My First Project Car!! // Evergreen E30

[evrgrn]

Hello all!



This is the build thread for my 1990 325is. I don't have any crazy turbo or swap plans with this car, at least not any time soon. This is my first project car, so I want to keep my goals realistic and enjoy the car in its stock form. I want it to be tough enough for autocross and some occasional hooning, but still comfortable and drivable. As for the name, I've always wanted a British Racing Green E30, so once I've mechanically sorted the car, I'll start on making it happen.


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Table of Contents

10/14/2024 | Purchase and Info
11/24/2024 | Clean-Up / Rear Suspension / Learning
7/16/2025 | First few months!
7/28/2025 | Cooling System
??? | The Rear-End Restoration


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Known Issues

Misfire, check engine light
Rear allignment
Rust: Sunroof, floor, battery tray, around windshield
Ignition uses different key
Interior needs love
Body panels misaligned
Sunroof and trunk seals leaking
Gauge cluster backlight not working
Speedometer not working
Exhaust needs upgrade: muffler is rusted, hangers are falling off
Weak power steering
Stereo needs upgrade
Fuel lines looking rough


Updated 7/28/2025

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Post Purchase Post 10/14/2024:

I've wanted an e30 for years at this point, and last weekend (10/12/2024) I finally got one. We made the 15 hour round trip from Greenville, SC to Daphne, AL and trailered it home. I paid $5k for it, which I'm thinking is a steal. The car is in very good shape for the price. It runs, drives, shifts, and sounds fantastic. I got the car to learn how to work on cars and to take to autocross and maybe an occasional track day. I was never looking for a perfect collector car. That said, I feel like I've been given a special opportunity to have this car and I don't want to waste it treating it like trash. I know how it usually goes when a 20 year old who doesn't know what they're doing buys an old car for cheap, but I promise I will be better. The car was originally an automatic, however it was manual swapped many owners ago. According to the previous owner, I am the 5th.


On the road


Pros
Exhaust sounds great and isn't too loud
Power windows, door locks, wipers, all lights, and all sensors are working great
I love the wheels and the front end
I have an e30 :)
The car came with a full set of BC Racing Coilovers, in the box


Neutral
The car is on OE replacement rear suspension and "ebay special" coilovers up front
Interior isn't bad but isn't perfect. There are zip ties holding parts of the floor together in the back.


Cons
There is a peppering of surface rust around the usually spots, mostly the sunroof. The battery tray is in bad shape.
The rocker panels are in rough shape
It has started to leak oil, and the oil cooler is bent
I was told the sunroof and trunk seals are leaking
I have a separate key for the door and ignition, and no key to the trunk and passenger door



There is still a lot I don't know about this car. I don't know if the transmission is the ZF, the Getrag, or something else. The car came with a spare differential, but I'm not sure if its a LSD. Perhaps the most confusing part is the sticker on the driver's side shock tower, which seems to be from an e30 m3. I have no idea how or why this is on the car, if anyone has any insight please enlighten me. Pic Below.



Paint needs work of course, but I love this bumper and valence



Parts from the previous owner



At some point the valve cover and intake manifold were hit with this bronze paint. Not a fan.


Not perfect, but damn good for what I paid


Paint needs love all the way around, especially the hood


Sunroof rust


Battery tray situation


Mysterious M3 shock tower sticker. Curious if there is one that matches the car underneath?



There is a lot I still don't know. I can't figure out how to unlock the glovebox, I can't find a vin on the truck, I don't know if the spare diff is an LSD, etc. But I bought this car to learn, and I'm not in a rush. I don't have a destination with this car, I just want to enjoy it and clean it up.

Thanks!!

[uturn]

At some point the valve cover and intake manifold were hit with this bronze paint.

Congratulations and welcome to e30 ownership!

It's not bronze paint... it's cosmoline. Was sprayed to protect the bare metal from salty sea air during the transit from overseas. Dealers were supposed to clean it off but I've heard no reports of that happening.

[evrgrn]

Congratulations and welcome to e30 ownership!

It's not bronze paint... it's cosmoline. Was sprayed to protect the bare metal from salty sea air during the transit from overseas. Dealers were supposed to clean it off but I've heard no reports of that happening.

Thank you!

I figured it was paint because the stock wheels seem to have the same thing on them. Any reason I shouldn't just clean it off with a scotchbrite when it comes time to replace the valve cover gasket?

[Aleman]

Welcome and CONGRATS on your new ride!

Thank you!

I figured it was paint because the stock wheels seem to have the same thing on them. Any reason I shouldn't just clean it off with a scotchbrite when it comes time to replace the valve cover gasket?

You could. There are lots of forum discussions out there for ways to remove the Cosmoline, but I'd only go to the trouble if it's really annoying to you. Most people familiar with E30's fully expect to see it in the engine bay. Owner preference, I guess.

#1 recommendation is to get a copy of the Bentley Publishing E30 repair manual. It's a good place to start when you have questions about the car. Not only does the book give you illustrated step-by-step how-to procedures, but it also has educational descriptions of how stuff works. Great for someone getting skilled-up on E30's.

Also, those dirty old floormats are worth keeping/cleaning or selling, since new ones are no longer available.

[uturn]

When I had my transmission out, I sprayed cosmoline all over it. I put that S#!+ on everything!

[roguetoaster]

Cosmoline is what you see around the shock towers/coolant overflow cap, based on the painted or sanded BMW and the way it is flaking around the fill cap, I'd bet that is the old Rustoleum matte gold paint from the early 00s.

Swap that timing belt OP, not a great look to see a greasy t belt box, unless it has the old belt inside. The trans is almost certainly a G260. Look for a tag with an S on it mounted on the diff for a starting point of "maybe this is a locker."

Look under the DS floor pan (peel insulation if present) for more serious rust, and on the panel seams in all wheel wells, those can get out of control quickly.

[evrgrn]

Updates! - I’ve owned this car for a month now, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve tackled a bunch of the smaller issues, and took a stab at some engine problems with limited success.



Chasing Leaks

My first order of business was to address the oil and vacuum leak. 200$ and 20 hours later, I’ve addressed neither.

I removed, sanded, prepped, and painted the intake manifold and valve cover with VHT wrinkle paint. I'm happy with how they came out, although they aren’t perfect. I replaced the valve cover gasket, intake boot, and intake mani gaskets, torqued everything down, and used Dirko on the seals. I cleaned everything as best I could, and put it all back together to find the vacuum leak was even worse and the oil leak was not fixed either. I realized that there are many things I was unprepared for; I thought I had all the seals and gaskets I would need, but I wasn’t even close. I didn’t get a new throttle body gasket, injector o-rings, or bitch tube o-rings. I also waited to do the oil pan gasket, oil filter housing, and oil sender.



FCP euro had the incorrect intake boot for the car. The one I was sent did not have the tube to allow air into the brake booster. I’ve decided to convert to the simple brake booster setup used on spec E30s described below. If anyone sees a reason I shouldn’t, please share.

http://spece30.com/t/simplifying-vacuum-lines/7349

The main issue is the fittings from the throttle body to the brake booster. One of them is broken off, and I can’t find an oem replacement anywhere. My efforts to seal it with Dirko and a vacuum tube cap have been unsuccessful. I suspect the bottom one is leaking as well. At this point, I need to just order a real smoke tester and find the leak the right way. This problem has already gone on long enough, I want to just do it right and be done.



Other Projects

BC racing suspension is installed in the rear. It’s stiffer than I would like, but it’s fine for now. I realized the passenger side wheel is about 5 mm further out. Apparently this is a very common issue. I’ve found a bunch of threads discussing this, but no solution other than a 5mm spacer on one side. A larger issue is that my new struts are rubbing on the driver side wheel well.



I also:
-Deep cleaned the interior
-Fixed the hood latch
-Ordered a matching lock set for doors, trunk, and ignition

I’ve created a running list of the car’s current problems. I’ll update it on the main post as I fix things, but as of now:
-Mismatched locks/keys
-Vaccuum leak
-Oil leak
-Trunk seal
-Timing belt / tensioner
-Sunroof seal
-Sunroof rust
-Battery tray rust
-Misc surface/floor pan rust
-Misaligned body panels
-No plates (need to pay some stupid fee before I can register it)
-Ancient tires and ugly wheels with spacers
-Worn interior
-Chipped and faded paint

I’m setting a rule for myself that I will not do/buy anything cosmetic to the car until it is 100% dialed in mechanically. I bought an M3 style Zender wing, but only because it was close by and I got a good deal. I won’t install it though, I promise.



Overall Planning

Everyone I talk to about the car asks, “What are you going to do with it?”. When I bought the car, it was supposed to be for autocross, track days, and some occasional hooning. But now that I have it, there’s no way I’m gutting it or removing OEM features for “weight reduction”. I’m considering removing the sound deadening and the spare tire compartment, but I’m not sure. I want to treat this car right, even if it was cheap. It’s far from a perfect example, but it has more potential than I originally thought. I’ll keep pondering as I work through this list.

If you read this far, tell me what you think. I know I still have a lot to learn, so try to be understanding.

[325isman]

great find

[OSAH racing]

That sound deadening, trunk liners do not weigh much. The rear seat is not even heavy when compared to other vehicles. I had a striped out, part time Track/AX car that also got street driven and if your wanting a nicer experience on the street those few pounds wont slow you down.

[moatilliatta]

Sealant is only needed at gasket transition points or corners.

You'll need another throttle body for the fittings

There is an Early and Late intake boot check on 87 and 90 years to check if they match yours.

You need to smoke test the intake system. You need to smoke test the intake system.

Usually these cars are due for front cover seals, Intermediate seal, Cam seal & oring, Crank seals. Timing belt. Then do the oil pan, you'll want the green paper gasket. Id just get new injectors from Five-O while you're in there with the intake manifold. Rear main seal and flange gasket. If they are still on the road I find that they have a different year cylinder head than block because someone did not replace the tbelt at some point, And now a leaky VR headgasket...

Don't waste time with paint, it'll chip & flake in a few years looking like garbage.

That roof rust could be from the sunroof panel up, have you checked under the carpet for rust holes?

[Swoozley Macklin]

Congrats on picking one up!

[evrgrn]

great find

Congrats on picking one up!

Thanks!

if your wanting a nicer experience on the street those few pounds wont slow you down.

Yeah gotcha, I appreciate the advice. This is definitely the direction I'm leaning.

Sealant is only needed at gasket transition points or corners.

You'll need another throttle body for the fittings

There is an Early and Late intake boot check on 87 and 90 years to check if they match yours.

You need to smoke test the intake system. You need to smoke test the intake system.

Usually these cars are due for front cover seals, Intermediate seal, Cam seal & oring, Crank seals. Timing belt. Then do the oil pan, you'll want the green paper gasket. Id just get new injectors from Five-O while you're in there with the intake manifold. Rear main seal and flange gasket. If they are still on the road I find that they have a different year cylinder head than block because someone did not replace the tbelt at some point, And now a leaky VR headgasket...

Don't waste time with paint, it'll chip & flake in a few years looking like garbage.

That roof rust could be from the sunroof panel up, have you checked under the carpet for rust holes?

I only used the Dirko on the seals in the front and back under the valve cover. I may end up needing to buy a whole throttle body anyway depending on what the smoke test finds. Timing belt will be my first project after the vacuum issues are dealt with. The rust is throughout the sunroof area, I'm a little scared what I'll find under the headliner. Under the carpets I found a quarter-sized whole under the passenger seat, but otherwise no rust. Debating between buying a cheap mig setup, saving for tig, or just letting a shop repair it. Thanks for the info.

[82eye]

nice grab. look forward to see what you do with it.

[evrgrn]

Hello, sorry for disappearing! These last 7 months have been super busy and chaotic, but I have lots of updates to share.

Not long after my last post, I did the smoke test and found a few leaks around the throttle body. The car would idle normally, but after some driving it would stay around 3000 rpm and never return to idle. This led me to use my brain a little harder, and after some poking around I discovered that the cruise control cable was getting stuck when the throttle was opened, causing it to idle as if it had a vacuum leak. After unceremoniously yanking out the cruise control, the car was running significantly better. I got the car registered and insured and set about driving it around. I had always loved 80s cars but never really experienced one, so driving the e30 around town was a blast. I was very gentle, having seen so many timing belt horror stories, but I put the car through its paces here and there and fell even more in love. I did the SE30 brake booster setup to fix the throttle body leaks and I've had no issues.



After some time driving it, I decided it was time to tackle the timing belt and the oil leak. I got the kit from FCP, as well as some other odds and ends to replace as many seals as possible. I didn't get any good pictures but it wasn't too eventful. The oil leak was 100% from the front camshaft seal since the entire timing cover was caked in oil on the inside. Anyway here's TDC.



The lock set I mentioned in my previous post never showed up. I was one of many to buy from the infamous Kyle Gomez of Torvah Automotive. I haven't seen him mentioned here but the facebook group was up in arms for a while. His account has been deleted and I got my money back from my bank, but I thought it was funny that I was a part of his saga. I ended up getting a set from BMW Parts Bin, which went much better. No issues with installation, except that I haven't figured out how to get the ignition tumbler out. If any ancient e30ers have a secret method please let me know.



After these items were completed, I took the car to its first autocross, then on a long mountain drive with some friends. The car gave me no issues (no new or unexpected issues at least) and I can really see why this chassis is still being kept alive today. Forgive the lack of a hood in the picture, I took it off to do the timing belt and didn't get a change to put it back on until after.



The mountain run and autocross abuse led to the discovery of some pretty major issues, which I've been hard at work fixing. I think I'm getting close to done, but I started a few too many projects at once. More exciting updates with better pictures soon! Also, I may have acquired another e chassis to replace my daily... I'll probably make a separate thread for it.

[evrgrn]

Cooling System Situation

With my fresh timing belt, new front tires, and upgraded radiator, I went back to autocross. After my first run on the way back to grid I saw a ton of steam pour out from under the hood (which I did put back on eventually). Digging around under the hood found that the fan had been contacting the radiator, causing it to war a hole through the fins.



I was immediately very frustrated since I had noticed that the mishimoto radiator was much thicker than the OEM. I had ordered the E30/E36 radiator, which they guaranteed would fit without issue. When I reached out about the lifetime warranty, they told me it was my fault and refused to cover the radiator (which had been used for only a few hours of driving at this point). Has anyone else had this problem? I double checked that it was seated in the plastic holders at the bottom. I have no idea what caused the issue in the first place, but I begrudgingly ordered another radiator, this time along with a 16in electric fan and fan controller kit. Installation was simple, although the mishimoto fan mount kit was absolute garbage. I have learned my lesson with mishimoto and I will not do business with them again. As of now, the car has STILL not been tested on the street with the new cooling system, but I have verified the sensor is working and the fan kicks on automatically.