Before I pick it up "Before"pics

[Habs35]

I have to wait until Friday to pick this up, but I wanted to make sure and get some "Before" pics up before I start the modding process. The car will have tint before it even leaves the area I bought it from.

Anyway;
'89 325i Black on Black
3rd owner, but the 2nd owner has only had it for a month.
230K (yes, high, but I can't stress how perfect everything is on this car.)
Completely stock for now
Within the next month or two, it will have a drop, tint, shadowline, and wheels. (I'm open to suggestions, as this is my first e30)

Pics: (Dirty)




Like I said, I'm up for any mod suggestions, mainly for suspension and wheels. I would like to go with black 16" wheels with a polished lip and a decent track, but street-able suspension set up. But I don't want to spend a fortune, so any recommendations would be appreciated.
As for "go" mods, I'm waiting to finish school in a few months, then an engine swap will be in the works!!

[Spouch]

So clean!

[Habs35]

You don't even know, the pics don't even do it justice!

[moatilliatta]

rear bmw mats.... nice.

[rede30]

millage does not mean anything to me anymore, i have seen to many shitty low millage cars and to many clean highs. Looks like a clean start and sounds like you already have some good plans for it.

[M42Technik]

My suggestion to you is to learn as much as you can, and try and hold back on mods until you really understand, learn, and read up on what you want to do.

Other than that, keep it clean and have fun!

[VacMan]

Saw your post on bf.c about this car...glad you pulled the trigger! What did you end up picking it up for?

[VacMan]

NM, saw your post on bf.c. Nice car for $3k.

[Simon S]

yeah - wow. I would so molest that car..

good input earlier.. think OEM upgrades > eBay upgrades and you'll be golden !

[Habs35]

Thanks for the compliments. I've got a good handle on BMW's, being that this will be my third. I've owned two e36 m3's prior to this car, one sold the other wrecked unfortunately. My questions come from the fact that I am new to e30's.
essentially I'm looking at it like this;
I ran tein/koni suspension with my last m3 and loved the set up. What would be a comparable suspension package for the e30's? I don't want to slam the car, but I do want to, one, enhance the look, and two, keep the car comfortable but still have a set-up that is able to perform on the track. Basically a comfortable set-up that isn't just for show. Of course this is all within a budget of, say, $600. I really have no need for coilovers, so I'm going to stick with a spring-strut combo. Would bilstien be a better choice or are there other e30 specific suspension set-ups that would be a better suit?

Satin over color matched shadowline? I'm guessing yes, but still unsure.
What paint do you recommend for a DIY'er?

Any recommendations for wheels that wont break the bank? I tend to dig the batmobile trend, so black wheels are at the top of my list.

As for pure aesthetics, there is the IS lip, Taurus skirts (read: I'm cheap!), but what about options to finish the look in the rear?

I'm sure I can find the answers by searching, but I'm just trying to give you guys an idea of the questions running through my head at the moment.

[Simon S]

bilstein sports with H&R combos are popular [worth-while] suspension components without going overboard into other worries like camber compensation efforts.

search up on shawdowline trim (DIY)
SEM trim paint

no comment on wheels - so many options.. better off looking and hunting while researching and learning about what looks good from what you've seen and like. Might just be better off scoring a beat-up pair and DIY-painting them gunmetal or satin black.

the beauty about having a late model valence it that there is nothing you need to do about it. (maybe color match - but that is taste-specific)