There's a long story about how I got to where I am, but I'll try to be brief. If I sound like an idiot, it's because I am.
I bought a 1984 325e for $3300 today. The paint is cracking, but smooth, the dash looks like someone removed it and used it as a melee weapon, and there are some moderate tears in the original upholstery. You have to hold the door in just the right way to get it to open and the odometer is disconnected. The mirror covers are clearly off of eBay, and there are some side skirts that I can't imagine have been there for very long. But I don't care about any of that; if this car was a person, it would have been in 3rd grade when I was born. The engine seems like it was well cared for, but I will be doing a compression test and checking all the fluids. The PO was a mechanic, but his son was the one who dailied it.
Something's off though. I've only ever driven standard on a motorcycle (which I did trouble-free for a long time), so maybe I just need to get used to a dry clutch, but this thing is really difficult to get off the line without stalling it. So much so that I had to leave the car where I bought it and have my dad come pick it up, since he's been driving stick twice as long as I've been alive. His opinion is that the clutch is strange. The ad said "new stage 3 clutch". The throw is very long and very heavy. I don't know if this is improperly adjusted or if I just have a low skill level, but even my dad said it was very chunky in first gear. For me, it's undriveable.
It's also my belief that the car needs a new front end. I have no basis for this, but riding in it, it felt pretty sloppy. Ad said "new lowering springs installed".
It has no cat, and some non-stock ECU in it that I haven't looked at yet. I'll get more info on that once I have time and light. Speaking of lights, the Brake Lining light is ever red, there's a flashing exclamation point, and the inspection light is on. But the tags are 3 weeks old.
My goal is just to have a fun RWD car that has some character and isn't my daily. I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but with this E30 now sitting in my driveway, I'm getting that feeling that I'm in over my head. At the same time, it feels satisfying in an alien way to fully own a car. That seems a small thing to lots of people, but I've been making payments since I got my first car. This one's all mine.
Advice? Criticism? Ridicule?
I bought a 1984 325e for $3300 today. The paint is cracking, but smooth, the dash looks like someone removed it and used it as a melee weapon, and there are some moderate tears in the original upholstery. You have to hold the door in just the right way to get it to open and the odometer is disconnected. The mirror covers are clearly off of eBay, and there are some side skirts that I can't imagine have been there for very long. But I don't care about any of that; if this car was a person, it would have been in 3rd grade when I was born. The engine seems like it was well cared for, but I will be doing a compression test and checking all the fluids. The PO was a mechanic, but his son was the one who dailied it.
Something's off though. I've only ever driven standard on a motorcycle (which I did trouble-free for a long time), so maybe I just need to get used to a dry clutch, but this thing is really difficult to get off the line without stalling it. So much so that I had to leave the car where I bought it and have my dad come pick it up, since he's been driving stick twice as long as I've been alive. His opinion is that the clutch is strange. The ad said "new stage 3 clutch". The throw is very long and very heavy. I don't know if this is improperly adjusted or if I just have a low skill level, but even my dad said it was very chunky in first gear. For me, it's undriveable.
It's also my belief that the car needs a new front end. I have no basis for this, but riding in it, it felt pretty sloppy. Ad said "new lowering springs installed".
It has no cat, and some non-stock ECU in it that I haven't looked at yet. I'll get more info on that once I have time and light. Speaking of lights, the Brake Lining light is ever red, there's a flashing exclamation point, and the inspection light is on. But the tags are 3 weeks old.
My goal is just to have a fun RWD car that has some character and isn't my daily. I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but with this E30 now sitting in my driveway, I'm getting that feeling that I'm in over my head. At the same time, it feels satisfying in an alien way to fully own a car. That seems a small thing to lots of people, but I've been making payments since I got my first car. This one's all mine.
Advice? Criticism? Ridicule?
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