Is buying a cheap e30 worth the fun of fixing it?

[Panici]

Does anyone else have lots of fun knowing the car needs some care and work?

The times I least enjoy wrenching on my E30 are when it takes away from driving it.
For example, the Auto to 5-speed swap took me most of June and July, prime driving time.


I'd love to be in a situation where I can work on the car all winter in a heated garage and then drive it in the summer. Some day I will.


That said, I do get great enjoyment knowing that I have built the car my way, and knowing the work I've done has been with care.

An example that comes to mind is swapping to the newer style shift carrier and replacing all the bushings along with a Z3 1.9 short shifter when I did the trans swap. The car shifts fantastic now, and had I bought the car as a 5-speed with the plate carrier, I probably wouldn't have gone through and replaced everything.

Or even taking the time to change the RMS and the trans seals while everything was out. My 28 year old E30 barely leaves a spot on a driveway because of the attention to detail I've taken. (Meanwhile my 11 year old Jeep TJ leaks everywhere, but thats another story)


Some things are too much though. Seeing all the rusty spots on my Jeep and E30 kills me. I don't currently have metal fab/welding skills (or equipment), so I'm attempting to find a shop that does good body and metal work. I'd be very happy to be living somewhere else besides the Rust Belt, and have vehicles without rust problems.


If I had the means to buy an E30 M3 in great shape you can bet that I would. I'd then focus my efforts on the finer details of restoration and some light mods, rather then playing catchup on years of maintenance and repairs.


Would I be happy buying a car and never turning a wrench on it? Definitely not.

[e30onBBSs]

OP, i know you're on the younger side and you're not exactly pulling bank at your current job, but do yourself a favor and buy yourself another car. it might not seem impractical right now, but trust me, owning and relying on only one 24+ year old vehicle definitely is not sensible.

luckily you already own a car though, which opens up your opportunity to own something on the impractical side, like a motorcycle or a truck (though the bike wouldn't fare too well in MA winters)

it's nice to be able to drive to the parts store for whatever you need while your POS is on four jackstands vs having to beg your friends/family for a ride

My parents basically handed me down our mini so I can go to work and everything which is sweet. If I only had the e30 I would have not bought it cuz it is no DD

I want a motorcycle so so so bad but my brother ruined my chances for that, which is good and bad.

[lambo]

I feel like I would enjoy my E30's quirks a lot more if I had another car that didn't have said quirks.

Next year that should be remedied and my E30 can take over full project status.

[e30onBBSs]

I feel like I would enjoy my E30's quirks a lot more if I had another car that didn't have said quirks.

Next year that should be remedied and my E30 can take over full project status.

What car do you want Lambo?

[lambo]

What car do you want Lambo?

GTI or WRX probably in the next 18 months

[MoreMayhem]

In a word: yes.
Mine wasn't as inexpensive initially as some here, about $1500, but the time, effort, and money I've invested has paid off in a DD that has not left me stranded in over 3 years and about 20k miles each year.
I could not have done this in my teens or twenties. It's taken a lot of money and a lot of time in my garage, but it's time well spent in my opinion. I've enjoyed the wrenching a lot and the payoff of that work is even greater.

10/10 would do again.

[KI4UJO]

YES YES YES!

I've replaced a trans before I swapped it, replaced the original m10 with a m50nv, made my core support removable, spent countless hours searching for unusual and non-us spec parts, and am now re-swapping the car with an OBD2 m52.

I would do it all again instantly.

Like a lot of people here, I started with not much mechanical knowledge. In my case, I started when I was 13. My e30 literally shaped me into the person that I am today. Now, 5 years in, I wouldn't even consider many other options for a fun vehicle (Though I wouldn't mind having a W201 for a DD).

Think about most of the "muscle car" shows: Do you want to be the guy who "always wanted one," or the guy who drove his dream there?

Bottom line, DO IT!

[IzzY_325is]

It took me 9 months to get it back on the road( I'm not good mechanical and I was finishing high school). But now I've owned the car since January 2014 and it's coming along nicely. Having to "build" it a little means you have more pride in it. I can appreciate and love the car more since I have my own time (and blood, let's be honest) in the car.

[stonea]

OP, i know you're on the younger side and you're not exactly pulling bank at your current job, but do yourself a favor and buy yourself another car. it might not seem impractical right now, but trust me, owning and relying on only one 24+ year old vehicle definitely is not sensible.

luckily you already own a car though, which opens up your opportunity to own something on the impractical side, like a motorcycle or a truck (though the bike wouldn't fare too well in MA winters)

it's nice to be able to drive to the parts store for whatever you need while your POS is on four jackstands vs having to beg your friends/family for a ride

Another car is a MUST I was 20 when I got my $1,250 325ix, and it was well..... interesting. Its not fun daily driving your 26 year old project car. That being said I learned so much and hell even had fun for those 2 years of hell. Now I've gotten it to the point where its reliable enough for me to start enjoying it.

[Jon325i]

I think it all depends on your personal situation....financially....time to invest....your skill level/set mechanically....and having access to the tools you need. I know I wouldn't want a complete beater/project ride as a starting point. Having something that is a solid runner mechanically and cosmetically decent is a good start for me. At this point in time, I have my career and home owner priorities to focus on so I would prefer something that could be personalized with basic bolt-on upgrades (diff swap, suspension, brakes, wheels/tires) then just drive and enjoy.

I respect anyone who takes on any project that is extensive, time consuming, and requires a good chunk of funds to realize.


Jon

[abrokenframe]

I feel like once you really enjoy working on cars, you only end up with cars that require the attention that ultimately bonds you to them. You start overlooking the sensible boring newer cars for ones that require dedication.

The only problem is it becomes stressful relying on your single project car as a dd. So then you buy a second project thinking that either one will get you where you need to go. Wrong. When one is off the road for that extensive 4 month job that goes way longer than expected, you start to realize that you are again relying on a single project car to dd.

What's the answer? three project cars. One will always work, but your friends, family, and neighbors begin to question your sanity.



Ryan

[Hooffenstein HD]

What's the answer? three project cars. One will always work, but your friends, family, and neighbors begin to question your sanity.

When your backyard resembles a Bavarian scrap yard, you start to question your own sanity. I'm 8 projects deep. At least the 318ti is reliable.

Edit: Bit of an over simplification. I've got 8 cars but three of which are being hoarded for parts and destined for the scrapper, one is just a daily.

[apm]

When your backyard resembles a Bavarian scrap yard, you start to question your own sanity. I'm 8 projects deep. At least the 318ti is reliable.

Edit: Bit of an over simplification. I've got 8 cars but three of which are being hoarded for parts and destined for the scrapper, one is just a daily.

Ditto guys I have 9 right now. But I do enjoy driving them more and not working on them. I used to work on cars in the wee hours of the evening, but as you grow older spending time relaxing and enjoying family and stuff is more important. Like watching Al Bundy, Jerry Seinfeld or Goku fighting Frieza over and over.

As they say, if you're younger you have lot of time and less money. When you are older, you have more money and less time. It's a different dynamics.

My brother in law(only mid 40s) who was an accomplished civil engineer had built probably close to 500 homes as the chief engineer with different companies. He was talking to his family in the morning around 9am, before it hit 8pm that same day, he is in an Urn and reduced to ashes. He had a heart attack.

As people grow older we need to really enjoy what matters to us the most and what makes us happy. Materials are just like that, you can't bring it with you in the Urn. If the wrenching gives you serenity and peace go for it!

[doorman]

I enjoy working on cars and making/fixing stuff in general.
Bought my e30 fully running/driving/working AC etc. Updating/upgrading as I have time and money.

Helps "cleanse" the mind when real life gets a bit hectic.

[Grackle]

I spent a little more on my 325 then I would have liked, but it has working a/c and a decent body. This was good for me cause I have little interest in doing body work. I bought this car cause I was looking for a new project to reignite my desire to get out from behind my keyboard and do something. So far this e30 has done the trick.