e30 values vs modificaitons

[nando]

I don't know that things like turbos or standalones will hurt the value of the car - if they were done right. I mean, I really doubt if I just gave the keys to my E30 to somebody and didn't say anything, that they would even be able to tell. I've actually had my E30 with standalone longer than I had it with the stock computer..

[Jon325i]

Given that stock, clean, all original E30s are becoming more difficult to find as the years pass, any example out there will command very good money. Just search the classifieds here, eBay, Craigslist, or Autotrader to see my point.

Now when it comes to modified E30s, the ones with tasteful mods done...perhaps period correct updates...which can easily be reversed if a future owner wants to return the car to stock, will also command good money. Cars with engine swaps can be dicey - I guess it depends on what's been done under the hood. For me, a clean E30 with a well sorted M/S5x or M30 swap that also has a California BAR certification is worth a premium because the inspection/certification process to make it road legal takes more time and the proper parts need to be used. Ditto for an M20 stroker....how was it done? Parts sourced from U-Pull-It and your uncle Tony slapped it together or did a reputable shop/builder do it with documentation to validate the work?

Track cars can be a good/bad option....it depends on the car. I've seen really nice, well sorted/documented E30s that were street legal yet set up for HPDEs or auto-x which look like attractive buys. All the work is done already and typically the purchase price is lower than if you bought a blank slate car and built it up yourself. It certainly helps if you know of the cars' history and the owners' habits towards driving and maintaining it.

Heavily modded cars have the smallest buyer pool out there, and therefore a lower market value. Not everyone is into loud paint colors, the rusted look, suicide or lambo doors, bagged suspension, or stereos that rattle the car apart. I think more often than not these things wind up being fully (or partially) parted out and sold off as a project for someone else to tackle.


Jon

[Julien]

I don't know that things like turbos or standalones will hurt the value of the car - if they were done right. I mean, I really doubt if I just gave the keys to my E30 to somebody and didn't say anything, that they would even be able to tell. I've actually had my E30 with standalone longer than I had it with the stock computer..

Unless someone is very familiar with the standalone or the turbo kit (or if either are name brand pre-packaged goods), there is a big variability in the quality of the components and assembly.
To drive my point home, try to take an e30 with an aftermarket turbo kit to a car shop to get it worked on. Or a car with standalone with a no start issue. No one will really touch it unless it's a well documented/known system.

[nando]

sure, but if you're taking an E30 to the shop to fix problems, then you've bought the wrong car.

[semaj4712]

Im gonna disagree with you and say non swapped E30s sell for more. So 1>2>Stock/3

No one wants someone elses project, if you buy someones project good for you, but I and almost everyone i know doesnt want someones ghetto wired m50 swapped pos e30. They will buy a lowered stock E30 100 times before they buy anything swapped.

IDK on what planet your on, S50/S52 generally bring over 10k for the car, m50 swaps in the high 8s and 9s. I dont know many non turbo m20s bringing high 8s for the car

[ahrensNW]

^m50 swaps never bring anywhere close to 8 or 9, but I will agree that s5x's are pricey.

[Trelos]

Maybe this is the wrong thread for this, but I'm new here and have been toying with the idea of selling my modded E30. I rarely drive it anymore and it's been sitting for over a year. But she started right up last week and nothing is broken or needs fixing (say for maybe a timing belt because it's old but low miles)

Problem is I really have no clue where to price it.

I've owned it for close to 18 years and have sunk at least 30k into it but it's tasteful (in my opinion anyway)
I know i'll never get what I put into it, but with some clean low mile E30's going for near 10K I think i could get 15..maybe more. I know the only true way to see is to actually put it up for sale and let the marke decide...but I really dont want to part with her.

so how much would you pay for a car like mine?

I'd say i'm at a high stage 2

[ahrensNW]

^I think somewhere in the vicinity of 10k.

[djjerme]

Compare and contrast examples:

Bone stock 1984 325E

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-bmw-325e/

S52 swap

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-bmw-325i/

Personally, I hope lightly modded examples hold more value, at least until I complete my current project!

:)

[Trelos]

^I think somewhere in the vicinity of 10k.

yea...that's where I was thinking

[mrcheezle19]

I think op's angle is more like what collectors are willing to pay for and therefore oem+ cars tend to be higher. You do find someone every now and then willing to buy a solid swap or boosted car in the for sale threads with a near 20k budget though also.

[reelizmpro]

Nando, many of us on here see a turbo/standalone as a plus because it's what we want but to the majority, it will be another potential headache. For instance, no check engine light or diagnostics. This and the turbo are big hurdles for smog tests especially in CA. Then with the standalone, the OBC functions (if equipped) are lost which is no big deal but it's a detriment nonetheless. The owner should know how to tune and wrench as well. Some people just drive the car and have a shop do all the work. There's no manual one could buy to cover a custom turbo kit and standalone. Everybody wants the fast car but few people want to or can work on them.

[semaj4712]

^m50 swaps never bring anywhere close to 8 or 9, but I will agree that s5x's are pricey.

Idk where you live but thats what they bring down here in SoCal, sold my m50 swap for 8.8k about a year and a half ago.

^I think somewhere in the vicinity of 10k.

Why, what makes this even remotely worth 10k? Maybe with cardinal red interior, lower fronts and a different set of wheels id pay 8k for it.

Compare and contrast examples:

Bone stock 1984 325E

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-bmw-325e/

S52 swap

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-bmw-325i/

Personally, I hope lightly modded examples hold more value, at least until I complete my current project!

:)

Exactly, the pristine stock examples are not going for that much, at the end of the day our cars are collectable by us, not somebody who wants a bone stock one. People want one to drive, to enjoy, they want an agressive suspension on it, something under the hood that has more go than stock.

At the end of the day the E30 M3 is the only e30 stock that is going to be worth any more than its slightly improved or modded versions.

[nando]

Nando, many of us on here see a turbo/standalone as a plus because it's what we want but to the majority, it will be another potential headache. For instance, no check engine light or diagnostics. This and the turbo are big hurdles for smog tests especially in CA. Then with the standalone, the OBC functions (if equipped) are lost which is no big deal but it's a detriment nonetheless.

that's just not true though. The diagnostics on any decent modern standalone is far and away going to be superior to what Motronic 1.x can do (for example, detailed datalogging, real time sensor readout, and yes, diagnostics abilities). Even Megasquirt has a CEL these days.

If you were talking about a modern factory DME, then sure, I would side with you - most standalones would be a significant downgrade in capabilities from something like MSS65. But it's not like the factory DME on E30s is especially robust. My OBC functions just fine, btw, and while passing smog would be tougher I don't think it's impossible (it's not like the E30's OBD port does a whole lot).

The owner should know how to tune and wrench as well. Some people just drive the car and have a shop do all the work. There's no manual one could buy to cover a custom turbo kit and standalone. Everybody wants the fast car but few people want to or can work on them.

again, I could give the keys to any random person to drive my car and they would never know it wasn't the stock computer. There's really no reason they would need to know how to tune it - it's already tuned, it's no different than having a static tune on a stock computer. If they were going to change something on the engine that required tweaking, they would have to take it to a tuning specialist either way. The main difference is mine by far easier to adjust.

I'm not saying all aftermarket computers are installed and tuned properly - of course not. But you can't lump everything into one basket. And yeah, obviously if you're the type that just takes their car to a shop all the time - a car like mine would be a poor choice, and not only because of the engine management. But I think in general, stock or not, any E30 is going to be a poor choice for that type of person. That's why they make appliances like the Toyota Camry. :p

[Trelos]

Idk where you live but thats what they bring down here in SoCal, sold my m50 swap for 8.8k about a year and a half ago.


Why, what makes this even remotely worth 10k? Maybe with cardinal red interior, lower fronts and a different set of wheels id pay 8k for it.


Exactly, the pristine stock examples are not going for that much, at the end of the day our cars are collectable by us, not somebody who wants a bone stock one. People want one to drive, to enjoy, they want an agressive suspension on it, something under the hood that has more go than stock.

At the end of the day the E30 M3 is the only e30 stock that is going to be worth any more than its slightly improved or modded versions.

tomato tomato ;)