Snow-Ready 1990 325IX Colorado

[fiftytakedowns]

1990 325IX Brilliantrot
134XXX



Some suspension goodies
Practically stock,
Great Shape,
Love driving her through the mountains, yet I have to lay down the wax to protect her paint. The AWD is bitchin in the snow, and I'll modify her as the time comes and she needs the love.

For example:

Next up is redoing her brakes, Will probably go with the OEM+ Kit from IE for 300; Slotted Rotors, Better pads and Dot4. I have the IS Spoiler, OEM but may keep her this way.

Wish List:
Gauge Pods, and Dash gauges.
Recaro Seats (maybe OEM TAN ones)
Cardinal Interior, or SaddleBrown Interior.
Tints.
Euro Smileys
Mudflaps
*Are there OEM specific for IX available?
DashCover
Winter Wheels
Redo the suspension with ++ parts.
I head you can throw in a 6 speed.... if that is the case, I will for sure look into this.
Do what is necessary to lighten the car without compromise to it's integrity and authenticity. Do you think that is possible? For example Carbon Bonnet/Hood, painted to stock?

Engine? well. I almost always get bit by the turbo bugs, but I'm trying to only improve this car in a sense it will retain or accumulate it's value. Call it a Retro-Restoration-ROD. If that's the case, I'd like to source some ITB's and I'll pull the head and do the P&P with some headwork for a more fun ride.

Cheers!

Mogo

[Chrisbike]

Hey Mogo, Welcome to the dark side...

It's in very good condition cosmetically. Mine also has 134K...
Also, I have a brillantrot drilled trunk, if you want it...

-Suspension/ brakes-
1) First of all, I don't recommend H&R's... Just some new Billy HD's/ stock springs. I'm currently using GC coilovers with SA konis.
2) I recommend buying brakes from FCP euro because they are lifetime warranty even for wear items. I recommend ate200. Check all the brake lines. The front lines are longer on iX's FYI. Also switching to low dust ceramic because the stock RZ's are insanely hard to clean, or buy stock in sonax.
3) For winter wheels I recommend some cheap 14" bottlecaps or steelies, both are cheap and easy to get tires for.

-Interior/ exterior-
1)Oem Recaro's are a great upgrade, you can swap the heater element from the comforts,
I got a 45% tint and its a great balance between fishbowl and too dark.
2)As for the mudflaps, you can still buy the rears new, the fronts for iX are specific for the body kit and are nearly impossible to find.

-Performance-
1) As far as lightening the car, What are your goals for the car? most aftermarket trunks/ hoods aren't going to fit very good. A dry cell d34 optima isn't bolt on but bimmerworld offers a bracket and its 20lbs lighter than a stock 49 wet cell.
2) I'd recommend turbo vs itbs personally, itb will be very good but only with supporting modification to engine/ exhaust. I'm going rotrex supercharger on mine and deleting A/C, but I also don't care about the collector value because I didn't buy with the intent to sell... When it comes to gauges the one from Podi is the best.
3) Whoever told you there is a six-speed that will bolt up has never owned an iX, although probably possible it wouldn't be worth it. I'm not familiar with what that would involve and am only assuming.

[E30 Wagen]

I'm trying to only improve this car in a sense it will retain or accumulate it's value.

Then keep it as original and OEM as possible. Be thankful you have a really nice e30 to enjoy, and when you decide you want to sell you could actually make money. Start adding gauge pods and tearing into the engine and you're just pissing money away...

[cheffy30]

please change your timing belt.


Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[stonea]

Welcome to the ix crew! My first piece of advice is take everything you read about the ix with a grain of salt. Theres a lot of bad information out there, like how you can bolt a 6 speed into an ix. Basically DarkSideofWill, Flyboyx, and Nando are all good reliable sources of information.

Now onto your wish list/plans:

-Gauge Pods: I really like the ash tray mounted gauges, but I really want to get Podi ones some day.
-Recaro Seats: I'm guessing you mean sport seats?
-Tints: Its going to be a personal preference, but I think e30s look good with light tints.
-Euro Smileys: DO IT
-Mud Flaps: Like Chris said, the fronts are ix specific and literally almost impossible to find and ridiculously expensive.
-Dash Cover: I think dash covers are ugly, I'd look into flocking it.
Winter Wheels: Bottle Caps are the best winter wheel IMO
-Suspension: If you plan on lowering it you HAVE to go with Koni's. If not Bilsteins are fine. Personally I'm going with Ground Control coilovers so I can lower the car during the summer and raise it during the winter.
-Wieght: Personally I don't think its worth it. Deleting the AC, tools, spare tire, sound deadening and getting a small battery are as far as I would go, but I wouldn't even do that.
-Engine: I agree turbo isn't the way to go if you plan on keeping the car OEM'ish. Personally I'd recommend doing a proper 2.7 or 2.8 Stroker with the usual bolt ons. You can go with ITB's after that if you want.

[Marilyne30]

Don't know where you are in Colorado, but if you find yourself in Fort Collins hit me up, I've got a bunch of e30 parts, and always love hanging out with fellow e30 fans

[downforce22]

ditto about the springs

[Chroma Aberration]

Welcome! Enjoy your traction :D

"you HAVE to go with Koni's. If not Bilsteins are fine." Curious why you say this, I like my bilstein setup quite a bit.

[stonea]

Bilsteins aren't meant for lowering the car. It's been well documented that you have to cut the bump stops if you use Bilsteins and lower your ix.

[fiftytakedowns]

Thanks guys for the great advice. At this point I'll just maintain the car with own+ parts and perhaps go with little upgrades here or there (while I'm in there) although staying own is good for the value, I dont see how a well maintained car with appropriate upgrades won't maintain, retain or improve its value. What's your opinion on this?

For example, improving the suspension with m3 control arm bushings? Or those beautiful instrument cluster refurbishments. Improving the brakes as they need to be replaced, or refreshing the engine when it's at 150k. New cam and minor headwork could open her up without making it less desirable.

[stonea]

Honestly I think you are focusing way to much on the possible resale value of the car. These cars aren't classics or even collectibles. Unless the car is 100% original, perfect, and low miles I wouldn't care to much. Just have fun with it, whats the point of having a car if you can't do what you want to with it?

[Kershaw]

Bilsteins aren't meant for lowering the car. It's been well documented that you have to cut the bump stops if you use Bilsteins and lower your ix.

Which takes all of 5 minutes.

[aaron325ix]

nice, your car is a clone of mine including a dog in the back. At least when I got it back in 2001 when i was living in Vail it was a clone. I've done tons with mine since while living in California part of the time. We are now about to close on a house in Leadville and should be there before Xmas and can't wait to be back!

I have an extra set of iX weaves that are kind of rough cosmetically. I was hoping to get rid of them before the move but could hang on to them and bring back to Co if you want a set of winter wheels to mount some studded snows on.

BTW, nothing wring with H&R sports or Bilsteins. I have both on my car. Trimmed the bump stop which was super easy and the ride height and stiffness is perfect for street driving. Having said that I will probably get some GC coilovers before I go out there just so I can raise it to stock height in winter and back down in summer.

[jeenyus]

great little base! Do what you want to the car, but keep it quality. I think that's the important thing for me. There are tons of mods to do to your car these days and you have to use your own level of discernment to make them classy/quality.

I tinted my windows to 20% in the back and legal limit in the front (like 35%).

I put new seats in my car as well, the ones from the Z3M. I really like how they feel and look.

Remember that almost every single piece of the front suspension is different on an IX than a regular RWD e30.

For me, it's important to make sure the car is running 100% before i do any other type of mod.

If you don't want your stock 'i' lip, let me know and I'll take it off you! I got rid of mine, and i've wanted one back since.

[fiftytakedowns]

nice, your car is a clone of mine including a dog in the back. At least when I got it back in 2001 when i was living in Vail it was a clone. I've done tons with mine since while living in California part of the time. We are now about to close on a house in Leadville and should be there before Xmas and can't wait to be back!

I have an extra set of iX weaves that are kind of rough cosmetically. I was hoping to get rid of them before the move but could hang on to them and bring back to Co if you want a set of winter wheels to mount some studded snows on.

BTW, nothing wring with H&R sports or Bilsteins. I have both on my car. Trimmed the bump stop which was super easy and the ride height and stiffness is perfect for street driving. Having said that I will probably get some GC coilovers before I go out there just so I can raise it to stock height in winter and back down in summer.

You'll have to keep me posted about the coil over set up. I'm curious about this seasonally and could really be a good solution for driveability.

Morgan