After owning many of these cars (bmw 3 series) I have finally found one with the perfect balance IMO. the car is a 87 325IS with a S50 swap built by Das German out of TN. When I got the car it was pretty rough cosmetically. Being alpine white and 27 years old the car needed some help. The PO did not understand how to maintain paint/interior but I saw the potential this car has. Pictures from the PO's add:
ESukGNWj7JnP2 by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
srsgvd8CFYz12 by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
V35jTeWpAVgV2 by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
Once I had the car in my possession I really saw what this car could be. Crack free dash, almost MINT interior minus the drivers seat. The photo of the interior looks great now after I cleaned/steam cleaned the interior but it was horrendous. I literally found bowls of probably month(s) old spaghetti, cigarettes, a "chinese sex pill", beverage cans, old dried food in the carpet. Lets just say I gagged a lot while cleaning this one out. Through all of the garbage in this car their was a sweet sweet find.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
Along with the original window sticker, I also have every single maintenance receipt from 1987 to current and every thing that was bought in between including the engine build.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
The car had the original IS front spoiler but it was thrashed. Perfect opportunity to do a plastic bumper swap. I have had 2 other E30s in my bmw 3 series journey. One diving board bumper vert, a plastic bumper vert with a turbo and now this one. I scored a set of plastic bumpers with a valence for 200$ from a local kid who crashed his E30 in the winter storm we had a few months back. They were red so I sanded them down and rattle caned them white for the time being.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
I have been wanting a Euro E30 since my first E30 but I couldn't justify the bumpers being a college student. So I had to get creative, I ordered an IS lip and some 3M chrome vinyl wrap. I had some wrap experience from my previous E30 that I wrapped silver.
before rear bumper
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
after rear bumper
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
before front and pre- IS lip.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
after front and with the IS lip added and fog light delete plates in!
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
Finally the car is as it would have came from the factory as a late model IS car minus the rear valence and chrome plastic bumpers. I'm not worried about the rear valence at the moment because I do have something special in mind for this car that I haven't seen done to an E30 (wanted a early model IS- need the higher fender arches).
I wanted to add a little something special to the car especially when the hood gets popped. So I stripped and painted the engine cover to match the interior/pin stripe.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
ESukGNWj7JnP2 by Tyler Cauley, on Flickrsrsgvd8CFYz12 by Tyler Cauley, on FlickrV35jTeWpAVgV2 by Tyler Cauley, on FlickrOnce I had the car in my possession I really saw what this car could be. Crack free dash, almost MINT interior minus the drivers seat. The photo of the interior looks great now after I cleaned/steam cleaned the interior but it was horrendous. I literally found bowls of probably month(s) old spaghetti, cigarettes, a "chinese sex pill", beverage cans, old dried food in the carpet. Lets just say I gagged a lot while cleaning this one out. Through all of the garbage in this car their was a sweet sweet find.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on FlickrAlong with the original window sticker, I also have every single maintenance receipt from 1987 to current and every thing that was bought in between including the engine build.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on FlickrThe car had the original IS front spoiler but it was thrashed. Perfect opportunity to do a plastic bumper swap. I have had 2 other E30s in my bmw 3 series journey. One diving board bumper vert, a plastic bumper vert with a turbo and now this one. I scored a set of plastic bumpers with a valence for 200$ from a local kid who crashed his E30 in the winter storm we had a few months back. They were red so I sanded them down and rattle caned them white for the time being.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on FlickrI have been wanting a Euro E30 since my first E30 but I couldn't justify the bumpers being a college student. So I had to get creative, I ordered an IS lip and some 3M chrome vinyl wrap. I had some wrap experience from my previous E30 that I wrapped silver.
before rear bumper
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickrafter rear bumper
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickrbefore front and pre- IS lip.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickrafter front and with the IS lip added and fog light delete plates in!
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on FlickrFinally the car is as it would have came from the factory as a late model IS car minus the rear valence and chrome plastic bumpers. I'm not worried about the rear valence at the moment because I do have something special in mind for this car that I haven't seen done to an E30 (wanted a early model IS- need the higher fender arches).
I wanted to add a little something special to the car especially when the hood gets popped. So I stripped and painted the engine cover to match the interior/pin stripe.
Untitled by Tyler Cauley, on Flickr
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