E30 Predicament..Help!

[Spiff325iS]

Okay, so here is the deal..I've been dying to do a power-train swap, and I've finally built up a good savings foundation with enough money on the side to do a swap. I had been bugging my father for the last month just throwing out option for power-train options:

-Motor Swap
-Turbo

etc..

ANYWAYS, this has NOTHING to with a swap..So, I had continued to just keep it in his mind that basically I wanted/needed more power(i've already got a bunch of track days coming up so no need to worry about that)...

So he sent me an interesting text tonight:

"If you dump(sell) the E30 and give me the difference of 10k$, I'll give you my M Coupe".

I was like WOAHHHHHHHHHH. Basically, we just sold a jetta and recruited two new cars to our stable(Mini Non-S and an 04 330i), so he wants to get rid of something, and since we have the 330i now(which he loves) it appears he could live without having the Coupe under his wing..

So what would you do? After dropping the car on HR's, getting new tires, and painting a few things, I've really started to like my car, a lot! But every time I drive his coupe(only a few times) it just makes me feel all gitty inside and then depressed when I get back into my car.

He has an 00' Dakar-II M coupe, totally Bone Stock in MINT condition. Has brand new(300 mile) Coupe struts/springs that he installed along with a few other maintenance things he done to keep it perfect. He's babied the absolute crap out of it.


So, the question is: Get rid of the E30 and buy a pristine M Coupe for 10k$, or keep the E30 w/ less power(since I doubt he would allow a motor swap).

Any comments are greatly appreciated!

-Dan

p.s.
Either which was I go, the car I'm driving will get tracked a few times this year, continually babied, and driven like a B.M.W. should.

[Erick]

Do you have the $10k?

[GarrettM]

Your dad text messages?
Thats awesome!

[Jean]

M coupes are sick, but there is something about building a car all to your liking and then spanking the m coupes or anything else out there ;)

I would keep the e30, then get the m coupe later as a daily :)

[Spiff325iS]

Do you have the $10k?

If I sell the E30 I use whatever I get out of that towards the 10k$, which I would think is a decent/fair amount, and then yes I do have enough to pay the difference already. But I don't have a full 10k$ to just throw down.

[Teaguer]

Why do you say your dad woudn't let you do a motor swap ?
Would he let you do a turbo install ?

If the answer is no to swap or turbo then I think you know the answer .

E30 with turbo or S50/52 power > Mcoupe .
Mcoupe > stock powered E30 .

[Mtriple]

M Coupe please. Rare color too!

[E30FreaK89]

E30 Ftw!!!!!!

[e30s52]

thats a hard one both cars are my favorites

[george graves]

Since "dad" is a major factor in this I'm guessing you are under 21. Not for nothing - but I think that would factor into things.

Can you afford the repair bill on an m on your own? Going to school? Friday night will you have to make a choice between a years worth of beer or a new some-thing-a-rather?

I'll tell you this - I got a e21 when I was in high school - way back in 1989. It was pimp, everything I wanted. Hell - it was only one body style from the "new" e30 at the time. I had may chances to sell it and get an e30 - I didn't - why? It was a solid car and got me through school. I'm glad I did.

HTH

[Spiff325iS]

To^^ I'm 20, 21 in March. Starting Art School after Spring Semester.

I truly think it is a tough decision. He won't let me do the swap mainly because it will cost too much to get it to pass smog, and he just gets uncomfortable with doing a major operation like that(with the risk of smog etc, blah), same goes for the Turbo.

He is definitely an OEM+ kind of guy, so anything major like that sort of frightens him(not literally, but just doesn't appeal to him at all; and since he is covering my tuition, I have to 'obey' if you will; not really a problem for me, just something I have to do).

I think the only thing that turns me off, honestly, is the color. In person, I love it to death and I think it looks great; and like I said previously: driving it is just such a unique experience compared to a lot of other cars. I think it would just be hard(but not impossible) to get used to driving a car in that color(not that it bothers me, just would take time to get used to).

I do agree that a rare color combo is a plus!

Any more thoughts?

-Dan

[Mtriple]

Dakar looks pretty good to me. If you're paying your way on insurance, the M Coupe is going to hurt.

[SchnellerVert]

Dad's not gonna want you to drive that daily to school is he? I can see parking lot issues. As mentioned by Super Duper at your age insurance is gonna kill your budget. 3-4x more than you are probably paying now.

Me....I'd be all over the Coupe, only one car BMW made that was ahead of it, and that's an E30 M. Granted I would love a E28 or E34 M but that's not happening.

[Turf1600]

mcoupe for sure.

[schmidty]

I think, as george mentioned, the major question here is are you going to have the money to maintainn the coupe. You're gonna spend pretty much all your money to pay your dad off with no savings left over.

if you have the money to take care of it, i think it's a no brainer, get the coupe (you can't pass up a deal like that) and buy yourself another e30 down the road to build to your liking.

otherwise, keep the e30, do some other mods and keep saving money :D

another thing, did your dad pay for the e30? if not, just do the motor swap/turbo... its your car.