i feel like it's impossible to find a decent e30 6cyl 2door 5 speed for a good deal

[lolcantturn]

have you heard the phrase "there is nothing so expensive as a cheap BMW"?

Lemme guess, you expect it to look good too, huh?

You are either gonna find a $500 E30 and spend $4500 making it decent or $5K on a nice car.

If you had the skills to make a nice car for $800, you would have done it already, right?

Not trying to be mean here, bub, just telling you some truth.

If you are broke, lack skills/tools/workspace and need cheap, reliable transportation, choose something other than an E30.

I somewhat beg to differ ;) !
I'd say there's nothing as expensive as a cheap porsche. Cheap BMW's on the other hand, can remain somewhat...cheap. Well E30's are. Thank the BMW gods for making the M20 so simple.
I bought my 1988 325is for $900 with good original paint. Shitty interior. And needed a new headgasket. Picked up a full black interior for free, and replaced the headgasket for $54 (cost of the HG kit).
The fun thing about E30's is that, you can be broke, but still get your car going. Depending on where you live, E30 community is pretty DARN helpful.
Certainly not cheap transport, with shitty gas mileage, but I'd say if you keep your maintenance up and you get accustomed to all the sounds your car should and shouldn't make, it can be pretty reliable, well, as reliable as an 80's car could be.

Just my

The trick is to definately WAIT. I searched craiglist for about a year until I found my E30. $900 for a 325is. I live in Jersey, the car lived in Georgia all its life, so its rust free, and it was the original owner. But you WILL get what you pay for, so either expect it to have perfect paint and an engine that's about to blow, or an M20 with 100k miles but an oxidized bronzit with a beach chair as the sports seats.

[Holland]

I have roughly 3k right now that I am either going to use toward another E30, or an engine swap. The E30 market here is too dry though and none of the cars that pop up fit my parameters.

[freeride53]

boughten?

how much money do you have?

[mRodiek]

Just be patient, these cars aren't civics. It might take a while before a good one comes around. I had to buy a car out of necessity, and guess what it was? M10 car. Luckily Cali is much more E30 populated than where I live.

Wise words. Patience! Sometimes ya just gotta get lucky, if it isnt in your favor then work with what ya got.

Look farther from where ya live too & make friends on here, I got my car for well under $2k and I have an 88 325is.

[FCB_M3]

What's wrong with a four door?!

[Pantless Spency]

What's wrong with a four door?!

in all honesty nothing really.. ive seen really clean 4 doors. its just the stock 4 door looks bad IMO, but a stock 2 door looks fine. and i'm gonna have to leave my setup stock for a while.... other than possibly some groundcontrol :)

[FCB_M3]

in all honesty nothing really.. ive seen really clean 4 doors. its just the stock 4 door looks bad IMO, but a stock 2 door looks fine. and i'm gonna have to leave my setup stock for a while.... other than possibly some groundcontrol :)

Hmmm alright somewhat agree see where your coming from.
Goodluck with your hunt!

[Pantless Spency]

I somewhat beg to differ ;) !
I'd say there's nothing as expensive as a cheap porsche. Cheap BMW's on the other hand, can remain somewhat...cheap. Well E30's are. Thank the BMW gods for making the M20 so simple.
I bought my 1988 325is for $900 with good original paint. Shitty interior. And needed a new headgasket. Picked up a full black interior for free, and replaced the headgasket for $54 (cost of the HG kit).
The fun thing about E30's is that, you can be broke, but still get your car going. Depending on where you live, E30 community is pretty DARN helpful.
Certainly not cheap transport, with shitty gas mileage, but I'd say if you keep your maintenance up and you get accustomed to all the sounds your car should and shouldn't make, it can be pretty reliable, well, as reliable as an 80's car could be.

Just my

The trick is to definately WAIT. I searched craiglist for about a year until I found my E30. $900 for a 325is. I live in Jersey, the car lived in Georgia all its life, so its rust free, and it was the original owner. But you WILL get what you pay for, so either expect it to have perfect paint and an engine that's about to blow, or an M20 with 100k miles but an oxidized bronzit with a beach chair as the sports seats.

how long did the rebuild take? and it didn't have a warped head...?
i found one for a good deal in SJ area... the guys says new tires rebuilt driveline new battery. BUT he said that he recently replaced the waterpump,
and he left out some "important" component that is suppose to remove air bubbles form the cooling system.... to me, my mechanics, and my dad, they all said it sounds like he's BSing, and that theres a blown head... i asked him and he said "no history of a blown head" and the car is clean as hell, but stock
whats your opinion?!

[Pantless Spency]

Hmmm alright somewhat agree see where your coming from.
Goodluck with your hunt!

Thanks sir :)

[lolcantturn]

how long did the rebuild take? and it didn't have a warped head...?
i found one for a good deal in SJ area... the guys says new tires rebuilt driveline new battery. BUT he said that he recently replaced the waterpump,
and he left out some "important" component that is suppose to remove air bubbles form the cooling system.... to me, my mechanics, and my dad, they all said it sounds like he's BSing, and that theres a blown head... i asked him and he said "no history of a blown head" and the car is clean as hell, but stock
whats your opinion?!

It took off and on 2 days. One day to remove the head, the other to install it. Probably 6 hours total. This was me with 0 mechanical experience and literally just praying I was doing everything right. The head wasn't warped. It was cracked in one of the water passages though. It didn't affect me at all.
Go check the car out. Check out the dipstick for the oil. If the oil looks like chocolate, blown head gasket. You can always bring a compression gauge and check out the compression as well.
How old are you? You sound like me 4 months ago. I'm 17 and I've been searching for E30's on craigs since I was 16 haha.

[Pantless Spency]

It took off and on 2 days. One day to remove the head, the other to install it. Probably 6 hours total. This was me with 0 mechanical experience and literally just praying I was doing everything right. The head wasn't warped. It was cracked in one of the water passages though. It didn't affect me at all.
Go check the car out. Check out the dipstick for the oil. If the oil looks like chocolate, blown head gasket. You can always bring a compression gauge and check out the compression as well.
How old are you? You sound like me 4 months ago. I'm 17 and I've been searching for E30's on craigs since I was 16 haha.

damn...
i'm 19 haha.
yeah i have very very little mechanical experience... maybe i could do it, you give me some inspiration! lol

[lolcantturn]

damn...
i'm 19 haha.
yeah i have very very little mechanical experience... maybe i could do it, you give me some inspiration! lol

Go and check it out.

[Pantless Spency]

the guy described the missing component as a component that removes air bubbles from the coolant system and without it it overheats after a while of driving, he said it would probably be a 500$ fix. any advice on this anyone? its really confusing. haha. he wants me to check out the car on monday.

[iamsam]

I'll sell you a brilliantrot 1991 318is for $2500....

Here is a teaser. Note, the door moulding is installed now. (not in the pic)

[Pantless Spency]

I'll sell you a brilliantrot 1991 318is for $2500....

Here is a teaser. Note, the door moulding is installed now. (not in the pic)

That is beautiful! 5speed?
i will try to convince my parents to help chip in...
how many miles and whats been wrong with it in the past or present.