Is it worth fixing...

[eric (^__^)]

if you spent $15k on a 325i it would be a solid gold rocket car

[esheg4ever23]

if you spent $15k on a 325i it would be a solid gold rocket car

Lmao..too much for me...just for now

[mikejungle]

haha...man.
i'm in the same predicament right now.

except mine is an '85 eta with 215,000+ miles on it.

Just got the control arms and bushings replaced along with the clutch and shifter linkage...but it needs SO much more work.

I've dropped a little over 1500 in it so far and I've still got a lot to go.

[esheg4ever23]

haha...man.
i'm in the same predicament right now.

except mine is an '85 eta with 215,000+ miles on it.

Just got the control arms and bushings replaced along with the clutch and shifter linkage...but it needs SO much more work.

I've dropped a little over 1500 in it so far and I've still got a lot to go.

Damn, that's alot of miles. Good luck with the build

[ldsbeaker]

It runs, huh?
Well you better get the timing belt changed ASAP! Not kidding.
I think $2K is a bit modest, it might be a little more expensive, but that thing sounds pretty bombed out.

[StereoInstaller1]

Hey man...let me tell you something right here: That car is worth fixing. I promise, mine was worse when I got it.

Let me tell you something else: If you lack the desire to develop mechanic skills, you DO NOT WANT an E30...it will eat your wallet. We all love these cars...but that antifreeze smell? Likely heater core. Gonna wanna replace the heater core AND the valve, hoses too. If TNG can do that for much under $800, I would be amazed...and I bet they give more bang for the buck than any other E30 shop around.

I can do it from spare parts 3X over. I have done 3 so far, only takes me about 3 hours...and I am a dashboard genuis, WAY faster than any mechanic you have ever seen in doing dashboard work.

Odometer issue? rebuild kit, like $40. Lock cylinders? Again, rebuild kit, like $20 (ea) Labor to do those? Likely about 6 to 7 hours, so $500 on a HUGE discount...if you have no skills, and are not wanting to develop skills (oh yeah, TOOLS too) buy something else.

Oh yeah...sell that E30 on here.

[E30 Cabrio]

^ ignore him please. I'm so sick of seeing solid e30 chassis, especially late models, being parted out for a quick buck because some kid didn't have the measly $2000 to get it back on the road or else gave up half-way on his "track car" project he knows he never should have started. Man up and do it and be proud that you saved one.

/rant

I advised the kid on what is best for him, not for you and what you want.

It's not your car or your money, although you sure seem to be generous spending his "measly $2000"

An 18 year old car that has been neglected for 17 years is going to be expensive to get in good running condition. The fact that it's been sitting for the last 3 years doesn't help either.

Part it out. Use the money you have along with the money you make from parting out the car and buy yourself something that won't be a money pit and a headache.

It's not about "Manning up" or some other macho BS - it's about doing what's best for him, the guy who owns the car.

Becoming emotionally attached to a car, or worse, letting your ego make your decisions for you rarely ends up well.

Either way, he needs to go thru the car and make a list of what it needs and add it up, plus his time and then add another 20% on top of that.

And that doesn't even include the unexpected.

At least when buying a car with records, one can see what's been done, what hasn't been done, and what will need to be done and how much it will cost.

[rede30]

I will give you 400 bucks for it.

[-limp-]

At least when buying a car with records, one can see what's been done, what hasn't been done, and what will need to be done and how much it will cost.

stfu about service records its a fucking e30 not a goddamn roldsroyce i got my car in worse condition and payed two grand (but the interior itself is almost worth it) and ive never regreted it a second....seriously though why would you care about service records? there isnt a one on my car and its practically new now...and stereo installers right if you arent going to even bother to work on it yourself-you dont want an e30

[E30 Cabrio]

stfu about service records its a fucking e30 not a goddamn roldsroyce i got my car in worse condition and payed two grand (but the interior itself is almost worth it) and ive never regreted it a second....seriously though why would you care about service records? there isnt a one on my car and its practically new now...and stereo installers right if you arent going to even bother to work on it yourself-you dont want an e30

STFU?

Wow, someone is flexing their internet muscles today. Or maybe needs a Midol.

I care about service/repair records because I don't like expensive surprises, and it tells me the PO cared about his car and had it maintained and serviced and kept up to date on things and didn't let things go.

It also gives me a history of the car. What has been replaced and when.

I'm glad your situation worked out for you, but not everyone else is as fortunate.

Personally, I would never buy an E30 without records unless it was a beat fixer-upper.

[E30 Wagen]

Well, you're obviously fixed on your opinion, but here's the point that I mainly want to get across: for those of us confident in our mechanical abilities and are also smart shoppers, it can be just as fun to start out with a blank slate and restore a car as much as it is to go out and buy one that is ready to drive. It's the chance to add your own history to the car and to value what has the potential to be fixed. Your way just seems like the easy way out, not to mention wasteful.

Sorry, I have just come to the conclusion that e30s are very special cars and I want to see as many of them on the road as possible. They are incredibly scarce where I live.

[esheg4ever23]

Lol..so...much...pressure. Like I said I'm not doing anything until I get it checked out.

I'm most probably going to go with the repairs, because aside from wanting to fix it up or whatever, it's also my only car until i get the mazdaspeed3 in September.

[E30 Cabrio]

Well, you're obviously fixed on your opinion, but here's the point that I mainly want to get across: for those of us confident in our mechanical abilities and are also smart shoppers, it can be just as fun to start out with a blank slate and restore a car as much as it is to go out and buy one that is ready to drive. It's the chance to add your own history to the car and to value what has the potential to be fixed. Your way just seems like the easy way out, not to mention wasteful.

Sorry, I have just come to the conclusion that e30s are very special cars and I want to see as many of them on the road as possible. They are incredibly scarce where I live.

I've done my share of turning wrenches and do most of my own work, and I'm confident in my abilities as I'm sure you are.

Telling someone to ignore others who are giving them sound advice like taking inventory of what needs to be done and figuring out how much it will cost isn't doing him any favors. He posted here because he wanted feedback. I posted what I felt was in his best interest.

He can have a great learning experience parting out the car and using his funds for a car that won't be a headache and sour him on E30's

And there are tons of them on the road, at least here in California so it's not like we're talking about 1967 BB Corvette's.

He has 3K in his pocket. For that, he can buy a nice car with a service history and at the same time parting his car out to keep other E30's going.

Sounds like the car has been seriously neglected for many years and will cost much more then it's worth to correct the neglect.

I'm posting what I think is his best option and which will save him time, money and aggravation.

He can use his money from the part out for mods and to make an average E30 special, while parting out a neglected car which will help keep other E30's running and give him experience working on these cars.

Win-win situation for him.

It has nothing to do with the "easy way" but everything to do with the smart way and doing what's in his best interest.

At the very least he needs to take inventory of what needs R & R and how much it will cost, then make his decision.

Suspension alone can easily take up half his budget.

Brakes, Steering, Rust, Coolant leak.

Coolant leak is a big red flag. How many times was the car run low on coolant?

How many times did it overheat?

What shape is the interior in?

I enjoy tracking down parts and upgrading my car just as much as anyone else, but putting money in a car that's been neglected, especially a BMW, almost always turns out to be a costly endeavor and adds up quick.

I bet he burns thru that 2K long before the car is up to decent, driving condition.

He also said this: "I need a good idea of how much I'm going to spend before I do anything, as I'm kind of on a budget"

Like I said, that budget will be busted long before the car is in decent shape.

IMO, it's more trouble then it's worth. A lot more trouble.

Let's see some pics and a complete list of what needs to be done, then he can make his decision.

[eric (^__^)]

...it up or whatever, it's also my only car until i get the mazdaspeed3 in September.

welp

limp around on the e30 and then garage it later for a project car

the world is your oyester!

[esheg4ever23]

welp

limp around on the e30 and then garage it later for a project car

the world is your oyester!

Yeah that's what I'm planning on doing. It's just going to be a daily driver for now then I'll get into all the modding and details when i have time.