Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[2mAn]

1987 325iS

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-bmw-325is-150/

[2mAn]

1990 M3

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-bmw-m3-105/

[Northern]

In '89 for whatever reason, 325i non-iS coupes had 325iS/A on the door jam ID sticker, which has led several 325i '89 coupes on BAT over the years to be listed as 325iS models. The tell is usually manual sunroof and 6 button OBC, as all iS cars had power sunroof and 13 button OBC, among other things.

That blue car above is a good example of a non-iS car being sold as a true iS.

In '90 they changed it so 325i coupes were listed as 325iA on the sticker instead of 325iS/A. '90 325iS cars still had "325is" on the sticker.

In the garage atm and can only confirm that I'm an idiot - I was thinking of the tire pressure sticker on mine, which says "BMW 325i/A USA", but the VIN sticker does say "325is-2"

[2mAn]

1990 325i

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-bmw-325i-134/

[2mAn]

1990 325i

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-bmw-325is-85/

325i Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-bmw-325i-133/

[AWDBOB]

So what's the difference? Pretty sure my '90 says isA or iA or something. One of the stickers does at least.

In '89 for whatever reason, 325i non-iS coupes had 325iS/A on the door jam ID sticker, which has led several 325i '89 coupes on BAT over the years to be listed as 325iS models. The tell is usually manual sunroof and 6 button OBC, as all iS cars had power sunroof and 13 button OBC, among other things.

That blue car above is a good example of a non-iS car being sold as a true iS.

In '90 they changed it so 325i coupes were listed as 325iA on the sticker instead of 325iS/A. '90 325iS cars still had "325is" on the sticker.

[2mAn]

S14 motor

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/engine-146/

[Northern]

The door jam sticker on an '89 325i reads "325iSA", where the real iS door jam sticker reads "325is".

So what's the difference? Pretty sure my '90 says isA or iA or something. One of the stickers does at least.

[Northern]

More like LMAO 1989 325i Touring.

Calling a kit "live to offend" doesn't make it exempt from being absolutely hideous. poor car.

Ehh I want to get mad about this take but something about this car looks off and I definitely agree it looked better before.

That said, I generally like the LTO kit.
I think people begged Khyzyl Saleem for bodykits based off his renders for like a decade before he caved and I'm glad he did.
Yeah it's extreme, but when these came out, people were slapping those hideous pandem overfenders on e30s and claiming it looked good. This kit basically curbed that completely because instead of a cancerous blob, it follows M3 lines a lot more and pulls in some Gr.4 E9 and Gr.5 E21 things.

IronFreak 's shop car is what I would call a proper execution of this kit, even if I think E50s are the ultimate e30 wheel and turbofans are cool.

https://daserbe.com/features/the-rebellion-forge-racing-e30

Mush Taq's old one is also proper. More recent build with the new massive wang on the back. Love me a throwback livery

https://www.motor1.com/photos/777990/tuned-bmw-m3-e30-in-tic-tac-livery/

I'm sure very few of us would want to do something like this because it's too extreme and too far from what an E30 is.

I also don't understand a lot of choices. I get "fast wagon good" and stuff, but it still feels weird to do this to a touring.
Most expensive bodykit vs cheapest ECU/injectors/wideband, but I get that the turbo setup was preexisting.

[2mAn]

1992 325i Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-bmw-325i-convertible-34/

[AWDBOB]

Seems like a fair price to me, even a little high I'd say. Nice rust free chassis and paint looks really good but there's a lot of things on this car that bother me that should have been addressed imo, especially when paying $31k for a paint job. Also unless the electric sunroof was swapped for a manual crank I don't think it's a 325is.

Yup, the classic BAT '89 "325iS" with non premium sound rear deck, no map light mirror, no power sunroof sunroof, or decklid spoiler.

The door jam sticker on an '89 325i reads "325iSA", where the real iS door jam sticker reads "325is".

Funny how they slip through the cracks

[2mAn]

1989 325i Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-bmw-325i-convertible-52/

[E30 Wagen]

Avus is a cheat code. Love that color. I'm surprised that car didn't sell for higher, though I suspect if it was CA legal it would've fetched a bit more.

Seems like a fair price to me, even a little high I'd say. Nice rust free chassis and paint looks really good but there's a lot of things on this car that bother me that should have been addressed imo, especially when paying $31k for a paint job. Also unless the electric sunroof was swapped for a manual crank I don't think it's a 325is.

[varg]

That blue S52 car was gorgeous but that sale result must have been super disappointing!

Idk, but these prices seem ridiculous. Sure probably a lot of body work in that paint work. But both numbers seem excessive.

I just flipped through the paperwork on that paint job, they were charging $60/hr for labor which seems pretty normal. Lots of hours though, 40 in color sanding and buffing the body, 33.33hrs in the "paint job" (I'm assuming this is just spraying the base and clear?). Scary stuff. Looks like a good paint job in the photos, but a lot of stuff is only visible in person. I would expect that the paint is flawless on every square inch of the car with that much work in it, a single fisheye or nib would be grounds for an american chopper style meltdown

Avus is a cheat code. Love that color. I'm surprised that car didn't sell for higher, though I suspect if it was CA legal it would've fetched a bit more.

Some of the details probably hurt it too. Spending $37k on paint and PPF then leaving a big chunk of wiring harness just hanging there at the firewall with no covering, no bracket for the diagnostic plug, and leaving a hole in one of the mufflers unrepaired, make it make sense!

[2mAn]

More like LMAO 1989 325i Touring.

Calling a kit "live to offend" doesn't make it exempt from being absolutely hideous. poor car.

If you look at what it looked like before, they definitely ruined it