first BMW, first E30 1985 318i

[Noobie_2023]

Jus wondering if anyone was still active on this thread? I could use a little help. I’ve been driving past this 1980s 318i for the last three years, and even since before I could drive I’ve been admiring this car, even telling my brother and friends I was going to buy it someday. It hasn’t been registered since 2017, and I know it hasn’t moved for the last five years, and eventually I grew enough balls and went and knocked on their door. The lady who answered said it was her sons and he doesn’t live at home, she said she was ready for it to go but I would have to talk to her son first, gave them my number and they sent it to the son. She said that if he hasn’t reached out to me then I should come visit them over the weekend because he’s always there during the weekend. I looked over the frame the best I could, didn’t see any rust damage on the frame, it was running when it was parked over five years ago, but has been sitting since. Im not sure the year or the mileage, but I’m aiming to buy and restore this car, it would be my first car I’ve ever bought, and I’d like to find out as much as I could about what I’m getting myself into, problems to look for, any advice that could come in handy? Not the best picture but the only one I have at the moment.

[skater4145]

hey everyone, i wanted to update this thread...

its been over a year since i've posted and a lot has happened. I was unable to drive for about 3 months between may - september 2020 and because of that I sold this car to the previous owner and he has been taking good care of it... its a great story he came over to my house to buy it and swapped a wheel cylinder in my driveway so he could drive it home... you know just cool e30 things lol.

anyway I spent about 6 months being e30less and lo and behold im back with another e30!
to hear all about the new one you can go to my new thread and read here: https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/for...-with-m50-swap
pic for fun:

[KI4UJO]

ok thank you, now im reading a lot, trying to find out if I can run MS and still pass smog, but I don't know if I want to even mess with it, after driving the car for a while, I'm ok with sacrificing weight and handling for such an upgraded torque curve. most of the time im commuting 6 miles to work everyday or running errands, I hardly ever get to drive twisty roads anymore... my desire for power is mostly just to keep up with everyone else. cars now days all mostly drive/accelerate a pretty decent pace. the m10 struggles even to keep up with large suv's sometimes.
so that being said im trying to find out if I can run an auto m30 engine and DME and chip it while hooked up to my g240 and still pass the ref. that would make finding one a lot easier.

part of my thinking with the m50 was how many I see in the junkyard. I'm sold on the m30 though just need to do some more research... still have a lot of questions, I know smog equip on Hondas but I have zero bmw knowledge. I need to find out how much smog equip the late model 92-95 motors have compared to the 85-91 era and decide if the late model motors are worth however much more work it would be to pass the state bar. I haven't read enough yet but im guessing if I get a motor from 85-87 there's not much updating I have to do to the car its all fairly period correct and CA didn't mandate obd until 1988.

more reading to do

Admittedly, I'm in TN, so I'm not 100 percent on all of the intricacies of CA smog law. My understanding of it is that all of the original equipment is required for a swap. Megasquirt, for example, is not legal (whether or not you can pass with it is a different story... I've heard of guys putting an MS unit in a stock DME enclosure for visual reasons and then having a "smog tune" in addition to their normal tune, but those are just rumors......). Running an M30b35 would require you to run all of the emissions equipment from the e32/34 - which is basically a charcoal can and cats. Using a b35 is much easier as off the shelf swap mounts exist for it from a few suppliers (there are the e30.de mounts for the b34 - not actually sure if they are in production or not at this point). Also, b35s do not have the bellhousing - mounted crank sensors which require a specific transmission and flywheel (a b34 can be converted over to M1.3, which is b35 management, to get around that. Smog would once again prove to be an issue there.....).

To answer your original question, I believe you should be able to run a M30b35 connected to your G240. For that matter, if you have a motor which was originally from an auto car, the harness can have the auto stuff removed and the TPS swapped for a manual unit and then recovered in an OE-appearing shielding. I'm not sure if the DMEs are the same, though I believe they are and that it is a chip difference only.

That is why I ended up going M50. For me, the next step is either an M54b30 or an aluminum M52b30 build. The M50s use a charcoal can, converters, and not really anything else major. Plenty of guys on here have passed BAR w/a OBD1 M50.

It's really up to what you want out of the car overall. M30s, in my mind, are more raw and unrefined - though in a very good way. They're an old school, big displacement, single cam inline six that sounds amazing when opened up. They also pack quite the punch as far as low and mid range torque. On the other hand, the 24v family of engines provide a smooth powerband throughout the rev range, though an OBD1 M50 will be down on power compared to an M30b35. However, the m50 will return better fuel mileage.

[skater4145]

ok thank you, now im reading a lot, trying to find out if I can run MS and still pass smog, but I don't know if I want to even mess with it, after driving the car for a while, I'm ok with sacrificing weight and handling for such an upgraded torque curve. most of the time im commuting 6 miles to work everyday or running errands, I hardly ever get to drive twisty roads anymore... my desire for power is mostly just to keep up with everyone else. cars now days all mostly drive/accelerate a pretty decent pace. the m10 struggles even to keep up with large suv's sometimes.
so that being said im trying to find out if I can run an auto m30 engine and DME and chip it while hooked up to my g240 and still pass the ref. that would make finding one a lot easier.

part of my thinking with the m50 was how many I see in the junkyard. I'm sold on the m30 though just need to do some more research... still have a lot of questions, I know smog equip on Hondas but I have zero bmw knowledge. I need to find out how much smog equip the late model 92-95 motors have compared to the 85-91 era and decide if the late model motors are worth however much more work it would be to pass the state bar. I haven't read enough yet but im guessing if I get a motor from 85-87 there's not much updating I have to do to the car its all fairly period correct and CA didn't mandate obd until 1988.

more reading to do

[KI4UJO]

An M10 e30 is definitely a momentum car - they are slow but can be fun. I'd love to recommend building the M10 and running it off of MS or a Haltech... but you're in Cali. With that in mind, an M30 swap is a good route to take. Ideally you want a M30b35 from a e34, e32 or late e24. It is possible to use your G240 (along with the clutch, PP, and flywheel) with the M30, but there are varying reports on how well they hold up (I personally would expect it to, but I drive nowhere near as aggressive as some on this board). I'd definitely take a look at the M30 section.

Otherwise, I would normally recommend a M54b30, but once again smog would prove to be an issue - if you're aiming to go 24V a OBD1 M50 is probably the ideal route. I have one in my (originally) M10 car and am very happy with it.

[Slybeanx]

ok peeps quick update. ive been driving the car a lot to and from work. put on some wheel studs just because these wheels are coming on and off a lot.






ok so the short answer is the idle quality is mediocre at best. but this actually leads me to ask a question to the group...
the cars lack of power is starting to drive me crazy and it is becoming more and more apparent that i will not be able to continue to drive the m10 without putting some time and money into it. im not sure i want to do this because i feel like my money would be better spent by trying to acquire a donor car and doing an engine swap. now if this were nevada i would just try and source a turbo kit or maybe go carburetors, but because i will be driving this a lot to and from work, its going to need to be mostly california smog and carb legal.

budget is very much a concern, and so i feel that the cheapest easiest way to get to the power level i want and also be CA smog compliant is to find a wrecked 92-95 325i and do an obd1 m50 swap.

this is where i need a little help from the group...

i need people with more experience to tell me if my thinking is flawed or not...

in my mind it seems like getting an obd-1 m50 bar'd would not only make the car much faster but also update it nicely with slightly more modern technology and hopefully make for a more enjoyable driving experience overall. I would love to keep the m10 but i feel like it would be tons of work and money for very little power gains... what does the group think?

M30 swap, its very similar to an M10 but is 6 cylinders for that OEM + feel. Swaps cheap, easy and nets more power to weight than an M50.

[skater4145]

ok peeps quick update. ive been driving the car a lot to and from work. put on some wheel studs just because these wheels are coming on and off a lot.

L-Jetronic M10! I've spent many, many hours dealing with these. If you have any questions, ask them here or PM me and I'll be glad to answer.

Worth asking, how is the idle quality? I ask as you mention vacuum leaks - they are definitely a factor, though every M10 I've encountered so far has needed an Idle Control Module.

ok so the short answer is the idle quality is mediocre at best. but this actually leads me to ask a question to the group...
the cars lack of power is starting to drive me crazy and it is becoming more and more apparent that i will not be able to continue to drive the m10 without putting some time and money into it. im not sure i want to do this because i feel like my money would be better spent by trying to acquire a donor car and doing an engine swap. now if this were nevada i would just try and source a turbo kit or maybe go carburetors, but because i will be driving this a lot to and from work, its going to need to be mostly california smog and carb legal.

budget is very much a concern, and so i feel that the cheapest easiest way to get to the power level i want and also be CA smog compliant is to find a wrecked 92-95 325i and do an obd1 m50 swap.

this is where i need a little help from the group...

i need people with more experience to tell me if my thinking is flawed or not...

in my mind it seems like getting an obd-1 m50 bar'd would not only make the car much faster but also update it nicely with slightly more modern technology and hopefully make for a more enjoyable driving experience overall. I would love to keep the m10 but i feel like it would be tons of work and money for very little power gains... what does the group think?

[KI4UJO]

L-Jetronic M10! I've spent many, many hours dealing with these. If you have any questions, ask them here or PM me and I'll be glad to answer.

Worth asking, how is the idle quality? I ask as you mention vacuum leaks - they are definitely a factor, though every M10 I've encountered so far has needed an Idle Control Module.

[skater4145]

haha I've got everything and still havent started the swap...

You shouldn't need any spacers for those wheels but you might once you've got the bigger brakes on. I had 15x7 92's and had to run a 5mm spacer up front to clear the caliper. Definitely needed more camber than I had to not ruin the fenders. I was running 205 55 r15's as well.

first priority is rolling the fenders (I have a fender roller just need to find the time... I'll take pics) then I will get 205/55r15s, ive been hawking all the tire and wheel threads and I think for a 15" wheels that size looks the best.

Great looking car..... You are well on your way to having a very nice ride. Good luck

thank you very much! so far my ownership of the e30 has been super enjoyable. a chassis with a lot of character and very solid feeling. everyone keeps asking when I am going to paint it... it seems that non car people underestimate the expense of a halfway decent paint job!


ok so normally I could throw some money at a car like this and i'd be able to update this thread with pictures of cool bolt on parts all the time and whatnot but my wedding is in 11 days. so things are progressing slow atm. and budget is ruling the build currently.

because spending is a concern right now I acquired 2 pairs of free tires from friends. unfortunately they are not the same size. not even close. I took them to my buddys shop, and mounted them anyway. sorry not sorry.

with drifting as a background I have no problem running this setup temporarily, until I can afford to put 205/55r15s all around, but it offends people lol. the fronts are falken azenis 205/50r15 and the rears are 195/45r15 yoko s-drives.
LOL!
but free is free and so here we are.
obviously the azenis are pretty effin sticky so I put them on the front. not ideal for looks but from a performance standpoint there was no way I was going to put s-drives in the front and azenis in the back. the front tires rubbed a tiny bit so I needed to run a 5mm spacer to clear.

it drives fine but the speedo is off, and I need an lsd asap so I can burn these rear tires away. I ordered a wheel stud conversion kit, and I will run 5mm spacers all around.

while at my buddys shop I saw these in the corner... are they worth anything? he said he'd sell them to me super cheap.


also I have another friend who has these for sale but they are out of my budget at $2k

16x8 +15mm
uuuggghhhhh if only I weren't getting married...……..

anyway that's all I got for now. i'll update again when I roll my fenders and get some tires that actually fit the car.

[325isman]

Great looking car..... You are well on your way to having a very nice ride. Good luck

[wworm]

well I didn't have the time to go back for those parts but I will slowly be gathering the 6cyl brake stuffs and someday ill even put them on my car lol

haha I've got everything and still havent started the swap...

You shouldn't need any spacers for those wheels but you might once you've got the bigger brakes on. I had 15x7 92's and had to run a 5mm spacer up front to clear the caliper. Definitely needed more camber than I had to not ruin the fenders. I was running 205 55 r15's as well.

[skater4145]

^those are the brakes you want, you'll want the whole front strut housing/assemblies too and rear trailing arms. It'll be a pain in the ass to remove but totally worth it. 6cyl brakes are considerably better than those from an m10 car. I'll be doing the swap on my car pretty soon so feel free to hit me up with any other questions you might have.

That also has the front swaybar you want (21mm) and possibly the rear (12.5mm), remember to take the hardware too!

well I didn't have the time to go back for those parts but I will slowly be gathering the 6cyl brake stuffs and someday ill even put them on my car lol


for now I do have an update, it's not much but its something. same thing I had to tell all my girlfriends...




seems like they should fit pretty well, maybe needing a little spacer in the front but im thinking these will do well for giving the car a better stance on a budget. I have a friend willing to give me some 15" azenis he needs to get out of his garage and I got a pair of 15" s-drives with these wheels. so all I need to do is take all the wheels and tires to my buddys shop and mount them, then see if they need to be balanced lol.

next update: cleaning the engine bay! and probably pics of the wheels on the car I hope

[wworm]

^those are the brakes you want, you'll want the whole front strut housing/assemblies too and rear trailing arms. It'll be a pain in the ass to remove but totally worth it. 6cyl brakes are considerably better than those from an m10 car. I'll be doing the swap on my car pretty soon so feel free to hit me up with any other questions you might have.

That also has the front swaybar you want (21mm) and possibly the rear (12.5mm), remember to take the hardware too!

[skater4145]

new update: lots of work not on the car

Nice Seats ! Nobody will knock you for buying those, especially if they were a good deal.

A couple things I noticed from your interior pic.

#1: Dash has been swapped as the 84/85 m10 had a seat belt warning light in the middle of the dash, so I’d double check to make sure the right VIN plate is on the dash. Easy to swap so hopefully they did that

#2: should you decide to eat one the Euro Analog clock is a plug and play conversion to the hideous useless digital clock in there now. A solid upgrade IMO

I like where this is going, keep it up

awesome thank you for pointing that out! the dash is super cracked and I've been brainstorming what to do about the interior... I was worried about keeping the original dash but if that one isn't original than I won't have any problem replacing it.

yes euro clock is definitely on the list! that is one of those things ill ask the fiancé to get me as a birthday present or something lol.

ok so this update won't be that interesting but i have made progress on a rookie mistake that i made.
i traded my old comfort seats away when i picked up the sport seats. and also with them, the buckle receivers, which probably most of you know puts me in a predicament because i have the short seat belt buckles in the 85.
so i found this thread:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...uckle+reciever

and then headed to the yard.
there i found lots of e36 cars but nothing i could use. and then i saw the ol girl.


take a peek inside


seats yes... and... could it be...
F**K YEAH! BUCKLE RECIEVERS!


they work a treat on my early model buckles... BUT WAIT! there are a few differences between the e30 receiver and the e28 receiver.
you can see the early style button, but the mounts at the bottom are obviously different and the angle of the bend is different as well. mine have been bent a little to be closer to the e30 shape.




also saw this there...


should i be looking at those rotors and calipers? anything else off that car i should be going back for?

[2mAn]

Nice Seats ! Nobody will knock you for buying those, especially if they were a good deal.

A couple things I noticed from your interior pic.

#1: Dash has been swapped as the 84/85 m10 had a seat belt warning light in the middle of the dash, so I’d double check to make sure the right VIN plate is on the dash. Easy to swap so hopefully they did that

#2: should you decide to eat one the Euro Analog clock is a plug and play conversion to the hideous useless digital clock in there now. A solid upgrade IMO

I like where this is going, keep it up