Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[2mAn]

1991 318is
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-318is-56/




1989 325iS
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-bmw-325is-62/

[2mAn]

Anyways... moving on ....

1988 M3
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-bmw-m3-91/

[E30 Wagen]

I think you guys sometimes get down on cars as BMW guys.

It's not even about being a BMW guy, it's the lack of standards that's frustrating, and that people are dumb enough to pay top dollar for a car with shitty body and paint work. Surely BaT get better submissions than that.

[e30austin]

as long as the owner is happy, that's all that matters.

my issue with the car, is the fact that they really brushed off all the former collision history. $65k for an M3, that doesn't align worth a fuck, and had both quarter panels replaced (more than once), as well as a goddamn roof grafted on - that is insanity, in my eyes.

[JimmyP]

Once again the BaT selection committee is seduced by a low mileage example with accident history, terrible body work, and mediocre reupholstery work. I like the color, though.

I think you guys sometimes get down on cars as BMW guys. Some dudes hot trophy wife with fantastic fake boobs and a great tan is going to love that car and drive it all over until she leaves for a younger guy or he divorces her for scrwing the pool boy. Then it will go to his son who will 24v swap it and put airbags in it and wheels and tires that dont fit.
.
For those purposes, its a great car and no one will notice any of the above flaws. No one buying that car is ever joining R3V or going to know anything about E30s beyond that they have a cool old BMW convertible.

Same goes for Max's S54 E30M3. Did you happen to see the "other" car that the winner bought on BAT? Another C&C hero. Neat car actually. high end hotrodded 911. Basically a 911 version of the E30M3 he just bought. Beautiful pair of bookends. Cant imagine what that will look like in his garage together.
I'm betting that guy doesnt give 2 shits that the chassis isnt factory straight to the manual as long as it drives nicely (I actually wouldnt either as long as it aligns and corner weights).
He's going to be a cars and coffee hero, do some sunday drives encroaching on about 1/20 of the cars actual performance potential other than some straight line blasts.
He's not joining the E30M3 SIG or S14.net.
My bet is he'll be a blissfully happy owner.

[Vincenze]

I like the color, though.

The color is not correct in the photos.
It shouldn't have that much bronze in it.

Here is the correct shade of Cashmere.

[E30 Wagen]

1991 325i Convertible
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...-cabriolet-27/

Once again the BaT selection committee is seduced by a low mileage example with accident history, terrible body work, and mediocre reupholstery work. I like the color, though.

[ForcedFirebird]

Yeah that’s what 2man was sayin!

Totally missed the reference. The pics you posted caught my attention, then scrolled to see the camber/caster plates in the ad.

Something is way off. That car needs to go on a frame stretcher and squared up. More than likely, though, all that fancy Bondo and layers of paint will crack like tempered glass. The Champcar has been hit, bounced off walls many times, and squared up effortlessly. The last hit on the frame machine was a whopping $400 to pull square after a bad accident at Daytona (no paint, frame square only). The strut tower on the pass side was 3/4" inboard, and 1/4" aft.

[AWDBOB]

Check out the camber/caster plates on the aerial engine bay shot. From that view, driver side is at 3 o'clock, the other "should" be at 9, but is closer to 7.

Yeah that’s what 2man was sayin!

[ForcedFirebird]

If you look at the wheel side profile photos the l/r front alignment is jacked up, at least to my eyes it is.

There appears to be a lack of caster as well, which is odd considering offset lollipops.

Check out the camber/caster plates on the aerial engine bay shot. From that view, driver side is at 3 o'clock, the other "should" be at 9, but is closer to 7.

[2mAn]

1991 325i Convertible
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...-cabriolet-27/

[JimmyP]

possibly but all I see is a salvage car.

See for me, with it being a hot rod, that doesnt matter at all (or it wouldnt if I were a player).
That car is never gonna be put back to stock, or have any value beyond what it is right now sitting there in front of you as a custom, so in my mind, the title is a non-issue.

I came to this BMW hobby from 'merican muscle cars many years ago, and even then there were the cars that had original "restorable" value and cars that were hot rodded, no one ever seemed to care what the title was about on the hot rods because they were never going back to being a original "restorable" 1st gen Z28, or GTO, or 396SS Chevelle, etc.
So for me thats where me not caring about the state of the title comes from.
That car is a hot rod in an E30M3 shell.

[Javier h]

possibly but all I see is a salvage car.

[JimmyP]

I think that the swapped blue M3 is a BAT wet dream, not in the "collector" guys who were after the 8K mile one, but the Singer lovers / Porsche "Outlaw" lovers.
Max's car hits that target market right on the bullseye.
The car is well done as a custom M3, its not a track car but has enough "sporty" mods. The mods are all pretty high end, the interior, the wheels, big brakes, an S54 in a shaved engine bay,,, it has great curb (Car Show / C&C) appeal. Checks all the boxes for the "Outlaw" guys.
I think you guys are missing that one.
I predict that car goes pretty big.
Its just done up enough that the hard parkers will eat that thing up at Cars and Coffee and if the new owner wanted it to could easily make the next step into the few DE a year track car.
I wouldnt hesitate to take it to a DE just as it is, mechanically its got everything you would need to go have a fun DE in it.
The saddest part is at the price it will likely sell for the poor thing will never get near a race track unless someone is going there for a car show.

[varg]

Looks much better in this blue.

I wouldn't pay the M3 tax on a swapped car.. especially one done up like that

Agreed. I wouldn't pay the M3 tax on an M3 period if I hypothetically wasn't priced out of that market though so I'm biased. This car; salvage title with clear reason, identity crisis build that is neither a good street car nor a good track car, nothing original on it, shouldn't be worth anything to any of the big-money-for-M3s guys (collectors) since it lacks everything they look for. It'll be interesting to see what it sells for since that market is going to be absent, it is already well past being worth the sum of its parts and the current bid of $40,000 is significantly higher than I expected it to sell for. I was assuming that, lacking collectible value and clearly damaged, it would be a much more reasonable price indicative of enthusiasts who want to bring it to completion as either a track or street car by rectifying the issues I pointed out above. Then they could just enjoy having an M3 without all of the sweating originality and resale value so M3 owners do. The car that just got brought up again above is a much better street car despite its flaws that were previously discussed in this thread, and it sold for half the price of what this M3 will reach this weekend if the bidding continues at the present rate.