I bought my first E30 in 2012, a 1989 325is. Unfortunately my last car had fractured clear coat so I made the though decision to find a cleaner car rather than repaint and overhaul my existing car. After searching CL and the usual channels and looking at a couple cars within about a 4 hours drive, I posted a WTB add and ended up buying SER1992's Sterling Silver 1990 325is.
The car had several previous owners but the last few all were BMWCCA members and it shows. The original paint is in amazing condition, and it just happened that Sterling is my favorite E30 color. Only problem...As always it was on the wrong coast.
Build Sheet
Type - AA23
Model -325is - USA
Development Code - E30
Chassis - LIM
Steering - LL
Doors - 2
Engine - M20
Displacement - 2.50
Power - 125
Drivetrain - HECK
Transmission - AUT (Originally an auto, 5 speed swapped)
Color - Sterlingsilber Metallic - 244
Upholstery - Silber Leder - 0292 (Swapped for black sport leather and hounds tooth door cards & rear panels)
Production Plant - REGENSBURG
Production Date - 1990-01-05
Options:
209 - Limited Slip Differential (25%) (Retained the 4.10LSD after the 5speed swap)
226 - Sports Suspension Settings
240 - Leather Steering Wheel
281 - Lm-rad 6 1/2 X 14
324 - Front-und Heckspoiler
401 - Sliding/vent Roof, Electric
410 - Window Lifts, Electric At Front
481 - Sport Seats F Driver/front Passenger
530 - Air Conditioning
540 - Cruise Control
551 - On-board Computer Ii W Remote Control
562 - Map Reading Light
675 - Bmw Sound System
841 - Aussensp.in Wag.fa.u.325is Sch
925 - Shipping Protection Package
Some of the shots SER1992 sent me.
List of what was done to the car before I got it:
Updated Mods Installed:
New UUC EVO3 SSK w/DSSR and Delrin carrier bushings
BavAuto clutch kit
BavAuto springs
Bilstein Sport shocks
New Guibo and CSB
Converted to 75MM wheel studs/nuts (from Apex)
16" ASA JS1 Wheels
New OEM Front Rotors w/Hawk HPS pads and rebuilt calipers
New Rear drilled Zimmerman rotors w/Hawk HPS pads and rebuilt calipers
Ireland Engineering Exhaust
New BMW IS front lip
New BMW IS trunk lip spoiler with fresh paint
Ti/E36 antenna
Euro grilles
Abraham’s smoked turn signal lenses
New Mtech II steering wheel
New ZHP shift knob
New Mishimoto E36 Aluminum Radiator
Wrinkle finish painted valve cover (black) with sanded BMW logo
New Bilstein E30 M3 CAB/Lollipops
Houndstooth Door Cards
Black Leather Sport Interior
Hartge Front Strut Bar
New UUC stainless/teflon front brake lines
Tinted Windows
4.10 limited slip
Viper Alarm
Bosch Euro Smiley's
Maintenance in last 5k miles:
Rockers re-sprayed black
4 new head light bulbs
Fresh flush/fill of ATE Super Blue (including clutch)
New front passenger wheel hub & bearings
New Continental timing belt & tensioner
New Graf Water Pump
New Behr 80C Thermostat
Coolant flush & fill with BMW coolant, distilled water & Redline Water Wetter
All new coolant/water hoses
New Fan Clutch
New Coolant Temp Sensor
New Continental accessory belts
Oil/Filter change
Valve adjustment
New valve cover gasket & rubber end plugs
New distributor cap & rotor
New air filter
New fuel filter
New spark plugs
New OEM front cowl (lower windshield) plastic vent covers
New wiper blades
New front and rear Roundels
New Pilkington windshield
New Boston SE50 5 1/4" component speakers front & rear
Alpine 9874 CD head unit
Installed as part of sale
New starter/solenoid
New Alternator
New Battery
Bimmer World Motor and Trans Mounts
After lots of pictures and videos sent my way a deal was struck. I have always wanted to drive across the country, but I didn't have enough leave from work to make it worth it. I ended up having the car shipped from Oregon to VA. And she had a couple very nice cars keeping her company.
Finally arrived!
Swapped over some parts from my old car before selling it:
Husco Arm Rest
Custom Cup holder
BMP Chipped DME
E28 Leather brake handle
Second Trunk light
Mint OEM NLA floor mats, covered with 1-Series All Weather Mats
Unfortunately shortly after getting it it was apparent that the 3rd gear syncro was shot. So I decided go all in and bought a NOS transmission directly from BMW and sent the car to Guten Parts for Levent to replace it as well as go over the car and take care of few other things.
Headed to Guten
While it was there:
New 5 Speed Getrag260 installed
E46 ZHP Rack from the Rack Doctor installed
New Control Arms and M3 CABs
New End links and Sways bushings
Rogue Engineering Rear Shock Mounts
Diff, brake and radiator flush
AC Refreshed
New H&R Sport Springs
Race Skids - Skid Plate
And quite a few odds and ends.
New Trans
H&R Springs and suspension overhaul done
I had a set of OEM IS side skirts that had been sitting in my closet since I bought my first E30 and decided to get them installed. Levent introduced me to Matthew at Convenience Collision and the car headed there for the rest of the winter for the install and repairing the pinch welds where the car had been jacked improperly.
Matthew works on a lot of older vintage cars and has done quite a few older BMWs. He said that my E30's body/chassis was the cleanest E30 he had seen since the 90's. That comment right there made shipping the car from the West Coast worth it.
Skirts are on
Earlier in the fall I found some BBS RS003 somewhat local so I went for it. So while at Guten and Convenience Collision I had Dave at Renewed Finishes restore the wheels. Before I bought these I had been planning on buying some Nogaro Silver Euro Weaves so I decided to restore the RSs in a similar fashion.
They were in really great condition, so I decided to refinish the stock lips and not spend more on wider lips.
Refinish Process
A little color
Refinish the bolts in silver or black?
Black won
I think Dave's work speaks for itself they came out amazing.
BBS RS003s 16x7 ET25
Original Lips and Hexs Brushed and clear powdered
Centers and Waffles - Nogaro Silver & clear powdered
Bolts and Barrels in Satin Black Powder
Mounted up at Guten
Finally back home
Bought an awesome small pressure washer on Amazon and a foam gun - GreenWorks 1600 PSI Electric Pressure Washer
All clean
All tucked in
Wheel/Tire/Suspension
BBS RS003s - 16x7 ET25
Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Specs 225/45R16s
H&R Sports, Bilstein Sports, E90 Drop Hats, M3 Offset CABs
Next up is breaking out the Porter Cable for a weekend detail session in prep for the Vintage. Tackling the timing belt with the help of a friend to teach me for down the road. Also just jumped on the Stromung GB so anxiously awaiting its arrival.
Levent - https://www.instagram.com/gutenparts/
Dave - https://www.instagram.com/renewedfinishes/
Matthew- https://www.instagram.com/conveniencecollision/
All these guys did amazing work, I highly recommend all three guys!
The car had several previous owners but the last few all were BMWCCA members and it shows. The original paint is in amazing condition, and it just happened that Sterling is my favorite E30 color. Only problem...As always it was on the wrong coast.
Build Sheet
Type - AA23
Model -325is - USA
Development Code - E30
Chassis - LIM
Steering - LL
Doors - 2
Engine - M20
Displacement - 2.50
Power - 125
Drivetrain - HECK
Transmission - AUT (Originally an auto, 5 speed swapped)
Color - Sterlingsilber Metallic - 244
Upholstery - Silber Leder - 0292 (Swapped for black sport leather and hounds tooth door cards & rear panels)
Production Plant - REGENSBURG
Production Date - 1990-01-05
Options:
209 - Limited Slip Differential (25%) (Retained the 4.10LSD after the 5speed swap)
226 - Sports Suspension Settings
240 - Leather Steering Wheel
281 - Lm-rad 6 1/2 X 14
324 - Front-und Heckspoiler
401 - Sliding/vent Roof, Electric
410 - Window Lifts, Electric At Front
481 - Sport Seats F Driver/front Passenger
530 - Air Conditioning
540 - Cruise Control
551 - On-board Computer Ii W Remote Control
562 - Map Reading Light
675 - Bmw Sound System
841 - Aussensp.in Wag.fa.u.325is Sch
925 - Shipping Protection Package
Some of the shots SER1992 sent me.
List of what was done to the car before I got it:
Updated Mods Installed:
New UUC EVO3 SSK w/DSSR and Delrin carrier bushings
BavAuto clutch kit
BavAuto springs
Bilstein Sport shocks
New Guibo and CSB
Converted to 75MM wheel studs/nuts (from Apex)
16" ASA JS1 Wheels
New OEM Front Rotors w/Hawk HPS pads and rebuilt calipers
New Rear drilled Zimmerman rotors w/Hawk HPS pads and rebuilt calipers
Ireland Engineering Exhaust
New BMW IS front lip
New BMW IS trunk lip spoiler with fresh paint
Ti/E36 antenna
Euro grilles
Abraham’s smoked turn signal lenses
New Mtech II steering wheel
New ZHP shift knob
New Mishimoto E36 Aluminum Radiator
Wrinkle finish painted valve cover (black) with sanded BMW logo
New Bilstein E30 M3 CAB/Lollipops
Houndstooth Door Cards
Black Leather Sport Interior
Hartge Front Strut Bar
New UUC stainless/teflon front brake lines
Tinted Windows
4.10 limited slip
Viper Alarm
Bosch Euro Smiley's
Maintenance in last 5k miles:
Rockers re-sprayed black
4 new head light bulbs
Fresh flush/fill of ATE Super Blue (including clutch)
New front passenger wheel hub & bearings
New Continental timing belt & tensioner
New Graf Water Pump
New Behr 80C Thermostat
Coolant flush & fill with BMW coolant, distilled water & Redline Water Wetter
All new coolant/water hoses
New Fan Clutch
New Coolant Temp Sensor
New Continental accessory belts
Oil/Filter change
Valve adjustment
New valve cover gasket & rubber end plugs
New distributor cap & rotor
New air filter
New fuel filter
New spark plugs
New OEM front cowl (lower windshield) plastic vent covers
New wiper blades
New front and rear Roundels
New Pilkington windshield
New Boston SE50 5 1/4" component speakers front & rear
Alpine 9874 CD head unit
Installed as part of sale
New starter/solenoid
New Alternator
New Battery
Bimmer World Motor and Trans Mounts
After lots of pictures and videos sent my way a deal was struck. I have always wanted to drive across the country, but I didn't have enough leave from work to make it worth it. I ended up having the car shipped from Oregon to VA. And she had a couple very nice cars keeping her company.
Finally arrived!
Swapped over some parts from my old car before selling it:
Husco Arm Rest
Custom Cup holder
BMP Chipped DME
E28 Leather brake handle
Second Trunk light
Mint OEM NLA floor mats, covered with 1-Series All Weather Mats
Unfortunately shortly after getting it it was apparent that the 3rd gear syncro was shot. So I decided go all in and bought a NOS transmission directly from BMW and sent the car to Guten Parts for Levent to replace it as well as go over the car and take care of few other things.
Headed to Guten
While it was there:
New 5 Speed Getrag260 installed
E46 ZHP Rack from the Rack Doctor installed
New Control Arms and M3 CABs
New End links and Sways bushings
Rogue Engineering Rear Shock Mounts
Diff, brake and radiator flush
AC Refreshed
New H&R Sport Springs
Race Skids - Skid Plate
And quite a few odds and ends.
New Trans
H&R Springs and suspension overhaul done
I had a set of OEM IS side skirts that had been sitting in my closet since I bought my first E30 and decided to get them installed. Levent introduced me to Matthew at Convenience Collision and the car headed there for the rest of the winter for the install and repairing the pinch welds where the car had been jacked improperly.
Matthew works on a lot of older vintage cars and has done quite a few older BMWs. He said that my E30's body/chassis was the cleanest E30 he had seen since the 90's. That comment right there made shipping the car from the West Coast worth it.
Skirts are on
Earlier in the fall I found some BBS RS003 somewhat local so I went for it. So while at Guten and Convenience Collision I had Dave at Renewed Finishes restore the wheels. Before I bought these I had been planning on buying some Nogaro Silver Euro Weaves so I decided to restore the RSs in a similar fashion.
They were in really great condition, so I decided to refinish the stock lips and not spend more on wider lips.
Refinish Process
A little color
Refinish the bolts in silver or black?
Black won
I think Dave's work speaks for itself they came out amazing.
BBS RS003s 16x7 ET25
Original Lips and Hexs Brushed and clear powdered
Centers and Waffles - Nogaro Silver & clear powdered
Bolts and Barrels in Satin Black Powder
Mounted up at Guten
Finally back home
Bought an awesome small pressure washer on Amazon and a foam gun - GreenWorks 1600 PSI Electric Pressure Washer
All clean
All tucked in
Wheel/Tire/Suspension
BBS RS003s - 16x7 ET25
Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Specs 225/45R16s
H&R Sports, Bilstein Sports, E90 Drop Hats, M3 Offset CABs
Next up is breaking out the Porter Cable for a weekend detail session in prep for the Vintage. Tackling the timing belt with the help of a friend to teach me for down the road. Also just jumped on the Stromung GB so anxiously awaiting its arrival.
Levent - https://www.instagram.com/gutenparts/
Dave - https://www.instagram.com/renewedfinishes/
Matthew- https://www.instagram.com/conveniencecollision/
All these guys did amazing work, I highly recommend all three guys!
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