Coast to Coast, an e30 American adventure

[2mAn]

Im sure as you're driving the car across the country you can slowly add cool mods along the way. I would have a set of euro bumpers waiting when you get back and maybe you can convince some european that "its cool to be different" and sell them the NA diving boards along with the cowcatcher

Theres plenty of things to do in LA no matter when you arrive. I will keep my eye on this

[E30SPDFRK]

Cool! didn't know you had got an e30 already. It'll make the trip better than any american car would anyways. Is it up north currently?

the seat belt buckles are the same so those you won't need to worry about.

Not true, early early models (pre-86 iirc) had different style receptacles than the later ones, and they don't interchange. If the release button is just on top, it's a later style one, if the button goes down the side, they're early.

[benwalsh91]

the seat belt buckles are the same so those you won't need to worry about.

some people are going to come on here and try and talk you out of the 325e car. don't listen to them. its still a great motor. they a re going to complain about hp and low red line and blah blah blah but don't worry about it, the eta motor is a fine motor and will be enjoyable to drive. all the e30s in my driveway are 325e cars and they still drift the corners and pass on the highway with no problems. but, they get 30 mpg while on the highway so don't listen to the people who hate on the eta motor.

I have the door card stuff but all mine is black with the houndstooth inserts so it won't work for yours.

you guys will have a great trip in that car. I have done cross texas drives in e30s and they were comfortable and nice. and people stop and talk to you at the gas station about how much they love them.

Thank you for your response, actually one of the factors which pushed me to buy this car is in fact because it's an "e" car I am driving 10,000 miles almost so fuel efficiency will be nice! plus I rarely drive that "spirited" especially not in a foreign country or with the wife in the car so a 325e fits the bill for me. when I get the car back to England I will look into doing the is head swap and all the other bits but that can wait and I can actually do more research closer to the time. I'm more of a cruise in the slow lane type of guy.

I have a spare set of door cards, its off in the photo because the door locks are yet to be swapped and a few other bits but we got all them thankfully.

[superj]

the seat belt buckles are the same so those you won't need to worry about.

some people are going to come on here and try and talk you out of the 325e car. don't listen to them. its still a great motor. they a re going to complain about hp and low red line and blah blah blah but don't worry about it, the eta motor is a fine motor and will be enjoyable to drive. all the e30s in my driveway are 325e cars and they still drift the corners and pass on the highway with no problems. but, they get 30 mpg while on the highway so don't listen to the people who hate on the eta motor.

I have the door card stuff but all mine is black with the houndstooth inserts so it won't work for yours.

you guys will have a great trip in that car. I have done cross texas drives in e30s and they were comfortable and nice. and people stop and talk to you at the gas station about how much they love them.

[benwalsh91]

Now, I am unsure if this is something that you guys will be interested in but I figured I would put up a post, if people are interested I will update it along my route with everything we see and do.

The original plan was 3 weeks to do an American adventure. That then extended and extended and then we figured sod it, lets leave our lives and do it over 3 months. This will more than likely be our only chance to leave our jobs and do a trip like this.

We are going to start in California and end in New York, the Mrs really wants to see the Rockefeller tree which goes up at the end of November so the plan

Land in Oakland (San Francisco) on 05th September.
Fly home from New York 04 December.

Here is the planned route, it may change slightly but I would love to hear your opinion and any suggested places to visit.

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

The original plan was to ship my e36 328i touring over to do the trip, but its just 2 years shy of your 25 year rule so that put a solid and sudden stop to that idea. Sucks.

Before I started building my e36 at home in England I originally really wanted an e30 coupe, prices just kept getting crazy for even rotten pieces of crap and I just stopped looking.

We was hunting for cars to do this trip in, we was thinking something American as it will be fitting for the trip especially being from England would be cool to do it in something we don't get here back home... my concern is, I really don't know these cars at all and what common problems they may have or even if anything goes wrong I just wouldn't know where to look. However, I am super comfortable with BMWs I know them really well and also most of my contacts in America are BMW related so I feel like if I did get an issue then I will have a contact who may be able to help...

So after months of browsing craigslist nothing jumped out at me, I found a few cars that I liked but nothing that got me that excited I narrowed it down to wanting something retro and BMW with the new plan of then shipping it back home after the trip (if it survives).

I came across an add for plenty of e30s and a good buddy of mine went and checked a few out but all turned out to be lemons and just wasn't what was advertised and getting sick of looking and feeling bad for wasting my friends time I stopped searching for a bit. At random I clicked on the saved link which was "Sacramento CL cars" on my phone, the first add on the home screen was a white early model 325e coupe... looked on it and the car was a bit tatty on the outside and inside, but it had a ton of recent maintenance work done to it... could this be the one found all by chance. My dad always said in previous times that the right car will find you... and this just so happened.


its had all the coolant system overhauled new timing belt and a tune up and a load of other bits.

came with a front valance (not fitted) and a few other parts included sport leather front seats in a reasonable condition. Dash is cracked to hell but that's to be expected being a Cali car, I am going to try and find one of them dash carpets and if anyone has any bits going let me know. It does have that missing door card in the photos just wasn't fitted and something hit the passenger side meaning the passenger front fender and door are Bronzit.

so I guess this is a little about the pre-trip build for the car. Any suggestions welcome!!

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

next photo stolen from the previous owners Instagram, unsure if he is on here...

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

Seeing as the car had a bronzit door my friend managed to hunt down a good condition white door with glass and working electric motor just a couple of miles from his work!! what a bonus,

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

Also managed to find a pair of good condition white front fenders which a buddy of mine is collecting tonight.

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

Also got a couple other bits for the car such as a set of euro smiley lights and euro grills sitting at home. also MattB from 2m is sorting me out a set of shiftboots, great guy is Matt!!

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

Untitled by ben walsh, on Flickr

I am unsure if i am going to bring the lights and grills with me before the trip and fit them whilst i am in America or just leave them at home and fit them when i get back...

Now a few bits I am still after for the car is a set of early model seat belt buckles!! the previous owner had fitted a set of sport seats from a late model it appears and the buckles do not match the belts so after a set of early model buckles as on a trip like this safety is first and I wouldn't let my wife go anywhere without her belt on let alone myself.

Also wouldn't mind one of them dash carpet/rugs as previously mentioned.