Picked up another E30 opinions sought

[Dust2glory]

Hey guys I just picked up another 318is. I have been an acquaintance of a lady that has owned this car for 23 years and her son owned it for the first two years. I told her if she was ever ready to sell it to give me the first shot. The day finally came and I was able to make a deal with her. It has 173k miles the interior has the cracked dash and cracked seats. But it is 110% rust free with a damn straight body and original paint and panels. The shocks are worn, bmw oem, and the suspension bushings need gone through. The red should come back to life with a good detail. It runs really good and strong.

I plan for this car to be my sons first car in a year.

So......I wanted to get opinions if this is the type of car I should keep it stock. Or do lowered H&R/Billy sport suspension and maybe some BBS wheels and maybe a few other mods?? Right now it is the perfect drivable project for my son and I to tackle and we are excited
to get going on it.

...




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[george graves]

173k miles - I can't see any reason to keep it stock.

[bangn]

looks like a neat little car

[flyboyx]

Well, my son and i built one together. It was a great project for us to bond and im sure you will take advantage of the same.

The chances are probably 80% that your boy will wreck his first car. Maybe by a honda for him for the first year or so? Perhaps give it to him when he is 18ish?

[uturn]

I have H&R sports with sport Billys on mine, low enough to look appealing yet high enough to clear the 6" parking curbs to prevent ripping out my front spoiler. The M3 uses springs from the 325 so go that route for a stiffer spring. E90 drop hats will take out the increase in height from the new strut tower mounts- I've been told. Get 15" euro weaves, as there really isn't much selection in 14" tires anymore.

[Stanley Rockafella]

The chances are probably 80% that your boy will wreck his first car. Maybe by a honda for him

[c0rbin9]

Cool dad. Hopefully your son is the responsible type. I thought I was the responsible type and still wrecked my 240SX at 19.

[djjerme]

Meh, if you and him work on it together, he may be less prone to treating it like a bumper car ride.

Here's a plan (from one dad to another), you two start setting it up for Autocross. Freshen up the suspension, better tires and maybe some nice wheels. Then you and him get involved with a local Autocross.

It'll be a two fold learning experience for your son - he learns how to work on/maintain a car, and how to be a more Pro-active/responsive driver.

If I had that sort of experience when I was young, perhaps I wouldn't have had to learn the hard way - wrecking and repairing many, many cars..

Just a thought.

[Dust2glory]

Lots of good advice - Thanks fellas. I had a Mazda RX7 as my first car and I drove the hell out of it. Probably by dumb luck, I never crashed it. That car cemented my love for small, fun, well handling cars that like to be driven. I like the autocross idea, I would have fun with that too. I will probably go with the Billy sports and H&R sports with the e90 drop hats.

I figure if he has a car that is fun to drive, maybe he will actually focus on driving it and not be texting on his cell phone while driving a boring automatic Japanese sedan. I'll probably do a Bondurant school for him to learn the physics of steering and braking etc.. I've got 5 boys and he is my oldest, I am sure I will learn a lot on this first one. I'll keep you guys updated on the progress as we work on it. Thanks again

[djjerme]

My daughter is only 3 at the moment, but the advice I gave was given to me by other fathers, and it is the plan for her as well..

And, even if she never wants to do Track days or racing, I still will be able to sleep a little better knowing she at least has the foundation to build the mental tools to survive in traffic..

[jpod999]

That looks like a dead ringer for my sister's car when we first picked it up, even down to the pinstripes and the sunroof visor.

What does your son want to do with the project? I'm sure he has some ideas! E30s make great first cars. My E30 was my first car and my sister's E30 was her first car as well- both M42 cars so we couldn't get in to [much] trouble!

[nrubenstein]

Cleaned up stock. But honestly, give him something really shit for the first 6 months so that he can destroy that first.

[c0rbin9]

I have a feeling you got the car for a lot less, but with a detail and refreshed interior, I think that car would go for $10k+ all day long. So maybe that's an answer to your question of what to do with the car. Good E30s are getting rarer by the day - people underestimate how many of them have been raced, swapped, beaten to death. You've got an example with original paint, no accidents, and no rust. That's a prize, IMO, and one I would be keeping for a long time.

I would also have no qualms about putting a few quality suspension parts on it and some nice BBSs.

[DEV0 E30]

Howdy local. Welcome.

Inquiring minds are curious what you scored it for. I'd like to know as well if you care to share.

Meh, if you and him work on it together, he may be less prone to treating it like a bumper car ride.

Here's a plan (from one dad to another), you two start setting it up for Autocross. Freshen up the suspension, better tires and maybe some nice wheels. Then you and him get involved with a local Autocross.

It'll be a two fold learning experience for your son - he learns how to work on/maintain a car, and how to be a more Pro-active/responsive driver.

If I had that sort of experience when I was young, perhaps I wouldn't have had to learn the hard way - wrecking and repairing many, many cars..

Just a thought.

I agree with everything djjerme said. Enroll him into driving classes and autocrosses and it will definitely help curb a young man's ego a lot. Driving skills are invaluable, and I'm sure you know - our state is one of the highest for car accidents. I'm not even a parent.

I have a feeling you got the car for a lot less, but with a detail and refreshed interior, I think that car would go for $10k+ all day long. So maybe that's an answer to your question of what to do with the car. Good E30s are getting rarer by the day - people underestimate how many of them have been raced, swapped, beaten to death. You've got an example with original paint, no accidents, and no rust. That's a prize, IMO, and one I would be keeping for a long time.

I would also have no qualms about putting a few quality suspension parts on it and some nice BBSs.

x100 to everything c0rbin9 said as well. You've got a pretty good car there with some freshening up.

[Dust2glory]

For those dying to know, I got the car for $2000. That was her asking price and that's what I paid. I am diligent about contacting people personally that own cars that someday I may want to own. I reconnect every so often and get to know them. The day always comes when they are ready to sell. Sometimes you are in a position to buy and sometimes you are not. If you get to know them they will always reach out to you first.