n00b with typical newbie question: high-mileage E30 reliability

[blee]

Hey all -- I'm thinking of replacing my current ride for a solid E30. A few years ago I was the proud owner of a beautiful '88 M3, but I had to sell it to prepare for school. Well, I'm going to be a full-time student this fall, so I need something cheap and RELIABLE. It looks like E30 prices run all over the place, from a few hundred bucks for a car that runs to several thousand for showroom queens. That's not new, of course.

What's it like at the "low end" of things? I've seen a few ads for cars with over 200k on the clock. How many more miles can I expect out of an M20 without serious engine work? Am I just begging for a migraine if I buy a high-mileage E30? Everyone seems to know that these cars are bulletproof, but I don't know whether that means they'll live up to 150-200k or beyond. Any insight would be appreciated!

[Garageaholic]

It depends on the previous owners and how they took care of it.. get a 325e. they last for hundreds of thousands of miles and get good gas mileage (avg 23city 28hwy).. hell, i had a 325es and sold it for $1400 and it had 291,000 miles....

[PУCCKAЯ_e30ka]

do not buy a car if you don't have any records of t-belt change, suspesion change. if there wasn't major work done to it and right now it has ~160k, then you'll need ~2k to make it drive good.

[StereoInstaller1]

Hi blee, welcome to R3V.

I bought my beat-to-death '87 325is with 235,000 miles. Beat down, I paid $1000, 2 years ago. I am getting ready to rebuild the front and rear suspension (bushings, diff mounts, trailing arm bushings, camber and toe adjustment kits, sway bars will happen later.

When I bought it, I did timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. I did all 4 ball joints and all new fluids everywhere before I ever drove it.

I put less than 500 miles on it before it got new struts/shocks/springs/tires/wheels.

My motor sounds like hell, noisy lifters, possibly injectors...but it runs great.

Basically, the car has 30,000 miles more on it and I will replace the motor this winter, either with an M30, M50 (neither too likely) or just another M20B25.

I think this has to be the toughest, easiest to work on, cheap ass car I have ever met.

Luke

[blee]

Hi blee, welcome to R3V.

I bought my beat-to-death '87 325is with 235,000 miles. Beat down, I paid $1000, 2 years ago. I am getting ready to rebuild the front and rear suspension (bushings, diff mounts, trailing arm bushings, camber and toe adjustment kits, sway bars will happen later.

When I bought it, I did timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. I did all 4 ball joints and all new fluids everywhere before I ever drove it.

I put less than 500 miles on it before it got new struts/shocks/springs/tires/wheels.

My motor sounds like hell, noisy lifters, possibly injectors...but it runs great.

Basically, the car has 30,000 miles more on it and I will replace the motor this winter, either with an M30, M50 (neither too likely) or just another M20B25.

I think this has to be the toughest, easiest to work on, cheap ass car I have ever met.

Luke

Hah, this is the kind of story I wanted to hear. :) I love E30s, I just don't know whether they remain as tough as they were a few years ago when most of them had fewer than 200,000 miles. Now it seems like the vast majority of cars I see for sale are near or beyond that mark.

So it sounds like you're going to swap engines only because you want to, and not because you have to? How much do the belt, tensioner, and pump cost? I'm used to S14 parts prices, which are stratospheric to say the least. You don't want to know how much I spent on my engine rebuild.

[BMW BMXER]

I got my car with 260 XXX Miles. It now has over 300 XXX miles. Runs well, I just keep up to date with maintenance.

My car is an eta however and they can run for a long ass time.

[AdironRider]

Honestly, any car can run a long time if maintained properly, its just a crapshoot in finding them. That being said, the e30 is a very solid car, and with a little elbow grease, can provide years of relaitively hassle free sevice. Id recomend investing the 500 bones or so after purchase to replace all the wear items on the motor (tune up, timing belt, hoses, water pump, them, etc). With those items replaced, disregarding drastic engine failure, I cant see why the car wouldnt run till 300000 miles hassle free, at least with the motor. My two previous e30s had over 200k and both proved to be reliable, hassle free dailys for over 2 years and 40k miles.

[parkerbink]

I'd honestly buy an early to mid 90's Honda or Toyota if I needed reliable start every time transpo.

[bimmerdreamer]

200k mi. in an e30 is like 120k mi. in any domestic

[Scott314]

200k mi. in an e30 is like 120k mi. in any domestic

Incorrect. e30's don't fall apart at 200k mi.

[325iCabrio]

Incorrect. e30's don't fall apart at 200k mi.

LOL :giggle:

E30s are reliable cars, and if you can find one for a good deal that has records of its maintenance, I say go for it. Hondas and Toyotas are nice, but they're not even close to the driving fun that an E30 has.

However, I would be ready to dump about $1500 into the car at some point. When you say reliable, do you mean cheap to own? Or do you mean it starts every time? Because those mean two different things. ;) Some of you have had cheap experiences with your cars; mine has cost me a lot of money. I wouldn't give up the car; I really like it, but beware you might have to spend some $$$, although not S14 levels of money.

[Graham325]

I have 356K miles on my eta, and it has just had the simple maintainence, timing belt, oil, etc. it needs a valve adjustment, but other than that its great, aside from my GD si board

edit* origional clutch, head, never rebuilt or anything, one owner before me, all service at the dealer with records, there were like 150 oil change recipts from the dealer no less

[StereoInstaller1]

So it sounds like you're going to swap engines only because you want to, and not because you have to?

You got it, man...tired of the noisy top end, want to see a bit better compression, it does smoke a tiny bit, WOT.

How much do the belt, tensioner, and pump cost?

Like $75 for all three. OEM quality, if not OE. I buy my goodies at www.discountimportparts.com, but I shop them when I am in Portland...like 2 hours north of me.

I'm used to S14 parts prices, which are stratospheric to say the least. You don't want to know how much I spent on my engine rebuild.

I am familiar with that, so no S38 for meeeee. Can you say "Cubic Dollars?"

GL on the hunt, keep us informed what you buy.

Luke

[Digitalwave]

I'm gonna go against the grain and say that if I wanted a cheap, reliable car, I'd be in a Civic or Accord. I don't think cheap and reliable are the best words to describe E30s.

[Scott314]

I'm gonna go against the grain and say that if I wanted a cheap, reliable car, I'd be in a Civic or Accord. I don't think cheap and reliable are the best words to describe E30s.

True, they're probably easier to maintain than an e30 (less work to do, easily available parts), but my e30 has never broken down on me, hasn't really *needed* anything but routine maintenance, and isn't at all difficult to work on.