This will be a VERY long and drawn out project, extreme budgeting, and massive volumes of labor. So here goes nothing!
Back story (CSB): I was thinking about picking up a car to go and do some road racing with in a non-competitive environment at the urging of a friend of mine who loves Porches. He tried his best to steer me in the direction of a 944 and I almost went there, but in my heart, I just couldn't bring myself to go down that road.
My only experience with BMWs was my grandfather's 87 L7. It had that smell, had the handling, and had the attitude that left a great impression on me as a youth. I once took it up Torrey Pines Grade at 120+ and just floored with the composure of it. Plus it had this: (OO ll OO). Loved the look of it.
These memories were the start of me going down the e30 road. In the process of looking for my first e30 though, I remembered the big six in the L7. After doing some research, I discovered that folks were putting the m30 in e30s. Hell yes! Best of both worlds.
Looking for a clean, cheap e30 in San Diego is a tall order. Everyone thinks they are worth about 3 times as much as they are, no matter the condition, and craigslist sucks. But I did find a 1990 735iL on craigslist that had been floating around for a few months not too far from where I live. Started at $800 and fell to $400 within 2 months time. 177K, auto, bad reverse gear (d clutch pack actually) and salvage title (hit in the rear). I offered $150 and they countered with $200. I accepted and drove it home to discover a nasty hole in the radiator too. No matter. What street was this on? Alta Vista Drive in Vista, CA.
A week before I made a trip up to Fallbrook to check out an 85 318i coupe that claimed to have a 4 speed. Paint was rough but was being prepped for paint. Body was straight, whole car was intact, interior meh, but every piece there. Kid bought it from a guy down the street and decided a couple months later that he didn't want the project anymore. He wanted $1,000 for it. With over 230K on the ticker that stopped working 3 years ago...I passed.
He wound up calling me back a couple weeks later and I was honest with him: I was going to try and steal it from him if he wanted me to make an offer. So I did. We haggled a bit and I accepted an offer. The wife and I drove up to Fallbrook again and picked it up one night. The car started, smoked like crazy and made horrible sounds as I tried to slow it down. On the ride home, with terribly old suspension, no brakes and a motor that could barely get out of its own way, I discovered why people love these cars so much. Bonus, it had the Getrag 240; 5 speed. Irony of ironies, the street in Fallbrook that I bought the car from is Alta Vista Drive.
Hence the project name. The donor and recipient were both purchased on streets of the same name in separate cities in North County San Diego. Lame, I know.
On to the pics and then plans.
And the donor:
Back story (CSB): I was thinking about picking up a car to go and do some road racing with in a non-competitive environment at the urging of a friend of mine who loves Porches. He tried his best to steer me in the direction of a 944 and I almost went there, but in my heart, I just couldn't bring myself to go down that road.
My only experience with BMWs was my grandfather's 87 L7. It had that smell, had the handling, and had the attitude that left a great impression on me as a youth. I once took it up Torrey Pines Grade at 120+ and just floored with the composure of it. Plus it had this: (OO ll OO). Loved the look of it.
These memories were the start of me going down the e30 road. In the process of looking for my first e30 though, I remembered the big six in the L7. After doing some research, I discovered that folks were putting the m30 in e30s. Hell yes! Best of both worlds.
Looking for a clean, cheap e30 in San Diego is a tall order. Everyone thinks they are worth about 3 times as much as they are, no matter the condition, and craigslist sucks. But I did find a 1990 735iL on craigslist that had been floating around for a few months not too far from where I live. Started at $800 and fell to $400 within 2 months time. 177K, auto, bad reverse gear (d clutch pack actually) and salvage title (hit in the rear). I offered $150 and they countered with $200. I accepted and drove it home to discover a nasty hole in the radiator too. No matter. What street was this on? Alta Vista Drive in Vista, CA.
A week before I made a trip up to Fallbrook to check out an 85 318i coupe that claimed to have a 4 speed. Paint was rough but was being prepped for paint. Body was straight, whole car was intact, interior meh, but every piece there. Kid bought it from a guy down the street and decided a couple months later that he didn't want the project anymore. He wanted $1,000 for it. With over 230K on the ticker that stopped working 3 years ago...I passed.
He wound up calling me back a couple weeks later and I was honest with him: I was going to try and steal it from him if he wanted me to make an offer. So I did. We haggled a bit and I accepted an offer. The wife and I drove up to Fallbrook again and picked it up one night. The car started, smoked like crazy and made horrible sounds as I tried to slow it down. On the ride home, with terribly old suspension, no brakes and a motor that could barely get out of its own way, I discovered why people love these cars so much. Bonus, it had the Getrag 240; 5 speed. Irony of ironies, the street in Fallbrook that I bought the car from is Alta Vista Drive.
Hence the project name. The donor and recipient were both purchased on streets of the same name in separate cities in North County San Diego. Lame, I know.
On to the pics and then plans.
And the donor:
<--- that would help though.
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