so many miles, it's not even funny.

I'm proud to say that my car is still kicking and, until it dies, I will continue to maintain it and drive it daily.

[Cayoncrusier93]

I have dropped about 3 g's worth of parts, given the previous owner didn't change out a single part, it's allright, never the less she's pretty reliable motor wise, i just need to re do all my steering bits, and replace all the worn out rubber out back.

[Kevinl]

Mine is pretty bullet proof has only almost left me stranded once when the motor jumped into the radiator after I just bought it

Yes I have spent money on it but it is pretty trouble free and everything electric works

[a3ternus]

I've been driving mine for 10+ years now almost every day and I reached the point that I just drive it for the past two years having to change only oil,sparks and the like with the exception of a driver's power window mechanism and some minor things like a bulb here or a fuse there.

Of course if you really want to keep it always 100% perfect you'll never stop spending money on it.Thus,I decided to live with a broken odometer for example.Minor things.But it's better than breaking your balls over every little detail all the time.So,it's a mentality thing as well...
N.

Not Sent By Me.

[Massimo]

I have been driving a 400,000km 318is for 1 year now, I have done no maintenance and drive it like I stole it every day. I do not see the problem here

[htown318is]

if everything is in good condition, np.

mine has never ever ever ever left me stranded/ no start on either 318is or 325i.

but... I did replace almost everything from electrical/fuel/suspension on both cars as preventative when I first got them.

[YosemiteSam]

I have had my car for a few years now and while she has given me a few minor problems, for the most part she has been quite reliable. My friends give me crap all the time about my car, how it's old and "unreliable", but I have driven my car with my friends to Colorado twice and all around California, she has never left me stranded somewhere bad; and all my friends, while they may have had newer cars, most of them are on their second or even third car while I started, and I'm going to end with my E30.

The stock M20 is a great engine even when the previous owner didn't take the best care of it. Someday I do want to do an S52 swap, but I will always keep my M20 because that's the engine that belongs in this car. Even more than I want to do an S52 swap I want to build my M20 up so that it can be the best it can be, doing that is simply not financially viable for me any time soon.