Reaching for my first e30 while being overseas

[Hanisdead]

So currently I am in Seoul
Im planning on to go back to los angeles this august

and the thing is i need to get a car when i get there
(which i hope its a e30 325i)

ive been reading numerous threads for beginners
-only driven hand full of cars [civic, camry, 420d, land rover 2(current dd), and most kias and hyundais]
self maintenance, reviews, personal vlogs through youtube
and i guess i gained the confidence enough in purchasing an e30 for myself when i get back

I dont know why im posting this but I dont know I was looking for some advices since Im going to buy an old car, maintain it my self (mostly doable stuff), or to hunt one down, what kind of tools I should get when not having a garage, etc

my primary goal is to purchase a daily drivable 325i coupe/auto trans red if possible with the basic no cracks, rust, dents basic stuff
budget being under 7k if its in great maintenance which I would not have to work on it right away since I am going to be busy settling down

so heres the thing
since I dont know anybody who knows e30s in real-life
any tips when purchasing the actual car? or what I should prepare in advance
or where to hunt one down (ive been staring at craigslist while getting no e-mail replies back from owners)

I want to keep it mostly OEM nothing fancy just making it my daily enjoyable ride

[e30davie]

In my opinion there is really nothing special about working on an e30. Its just basic old car. Brakes, suspension, steering its all the same as any other car. Few little quirks in the various engines, but nothing exciting at all. I've rebuilt plenty of cars and i found the e30 the same as any other car. Its all just nuts and bolts.

People get excited with enthusiast cars and get all scared of them. Its not a ferrari. It's a 30yr old mass produced car that according to wiki they sold 2.4milion of around the world.

Remember its a 30yr old car, its going to require regular maintenance and repairs, everything is coming up to the end of its life, if it hasn't been replaced it probably needs to be replaced. Do not expect to buy one and drive it hassle free unless you first give the car a complete once over.

[roguetoaster]

^
100%

Also search out the various buying guides here and elsewhere. Spend a dozen hours reading and you will be fairly well informed.

[Hanisdead]

yeah i guess im all mashed up in my head with all the stiff that i have to do
of course its a car with more time,effort, and money
the more effort and the more love i would get out if i guess

guess i needed some infos based on the socal market i guess

but yeah im sticking to the guielines and the stickies

thing is i just hope everything goes as planned and not ending up screwing an excellent car

[e30davie]

Don't over think it. Don't think of it as an "E30". Think of it as an old car. The issues you are going to have with a 30yr old e30 are the same as if you bought any 30yr old car. Would you be comfortable buying a 1986 corolla or a 1986 Mitsubishi as a daily driver and fixing issues? It's no different.

For the record i daily drove my e30 up until recently. for a while i was doing 300km/day at least. I had basically rebuilt the entire engine, brakes, suspension and converted to manual prior to getting it onto the road. I bought the car for $1700 AUD and probably spent $3000AUD on top of it and that was just parts with me doing all of the work except for machining and exhausts. The car is basically brand new mechanically and i would have no hesitation using it daily driving 300km/day again. But i had to fix basically everything on it to get it up to scratch. Even after all my work there are still little things that popup, but hey that's part of the fun.

Also rule 1: Whatever the previous tells you is a lie unless you can confirm it.

[2mAn]

my primary goal is to purchase a daily drivable 325i coupe/auto trans red if possible with the basic no cracks, rust, dents basic stuff
budget being under 7k if its in great maintenance which I would not have to work on it right away since I am going to be busy settling down

Im here to make your dreams come true

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=421937

[Stanley Rockafella]

Im here to make your dreams come true

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=421937

[Hanisdead]

Don't over think it. Don't think of it as an "E30". Think of it as an old car. The issues you are going to have with a 30yr old e30 are the same as if you bought any 30yr old car. Would you be comfortable buying a 1986 corolla or a 1986 Mitsubishi as a daily driver and fixing issues? It's no different.

For the record i daily drove my e30 up until recently. for a while i was doing 300km/day at least. I had basically rebuilt the entire engine, brakes, suspension and converted to manual prior to getting it onto the road. I bought the car for $1700 AUD and probably spent $3000AUD on top of it and that was just parts with me doing all of the work except for machining and exhausts. The car is basically brand new mechanically and i would have no hesitation using it daily driving 300km/day again. But i had to fix basically everything on it to get it up to scratch. Even after all my work there are still little things that popup, but hey that's part of the fun.

Also rule 1: Whatever the previous tells you is a lie unless you can confirm it.

yeah thats the thing I guess I gotta do more research
but thanks on the advice
much appreciated

[G-Man]

If you are moving to California, don't buy a heavily modified engine in your E30. Remember that you still have to pass California emissions testing. Always find the best body you can. Mechanical work is child's play compared to rust repair and body restoration. That should not be an issue if you are buying in So Cal. Some factors to consider, 2 or 4 door, B27 (eta) or B25 motor, autotragic or 5-speed, big bumper or plastic bumper, etc.. Pricing for coupe 325is/318is models are on the rise with nice ones going for over 5 figures. Decisions, decisions.... but keep watching local So Cal Craigslist to track E30 pricing.

G-Man