My abandoned e30 M3 restoration

[rzerob]

Didn't OP ask the kid the address of the vehicle? If that doesn't give the kid the hint that OP was probably going for the car, then the kid is stupid.

OP got a great deal, one that would make any of us jealous. But saying he should pay the kid because he got such a great deal is like paying your junk dealer twice his asking price because the part is worth so much more.

Some times we find great deals, OP's deal just happens to be on a whole other level. Just be happy for the guy.

I am looking forward to the restoration and many more pics.

[econti]

You know what you do RE the kid situation?

Get it running, and take him for a ride in it.
If I was in the situation of the kid, I'd be pretty okay with that.

[NardusDC]

Where is the meet in FFX? When and how often?

[DesertBMW]

Story does not sound right. Original owner knew the car is worth some money. Why would he just abandon it then? Then you find him and then you have to convince him to sell it to you. But then he abandoned the car and it was sitting in some foreclosed property and the owner did not care? Also you go to local BMW meet and you are the only one who knows that E30 M3 is a gem and everybody else in the club is clueless.

I don't believe the story.

[Todd Black 88]

^LOL. I'd give the kid like a $100 giftcard or something.

Back on topic, does a swapped S14 (non original VIN) really help in the car's value?
I mean, it doesn't match vins...and that right away would sink value, right?...

Not that I think value should be an issue with this car. Enjoy the damn car.

I don't think it would SINK values, but in general, the more original the car is, the more it will eventually be worth. People pay top dollar for originality and concours readiness--stuff like having an original sparkplug wrench in the toolkit and OE appearance. Stuff like 18" BBS RS do not enhance the value of an investment car.

Unless I missed something on my motor when I had it out, there are no stamped vins on the head or block, just vin stickers like the rest of the car. So,as long as the castings are correct for the chassis model, there is no way to tell......afaik.

[FredK]

There's at least one on the cam tray. Here's a head I sold:

[Tippey764]

stop threadjacking this thread with whiny posts about paying the kid and how much he owes him. sheesh.

Pretty much.

^LOL. I'd give the kid like a $100 giftcard or something.

Back on topic, does a swapped S14 (non original VIN) really help in the car's value?
I mean, it doesn't match vins...and that right away would sink value, right?...

Not that I think value should be an issue with this car. Enjoy the damn car.

Sadly enough the head I had with the car that I already sold was the original vin matched head

Was hoping all this activity was with E30 M3 restoration information, pictures and videos.

Instead it is holier than thou, jealous, i know what is good for you, if i were you bickering. STFU.

On with the M3 resto.

I did post a photo or two of a couple parts being painted a couple pages back

I don't think it would SINK values, but in general, the more original the car is, the more it will eventually be worth. People pay top dollar for originality and concours readiness--stuff like having an original sparkplug wrench in the toolkit and OE appearance. Stuff like 18" BBS RS do not enhance the value of an investment car.

To be fair the car is undergoing a huge restoration anyways so the originality of it really shouldn't even be a concern since its clearly been ripped apart and put back together from the ground up

I feel the wheels should add value as they are period correct and installed when the car was new.

[Tippey764]

Where is the meet in FFX? When and how often?

Every thursday night at around 8:00pm in fairfax corner just off of random hills road.

Story does not sound right. Original owner knew the car is worth some money. Why would he just abandon it then? Then you find him and then you have to convince him to sell it to you. But then he abandoned the car and it was sitting in some foreclosed property and the owner did not care? Also you go to local BMW meet and you are the only one who knows that E30 M3 is a gem and everybody else in the club is clueless.

I don't believe the story.

The piece of property has some weird history. The owner of the car did not own the house. The owner of the house was a friend of his.

The original owner really didn't know the true value of the car I think. I rolled up in my e46 M3 and my brother in his E90 M3 and he was wondering why we even wanted such an old car when we had these newer M3's

He didn't really truly abandon the car by a technically stand point but he might as well have. He knew the car was there but it wasn't on his list of priorities. 5 years ago when the car went down he thought he might rebuild it and bring it back, now its 5 years later and he knows he isn't going to get to it nor is he concerned with it anymore since hes had it so long. He decided he would rather see me restore it then let it sit any longer. Hes happy to see me making progress with the car and he wants to see it again when i have it finished.

Also of course people at the meet know the E30 m3 is a gem. This was the first meet the kid had ever been to who informed me about the car. The only reason I found out about it was because I engaged him in a conversation and gave him a ride in my car.

Unless I missed something on my motor when I had it out, there are no stamped vins on the head or block, just vin stickers like the rest of the car. So,as long as the castings are correct for the chassis model, there is no way to tell......afaik.

My head definitely had my vin on it like the photo above. I'm not sure about the block or the transmission though since they was missing

[E30Kop]

What an awesome story.

Well done to you & please dont let the jealousy of some deter you from regularly addiing some progress pics

[Todd Black 88]

There's at least one on the cam tray. Here's a head I sold:

Yeah, that's a sticker.
Unless there is a stamped vin I cannot recognize in the picture.(on my phone)

[FredK]

Right. There's only one stamped VIN on an E30, on the lower part of the windshield/firewall. Everywhere else, the VIN is a decal.

The presence of engine decals should be sufficient to identify an engine to its chassis, just as the fender decal or lower rear valance panel decal identify a car has original panels. The lack of an identifying decal would not necessarily be a deal breaker in my opinion, but it hurts originality.

I'm just speaking from a concours standpoint.

[Todd Black 88]

Yeah, I understand, but most if not all loose that sticker during the rebuild process. When my head was rebuilt, I remember looking at that sticker.....half attached and half hanging in mid air.......and flicking it with my finger and it falling off.:)

BMW aparently will order new stickers for the car, with enough proof and hoop jumping....so I have been told.

[FredK]

Right, I've heard the same thing about ordering new VIN decals from BMW.

[freeride53]

Hmm. This opens a whole can of worms for me in terms of falsifying in the BMW market.

[HennaE30]

Hmm. This opens a whole can of worms for me in terms of falsifying in the BMW market.

Yea... Seems like there's the possibility for a lot of loops holes and someone ending up with something that really isn't what they thought they bought.