Advice needed!

[PatrickMcHugh]

If you aren't familiar, i've got a small business in Richmond, VA called BimmerRescue, you can see my website at Bimmerrescue.com.

I've restored a few cars, and done a lot of maintenance for aficionados in the area. It's a lot of fun and I really love to do it.

Here's what i've got going...

I came across an 89 325is with 73,000 miles on it! Cinnaborrot with the darker tan interior, never driven winters, 1 owner, garaged all summer, all maintenance records from day 1989, great paint, a real time capsule, etc, etc, etc. An older couple owned it and when the center bearing failed, they sold it to me. Honestly, i'm used to buying cars with one foot in the junkyard, sorting them out and getting them back on the road. This car is a different animal in that it's never seen neglect and everything on it is so lightly used and clean.

I want to turn it into something special, sort of the "Ultimate e30" so to speak. Here's where I need advice...

If you were going to pay decent money for a well sorted dream 325is, what goodies would you want it to have? I have my own opinions, but i'd rather create something that appeals to the enthusiast. I've thought of a turbo or s52 swap, but I don't have the capital. I'm just shooting for aggressive looks and decent street performance.

- 5 speed swap
- Autosolutions Shifter
- LSD (What ratio?)
- Replace front manual sport seat skins
- Upgraded springs. (What brand?)
- Bilstein HD's
- Sway Bars (ST?)
- Replace a few worn ball joints
- Aftermarket Chin spoiler (which one looks best?)
- Side skirts (Which ones?)
- New wheels (Which ones?)
- High Performance tires (Which ones?)
- Big brakes (which upgrade?)
- It has the Mtech steering wheel, but I have a nice Momo one, any objections to the momo?
- There's a small stain in the headliner that can be cleaned out, but I thought about dyeing it black like an M car. Would you folks approve?
- I would consider some shadowlining, but the chrome is just soooo nice.
- Should I paint the valve cover and intake manifold or just leave it?


Thanks for your suggestions, this will of course be the first place I advertise the car! I will have pictures up Early next week.

[e30s52]

put the momo in they look better and go with a 4.10lsd rear end. i was really happy with mine. if your doing a 5 speed swap why not use a 6 speed some one on here did it not to long ago and use a lighten flywheel

[PatrickMcHugh]

put the momo in they look better and go with a 4.10lsd rear end. i was really happy with mine. if your doing a 5 speed swap why not use a 6 speed some one on here did it not to long ago and use a lighten flywheel

Wow! 6 speed! There's an idea. I'll have to get reading.

Thanks for the advice on the LSD.

[PatrickMcHugh]

Pictures! I haven't even cleaned it or gone to work on the paint yet.

Just rolled over 74k on the way home from DC. NICE CAR.

The stickers have to go.

[whiltebeitel]

Here is what the majority of r3v would like to do:
GC coilovers, paint the door trim black, tint the windows, make the rear blinkers red, Konig Remebers (sp?) or a similar BBS-RS style weave, an IS lip, and sway bars. Most people like the 3.73 LSD, not too steep or too short. Few bother with BBK's unless they make loads of power and/or race.

Lots of folks dye the interior black. Oh, and some euro trim for the rear bumper will fix the stickers and clean up the lines

Oh, and if you don't want to spend GC money, put IE3's on it (ireland engineering stage 3 spring).

My 2 cents...

[PatrickMcHugh]

Cool! Thanks for the ideas, that's what I was looking for.

I am going to restore the body and paint to great condition (without disturbing the original paint of course...)

[SynSyx]

change bilstein HD to bilstein sport, and lose the tan pinstripe

[e30325ic]

Man that is a nice car clean car. I looks like you are headed in the right direction. I hardly ever get a chance to lower one or do much in the upgrade department. I no sooner get one back to gather before someone comes along and makes an offer I cant refuse. I will be looking forward to seeing the out come.

[PУCCKAЯ_e30ka]

here is my input!

-I think that E30 should be kept with m20ies.... I mean if you're going for originality and enthusiast appeal! stroke it to 2.9L.
-suspension is personal choice... if it'd be mine i'd go for KW's v2

-wheels, again personal... anywhere from bbs/borbets/kerschers/blah blah blah...
-french smilies, startec rear, euro trim, sunshade, black leather interior, heated seats, glass moonroof. mtech II kit, or mtech I rear spoiler, front IS lipw/ splitter. Oh yeah, rear pop-out windows.
-aesthetically, silver wheels/polished, silver tint. not too dark. OR no tint at all.
-manual
that's my semi-dream e30

[SC ic]

Are you building it to keep or building it to sell? If you are building it to sell, I'd say restore it to showroom stock so that it looks like it just rolled off the lot. The only ones that make money modding cars are the parts sellers and the parts installers.

[PatrickMcHugh]

It'll be restored to be sold. Thanks for all the input folk, i'm taking notes! I was also wondering about that pinstripe, i'm concerned you'll be able to see where it was, what do you all think of removing it and replacing it with a black one?

[e34john]

I would make that a concours car rather than an autocross car. Theres plenty of other E30s to rip apart with mods. The only thing that needs to is be cleaned up and some Is side skirts and the front lip.

[SynSyx]

yeah if the car is gonna be sold keep from modding it too much, youll probably grow attached to it if you do lol..

[smonkbmw]

- 5 speed swap - definitely, i hate automatics. use a e30m3 sachs clutch, holds better than stock.
- Autosolutions Shifter - Z3 stock shift kit works fine, and cheaper.
- LSD (What ratio?) 3.73 works. 3.91 is better. if the car is a auto it SHOULD have a 4.10lsd already?
- Replace front manual sport seat skins - yup
- Upgraded springs. (What brand?) if youre going to resell h&r factory/oem. if youre going to keep it h&r race. TC Kline if you want to get aggro.
- Bilstein HD's - yeah if youre going to resell. bilstein sports would be preferred.
- Sway Bars (ST?) - st's to keep the cost down. h&rs if you can find them.
- Replace a few worn ball joints - control arms, tie rods and stock control arm bushings usually run around $200 for a full set, do it!
- Aftermarket Chin spoiler (which one looks best?) - stock looks fine. add a ryan g splitter if youre going to keep it. dont forget new clips!
- Side skirts (Which ones?) - if you must, stock IS skirts.
- New wheels (Which ones?) - stock if youre gonna sell.
- High Performance tires (Which ones?) - whatever fits, remember you might be selling this. if not BFG sports
- Big brakes (which upgrade?) - if youre selling it ive seen full brembo slotted kits with PBR pads on bimmerforums for around $360. if you want to go BIG the Massive kit.
- It has the Mtech steering wheel, but I have a nice Momo one, any objections to the momo? - keep the mtech
- There's a small stain in the headliner that can be cleaned out, but I thought about dyeing it black like an M car. Would you folks approve? - sure, m cars also have a different fabric.
- I would consider some shadowlining, but the chrome is just soooo nice. - leave the chrome, lose the pin stripe.
- Should I paint the valve cover and intake manifold or just leave it? - to clean it up, paint it black. polish the raised sections, cant hurt it.

add a set of prolumen hids in 5k for updated/upgraded lighting. im assuming the fog lights have no cracks in them? if so replace. maybe a set of 3k bulbs in the fogs for better visibility. leave the tail lights stock.

for performance: turner chip, supersprint exhaust?

your website link does'nt work

[z31maniac]

^Out of curiousity, where can I even get control arms and complete tie rod assemblies for $200 a set, that isn't that shitty eBay crap.

If you buy the quality stuff, just control arms and tie rods are $300 buy themselves.