Meet eDirty my 1985 325e off road toy.
After a recent shakedown at a local urban off road spot prior to beginning the suspension work.
Over the past several years I have owned and restored several BMWs but was always worried about getting them dirty, leaving them parked outside, and getting dented in parking lots. For this project, I wanted the fun of an e30 without all the worries of owning a "classic" car. When this particular car fell into my lap, I knew what had to be done - create an off road capable, well-handling car that could be tossed around on Indiana's abundant gravel and dirt roads without fear of ruining it. After a few months of wrenching, getting the car to where it can be reliably driven, and finishing the suspension work, here is how the car currently sits:
Ride height after finishing the lift last night
But let's start from the beginning
In August 2019, I was alerted by a law school friend who knows I am a BMW fanatic with a particular fetish for e30s that an old BMW was posted for sale on the app NextDoor. 3 hours and $500 later I was the proud owner of a a well-worn manual 225,000 mile 1985 325e - my 6th e30 in the past 3 years. The car did not run and had been sitting in the back yard of their stately home for over a year and the plates indicated it had not been on the road for 4+ years. The former owners, a retired couple with fond memories of the car, offered the use of their Grand Cherokee to extract the car from their yard since a brake caliper had apparently seized and the tires were flat. A quick call to AAA and the car was back at its new home where it met its sibling, my 1986 325es. The car came with 3 tubs of spare parts, a folder packed full of maintenance history, and a lot of rust.
After a recent shakedown at a local urban off road spot prior to beginning the suspension work.
Over the past several years I have owned and restored several BMWs but was always worried about getting them dirty, leaving them parked outside, and getting dented in parking lots. For this project, I wanted the fun of an e30 without all the worries of owning a "classic" car. When this particular car fell into my lap, I knew what had to be done - create an off road capable, well-handling car that could be tossed around on Indiana's abundant gravel and dirt roads without fear of ruining it. After a few months of wrenching, getting the car to where it can be reliably driven, and finishing the suspension work, here is how the car currently sits:
Ride height after finishing the lift last night
But let's start from the beginning
In August 2019, I was alerted by a law school friend who knows I am a BMW fanatic with a particular fetish for e30s that an old BMW was posted for sale on the app NextDoor. 3 hours and $500 later I was the proud owner of a a well-worn manual 225,000 mile 1985 325e - my 6th e30 in the past 3 years. The car did not run and had been sitting in the back yard of their stately home for over a year and the plates indicated it had not been on the road for 4+ years. The former owners, a retired couple with fond memories of the car, offered the use of their Grand Cherokee to extract the car from their yard since a brake caliper had apparently seized and the tires were flat. A quick call to AAA and the car was back at its new home where it met its sibling, my 1986 325es. The car came with 3 tubs of spare parts, a folder packed full of maintenance history, and a lot of rust.
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