How much better would an e30 M3 be than my 87 325is?

[PhillyG]

Think about the cost of the s54... your really fucked maintenance wise. Everything is expensive on those motors.

And the fact that my buddies, at just 22k had to have the rod bearings replaced, some hydraulic pump for the auto tranny and some other dumb shit done.

[devonjordan]

So it sounds like it would be a blast and very prestigious to own. But much more costly and stressful. Is the cost of ownership more than that of my second choice, the e46m3? They are in the 25k zone and may require less love.
I guess in the end, I will keep my eye out for an e30 m3, you never know when you will find a good deal. As far as an e46 m3, it seems like there are good deals all around.

Think about the cost of the s54... your really fucked maintenance wise. Everything is expensive on those motors.

[DCColegrove]

So it sounds like it would be a blast and very prestigious to own. But much more costly and stressful. Is the cost of ownership more than that of my second choice, the e46m3? They are in the 25k zone and may require less love.

I guess in the end, I will keep my eye out for an e30 m3, you never know when you will find a good deal. As far as an e46 m3, it seems like there are good deals all around.

E46 is nice...not the same though.

Was that an early car? No airbag, right?
...

It was an 88... No SRS.

A week or something after that shot...

I parked it on out here on HWY 1...

Didn't set the parking brake...

Was out of gear...

Rolled off the cliff...

Not one of my better days.

[clydesdale]

So it sounds like it would be a blast and very prestigious to own. But much more costly and stressful. Is the cost of ownership more than that of my second choice, the e46m3? They are in the 25k zone and may require less love.
I guess in the end, I will keep my eye out for an e30 m3, you never know when you will find a good deal. As far as an e46 m3, it seems like there are good deals all around.

[YAN-3]

The e30 m3 may be the best bmw ever made....

;)

As one who has owned many e30 i cars and a awesome M-Tech II in Germany, here is what I have to say to the OP.

Is the drive worth it?
YES it is. I think its alot different e30 than all my other e30 I have ever owned (that's 5 for those that are counting). I loved e30s because of their simplicity, driving dynamics and feel. let me put it this way! You know how you like the tight, responsive feedback from your steering wheel and brakes? multiply it by 10 in a e30 M3. you know how predictably easy it is to know when and how far you back end will come out when YOU WANT it to??? make that even more predictable & controllable in a e30 M3. the same characteristics that we have all come to love and value in our normal e30s are magnified in the M3. I wish i could let people hop in my M3 and take her out for a test drive every time this question is asked.

Sure the motor is a bit more complicated, timing components on a s14 are a heck of a lot more expensive and complex than on a single cam, belt driven m20. but you have to know this. In the end, with a fine tuned/maintained s14 one can have just as much fun around the city and on the back roads/tracks (depending on how hardcore you go). Just with better! I promise.

So to sum what I have been blabbing about:
IS THE e30 M3 WORTH THE DRIVE?
You bet! I would never, EVER trade or sell my M3 for even a super crazy S5whatever powered BMW e30.

take it however you want. i am by no means telling you to buy one, in fact, no dont buy one, that way i can get a second one for myself! :D

[einstein57]

You also have to consider value. Your 325iS is probably only worth 5k max... the m3 on the other hand is probably 15K min. Can you afford one?

Thats not a lot of money. A comparably equipped dodge neon would cost more then that. There are a few benefits that your 325is has though. One being the m20 is more reliable and can handle double the mileage of an s14 no problem. An m20 is easier to work on and find parts for. And last but not least you don't have to worry about your 325is every time you leave your driveway. If you bought an M3 youd want to keep your 325is to DD.

[Old'n'Slow]

Was that an early car? No airbag, right?

Big soft spot for the E30 here too. Every time I see my old (hmmmph!) car in town I wish I had it back. Frankly, I've considered selling the M, buying my old car back, and calling Korman, or MM or someone and putting a nice, fresh motor in it.

This was Greta:

[DCColegrove]

Check out this one....

And I'm seriously considering buying this one.

I miss my E30 325 so bad, but the kids won't fit. The E28 would make me happy again...

Nice, nice... I have a soft spot for the e30 though.
(Just saw your sig... So true)

This was my next to last M...

[Old'n'Slow]

The e28 535is was a really great car but I haven't seen a nice one in years...

Check out this one....

And I'm seriously considering buying this one.

I miss my E30 325 so bad, but the kids won't fit. The E28 would make me happy again...

[DCColegrove]

^^^ LOL at the edit! I feel you, man.....

Looking for that nice E28 535is for the long drives now. The M goes out on short drives when I can have the windows down. Otherwise, the racket inside makes me nuts!

The e28 535is was a really great car but I haven't seen a nice one in years...

I gave up my last M3 because I couldn't feed it anymore... And I got a foolish amount of cash for it.

[Old'n'Slow]

^^^ LOL at the edit! I feel you, man.....

Looking for that nice E28 535is for the long drives now. The M goes out on short drives when I can have the windows down. Otherwise, the racket inside makes me nuts!

[DCColegrove]

It is very hard to find techs with any experience on the s14 let alone ones that have the proper tools...

I can't tell you how many busted shim buckets I've seen because someone tried to adjust the valves without the correct tools.

That...

And I just hate working on them.

EDIT: I should add though, I really loved to drive them... when I was younger.

[Old'n'Slow]

i dont understand the mystique behind the s14. its got a crank and rods and piston and a couple cams with solid lifters. yes its more prone to leaks and yes its buzzy but its not any less reliable than any other motor with the same parts. the fact that it gets beat to shit in most circumstances probably has something to do with the fact it needs more care. and parts arent cheap. but an s14 in good mechanical order driven in a responsible manner will give you good reliability and a lot of fun

Part of it is the double deck head. A real trick to properly assemble and make right. Also the fact it was hand built in Munich by the same guys that were building the other race motors is neat. It's a rather large 4 pot that would go 8K happily. In race trim, the 2.5s were doing 10,800RPM for qualifying!

Reliable, yes, but not the same DNA as the run-forever-with-basic-maintenance M20.

[Old'n'Slow]

So what makes them so much more expensive to maintain than the 325is?

Well, let's see. First off, any parts needed will be at least 3X the cost of non-M parts. Price of exclusivity. Second, the S14 wants a tune-up, that is, plugs, valve adj (done by using shims of varying thicknesses-the kit is $700 from BMW), dist cap and rotor, and all filters every 15-20K. The intake gaskets need replacing regularly, (a HUGE PITA) unless you get the Dinan one$. The header nuts rattle off regularly and need to be looked after. Hell, the motor is so rough by today's standards-your shift linkage will need a good SSK, or at least regular rebuilds to keep it from buzzing in the cabin. Third, if you can't DIY all this stuff, finding someone who knows how to service a handbuilt motorsport engine will be difficult and additionally expensive. But worst of all, fat chicks will try to sit on the wing and break it. That wing is nearly impossible to keep looking nice, too, because it is made from cardboard and fiberglass and paint doesn't like to flex as much as it does. IT'S A RACE CAR FER HEAVEN'S SAKE! :p And I love mine.

Figure at least 18K for a nice one. If it's got more than about 100K on it, you want to see history of head work performed by a reputable shop. Any M3 should come with STACKS of receipts. If not, run! When the engine needs major work, the car will likely be down for weeks at a time. But then, a 20+ year old race car should probably not be your sole mode of transportation.....especially if you are driving 20 year old cars because you don't have lots of disposable income!

I have had my 325is for 6 years and have put 50k on it. It has 249k miles on it. It is plenty reliable for a daily driver.

An M is a totally different ballgame.

[blunttech]

i dont understand the mystique behind the s14. its got a crank and rods and piston and a couple cams with solid lifters. yes its more prone to leaks and yes its buzzy but its not any less reliable than any other motor with the same parts. the fact that it gets beat to shit in most circumstances probably has something to do with the fact it needs more care. and parts arent cheap. but an s14 in good mechanical order driven in a responsible manner will give you good reliability and a lot of fun