Is it worth fixing...

[///WeissM]

Haha, love read this post. I was the same situation a few months ago. Bought this 88 Cab for a grand. ICV was wrong type, idle like shit, used ICV $40, idle happy. Smog passed on 1st try (surprise), $50. OEM suspension were dead. Bought used Bilstein/H&R for $320, I am happy. Next, master cylinder went out, new $89. Lot of scrubbing, cleaning, priceless. I still need to worry about T-belt/water pump, headbolts, green coolant, broken odometer. But I am happy for now. 29MPG highway, 24MPG city.

[StereoInstaller1]

I spent a little more than a half a year and $1900 bringing my car up from beater status to being a daily driver. I didn't even get to drive it 1000 miles before some snot-nosed teenager rear ended me and put my car in the middle of a multi-car accident.

But given the same opportunity under similar circumstances, I would still do it all again. Yes. IT'S WORTH IT.

Best post of the thread.

[2Big4a3Series]

I spent a little more than a half a year and $1900 bringing my car up from beater status to being a daily driver. I didn't even get to drive it 1000 miles before some snot-nosed teenager rear ended me and put my car in the middle of a multi-car accident.

But given the same opportunity under similar circumstances, I would still do it all again. Yes. IT'S WORTH IT.

i am sure to if you got the parts and Got some Brewskyz and some Meat and invite some local e30 guys over you guys could get a bit done


GL man,

And post pics of your progrees

[E30 Cabrio]

i hate to tell you but weeeell over half the e30 out there for sale ARE beat fixer-uppers...and about the service records again...why is this such an issue for you...excepting engine components you can give soft parts a quick look over and thatll tell a fuck of a lot more than any god damned reciept is going to tell you
i dont mean to seem like an ass or anything...sometimes things seem a little harsher over the internet than they would in person...its just if i personally was given a choice between the same car with service records or without and it made a $100 difference id go with the one without

And I'll take the car with the history rather then the mystery and spend the extra $100.00

Can you tell me when the timing belt was changed by a look over?
How about regular oil/filter changes?
Fluid changes?
Basic maintenance?
Head Gasket?

Your statement that you would take the car without records for $100.00 less is mind-boggling.

A service history indicates that the car was well-cared for by the previous owner(s) and that they took the time to do things right and to document the work done on the car.
Buying a 20 year old car, especially an E30 without any records is all but a guarantee that the car wasn't cared for and is a huge red-flag.

I'll spend the extra $100.00 for the piece of mind that I can drive home not wondering if the T Belt is going to snap, or if I'm going to get a bunch of expensive surprises.

It never pays to be cheap.

I have a 3-ring binder full of records and I can tell you when the T Belt was done, and that the oil and filter was changed on a regular basis, what suspension parts were replaced, when, and by who, when the fuel pump was replaced, when the fluids were changed, when the steering rack was replaced, and if it was new, or rebuilt, or used, and if it was a backyard hack job or if it was done by the dealer, etc...

As I said earlier, "There is nothing more expensive then a cheap BMW"

[esheg4ever23]

They way I look at this is, If you are daily driving the car and you want to upgrade the suspension then you do it. If you are still driving it and the steering rack goe sout you replace, etc, etc, etc. Instead of doing routine maintanance you just have a lot at once. I think it is totally worth it because when all that ISH is fixed it will be a nice ride and have many new things that wont go bad for a while.

DO IT!

Yeah that's exactly how I see it.

They way I look at this is, If you are daily driving the car and you want to upgrade the suspension then you do it. If you are still driving it and the steering rack goe sout you replace, etc, etc, etc. Instead of doing routine maintanance you just have a lot at once. I think it is totally worth it because when all that ISH is fixed it will be a nice ride and have many new things that wont go bad for a while.

DO IT!

[esheg4ever23]

GAAAAAAAAH bronzit you haffta fucking save it for sure now

Huh?

EDIT: Oh, never mind I get it. I was actually thinking about painting it either white or red..

[-limp-]

Broken camera, but the paint is the same as the one in your sig, goldish silver.

GAAAAAAAAH bronzit you haffta fucking save it for sure now

[esheg4ever23]

pics?

Broken camera, but the paint is the same as the one in your sig, goldish silver.

[-limp-]

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.

i hate to tell you but weeeell over half the e30 out there for sale ARE beat fixer-uppers...and about the service records again...why is this such an issue for you...excepting engine components you can give soft parts a quick look over and thatll tell a fuck of a lot more than any god damned reciept is going to tell you
i dont mean to seem like an ass or anything...sometimes things seem a little harsher over the internet than they would in person...its just if i personally was given a choice between the same car with service records or without and it made a $100 difference id go with the one without

[E30SPDFRK]

pics?

[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.

[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!

[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.