Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[djjerme]

I like that it hit that amount.. Gives me a little encouragement about all the stuff I am doing with my own touring.

[1990m3]

I need to feature another M3 for COTM... but I dont know anyone who still drives them. Barry, if you can think of one text me.

If I drove my street m3 half as much as my track m3 I'd be in good shape :)

That is the problem though, for those of us that got into e30s and m3's like almost 20 years ago when the values were laughable it's turned in to something that would otherwise be unobtainable. My street M3 is in totally great shape, I keep seeing all these cars on BaT selling and thinking mine is better than most of those. But I'd never buy a $50-60k car so the thought of racking up more miles on mine has become depressing. I think that is why a lot of us aren't driving them anymore. Now, it just sits on the tender, gets driven periodically and that's about it. I can't shake the fever though so I've been doing a ton of track days with my track car. Also, to compensate for my lack of e30 m3 driving, I just bought an e46 m3 to daily 7-8 months a year :)

[varg]

People not driving their cars because they are worried about miles and how much the next guy will want to pay for it are really missing the point of having a good car.

[2mAn]

People not driving their cars because they are worried about miles and how much the next guy will want to pay for it are really missing the point of having a good car.

I typically agree with you, however my friend Aaron (IronJoe) was someone who regularly drove his car, but avoided daily duties with it. A perfect storm of situations with his wifes car resulted in him driving the M3 to work one day. That was the last time he drove it as he was rear ended and pushed into the car in front of him. He likely was well compensated for the accident, but not enough to purchase another M3. He has made lemonade out of the situation, but it still doesnt stop the fact that careless people destroyed a E30 M3... its simply easier to throw another car in the trash and replace it compared to the M3, especially with the constantly rising prices on them....

I love having a 325i for many reasons and a big one is that I can easily replace it if something similar happens.

[varg]

That doesn't change anything in my eyes. I could not easily afford a replacement chassis for my car if it were to get destroyed, E30s have become significantly more expensive and harder to find since I bought mine and I am still the same relatively low income college student, so it would probably take a long time to find a new one and swap everything over. But that's not going to stop me from enjoying the car I worked hard to buy and improve, and it's not going to possess me to spend money I'd otherwise spend on this car on a disposable shitbox to commute in. Am I afraid of some moron smashing it up? Sure. But I'm not going to let that fear rule me and keep me from enjoying my car.

[2mAn]

So now take your situation and the costs go up exponentially when its a M3 if some idiot is busy texting.

You choose to take that "risk," as do I, but many who own M3s have decided otherwise and thats their choice

[e30austin]

That's the biggest reason I drive my red car exclusively. The other cars get driven semi occasionally, but that's the only car that I'm not afraid of getting another door ding (HAHA), another little scratch, etc. It doesn't matter anymore and it's hands down, my most favorite car to drive.

[Powling]

You can have a nice car and not want to drive it every single day. I always find it funny when people criticize others for not driving their cars.

Some people have to work their asses off to save every dollar to one day own their dream car, whatever that car may be...a basic E30 or 6 figure Shelby Mustang. If they dont want to drive it every day because they want to protect it, whats wrong with that?

Plus, some people would nit pick details and flaws with their dream car if they drove it every day. If they only drive it occacitioally it might lose that special feeling.

[Powling]

So now take your situation and the costs go up exponentially when its a M3 if some idiot is busy texting.

You choose to take that "risk," as do I, but many who own M3s have decided otherwise and thats their choice

This too - you cant trust everyone on the road. Same reason why I don't own a motorbike. I trust my self to be safe on one, I dont trust others to be safe around me on a motorbike on the roads though.

[SOneThreeCoupe]

That's kinda the problem, innit? It isn't that we're scared of putting miles on the car or anything other than the fact that people all around us are chimps in Priuses and Hyundais. I was driving to pick my wife up from the airport and a dude in the second lane was weaving from side to side... because he had his phone in front of his face. At 80mph.

What if you have a pristine, Euro-bumpered slicktop with zero rust? You won't be able to replicate that car within 6 months after a loss- it's hard enough finding a zero rust slicktop tub. You could go with an agreed value, but then you're mileage-limited and paying more for protection from underinsured imbeciles with addictive personalities. Don't forget that we're more likely to be injured or killed in a relatively minor accident due to our cars' age- so while you may want to build another car, you're a year out with physical therapy because your left leg was shattered when the 19-year-old in a Ford Edge crossed the double-yellow in a 35 zone.

Those are all what-ifs. Drive defensively and drive often.

PS- I figured that Touring wouldn't sell at that price but you never know.

[1990m3]

That doesn't change anything in my eyes. I could not easily afford a replacement chassis for my car if it were to get destroyed, E30s have become significantly more expensive and harder to find since I bought mine and I am still the same relatively low income college student, so it would probably take a long time to find a new one and swap everything over. But that's not going to stop me from enjoying the car I worked hard to buy and improve, and it's not going to possess me to spend money I'd otherwise spend on this car on a disposable shitbox to commute in. Am I afraid of some moron smashing it up? Sure. But I'm not going to let that fear rule me and keep me from enjoying my car.

enjoyment has different meanings. When i bought my m3 17 years ago it was my daily driver. I've put about 50k on it during my ownership -- but things change. I had kids, a dog...a family and driving it daily and using it for those duties was no longer a good option, especially since I pick kids up everyday. Selling it for a "nice" daily was not an option in my eyes either. So in order to keep it and some other stuff I drive cheap cars daily (until recently) and can still "enjoy" my m3 even though I don't get to drive it as often.

Plus, after owning it for so long it's easy to let it sit back for a while here and there and only drive it when it's nice out. I'm under 40, but typing that made me feel old!

[IronJoe]

I typically agree with you, however my friend Aaron (IronJoe) was someone who regularly drove his car, but avoided daily duties with it. A perfect storm of situations with his wifes car resulted in him driving the M3 to work one day. That was the last time he drove it as he was rear ended and pushed into the car in front of him. He likely was well compensated for the accident, but not enough to purchase another M3. He has made lemonade out of the situation, but it still doesnt stop the fact that careless people destroyed a E30 M3... its simply easier to throw another car in the trash and replace it compared to the M3, especially with the constantly rising prices on them....

I love having a 325i for many reasons and a big one is that I can easily replace it if something similar happens.

Oh hai!

That doesn't change anything in my eyes. I could not easily afford a replacement chassis for my car if it were to get destroyed, E30s have become significantly more expensive and harder to find since I bought mine and I am still the same relatively low income college student, so it would probably take a long time to find a new one and swap everything over. But that's not going to stop me from enjoying the car I worked hard to buy and improve, and it's not going to possess me to spend money I'd otherwise spend on this car on a disposable shitbox to commute in. Am I afraid of some moron smashing it up? Sure. But I'm not going to let that fear rule me and keep me from enjoying my car.

Of course the twist in my story is that I daily drove my E30 M3 for *years* and it wasn't until I bought a commuter TDI and kept the M3 for just "fun" driving that it was hit. At the end of the day, you don't know what's going to happen so do what works best for you.

[2mAn]

At the end of the day, you don't know what's going to happen so do what works best for you.

and for some people that means repeatedly buying Saabs

[Rusty.Piranha]

1987 BMW 325iS 5-Speed

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-bmw-325is-32/

[ForcedFirebird]

People not driving their cars because they are worried about miles and how much the next guy will want to pay for it are really missing the point of having a good car.

That doesn't change anything in my eyes. I could not easily afford a replacement chassis for my car if it were to get destroyed, E30s have become significantly more expensive and harder to find since I bought mine and I am still the same relatively low income college student, so it would probably take a long time to find a new one and swap everything over. But that's not going to stop me from enjoying the car I worked hard to buy and improve, and it's not going to possess me to spend money I'd otherwise spend on this car on a disposable shitbox to commute in. Am I afraid of some moron smashing it up? Sure. But I'm not going to let that fear rule me and keep me from enjoying my car.

People tend to drive differently in their "appliance" then they do in their enthusiasts car. Sure, you would replace the chassis and DIY your way back to a daily, but the spectrum of car enthusiasts spread wide. Some owners hire to get a car built, that's money lost in an incident. You would have time lost, potato/potato in the end.