Hi All- Before I start...this thread will be nothing compared to the magnificence found in Larry's E30 M3 (F50nut) thread. I live in NY and I've owned quite a few E30's specifically lusting over E30 M3's. I sold one E30 M3 which I swapped back in 2009 to KarlSpackler. You may remember a red M3 out of South Dakota that was stanced on SSR mesh wheels with an Evo III wing and DTM gurney flap. I had put in an S52 OBDI setup in that car back in 2006-2007.
Fast forward past the E36 M3 Avus SPA Turbo setup and AW E46 M3 hiatus.
I currently have a Zinna/Tan S54 OBDII E30 M3 running off of the stock MMS54 DME with an EPIC tune 340rwhp/277tq- 7800rpm limiter.
BUT that is not the point of this thread. The point is to share with you an amazing yet nervous CL find. Last week Tuesday 3/31, I was casually browsing CL only to find a local E30 M3 for sale with a price of $15. I was puzzled. The car had a salvage/rebuilt title, original S14 rebuilt to 2.5L stroker EVO specs and cowl rust. I made contact with the owner and sensed that he "knew" what he had but ultimately lost interest in the car. It had sat for a minimum of 4 years with occasional start-ups and drives around his block. He clarified that he was looking to get $15k for the vehicle as-is and had the title in his hand. Fast forward a few hours after making initial contact with the seller who was inundated with phone calls, emails, texts from other potential buyers, I was on my way to his house straight from work (with cash).
Ultimately, I was the third final party to inquire about the vehicle. I saw the Diamonshwartz/ Grey WBS VIN'd E30 in person and I knew what I was up against. The seller was certainly that there was sufficient interest in the car and was straightforward with the accident by the original owner at 32k miles in 1992 up in Mass. which caused the salvage branded title. The nose of the car was hit hard but was coincidently fixed properly by a friend of mine. If any of you R3V members search "S54 Autocraft" in youtube...red rocket.... that shop repaired this car. Modifications such as the motor rebuild, BBS RS-GT's, Bilsteins (front only) and H&R race springs, euro smoked hellas, french fogs, startecs and lack of maintenance over the past 4 years gave me an excited yet extremely nervous feeling. The car was last registered in 2009 FYI. The coolant reservoir was disgusting, the car had cowl and license plate rust however the panels were straight with no rust on the under-body. What was evident was a lack of care.
Sooooooo......yea
I purchased the car the following day after leaving a $100 deposit with the guy. He could have easily sold the car to other interested parties but he kept his word. We agreed on a fair price below his asking which I was happy about. Unfortunately, the title being in his sisters name would scare a few of you off but we took care of the necessary paperwork at the DMV to get the new NYS title issued in my name. I paid $46 dollars in taxes on a "$500" junk car purchase and had the flat bed bring the new baby home.
Immediately within the next two days I threw out the entire ignition system. Rotor, Distrib cap, coil, plugs and wires were all tossed immediately. The rear suspension had seen better days. Rsm's were shot. He had cheap KYB shocks which were thrown into a pile along with both rear axles. Brake rotors and pads were also tossed in la basura.
As of today 4/10 I have currently own the car for 1 week. Coolant system was ran thru with a hose to get some of the muck out, oil was changed with oem filter and Mobil 1 15/50 and things are underway.
Please keep in mind that I am not one to boast or brag but when given the opportunity to write this thread, I wanted to share my experience. The purchase was full of uncertainty and nervousness. With patience I think I can make a great driver and hopefully give an enthusiast an opportunity to get into a car of their dreams without the astronomical and outrageous pricing that these vehicles have ballooned to. To think that in 2010 a clean running E30 M3 could be had for 12-15k and now the same car would fetch 30-35k is incredible in my mind. It is following the path of air-cooled Porsche's-both 930 and 993. What is funny to me is that a car such as the Cosworth 16v 2.3 MB 190E which was a direct rival to the E30 M3 does not have as enthusiastic of a cult following and therefore STILL doesn't command a premium in today's market.
One thing to keep in mind when buying semi-classic 25+ year old cars are never to look at a car as an investment unless you are a purely speculative car collector, which I am not. I bit the bullet and made this car come home with me because it truly is something that speaks to me in more ways than monetary value. I made a purchase based on having the most knowledge I could possibly obtain in a short time frame and having patience.
I would like to use this thread to update on my progress as it unfolds.
Thus far I have spent $1600 at ECS, Pelican, Turner and Rockauto to address the cooling system, rear suspension and ignition.
Without further rambling...here is the S54 garage queen and 2.5L S14 CL find. Please provide comments, and criticism on areas that I can address on the DS. I don't care what you have to say for the red chariot because.......
Fast forward past the E36 M3 Avus SPA Turbo setup and AW E46 M3 hiatus.
I currently have a Zinna/Tan S54 OBDII E30 M3 running off of the stock MMS54 DME with an EPIC tune 340rwhp/277tq- 7800rpm limiter.
BUT that is not the point of this thread. The point is to share with you an amazing yet nervous CL find. Last week Tuesday 3/31, I was casually browsing CL only to find a local E30 M3 for sale with a price of $15. I was puzzled. The car had a salvage/rebuilt title, original S14 rebuilt to 2.5L stroker EVO specs and cowl rust. I made contact with the owner and sensed that he "knew" what he had but ultimately lost interest in the car. It had sat for a minimum of 4 years with occasional start-ups and drives around his block. He clarified that he was looking to get $15k for the vehicle as-is and had the title in his hand. Fast forward a few hours after making initial contact with the seller who was inundated with phone calls, emails, texts from other potential buyers, I was on my way to his house straight from work (with cash).
Ultimately, I was the third final party to inquire about the vehicle. I saw the Diamonshwartz/ Grey WBS VIN'd E30 in person and I knew what I was up against. The seller was certainly that there was sufficient interest in the car and was straightforward with the accident by the original owner at 32k miles in 1992 up in Mass. which caused the salvage branded title. The nose of the car was hit hard but was coincidently fixed properly by a friend of mine. If any of you R3V members search "S54 Autocraft" in youtube...red rocket.... that shop repaired this car. Modifications such as the motor rebuild, BBS RS-GT's, Bilsteins (front only) and H&R race springs, euro smoked hellas, french fogs, startecs and lack of maintenance over the past 4 years gave me an excited yet extremely nervous feeling. The car was last registered in 2009 FYI. The coolant reservoir was disgusting, the car had cowl and license plate rust however the panels were straight with no rust on the under-body. What was evident was a lack of care.
Sooooooo......yea
I purchased the car the following day after leaving a $100 deposit with the guy. He could have easily sold the car to other interested parties but he kept his word. We agreed on a fair price below his asking which I was happy about. Unfortunately, the title being in his sisters name would scare a few of you off but we took care of the necessary paperwork at the DMV to get the new NYS title issued in my name. I paid $46 dollars in taxes on a "$500" junk car purchase and had the flat bed bring the new baby home.
Immediately within the next two days I threw out the entire ignition system. Rotor, Distrib cap, coil, plugs and wires were all tossed immediately. The rear suspension had seen better days. Rsm's were shot. He had cheap KYB shocks which were thrown into a pile along with both rear axles. Brake rotors and pads were also tossed in la basura.
As of today 4/10 I have currently own the car for 1 week. Coolant system was ran thru with a hose to get some of the muck out, oil was changed with oem filter and Mobil 1 15/50 and things are underway.
Please keep in mind that I am not one to boast or brag but when given the opportunity to write this thread, I wanted to share my experience. The purchase was full of uncertainty and nervousness. With patience I think I can make a great driver and hopefully give an enthusiast an opportunity to get into a car of their dreams without the astronomical and outrageous pricing that these vehicles have ballooned to. To think that in 2010 a clean running E30 M3 could be had for 12-15k and now the same car would fetch 30-35k is incredible in my mind. It is following the path of air-cooled Porsche's-both 930 and 993. What is funny to me is that a car such as the Cosworth 16v 2.3 MB 190E which was a direct rival to the E30 M3 does not have as enthusiastic of a cult following and therefore STILL doesn't command a premium in today's market.
One thing to keep in mind when buying semi-classic 25+ year old cars are never to look at a car as an investment unless you are a purely speculative car collector, which I am not. I bit the bullet and made this car come home with me because it truly is something that speaks to me in more ways than monetary value. I made a purchase based on having the most knowledge I could possibly obtain in a short time frame and having patience.
I would like to use this thread to update on my progress as it unfolds.
Thus far I have spent $1600 at ECS, Pelican, Turner and Rockauto to address the cooling system, rear suspension and ignition.
Without further rambling...here is the S54 garage queen and 2.5L S14 CL find. Please provide comments, and criticism on areas that I can address on the DS. I don't care what you have to say for the red chariot because.......
Attached Files
Comment