Is an E30 prestigious?

[scabzzzz]

I can't even comprehend your level of insecurity.


My main point is that a car is a car. There are so many people that think that owning a certain car makes them elite, or something. It's just so strange to me. It's metal and rubber and glass and fabric. Who cares where it's made, or by whom?

I just feel like there's a lot of "better than you" attitude on BMW boards in general, but even the E30 boards.

E90 guys think they're better than other people because they have money.

E30 guys think they're better than other people because they're purists and don't care that they're driving an old car.

It's actually the reason that I stay off the lotus boards. All those guys think they're so AWESOME for owning a lotus. Or that a lotus is the fucking coolest shit in the whole world... It's just a car.

I don't think any thing I will ever own will make me any more or less of a person.

I'd rather people judged me for the things I've DONE.


Speaking of attention, try being a dirty punk kid driving a white lotus w/ a jolly roger on it ANYWHERE. I LOVE my car, but I wish I was invisible when I drove it.

I'm just fucking with you dude.
You have a neat project but I doubt you'll garnish any BMW love from enthusiasts that matter in the industry other than "Holy shit that things fast" or "Nice job man", not that you're fishing for compliments and props. At the end of the day, you could have done that to any car, but the fact that you did it to an E30 after all the work and money and time spent, c'mon. Prestige exists, at whatever level. Admit it.

I don't know you personally, but you seem to be a pretty legit dude by your posts. I was just being a dick. :)

[FredK]

Rob. Thank you for editing the poll.

[u3b3rg33k]

Yes it was. My grandfather bought three new. 85-6-8. In the 70's-80's driving a european car was much like setting yourself apart from the norm. Owning a bmw was being part of a secret owners club- you know, another one drives by and you give eachother the 'nod'.

Don't people still do that? When I drive around in my dilapidated 2002, I get winks, nods, and the question "how much" thrown at me at least once a month. I get the occasional smile and wink from old guys in e30s.

I can't drive like that. Ever. I got the shit tailgated out of me by a local cop last night. He followed me 2-3 feet behind my bumper for 2 miles. I was going the speed limit the whole time. It was pissing me off..

I usually drive 1mph faster than them, just so I can pass them, and they can't/won't waste time doing anything about it.

Single lane road i guess.

[Jparkr]

I enjoy watching Newman follow up every few comments with "I had" or "I did"

Here is my favorite though.

I RAPED a dude

[crazyrabbittown]

is this all because newman made those comments about that russian car ?
just curious

[Wh33lhop]

Lol, I used to have a modded maxima. Had a To4e turbo on it @ 10 psi, that was fun. :)

Yeah, I had a 4th gen. They're beautifully flawed cars. Great engine and roomy interior, wet noodle chassis, minivan rear suspension. Really just a family sedan with a nice lump under the hood.

I RAPED a dude in a c4 vette in my stock sti...

This isn't that surprising, but it was funny because I was towing a jetski. :)

Early C4s are dogs, I could probably walk a tired one in my NV M50 E30, which really isn't that quick of a car. The LT1 or LT4 C4s are a bit better, LT5 cars however did haul some ass.

[Wh33lhop]

sure, and like I said - I understand the appeal. I just don't care. Just like how a sociopath understands empathy, but doesn't feel anything. :p

lol.

No, I don't expect new parts not to break. In fact I've replaced lots of things multiple times over 100,000 miles. The difference is I'm not making a monthly payment on those parts. And I usually get to upgrade them at the same time :)

Right, but you get my point.

then I'd have to pay extra for my ignorance. Some people don't have the time or don't care. That's fine. It just means I can save some of that money others would be paying a shop or a bank. It's like when I paid extra for somebody else to insulate under my house. I don't want to crawl under there, so it costs me money.

Exactly. Really, my point was, some insulation guy is laughing at you right now, thinking that you're wasting money paying someone else to do what you don't know how to or don't want to do. You're talking about people who in all likelihood don't know their mouth from their asshole when it comes to cars, saying they're wasting money buying new. I'm just disagreeing.

if you are going to keep it until it's finally dead, or no longer worth fixing, then yes I agree - it would be nice to know the entire history of your car. But that wasn't really my point. Some people buy a new car every couple years, because they trashed their "old" one, or simply because it's "old". A 2 year old car shouldn't need replaced. For a lot of people a new car is about perception more than it is about not having to worry about it breaking. All cars break.

That, I'll agree with.

[newman]

Even if you go to the maxima forums you'll find people who are only into maximas and think they're the shit

Lol, I used to have a modded maxima. Had a To4e turbo on it @ 10 psi, that was fun. :)

(I saw a thread where the OP "walked" a beat-to-shit C4 L98 vette and therefore, all corvettes were slow and maximas were sports cars--I am not joking).

I RAPED a dude in a c4 vette in my stock sti...

This isn't that surprising, but it was funny because I was towing a jetski. :)

[nando]

Sure, and I'm with you there (I've got a list of older cars to buy before I ever think about a new one). However, you're overgeneralizing. Plenty of people can comfortably afford to buy new, and it's worth the extra money to them to be able to order exactly what they want and have an example they can be certain is unmolested.

I, too, know a few guys (in the local car club, for example) who don't really have more money than I do, but are living paycheck to paycheck, in debt, paying the minimum payment on their cards, driving around new SRT-4s or EVOs. But not everybody who buys expensive stuff can't afford it.

sure, and like I said - I understand the appeal. I just don't care. Just like how a sociopath understands empathy, but doesn't feel anything. :p

I knew this was coming. I don't buy it. Yeah there are recalls and warrantys etc, but if you're smart about it and buy something that has been on the market a few years and has had most of the bugs ironed out, you typically get a good car. I'm just saying, if you think buying new is stupid, then why isn't buying new parts for your old car stupid? Because you don't want to worry about them failing again and you want them to work like new, right? Again, just sayin'.

No, I don't expect new parts not to break. In fact I've replaced lots of things multiple times over 100,000 miles. The difference is I'm not making a monthly payment on those parts. And I usually get to upgrade them at the same time :)

Yeah, but if you weren't an enthusiast? If you were a complete moron when it came to cars you'd have no idea what to check or what to listen for, you'd just take it to a shop when something broke. There's more to maintenance than scheduled maintenance, on a 25 year old car shit always goes awry.

then I'd have to pay extra for my ignorance. Some people don't have the time or don't care. That's fine. It just means I can save some of that money others would be paying a shop or a bank. It's like when I paid extra for somebody else to insulate under my house. I don't want to crawl under there, so it costs me money.

I guess my point is, yeah if you know what you're doing, what you're getting yourself into and don't mind getting down and dirty when the time comes, then there's no real reason to buy new. But if you're not car-saavy, buying new makes perfect sense. You know exactly what the car's been through--nothing.

if you are going to keep it until it's finally dead, or no longer worth fixing, then yes I agree - it would be nice to know the entire history of your car. But that wasn't really my point. Some people buy a new car every couple years, because they trashed their "old" one, or simply because it's "old". A 2 year old car shouldn't need replaced. For a lot of people a new car is about perception more than it is about not having to worry about it breaking. All cars break.

[Wh33lhop]

I can't even comprehend your level of insecurity.

My main point is that a car is a car. There are so many people that think that owning a certain car makes them elite, or something. It's just so strange to me. It's metal and rubber and glass and fabric. Who cares where it's made, or by whom?

I just feel like there's a lot of "better than you" attitude on BMW boards in general, but even the E30 boards.

E90 guys think they're better than other people because they have money.

E30 guys think they're better than other people because they're purists and don't care that they're driving an old car.

It's actually the reason that I stay off the lotus boards. All those guys think they're so AWESOME for owning a lotus. Or that a lotus is the fucking coolest shit in the whole world... It's just a car.

Car guys will be car guys. Nobody ever said we were logical. Even if you go to the maxima forums you'll find people who are only into maximas and think they're the shit (I saw a thread where the OP "walked" a beat-to-shit C4 L98 vette and therefore, all corvettes were slow and maximas were sports cars--I am not joking).

I'm not going to lie, I'm a BMW fanboi through-and-through, I love their design philosophy, but I'm under no false impression of what they are. I just wanted a fun car, I like straight 6s and I'm poor. Boom--E30.

Speaking of attention, try being a dirty punk kid driving a white lotus w/ a jolly roger on it ANYWHERE. I LOVE my car, but I wish I was invisible when I drove it.

If your E30 looked like mine, you'd be invisible whether you liked it or not. :p

[newman]

I bought 2 new stis... I don't know if I'd ever buy a used STi...

[Jonny Cash]

I agree buying new is always a waste of money but sometimes you gotta do it. My wife and I have an 03 Civic we bought new but my wife was driving almost 1000 miles a week and we could not take the chance that something went wrong. Up to this point, she was driving a 75 2002 and I was driving a 91 Acura. Waste of money or not, it was like heaven driving a car that did not roar at freeway speeds or rattle the interior off on rough roads. We still have it and it is our little commuter now but the thing still drives and looks like it is brand new because we are the only people who have ever driven it regularly. Yeah...there is an appeal to buying new for sure. Haven't bought new since then but it has been a hard arguement to convince my wife we shouldn't do it again.

.

not sure how this discussion even came about, but as we know married life is a tough compromise.. I wont even argue, its whatever she wants. :whip:
If I had it my way I'd only own old cars/trucks. But women want to get in and hit the gas NSA, so you have to bite the bullet sometimes. On the up-side of things its nice to have something more refined for the long drives out of town.

[Wh33lhop]

Sure I see the appeal. I just don't care about it. People tend to buy new because they want others to think they're well off. A child will often point to somebody with a big house and new cars and a bunch of stuff, and think they are rich. In reality they are probably living paycheck to paycheck with a mountain of debt to support their unsustainable lifestyle.

Sure, and I'm with you there (I've got a list of older cars to buy before I ever think about a new one). However, you're overgeneralizing. Plenty of people can comfortably afford to buy new, and it's worth the extra money to them to be able to order exactly what they want and have an example they can be certain is unmolested.

I, too, know a few guys (in the local car club, for example) who don't really have more money than I do, but are living paycheck to paycheck, in debt, paying the minimum payment on their cards, driving around new SRT-4s or EVOs. But not everybody who buys expensive stuff can't afford it.

new cars don't break huh? then why offer a warranty? Why are there so many recalls? That argument is silly. Sometimes you get a good one, but a lot of times a new car has it's own share of problems.

I knew this was coming. I don't buy it. Yeah there are recalls and warrantys etc, but if you're smart about it and buy something that has been on the market a few years and has had most of the bugs ironed out, you typically get a good car. I'm just saying, if you think buying new is stupid, then why isn't buying new parts for your old car stupid? Because you don't want to worry about them failing again and you want them to work like new, right? Again, just sayin'.

I've never actually had the E30 "break down" on me. I try to get in front of any problems before they are actually problems. if I notice something is worn, I order the parts and replace it before it breaks and leaves me stranded. That's part of the whole "maintenance" thing.

Yeah, but if you weren't an enthusiast? If you were a complete moron when it came to cars you'd have no idea what to check or what to listen for, you'd just take it to a shop when something broke. There's more to maintenance than scheduled maintenance, on a 25 year old car shit always goes awry.

I guess my point is, yeah if you know what you're doing, what you're getting yourself into and don't mind getting down and dirty when the time comes, then there's no real reason to buy new. But if you're not car-saavy, or you don't have the time to fuck around fixing stuff and maybe still want something fun, buying new makes perfect sense. You know exactly what the car's been through--nothing.

[kronus]

dang, I missed the morning r3v-bawwwing-at-each-other-because-we-can't-accept-opinions-different-from-ours.

:(

[Highway1]

we need another option in the poll:

I don't give a f**K, my car's fun to drive!