New to e30- what to watch for on a test drive

[Little Matty]

Hi Everyone-
I've been contemplating an e30 for a while, and recently everything has come together for me to look for a driver-quality car (the dream is a convertible).
I'm passable with cars- my current passion project is a 1987 Toyota RV with a 22re that I put 12,000 miles on last summer- but by no means an expert. Also everyone should have an RV.
I'm here to solicit tips for test drives/ looking at e30s. Are there any things in particular I should be keeping an eye on? Known trouble spots? Particular things that would be a non-starter to an expert but a newbie would miss?
Thanks a bunch.
-Matt

[coldweatherblue]

Hey man, welcome.

There are a few threads on r3v and other forums that go over what to look for buying an E30 pretty well.

here's one

The most important thing to look for is probably rust in the PNW. Everything else can be addressed fairly easily.

One thing to keep in mind while driving the car is that it should feel like a tight, driver's car.

If the steering feels loose or the brakes feel soft, or if the car doesn't seem to pull to redline, it's a maintenance issue.

It would be helpful to drive a well kept E30 before buying your own. These are fun cars to drive and when in good mechanical condition should have decent turn-in, solid braking, and adequate power.

Too many times I think people get E30s and the brakes need to be bled, the suspension bushings replaced, vacuum leaks sorted out, etc, and they just assume it's an old car so that's how it's supposed to run.

[MrBurgundy]

Get a professional PPI at a shop that is familiar with e30s

Trust me

[M_3_X]

New to e30- what to watch for on a test drive

What to watch for on a e30 test drive? Easy, everything! [emoji23]

Actually I will point out one thing, ALL e30’s had the odometers gears breaking at some point, so keep in mind the the mileage reading on these cars is NEVER to be trusted.

[Little Matty]

Thanks for the insights so far. Coming from New England it wouldn't even occur to me to pay attention to rust out here, so that's actually a good reminder.

If anyone has a well sorted example in Seattle I can take a peek at that'd be much appreciated.

Thanks again.

[ELVA164]

Keep an eye on the sides of the road--lots of wildlife leaping out this time of year.

[Stanley Rockafella]

Get a professional PPI at a shop that is familiar with e30s

Trust me

:nice:

[SkiFree]

Get a professional PPI at a shop that is familiar with e30s

Trust me

x10000

As someone who has inspected cars POST purchase and break the news that what they bought was far from described (even well-reviewed BAT cars), I cannot emphasize the importance of a good PPI.

[e30davie]

Just keep in mind that Mileage doesn't mean much on a 30yr old car.

[Staszek]

Just keep in mind that Mileage doesn't mean much on a 30yr old car.

Agreed, the pretty much only thing you should really really worry about is the rust. Especially from New England. If you can try to buy one in CA or Arizona.

At this age pretty much everything needs to be fixed or replaced, that can all be handled, its the rust that is a nightmare.

[e30davie]

Rust, Dents and chassis damage a are all no-nos. Its amazing how painful even a small dent is on an old car is. I've rebuilt engines, changed gearboxes, diffs, brakes, suspension, all easy to do in the garage for a home gamer. Everything that a spanner fits onto can be fixed at home.

But I put a nasty dent in the door of my e30, own fault but i digress. Ive no idea how to fix it without spending an insane amount of money. For starters the paint has faded in 30yrs, so you cant color match very well as a home gamer. These old e30s also seem to have a very flat paint, mine has basically zero orange peal in it. I've painted in acrylic and i can get that surface finish with alot of sanding after but i guarantee it wont match perfectly if i do it. Off the gun in 2pak will have some orange peal and will need to be cut back to get the same surface finish $$$.

Something as simple as a dent in my door may cost me $1500-2000 to get fixed professionally by the time i'm done. And realistically to do the job properly I should paint the whole car, which could be $6k+

[cheffy30]

Thanks for the insights so far. Coming from New England it wouldn't even occur to me to pay attention to rust out here, so that's actually a good reminder.

If anyone has a well sorted example in Seattle I can take a peek at that'd be much appreciated.

Thanks again.

come by and see mine if you want... or swing by dick's on holman road tomorrow (tuesday) night around 630pm. there should be a few sweet rigs...

[ahrensNW]

come by and see mine if you want... or swing by dick's on holman road tomorrow (tuesday) night around 630pm. there should be a few sweet rigs...

I might also swing by, so there will be a good example of what not to get there lmao

[itsonlygeorge]

Buying Guide:

http://www.rtsauto.com/e30-bmw-buying-guide-translated-from-german/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Little Matty]

Dang. Wish I didn't have something tomorrow evening.

I took a look at one yesterday- beautiful, but in talking with the mechanic there's a leaky head gasket, loose tie rod, couple bad struts, and power steering leak- should that be enough that I run away?