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    Lachs Silver 1988 325 Sedan


    10.30.17

    3.17.18


    Hi All,

    In late May of 2017 I picked up my second E30 & third BMW. This one is a 1988 SuperETA 325 Sedan in lachs (salmon) silver. I found it on CraigsList up in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

    This one ticked a ton of the right boxes for what I was looking for in an E30. Downside is its an automatic.
    • Cheap
    • Crack free dash
    • Lachs silver - my last '88 was also lachs and I personally love it
    • Late model valences & square tail lights
    • Stock
    • Heated cloth anthracite seats that present nicely
    • Advertised as rust free (it nearly is)
    • Fairly low mileage - 155k Miles (250k KM)
    • Great paint and a straight body
    • Crank sunroof, manual windows, premium sound, power door locks


    When I went to pick up the car, I left my office a few hours early from Seattle, and rode an Amtrak bus up to Vancouver. Sure enough, the P/O was there waiting for me with "Puurl" at the train/bus station. I did a quick visual walk around and it seemed all there and pretty nice for what they were asking for the car. There was a bit of dog hair from "Bobby" The P/O's pet who apparently loved to chew on the seat belts and thankfully little else in the interior. The antenna wasn't budging and the front valence was a little more crunched than I had thought from the two terrible pictures she had posted on her ad. The muffler also had a massive chunk missing so it sounded awful & much too loud.

    It was horrible rush hour traffic when I arrived, and since insurance is a bit different through the ICBC in Canada, we agreed maybe best to take a short drive to a more open area away from traffic before I took the wheel. Well, Puurl made it a whole 7 blocks in 15 minutes before the alternator took a massive dump on us. Note in the ad the first words written are: "super reliable vehicle". Not an ideal situation.

    A bit jaded, I sprint back to the bus/train station and literally walk onto the very last Bolt bus leaving south for Seattle for the night. That was lucky! Here is where I left Purrl with the P/O before the tow truck arrived:







    I emailed back with the seller and told her I'm still interested. Yes, I am nuts. This time it's Saturday, I ride the train up, take a quick city bus ride and meet the P/O outside of the ICBC. We decided on splitting the cost of the alternator which she got ripped off on. I'm at the ICBC with her for way too long - the associates working there were completely imcompatent and overall a terrible experience. I tape up my ICBC temp registration and WA state 3 day trip permit and fire up Puurl for the first time on my own. I fill it with gas, as the gas gauge is doing a dance/essentially inop. The service indicator board is also out as is the odometer which she did not disclose to me. The front struts are dead. SO DEAD.

    I get over the border easily and the car seems to be running pretty well. I had a drama free experience which was a blessing and I am so happy to be back behind the wheel of an E30! I love these cars.

    The next day I decided to snap some pictures before doing anything at all to the car - not even washing it, just so that I'd always be able to remember how it looked when I got it. Here are some snaps from that set:



























    Last edited by TFJR; 04-02-2018, 02:16 PM.
    1988 325 Lachs Sedan SOLD

    1989 325i Bronzit Beige 2 Door
    SOLD

    2018 Volkswagen Alltrack SE DSG
    Past:1988 325iS Lachs 5 Speed

    #2
    Good lord ! Another steal. Seriously...C$1200 is like US $4

    Very nice.
    Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

    https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
    Alice the Time Capsule
    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
    87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

    Comment


      #3
      I agree, Canadian cars are a huge bargain for US buyers!
      If it's got tits or tires, it's gonna cost ya!

      Comment


        #4
        '88 325 Lachs Sedan - The PNW Chinook Salmon

        Originally posted by jeffnhiscars View Post
        Good lord ! Another steal. Seriously...C$1200 is like US $4

        Very nice.
        Originally posted by Stanley Rockafella View Post
        I agree, Canadian cars are a huge bargain for US buyers!
        Thanks fellas. It was a good buy, but it certainly is needy.

        The first step was to do a complete paint correction. I implemented my Griots Garage 6" RA with the following process:
        1. Washed with Meguiars Gold Class using the two bucket method
        2. Claybarred the entire car using Griots Garage paint cleaning clay
        3. Rewashed the car
        4. One pass in most areas withe Griots BOSS Correcting Cream - two or three passes on the trunk, roof & hood
        5. Finished with Griots Best Of Show Wax.





        It turned out really nicely for 29 year old car paint. Following the clean paint I went on the hunt for parts.
        • Got a really nice set of 14" weaves off of Craigslist up in Lynnwood




        • Got new caps for said weaves off of eBay

        • Sourced a new set of seatbelts from an individual in Federal Way. He let me drive his swapped M50 '90 E30 sedan. That was interesting
        • Purchased a new used fog light for cheap from same guy
        • Had a friend who is a decent bodyman pull the front valence out. It's not 100% but it looks so much better than it did.



        • New Drivers Side lachs brake duct from @spiDmang

        • H&R OE Sport Springs + E90 Drop Hats from @spiDmang - Nicest guy ever!

        • Sourced a lachs silver rear bumper from @Austin!

        • F&R Plastic Bumper shocks & mounts from @zcenterb in Vermont (Thanks again)

        • Plastic front bumper from Roman at S3 Designs Garage - thanks man!


        • Rear Euro plate filler from @Chrisbike


        I went on ECS Tuning & ordered their full stage 2 front suspension refresh kit + new OEM front sway bar bushings. Their kit is comprised of E36 M3 FLCAB, new front lower control arms, lollipops, tie-rods, sway bar endlinks and front strut mounts.


        Next I leaned in on Blunttech who I've always had amazing customer experiences with. These guys are really top notch and if you haven't used them before I'd highly recommend. Great prices and prompt service. I ordered the moon - right down the rabbit hole for me.
        • Complete Timing Belt & Water Pump refresh kit & components
        • New drive belts
        • Complete tune up kit including the distributor cap & rotor, plugs, wires, fuel & air filter
        • Valve cover gasket
        • Cam seals, cam rocker plugs
        • Fan clutch, fan, thermostat & thermostat gasket
        • OE BMW Coolant



        • OE Ansa Exhaust to replace the blown out muffler - this is the second one that was sent from Worldpac who did a terrible job of doing no sort of packaging to ensure a safe delivery of the exhaust.




        • F&R Bilstein HD's!
        • E46 M3 Rear strut mounts
        • Stainless steel braided front brake lines
        • ATE 200 amber fluid
        • Rear plastic bumper side guide brackets

        - Likely there are more items that just aren't coming to mind at the moment.

        Next up I'd love to get my entire cluster rebuilt from Bavarian Restorations + red needless & satin silver gauge rings. I'm debating on finding another US spec SuperETA instrument cluster for the MPH or rebuilding this one in KMH. Opinions?
        • iS Front Lip Spoiler
        • iS Rear Trunk Spoiler
        • Mtech 1 385mm Steering Wheel
        • 3.73 Rear LSD
        • Z3 or '96+ E36 M3 steering rack


        Following all of that this fall
        "i" M20B25 885 cylinder head, intake manifold, throttle body, 19lbs injectors, 173 DME, SSQuid chip and all other associated parts needed for a 2.7i supereta build. This seems like the best way to make decent reliable power on a reasonable budget.

        I'm hoping I'll at least have the Z3 rack & 3.73 in by the fall. Thanks for reading!





        - My sweet Sophia loves cars, especially old cars when she's able to find the horn buttons
        Last edited by TFJR; 09-26-2017, 04:24 PM.
        1988 325 Lachs Sedan SOLD

        1989 325i Bronzit Beige 2 Door
        SOLD

        2018 Volkswagen Alltrack SE DSG
        Past:1988 325iS Lachs 5 Speed

        Comment


          #5
          Nice find!!

          Pretty epic that you went to another country for an E30, based off an ad that only has 2 pictures!
          My previous build (currently E30-less)
          http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=170390

          A 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4x4 Offroad in Inferno is my newest obsession

          Comment


            #6
            Hell ya, man! That interior is tits!!
            -Brad, AlphaTeam Motorwerks, LLC
            91' 318iS - S54/6MT Swapped
            08' E90 M3 6MT - Daily
            04' Chevy Duramax CCLB - Work Truck/Hauler


            Originally posted by IronJoe
            Alpha Team: running through e30s, gringo icebergs, and 19 yr olds.

            Originally posted by 2mAn
            Brads a standup guy even though he likes buttsex

            Comment


              #7
              Nice. The only other one in this color I have ever seen was a rental I had in the early '90s in Romania. I totaled it :(

              [IMG]https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z.com-vbulletin/550x225/80-parkerbsig_5096690e71d912ec1addc4a84e99c374685fc03 8.jpg[/IMG

              Comment


                #8
                Glad the bumper went to a good home, Toby.
                '72 2002 pickup | '88 M5 | '89 330is | '89 M3 | '01 Z3M | '11 328xi-t

                Comment


                  #9
                  I LOVE a good transformation thread!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Great price and I like that color good potential here. Glad to see you are brining it back to life. I highly recommend Bavarian Restoration. I had my cluster completely rebuilt by them. I think i would keep the cluster in km's! Let the car stick to its Canadian origins.
                    Bmw CCA # 490080

                    1995 525iA RIP
                    1987 325e Cirrusblau-Metallic/Pacific Blue (Daily)

                    DSC_1725 by Matthew Johnson, on Flickr

                    Comment


                      #11
                      First off, just wanted to say I am really annoyed with Photobucket! I migrated everything over from the second post over to Imgur. No way am I willing to pay $400 a year to have my images hosted over at Photobucket.

                      Originally posted by MR E30 325is View Post
                      Nice find!!

                      Pretty epic that you went to another country for an E30, based off an ad that only has 2 pictures!
                      I'm slightly crazy. Thanks for the kind words!

                      Originally posted by spiDmang View Post
                      Hell ya, man! That interior is tits!!
                      Thanks broham! I appreciate all of your help so far with the project :)

                      Originally posted by parkerbink View Post
                      Nice. The only other one in this color I have ever seen was a rental I had in the early '90s in Romania. I totaled it :(
                      Let's hope I don't "R3V" this one! I feel that fabric in general is uncommon in the US, let alone heated fabric seats. I dig the seats. Of course I'd love to source some matching front sport seats in time.
                      Originally posted by Austin! View Post
                      Glad the bumper went to a good home, Toby.
                      Cheers, thanks for all of your help with the project so far, Austin.
                      Originally posted by mike.bmw View Post
                      I LOVE a good transformation thread!
                      Lots more to come! I'm just getting started :)

                      Originally posted by Matt341 View Post
                      Great price and I like that color good potential here. Glad to see you are brining it back to life. I highly recommend Bavarian Restoration. I had my cluster completely rebuilt by them. I think i would keep the cluster in km's! Let the car stick to its Canadian origins.
                      Thanks! I'm excited to send off the cluster to Bavarian Restoration. Their work looks top notch. I'm also leaning towards leaving the KM cluster in there.
                      1988 325 Lachs Sedan SOLD

                      1989 325i Bronzit Beige 2 Door
                      SOLD

                      2018 Volkswagen Alltrack SE DSG
                      Past:1988 325iS Lachs 5 Speed

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Update

                        Hey Everyone,

                        I should be picking the car back up in Portland, OR next weekend. My longtime friend & mechanic has really done an incredible amount of work on the car for me. I'd have love to have been more hands on in addressing some of the needed maintenance myself - however a lack of a garage, tools and a tight timeline prompted me to bring the car to him. We've been friends for 10 years and is about the only person I'll let touch any of my cars!

                        Parts
                        • 385mm Mtech 1 Steering Wheel
                        • OEM Euro Grills
                        • OEM iS Front Lip
                        • OEM iS Rear Spoiler
                        • S3.73 Rear Limited Slip Differential


                        Maintenance
                        • Timing Belt
                        • Tensioners
                        • Accessory Belts
                        • Water Pump
                        • Thermostat & housing
                        • Valve cover gaskets + valve adjustment
                        • Complete tune up
                        • Stainless steel brake lines
                        • Brake system flushed, ATE 200 amber fluid
                        • Coolant system flushed & filled with OE BMW Coolant
                        • Still chasing down an erratic idle on cold starts. I think he is going to take it to his shop and perform a smoke test to see if there are any vacuum leaks
                        • Needs a new oil pan gasket that he'll install before I pick up the car
                        • He's done tons of odds and ends - replaced all four seat belts, installed the euro plate filler, rear plastic bumper, ALL the suspension work - It will be a totally different car.


                        - Any opinions on engine oil for a stock supereta with 155k miles? I bought Mobil 1 15w-50 full synthetic for it. That's also what I use to put in my '88 325iS.

                        - Anyone ever ran a 3.73LSD on a supereta automatic? Curious about highway RPM's and overall comfort day to day.

                        I'm really excited to get the car back, install the plastic front bumper, iS lip, rear spoiler & Mtech wheel. Later this fall I'll have the cluster sent off to Bavarian Restoration. I'll snap some better photos at that time - I know these have mostly been low-res cell phone junk so far.



















                        1988 325 Lachs Sedan SOLD

                        1989 325i Bronzit Beige 2 Door
                        SOLD

                        2018 Volkswagen Alltrack SE DSG
                        Past:1988 325iS Lachs 5 Speed

                        Comment


                          #13
                          woo! lachssilber sedan twins! I'm writing up my build thread right now
                          1984 Delphin 318i 2 door

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by wworm View Post
                            woo! lachssilber sedan twins! I'm writing up my build thread right now
                            I was checking out your thread yesterday, nice ride!

                            I have some more updates to share on the car. I am going to see for the first time in eight weeks on Saturday. Here is what I can remember off the top of my head:
                            • Purchased a non-M Z3 Steering Rack (2.7 turns LTL)
                            • Garagistic E30 to E36 Steering Rack Kit + misc. parts from Blunttech
                            • New front hood roundel
                            • Nice Mtech 1 385mm Steering Wheel
                            • S3.73 Rear Limited Slip Differential
                            • iS Front Lip
                            • iS Rear Spoiler
                            • Brake system bled with ATE 200 Amber
                            • Stainless steel front brake lines
                            • IACV thoroughly cleaned & checked for vacuum leaks
                            • Misc. new fuel lines to replace ones that were cracked
                            • AT transmission fluid flushed
                            • New Oil Pan Gasket


                            The front bumper, iS front lip & rear spoiler are off getting painted right now. I'm so tempted to buy iS side skirts, have the mirrors painted and have the rear valence painted all lachs but I'm already way over budget.
                            I'll share a big update post weekend with driving impressions and hi-res pics.

                            Last edited by TFJR; 12-17-2017, 02:08 PM.
                            1988 325 Lachs Sedan SOLD

                            1989 325i Bronzit Beige 2 Door
                            SOLD

                            2018 Volkswagen Alltrack SE DSG
                            Past:1988 325iS Lachs 5 Speed

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Diff seals and O rings are easy and cheap so worth doing when the pumpkin is already on the bench. Dont forget the Blue Loctite when attaching the half shafts to the axle flange. They have a way of wiggling loose at the worst possible moment (AMHIK).
                              Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                              https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                              Alice the Time Capsule
                              http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                              87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                              Comment

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