Buying an E30 as a Teenager

[DrJosh]

I bought my E30 when I was 18 (after three years of looking). It was my second car and the first car that I purchased myself. I bought the nicest 89 325is I could find/afford. Shortly after that I spent a ton of money (close to 10k) on maintenance plus mods and HPDEs. I still have it and after all these years it's been super reliable and a blast to drive. We use it as a track/weekend/back up car for when our two dailies are out of commission.

If you really want one, you can make it work. Just don't be an idiot and wreck it on ise.

[ELVA164]

I built my first car, it was British, AND I daily drove it for three years, but I only did those things because I had access to tools, shop space, and a knowledgeable father. If you don't have the time, tools, and help readily available, I'd recommend you find something that will require less attention as your first car. E30s can be very reliable, but you have to do quite a bit in almost all cases before you can rely on one worry-free. Even then, they require upkeep more than a Japanese or Korean car might.


Also, having an uninteresting crap car makes it much less tempting to try to show off for the bros/bitties (biddies?).

[Stanley Rockafella]

You're never too old to wreck your pride and joy.

Agreed

Buy the nicest, well maintained one you can get. Have fun. If you crash it, oh well, at least you'll have learnt what NOT to do in emergency situations. and you'll benefit the community from providing more spare parts for running cars
:D

[Visors]

Thanks guys, I'm still looking, its a rough search though!

My backup here is either a Porsche 944 or E36, been told they were decent.

I appreciate the feedback and assistance, again.

[ELVA164]

Not a 944.

[flyboyx]

definitely not a 944.

[Hooffenstein HD]

Echo what's been said, definitely not a 944.

E30's are great but they're at that age where a decent example is going to be rather expensive, or a cheaper one will be a total money pit. I'd skip the E30 and go straight to an E36 318ti. They're fuel efficient, fairly reliable, lots of room so great for a daily and they don't have enough power to get you in any real trouble.

[roguetoaster]

Bingo, 318ti.

E30 handling, super practical, efficient, as fast as a standard 944 and 69.8% more reliable.

[Brezzi]

yeah not a 944

[dnguyen1963]

I like the look of the 944. I have always wanted to put an M20 engine into the 944...then again, the E30 has the best classic look of all the cars out there.

[mbonder]

This would be perfect-for sale here in classifieds:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=387014

Just the right amount of wrong for it to be priced low and in the budget for a first car. You can easily fix the issues yourself with a decent set of hand tools. Plus the eta engine won't get you in too much trouble and it does well on gas.

[mbonder]

And definitely no to 944, if you are worried about maintenance costs on a BMW, multiply that by 3 for a porsche

[Toodaloo]

Bought mine on my own two years ago at 17. Wouldn't have made any other choice looking back at it.

Most of these older guys in here think every teen is irresponsible and going to wreck their first car.

Then again, looking at my generation, I can't exactly disagree to those who simply don't care about cars the way we all do.

Work hard, save up your money and buy a clean example. You won't regret it later. By purchasing the car on your own, and preferably buying you see has potential; you will likely have more care and respect for the car. (Why throw away your hard earned money?). Don't drive it like a complete idiot, take some driving lessons and defensive driving courses and you should be completely fine as long as you don't succumb to peer pressure or road rage.

If I have a friend who I know isn't responsible or doesn't particularly respect the car or work I've put into it; they simply don't ride in it.

I can tell you right now, if I left my car in the state It was in when I first bought it, I would have cared a lot less if I had crashed it then than now.

As others have said, do the work yourself. Learn how your car drives, and most importantly have fun with it.

No modifications until after your 18th birthday.

Sorry mom

[THMotorsports]

For someone your age (I will assume that you have a knack to want to learn how to perform your own maintenance and repairs) then the E30 is a awesome platform. Plus, it's a blast to drive. With any older car, there will need to be some sort of service done to it and this can become problematic if you're strapped for cash. I know at that age I was FOR SURE strapped for cash. But with that being said, I say go for it. And if you don't and are choosing between an E36 and a 944, then the E36 for sure.

[Bearmw]

The last teenager I know that bought an E30 (non- running 88 is) had me as a pit crew. It can be done without a support team I suppose but it would be potentially stressful and I wouldn't do it unless your a risk taker.

The better first car might be something like a second gen Yaris.