Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[e30austin]

That finished strong, but that car was again an outlier, not quite the outlier that Austin's car was, but a good swap car. Nicely done and the buyers knew it.

(sorry to always go back to Austin's car as a reference, but to me thats a benchmark car in E30 swap car-dom).

There are such a low percentage of really well done (like neatly done mechanical, wiring and plumbing) swap cars. The cream rises up when nice ones get up for sale.
So many are just done half assed, or 3/4 assed (most are 1/4 assed).

I think that red car should have done closer to $25k. Of course, I’m sure some are hung up on the whole having two extra doors thing. That looked to be a really presentable, fairly well sorted car. Someone spent all the money, in all the right places.

Unfortunately, the winning bidder is a used car dealer, up in my neck of the woods. Hopefully it finds a forever home.

[2mAn]

I'm curious, what are the "other" E30 models?

3x 1984 318, I didnt want to group them with the M42 318iS
1x Turbocharged M20, stripped car ($4,600)
1x M3 Racecar ($30,250)
1x M52 swapped M3 Racecar ($38,000)
1x S52 swapped 325i Racecar ($14,101)
1x 325i Racecar ($14,000)
1x Baur ($5,500)

I might add a Racecar group, perhaps a M10 318 group also... and a mtech2 group... and ... sigh

That finished strong, but that car was again an outlier, not quite the outlier that Austin's car was, but a good swap car. Nicely done and the buyers knew it.

(sorry to always go back to Austin's car as a reference, but to me thats a benchmark car in E30 swap car-dom).

There are such a low percentage of really well done (like neatly done mechanical, wiring and plumbing) swap cars. The cream rises up when nice ones get up for sale.
So many are just done half assed, or 3/4 assed (most are 1/4 assed).

The car was BAR legal meaning they went through the effort to make it legal in CA, which I think was worth at least $3k more than another swap, add the mtech2 kit and it was a wonderful sedan.

BTW I saw somewhere that the guy who currently owns Austins car is looking to sell it

[JimmyP]

I agree the 4 doors will always hold back over a coupe.
The one thing that was lacking was the interior. If the front and rear seats had been "completed" in that the upholstery matched (like if it was all cloth or MTech) especially with matching door panels, maybe red seatbelts,,, that would have pushed it over the top.

Sucks that it went to a dealer.

[JimmyP]

The car was BAR legal meaning they went through the effort to make it legal in CA, which I think was worth at least $3k more than another swap, add the mtech2 kit and it was a wonderful sedan.

Yeah see,,, that blows right by me, in my corner of PA "emissions" is they check the gas cap or something like that. Its a non-starter for me, no value added at all so the context of all that CA emissions malarky is lost on me.

BTW I saw somewhere that the guy who currently owns Austins car is looking to sell it

Wow, thats wild, it just sold. To me a car that nice, that would be a long term resident.

[e30austin]

I agree the 4 doors will always hold back over a coupe.
The one thing that was lacking was the interior. If the front and rear seats had been "completed" in that the upholstery matched (like if it was all cloth or MTech) especially with matching door panels, maybe red seatbelts,,, that would have pushed it over the top.

Sucks that it went to a dealer.

If that whole car was retrimmed in M-Tech or Hurricane cloth, I wouldn’t have been able to resist myself from buying it - haha

And yes, I see the old girl is kinda, sorta for sale - looks like the current owner is moving and doesn’t want to take it with him and is considering leaving it in Seattle.

[2mAn]

That sedan was great...

Im thinking of merging the making a category of M10/ETA as that should be a good representation of early models that arent swapped.

Its a good feeling knowing that for the most part E30 prices are on the rise. Good reason to keep em clean and not install stupid ass body kits

[JimmyP]

If that whole car was retrimmed in M-Tech or Hurricane cloth, I wouldn’t have been able to resist myself from buying it - haha

Yeah that would have been a real game changer. It was the one really noticeable aspect of that car that wasnt "finished".

And yes, I see the old girl is kinda, sorta for sale - looks like the current owner is moving and doesn’t want to take it with him and is considering leaving it in Seattle.

Not that I have room for any more cars, but do you know what the ask is?

[2mAn]

Seeing the prices of stuff, Im tempted to buy this S14 motor/trans combo simply because its under $10k lol

[e30austin]

Yeah that would have been a real game changer. It was the one really noticeable aspect of that car that wasnt "finished".




Not that I have room for any more cars, but do you know what the ask is?

Sending you a PM...

[Motheye99]

1989 AC Schnitzer S3 Touring

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-bmw-1989-bmw-e30-ac-schnitzer-s3-2-7-touring-by-rossiters/

2 days to go and only 6k. I was expecting alot more.

[2mAn]

Tourings have been averaging around $16k, so its a bit short, but that $10k can be made up quickly in the "last 2 minutes"

Im guessing that the teens wont be enough to buy that one because its not a basic touring

[Ludwig]

And it's RHD, i think that kills it for a few.

[reelizmpro]

That's got to be it. I can't believe it's only at 6k given what it is. Perhaps a tuner RHD touring is too much of a niche. Not much action in the comments either, which is surprising.

[SOneThreeCoupe]

RHD and rust repair.

If any of my guys repaired rust like that, I'd cut their last check and send them home that day. It's pretty standard for UK quality but it still is something that I would have to fully redo. Edit: This is harsher than I'd thought when I wrote it. I have really, really high standards that don't take cost into consideration. I hate rust, I never want to see rust, and I never want to see evidence of rust.

I am extremely anal and the repairs look solid otherwise. I would have no qualms about them if I wasn't me and didn't help grow a restoration business.

[Zeemz]

318is listed, repaint and high mileage, but looks really clean and well maintained.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-318is-coupe-19/