What did you do to your E30 today?

[coldweatherblue]

Attempted to change the oil..after draining old oil I couldn't get the filter off so I had to buy filter pliers..

Yesterday I also failed on the brakes and rotors replacement project... I couldn't get passed the first lug nut.....

hey man, don't despair.

The torque for E30 wheel-bolts (lugnuts) is like 90ft/lbs.

Most road-side tire shops will torque it to 120+ risking stripping your wheel-bolts and also making it impossible to get your wheels off without a ***breaker bar*** which is what you need.

Unfortunately this is a slippery slope and the next job may require a ton of more tools but that's what the E30 is about on a budget.

[coldweatherblue]

Damn that is a handsome car. Wheel specs?

Thanks man.

I like to think my car is classy but it started super cheap. Wheel specs are: Vogtland springs, ESM RS reps; 15x7 fronts, 15x8 rear, Yoko S-drive 205/55r15.

Surprisingly I've never seen another car with the same specs although I'm sure they're out there as this is bare-bones e30 aftermarket.

[Anthead]

find some local people to help mentor you. Ask questions here, and also check out youtube, tons of information there.

We all started out as newbies. Don't feel bad, just chunk it up to growing pains. You'll get there.

Thanks!


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[Anthead]

hey man, don't despair.



The torque for E30 wheel-bolts (lugnuts) is like 90ft/lbs.



Most road-side tire shops will torque it to 120+ risking stripping your wheel-bolts and also making it impossible to get your wheels off without a ***breaker bar*** which is what you need.



Unfortunately this is a slippery slope and the next job may require a ton of more tools but that's what the E30 is about on a budget.

Thanks for words and advice... I went out yesterday and got a breaker bar but it left everything on hold... I also had to get a new floor jack bc the one I originally bought (on stupid clearance for $3) was basically a little toy and didn't even lift the car high enough for the stands I had [emoji53]

I def bought it to get back into stick driving and tinkering around, and I knew it was going to be more expensive bc it's an older BMW.. but it feels like things are just falling apart haha.. the other day my glovebox wouldn't stay shut, I got frustrated and slammed it closed and there it stayed.i had to unscrew it from the back and break off the latch which was on its last leg. I guess me slamming it either broke off something or loosened it up.

One thing that got me real excited was when I successfully replaced the odometer gears.. except when I popped everything back in I noticed how the odometer is the ONLY thing that works on the cluster. I'm hoping it's just the SI batteries. And of course, from tapping on the cluster for the gas gauge the stupid needle for the tach fell off..

At what point should I cut my losses and start over? Maybe just sell this one and buy another, cheaper E30? Lol


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[coldweatherblue]

Those are classic E30 issues that probably everyone on this forum has dealt with at some point.

If you paid a lot for the car as you said, I would assume that the body/mechanicals are at least in decent shape?

Sounds like maybe your car looks nice but wasn't properly maintained and was sold by someone to capitalize on E30s becoming classic. (just speculation).

My car was the same way when I got it. Keeping these cars nice requires someone who is willing to get into fixing the little things that break on E30s over 30 years of use. I'm not talking a to the frame restoration, just things like replacing all the hoses, belts (timing belt especially) electrical components, bushings, suspension wear parts, etc.

Your cluster probably needs to completely rebuilt by bavrest.com. Or you could roll the dice on an Ebay cluster and save $150 but probably end up with another broken cluster.

Also you should start a thread for your car in this forum, post pics and people will help you fix specific issues as this is a separate thread. :)

[moatilliatta]

Cheaper E30

That’s a good one!

So about E46 and older... you should have to expect to replace anything that is common to fail. AND if replaced, expect to do it again.

Most people just neglect them. “the cost of repair is more than the car”

What? If they bought a $100000 car the expenses would be ok? :)

But you got to enjoy and have fun with it. If not, it’s not for you and will just add the the stress of everything else!

[Staszek]

Cheaper E30

That’s a good one!

So about E46 and older... you should have to expect to replace anything that is common to fail. AND if replaced, expect to do it again.

Most people just neglect them. “the cost of repair is more than the car”

What? If they bought a $100000 car the expenses would be ok? :)

But you got to enjoy and have fun with it. If not, it’s not for you and will just add the the stress of everything else!

Agreed, anything that is 10 years old or older needs pretty much every bushing changed as well as a host of other little things.

I bit the bullet and just did it all on the E30, even new bolts on most of ths stuff.

[jgilber0]

I only drive the vert once a week usually and put <1000 miles on it last year, but it was due for some love. ...Installed H&R springs,...

How do you like the ride with the new springs? Still comfortable over bumps? How about body roll improvement?

Thanks!

[moatilliatta]

I love fresh hardware! Feels so complete.

[Anthead]

Finally got the right tools in!! Finished changing the oil and got a new jack to lift the car up higher for my stands. With the time I had, I was able to change the rotor and brakes for my front driver side tire. When I have a chance I'll take a crack at the other 3.. with the experience from the first hopefully it won't take me as long.

I also removed that rotor/brake cover that goes behind the wheel.. it just looked terrible IMO.




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[moatilliatta]

I Just snagged an E36 mirror, going to fit it to the E30.

[Schnitzer318is]

How do you like the ride with the new springs? Still comfortable over bumps? How about body roll improvement?

Thanks!

Honestly... it's hard to pin-point what changed what as I changed so much. It's probably very much a cumulative result. I can say it is WAY stiffer on the H&R sports w/ Billy HD's than the stock springs with the same struts.

^That said, it's not uncomfortable by any means. Just very sport oriented. It handles incredibly now. I'm willing to sacrifice the soft ride for the handling it has now. Feels much more akin to my 318is coupe that was on billy sports and H&R sports. I do feel highway transitions and road turtles very obviously now though. My same setup with some 15" wheels and decent sidewall on the tires might be a more ideal setup if this was being daily (or even weekly) driven. But for what I use this car for... I am extremely pleased with the end result.

Complete suspension list for point of reference:

- Meyle CABs
- Lemforder CAs
- Meyle tie rods
- Lemforder sway bar end links
- OE sway bar bushings
- Meyle engine mounts
- Febi strut tower mounts
- E90 15mm drop hats
- ESM 002 16x8 wheels
- Maxxis 215/40/16 tires
- Garagistic sub frame X-brace

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[goldenE30]

What did you do to your E30 today?

Finally got around to installing my apex arc 8’s 17x8 et 25
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ 215/45
Suspension spec:
H&R race
Bilstein sport shocks
E90 drop hats





Before 14in IS basketweaves



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[TeXJ]

Honestly... it's hard to pin-point what changed what as I changed so much. It's probably very much a cumulative result. I can say it is WAY stiffer on the H&R sports w/ Billy HD's than the stock springs with the same struts.

^That said, it's not uncomfortable by any means. Just very sport oriented. It handles incredibly now. I'm willing to sacrifice the soft ride for the handling it has now. Feels much more akin to my 318is coupe that was on billy sports and H&R sports. I do feel highway transitions and road turtles very obviously now though. My same setup with some 15" wheels and decent sidewall on the tires might be a more ideal setup if this was being daily (or even weekly) driven. But for what I use this car for... I am extremely pleased with the end result.

Complete suspension list for point of reference:

- Meyle CABs
- Lemforder CAs
- Meyle tie rods
- Lemforder sway bar end links
- OE sway bar bushings
- Meyle engine mounts
- Febi strut tower mounts
- E90 15mm drop hats
- ESM 002 16x8 wheels
- Maxxis 215/40/16 tires
- Garagistic sub frame X-brace

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Where in Texas are you?

[Schnitzer318is]

Where in Texas are you?

San Antonio, but I make it up to McKinney every so often. That's fairly close to Allen according to Google maps.