CL find: good for first e30?

[Polarbeartoenails]

Hello all, I've been wanting an e30 for awhile and now I'm finally looking for one to buy. Ideally I'd like to get a 325is, but I've been looking on craigslist for a couple months and there doesn't seem to be any that are affordable. I did find one that I'm contemplating on getting and it's an 86 325. (Link below). Are all e30's pretty much the same when it comes to the driving experience? I've heard e30s are a blast to drive, but I haven't even heard of a 325 with no letter afterwards, even with the research I've done before. But now I know they exist. Basically, I don't want a sub-par model that'll turn me off to ever owning another e30 again. With all that said, is this a good deal for this car? I think it only comes with the bottle cap wheels and not the bbs's pictured. And it says it has a Getrag 260 tranny from an e34. Is this a good upgrade to have? Thanks for looking and I look forward to being a part of this forum.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/6213664556.html

[dnguyen1963]

Well, it has a 2.7L engine but for $3k and all the things that the seller had done to the car, it is a good buy. You need to check the engine and make sure that it is in good shape. Bring a friend along if you are not sure.

[flyboyx]

there is some minor pole smoking going on there but 3k is a reasonable price for a good solid e30 these days. i personally hate the primer finish. it looks like some kid couldn't afford a real paint job. get underneath it and look for rust since it is in florida. look closely for body work under the "paint". bondo'ed minor dents aren't a big deal, but rust hidden under filler is an eventual nightmare.

this car is an "e" for economy with the 2.7 liter engine as mentioned in the last post. it is a little less hp and will have a tall rear axle ratio of 2.79 or 2.93. it will be slower but those things can be easily fixed. buy the best rust free body you can afford. all the rest can be taken care of as time goes on during your stuardship of the car.

welcome to the forum.

[Shftr8]

You say you don't want a "sub-par" model but realistically your looking in the sub-par price range. I don't think the car is a bad deal for the price but don't be disappointed if it needs some work and doesn't fulfill all your wants in a e30. These things can always be fixed or upgraded later to get it where you want.

[estoguy]

The above advice is solid - can't really add much more. Check it out real good, and if you're really serious, wouldn't hurt to get a pro to look at it too. If the car looks good, I'd grab it.

Since it's an '86, the diff should be 2.93. You can easily manage 30 MPG with that car or better.

As an Eta owner for nearly 5 years, they are fun to drive. Yes, less HP, lower rev limit... blah, blah... but she'll still wind up and you can have hella fun on twisty roads.