So I'm going to look an an 85 325i coupe today, I'm pretty excited. The guy has been really open with the car and says it's running and driving well and that he recently replaced hoses, belts and plugs. He sent me the VIN and it checks out as a clean title 325i with plenty of factory options, including the Cardinal Red interior option. Here's the punch though; 240k miles on the odometer, and he says they're on the original M20. It's a 32 year old car anyway, so I'm not shocked, but expecting to spend a pretty penny over the next couple weeks in replacing wear components.
I usually try to avoid buying a used car on the first look, but the guy is a truck driver and is leaving town from saturday until the 11th, and i really do want to putt around town a little in it without having to wait 2 weeks.
Anyone on here an E30 guru? obviously there is general rules to follow in the dance of used car transactions, but particular to E30's. I've been searching the BMW forums and whatnot but it's always nice to hear from others.
forgot to mention that for some reason theres a black driver's seat
Jaxson Reyes
>buying a BMW >Much less a 32 year old one
Sweetie...
Brandon Brown
o is such a garbage board
Jonathan Turner
Not an E30 guru but my first car was an '86 325e hence my name. pic related was the Interior in mine.
Honestly just by looking at the interior on that one I'd pass. Cracked dashboards are a no no for me especially one looking like that.
What are you plans for this car? Will this be your first car? How much is he asking? Can you afford to spend more to get a better car to begin with because that is REALLY bad.
Adrian Green
240K isn't terrible. I know a guy who only buys high-miles BMWs. Usually for $500-1000.
But I wouldn't buy that one. It's trashed. Looks like it sat with the windows open for years too. It's ready for either the junkyard or a Lemons track.
Hudson Young
That car is trashed OP. Clean title? I can literally see bondo coming apart. That interior is trashed, really bad. The only thing that car would be good for is gutting it and using it to hoon or racecar.
With that said, not worth more than $500.00
There are clean e30s out there but youll pay out the ass. Get an e36 or e34 if you like the body style.
Bentley Anderson
I live in AZ, so cracked dashboards are a way of life for anything over 10 years old.
Won't be my first car by a longshot, but it will be my first BMW. He's only asking $900, but i might try and lowball him and see how far he'll go. I can get a different car, but what's as cool as an E30? in terms of plans for the car, I won't be doing any major work to it, or at least i dont plan to. I have a reliable DD so this would be more like a running project that could be a DD one day if i decided to put my faith into it. I really would only want to clean it up outside and in, and see how long i can take the original motor. I do mostly highway driving and when im in the city im not a boiracer, so I don't expect to thrash it. Truthfuly i just really like these cars, and $900 is low enough to tempt me to buy it for shits and gigs
Charles Morris
i just recently sold an old truck that i had, so i have a little cash left over and want something that can be a little project. Assuming it doesnt die when i go and drive it, i think its a great candidate for a restoration, slow as it might be. minimal rust because AZ car, and the interior does look dirty, but i personally wouldnt say trashed. a good cleaning goes a long way imo
Isaac Allen
>$900 >no rust >e30 325
buy it.
Thomas Myers
>I can get a different car, but what's as cool as an E30?
when I said better car I meant a better E30
First of all I personally wouldnt buy an an Early model E30. I'd go for a late model. Here is an example of a late model E30. You can tell by the tail lights and plastic bumpers it comes with as opposed to the ugly diving boards early models have.
>car is in phoenix so no rust isn't crazy >its an early model >its in absolute shit condition >massively cracked dash
yeah, you have no idea what you are talking about.
Hudson Hill
...
Isaac Peterson
Restoring that car will cost way more than just saving to buy a nicer one. The car is 32 years old do you thing parts are falling from the sky?
Jackson Nguyen
i'd like to say again that most cars here in the devils asshole older than about 2005 are vulnerable to cracked dash. It's really a petty thing to worry about, i'm not taking it to a showroom. doesn't affect driveability
Christian Roberts
is restoring any car cheap? asking for a friend
Michael Morgan
no. didnt an user just post an E30 from craigslist above. That car he posted will be cheaper to own as opposed to buying that $900 shitbox.
so there is rust. Stay away. theres nothing cheap or redeeming about that shitbox
Chase Jackson
That car is shit. And of course it will need major work. Cars that look like that were never properly serviced.
From appearances, it looks like a car that sat outside for ten years without moving. The guy selling it probably found it, replaced some hoses and tires, and replaced the driver's seat that animals had made a nest in.
David Rodriguez
OP please buy it you dumb ass. Clearly you don't want to listen. Buy that shitbox and sink your money into it.
Camden Miller
just trying to play devils advocate. I'm not interested in losing 900 bucks, and im not stupid enough to ignore all these people saying its shit, just trying to see how many different opinions i can get
Cooper Roberts
Get an e34 if you are just looking for a nice commuter. They are completely bottom dollar right now and are just a wider looking e30. Get a 525i and have a bulletproof comfy daily that looks great.
I have a e34 540 as a daily and I fuckin love it
Carter Parker
I'll start looking around for one of those. its harder to find the 5spd in those isnt it?
Henry Long
I could find one pretty easily. It shares the engine and transmission of the e36 325 so there are so many parts available you could find a swapped one very easily. e34 hasn't been hit by the boyracer tax that e30s have gotten and e36s are starting to get.
Check the engine code to make sure its a proper m20b25 and not just a 323i (boat anchor spec motor in my opinion) which is what im pretty most series 1 E30's came with. Also get a series 2 they look better in the rear end/everywhere.
The engine number is under the octopus looking intake near the rocker cover, you'll need degreaser and a light to be able to read it. You'll want to do this before the test drive because you'll burn your hands if you do it after trying to get a good view. Probably use your phone on that note to photograph it after cleaning it with a longish screwdriver with a rag covered in degreaser on the end.
Guud car though, I had an 88 325i for 5 years with zero issues.
Hudson Cox
325e is garbage unless you build a stroker with it. Also its s1 with bottle caps, pretty much zero redeeming features, you'll have to sink three times that to make it perform and looks right. I'd even argue the 327 stroker motor isn't worth it unless you're set on N/A, they drink fuel like crazy. Much better off with a 325i and a small turbo from a toyota like a ct15.
Brandon Clark
i intended on ls swapping it
Hunter Sanders
That is sacrilege.
In all honesty though, I'd steer clear of an e30 unless you have a serious knack for servicing your own cars. Check r3vlimited for parts and other information but you WILL be doing a serious project about once or twice a year.
Pic related, replacing nearly the whole brake system, hard line and all.
Andrew Ortiz
Btw, brake lines are a bitch if you're not tearing anything off the bottom of the car
Angel Green
E30 expert here, best and worst mistake of my life.
They are all Rusty turds now, there are 2 kinds, ones that have been welded and ones that need welding. The rust is hidden under the seam sealer in many cases. Sills, jacking points, front fletches, inner arches, outer arches, boot floor, doors and tail lights are the worst.
Don't buy one if you don't want to work hard to get it right.
Pic of my "clean" UK e30, was not visible before removing the seam sealer.
