How long do they last?

[nando]

it was 4 years, not 18 months.. and they did do a stop/go test cycle for 50,000 miles.

that's still a million miles of parts moving against each other. the cam and rockers don't give a shit if you're stopped or moving...

[coldweatherblue]

OP it depends how well the car has been maintained.

E30s hold up as well as any machine could be expected to over a 30 year lifespan since leaving the factory.

My car has ~335k miles, runs great and the original paint (rare option clear coat AWII) still looks good from >2ft away. Compared to my wife's '07 Camry and the Hondas/Fords that have been in the family there is no comparison: the E30 is a higher quality car in nearly every way.

That said, it's a 30 year old car. If there are any original hoses/bushings/rubber in the engine/drive-train, it will need to be replaced. Hoses, belts, engine mounts, transmission mounts, sensors, etc. If you expect to do these types of things (unless already done by the previous owner) the E30 is a great car to get into. If you get frustrated when your car throws a CEL because of a coolant sensor or something and this makes it a "bad car" then don't get an E30.

If you have some tools and a basic understanding of auto maintenance, are willing to learn about the car, can somewhat read an electrical diagram, and enjoy driving/owning a now-classic car the E30 is a great choice. After you get the car up-to-date on maintenance, remove every bit of dust/grease possible and clean/polish as much of the car as possible with a microfiber cloth you'll be surprised how good the car looks and how fun it is to drive compared with most modern cars.

[ForcedFirebird]

it was 4 years, not 18 months.. and they did do a stop/go test cycle for 50,000 miles.

that's still a million miles of parts moving against each other. the cam and rockers don't give a shit if you're stopped or moving...

I was thinking this same exact thing. Internal engine parts don't see bumps etc. Cold starts, sure, but the point is, if the engine was well kept, they last a very long time.

For instance, our family van with an ls-based 5.4 has almost 200k miles. Maintenance has been impeccable. We change the oil every 3-4k miles and you can clearly see it's very clean inside, much like the m20 in the video. I bought a 90k mile 5.4 from a wrecker to replace the ls1 in the Mercedes race car. A screw driver could literally stand up in the sludge, cam bearings showing copper, badly scored rod bearings, and a black layer on everything. Half the mileage and probably 10x the wear.

Point is not about the age or mileage, it's all about how the PO(s) took care of it.

[RobTapps88]

My 325e has almost 500,000 (3rd owner) and it still starts every time.. I have literally topped the oil and coolent up and taken the wet carpet out.. That's about it.. Not concerned about the 2.7 as it is going to A) blow up or B) get swapped in the next year

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