E30 4-door 320i Purchase

[slavenzo]

Hi

I need some advice. I've found BMW E30 4-door 320i with chrome bumpers, for around 2000 Euros. I am not looking to flip it, I want a project car in decent condition which I could work on and enjoy for good. However, it would still be a nice thing if the value increased over time. I'm not looking for performance, but rather good sound, smoothness and reliability. Now, is this a good car to buy for the purpose, or should I hold off until I find a better deal, like a coupe or 325i?

[cheffy30]

They are an investment for the love of driving Build it drive it love it. Keep it. Invest in real estate if your looking for financial gains. Not e30s sent from hell using tapatalk

[slavenzo]

They are an investment for the love of driving Build it drive it love it. Keep it. Invest in real estate if your looking for financial gains. Not e30s sent from hell using tapatalk

As I said above, It is not for financial gain, although I don't want o invest myself in something that won't have any financial value if I find myself in need to sell it. E30 318is was my first car and I love them. Now I want another one.

[cheffy30]

I've had my daily for 19 years. What's to sell? lol... it's the car of the future! sent from hell using tapatalk

[cory58]

I don't want o invest myself in something that won't have any financial value if I find myself in need to sell it.

A 320i sedan is not a highly desired E30. If you keep it close to stock it will always have some value, but you will never recover close to the money you spend refurbishing or maintaining it. We all do it for the love of E30s.

Cory

[325isman]

Go for it, you will love driving a classic .

[roguetoaster]

Four doors offer better value for the buyer and the same driving pleasure as a two door. So, go for it, but if you set low expectations for the M20B20 you'll be happier with the ownership experience.

[TobyB]

Boy, was I clever not to buy a chrome- bumpered 912 back in the '90's when they were 'overpriced' at $6k.... I'd have really taken a bath, huh?

t
didn't have 6k at any time in the '90's. But, still...

[slavenzo]

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to check it our on 8th, if everything is as seller claims I am going for it...

[IceWhite]

I owned a 1984 model, Chrome bumper 4 door 320i manual because I wanted an E30, and at the time it was in a good condition and worth the money I paid for it.

I drove it alot and enjoyed it during my ownership, even though in the back of my mind I knew I really wanted a Facelift 325i. The only reason I bought it was because it was in the best condition compared to all the other E30s I saw at the time, the price I paid for it and the fact that it came with the most options: front fog lights, rear fog lights, electric mirrors and windows, aircon, power steering, leather seats, bottlecap for a spare wheel, mudflaps, rear bootlid/trunklid spoiler and the bigger toolkit (It was incomplete). The only options missing from it that I cared about, were a sunroof, 3 spoke leather steering wheel and the rear headrests. This was about 20 years ago.

After 4 years of ownership, I sold it about 5 months after I purchased the 325i that I presently own, and which I have no intention of selling.

The 320i sounded great (perfect for turning money/fuel into great aural pleasure), it was smooth on the highways but it was terribly sluggish in the city and it used more fuel than the 325i, and I have no regrets owning it. You could do what I did, purchase the 320i, enjoy it for what it is and then later on get the one you really want (If you can find it.) This way you will not miss out on an opportunity to own an E30 should you not find the one you really want, and at the same time it does not make you desperate to just buy the first E30 325 you see.

Hope this helps.

[lukeADE335i]

Depends what you want out of the car - the 320i can be a great car to pick up cheaply for an engine swap. The key thing to make them more fun to drive is to put the right diff in them - the 3.63 the early ones came with stock was too long, and made them sluggish. A 4.10 makes them a lot peppier, and it'll still have reasonable revs on the highway. I enjoyed driving mine for 3 years or so before doing my swap.