People saying that I've been screwed

[agent]

I would of rather paid a premium

...would have rather paid...

[Red_liner740]

People gave you crap because you went to another persons for sale add and basically said his 325iX TOURING wasnt worth 13.5k because your super duper low mileage base model 325i you paid 12k for is in better shape.

We've already explained it to you....a Touring is a RARE e30, especially in North America, especially a 325iX, they command a premium. I get it, you dont get the appeal of the Tourings, and thats ok, but dont pout when people bitch slap you for your views.

So now that you got your super duper minty fresh low mileage e30, you gonna drive the pants off of it? Or you gonna spank on the hood knowing in the back of your mind that any mileage you put on it devalues the "low mileage" premium you paid. Fucking waste of a car siting there....

Its not a 5 year old vehicles where 300k or 30k matter. Rubber bushing deteriorate whether the car sits there or is on the highway, same for 80% of the componenets on the vehicle. Your car is 25 years plus, even if it has ZERO miles on it, components WILL need replacement.

So are you saying your 54k E30 is better than an e30 that had all its worn out components replaced?

In regards to paying premium for a finished car vs doing the work yourself and how R3V peeps are cheap (how nice of you btw). I'm in my early 30's, def make enough $$$ to afford the most premium of e30's being sold here but would rather buy a vehicle in need of work and spend the time wrenching, replacing parts and spending time on it, because thats more than half the enjoyment of being an enthusiast.

A decade ago there was a saying thats faded away a bit...."built, not bought...."

[ELVA164]

If you're happy, that's all that matters.

Treat it well, and you'll have one of the last clean base model cars. Everyone else will have an iS, yours will likely be more unique.

[gwb72tii]

After what I've been through restoring mine I would of rather paid a premium for a mint example

[mr2peak]

If you're happy, that's all that matters.

Treat it well, and you'll have one of the last clean base model cars. Everyone else will have an iS, yours will likely be more unique.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Not to mention the quantity with significant rust issues or accidents that weren't repaired correctly..

Anyone else remember that guy who posted about his "rust repair" involving fiberglass and POR-15? Yea, it looked great! But I feel sorry for the person who doesn't look that car over closely before dropping cash on the hack job.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I don't have an E30 anymore, because I got my first Sedan for a steal. When I got back into looking for a cheap car to drive, E30's are no longer that.

Would I personally pay 12k for an E30? No, but I did spend 8k on a B5 S4 that I couldn't afford if I didn't do my own work.

It comes down to personal preference. If you love the car, and you felt it was justified to spend YOUR money on it, then you didn't get screwed.

Being screwed would have been purchasing the car at gun point.

[nando]

the reality is about 95% of remaining E30s are basically piles of shit. You'll always have somebody claim that they found a perfect E30 with low miles/1 owner/all records for $500 and that you're an idiot for paying a penny more, but if you've seen enough E30s you will know that few cars like that actually exist. Most of them have been passed around many times and have had numerous questionable repairs, neglect, trashed/dirty interiors, failing paint, poor maintenance, and lots of "mods". Not to mention the quantity with significant rust issues or accidents that weren't repaired correctly..

[ahrensNW]

As long as it doesn't smell like cooter dust toes will drive it.

[5Toes]

I empathize with GG 101% for every post.

IMO most important thing on an e30 is going to be bodywork and paint condition. Everything else can be easily traded/upgraded to get the combination youre looking for.

Sure, coilovers raise a car's value... but not as much as all original everything from mile 1 dealer maintenance stacks yada yada yada that is what people are going to pay the most money for.

[ELVA164]

It's so weird for me--as someone who is very concerned with the minutiae between "base" and "special" versions of vintage cars--to read reelizmpro's argument about "i" vs. "iS..." but I guess at some point he may be correct. E30s just seem different than those cars but they're definitely approaching "vintage" territory so who knows. I mean, you can make any old Lotus Elan into a 26R, but you can't overcome the ~300% markup in price by doing so. Maybe someday the E30 "i" and "iS" will be the same? I hope not, since I effectively have a 4-door iS :razz:


OP, I agree with others that your happiness is really the only thing that matters here. I hope you'll keep your car mostly original considering your starting point. It would be great--especially as most E30s continue to...degrade--to have a clean, mostly-original example around. Either way, make sure to have fun! :D

[Stanley Rockafella]

I seriously love threads like this. It makes me feel better about my old beast that I constantly spend more and more $$ on

[george graves]

One last thing. Take a look at some of the build threads on here and see where starting at 2 or 3K gets you. And see how many years some of these builds take. I don't know about others but I don't have 3 years of my life to spend on a car.

To each their own....but working on these cars is half the fun! 3 years? I hope I don't ever finish building, doing and making stuff!

[BklynE30Dude]

My two cents.

Most R3V members are under age 30 and make maybe at best 30K a year. Quite a few of them live at home or are garage-heads with more time than money. Some actually live in their E30 (epic thread). Point is their priorities are way different.

I got my 325ix for a great price but have proceeded spend the same amount on upgrades, maintenance and repair. But it's because A) I had a decent budget. B) I knew I wanted certain upgrades. So I bought the cleanest version knowing what my priorities are.

My buddy just got a 325 vert. He paid 14K for 50K miles super mint condition. But he wanted low mileage pristine version.

Fully restored E30 versions are going for 12-15K. You have roughly the same condition car. So at worst I'd say you are paying market value. At best, you'll have a car that won't go down in value - though it won't likely go up. I'd say you are a winner either way, no?

One last thing. Take a look at some of the build threads on here and see where starting at 2 or 3K gets you. And see how many years some of these builds take. I don't know about others but I don't have 3 years of my life to spend on a car.

You did the right thing. Now go enjoy the dang chariot. Give us a thumbs up next time you see a fellow E30 on the road.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dirty325ix]

^^^^^
But isn't all the sweat, blood and tears part of the fun

Extre There's also a guy who paid $23k for an ultra low mile 91 318iS from EAG who got similar heat. Whether or not it's a good deal all depends on ones perspective.

Buying from eag is totally different if you ask me...through them you are getting a car that is in perfict condition and you know every thing has been checked thoroughly and you are actually buying a basically brand new classic car that is all oem and is truly a collectable

Low milage cars can sometimes be a curse because all the rubber can still be shot and you can still have problems

Judging by the lowering springs I'm guessing your not gonna keep the car stock

But I own a e30 because its a damn cheap car to own and i have only put 3000$ into my ix(including buying the car itself) since I bought it around 5 years ago and if I had 10,000 extra to spend

But its your money so screw the haters, just because I'm cheap doesn't mean you have to be as well

Oh and awsome car btw