Need advice

[ianlvy]

Hey guys I'm super excited to say that I now own a 1989 325i and i cant wait to get to restoring it but i have one major issue. I'm new to working on cars and don't know nearly enough to get started alone. If anyone could give some pointers on what to start off on (maintenance wise) please let me know. i still need to learn the terms for everything under the hood so if theres any links or posts to be directed to send them! i plan on keeping my first e30 so i want to go all out. Long term goals are 5 lug swap, coilovers, new paint, and an s52 swap. right now shes bone stock except for a k&n air filter and new spark plugs but thats about it. i have a cracked wind shield pain is chipping like hell up front and over all the interior needs to be redone. no rust or cracks in dash. Please help and thank you for any advice/tips given!!

[nraub]

Every time I get a new e30 I start with all new fluids and all new brakes/suspension (I get bilsteins and H&R's). I usually look up youtube videos for things I haven't done before too, bavauto has a ton of how to videos. You'll be addicted in no time.

[e30crazie]

I would absolutely recommend replacing the timing belt ASAP. Oil change and tune up. Check the brakes and lines to be sure its road worthy. This is exactly what I did to mine when I purchased it 2 years ago. Welcome to the community, e30's are a lot of fun.

[TobyB]

...and put a real air filter on it...

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[ianlvy]

thank you! I'm doing all my fluids this week and i definitely need a tune up, alignment, brakes, shocks done any advice on that for the near future?

[anabolice30]

Change your fluids. See what needs work. No sense in doing a brake job/timing belt if it was done 6 months before you got the car. Almost all e30s need new bushings, and suspension work isn't that scary, so that could be a good place to start. Go on YouTube and look up "e30source" he is a r3v member and has hreat guides on all sorts of jobs. Also might give you some ideas for what you want to do.

[Ether-D]

Back in my day (the 90's), when you did a "tune up" it included plugs, distributor cap, rotor, and plug wires. But I say don't replace the wires unless they are bad. I've had 7 e30's over the years, and not one bad oe plug wire.

[LateFan]

Buy a copy of the Bentley repair manual and spend time in the intro chapters where they talk about tools and safety. Then do the basic maintenance others have mentioned.

Do you have decent tools, and jack stands? A floor jack?

[Das Delfin]

If you have no experience with cars, a good place to start is your brake pads. Replace all four. Buy "pb blaster" from autozone and a 4 or 6 inch C clamp from the hardware store, and your favorite mid-level brake pads. You don't need to bleed the brakes when changing the pads on this car.

Pick up a 3/8" socket set with shallow and deep sockets through 19mm. And grab an 18" breaker bar to go with your sockets.

After you've gotten and idea for the quirks of the car you may try a timing belt change. This isn't hard but you'll need an oil pan to catch the coolant and some special tools. A proper timing belt change will also include a tensioner pulley, its spring and guide pin (both of which are absolutely necessary), water pump, distributor cap and rotor, as well as a new water pump belt, power steering belt, and if you have working A/C, its belt as well. The m20 bmws have a 60k mi/4 year timing belt interval so most people recommend you change it just in case, because if it snaps, you pretty much have to change the motor.

After that you can go for a new suspension. A popular choice is H&R sport springs paired with Bilstein or Koni shocks, though if you're budget conscious, KYB is a valid alternative. For the suspension swap you'll need to rent a set of spring compressors, a tie rod puller of sorts, and an impact gun.

Give yourself ample time to complete these projects. Don't attempt something major unless you have at least two days to do it. You can search the web for various guides on how to do stuff and use them all to find whichever way works for your car. Every project I've done on my car, I've read about and thought through 50 times. It's all in the planning.

I wouldn't be thinking about an s52 swap. I'd be thinking of how much fun I can have with this car this summer, searching for that 13mm in 72 degree weather with a light breeze blowing through the trees