BMW E30 cost of maintenance

Okay, I need a definitive answer right fucking know.

One half of the internet says you need >$1k a year because things constantly break.

The other half says that they'll keep on chugging and you really only need to set aside $1-2k for the car's entire life cycle.

Which fucking one is it fucking mother fuckers?

Other urls found in this thread:

atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/d/1991-bmw-318i-convertible/6368591430.html
tampa.craigslist.org/psc/cto/d/bmw-633csi/6417964512.html
jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/d/1982-bmw-320i/6408722826.html
twitter.com/SFWRedditGifs

>right fucking know
Eye am a sperg

E30's are now at least 23 years old. Of course things are prone to break.

The Jews want you to buy a new car every year so they can line their pockets. That's why they spread lies about the cost of used cars. In reality, the E30 is basically bulletproof and no part of it will ever fail. You don't need any extra money besides the cost to purchase it.

$500-1k a year sounds reasonable depending on the condition at the time of purchase. If you like to wrench it’s even better because the dirty e30 is easy to work on.

Fuck you I said definitive
That sounds reasonable

I own one. If the car is taken care of well, and has been well taken care of throughout its life, it will last a long time and not need much. If it's been beaten up, it will need a lot of money right away, but then it'll be fine.

All of these cars are starting to get to the point where it's just time to replace pretty much everything though. Unless someone has done it already, things like gaskets, seals, fuel and vacuum lines, all of your suspension bushings, wiring. Stuff's just old, and it breaks down over time and heat cycles. A lot of it isn't hard to replace yourself, but some of it can be a pain if you're not ready for it.

You're hearing two sides of it because both are true. Just depends on your specific car. On the plus side, parts are actually not that expensive if you buy OE non-BMW stamped parts. $1k will take you pretty far. A lot of E36 and later parts can also be made to fit.

They're really fun cars, but honestly I would not rely on one for my sole means of daily transportation. Mine was one of the ones that got beat on pretty hard before I got it though. I might have finally gotten it back up to the point where it's reliable enough though.

What'd you buy yours for? I've got $4k to spend right now

I spent $3000 a year ago. I've spent at least that much fixing it since, but it's well worth it imo.

Do you have a specific one that you're looking at? I've taken that car apart a couple times at this point and I can tell you things you should look for, and things you should probably replace right away.

Nothing at the moment, if I find one local while this thread still lives I'll post it though. What had to be replaced immediately in yours?

Immediately:
>head gasket
>rear sway bar end links
>pads and rotors
>clutch
>radiator
>some hoses, intake boot, fuel lines
>timing belt, water pump

And then the other stuff:
>alternator voltage regulator
>all the belts
>AFM and airbox (PO installed a CAI, it was goofy)
>idle air control valve (scored at junkyard)
>spark plugs, ignition coil, dis cap and rotor
>throttle position sensor
>fuel pressure regulator
>some relays
>O2 sensor (bosch universals fit)

Still needs.
>fuel pump, have a Walbro that I need to plumb
>clutch master rebuild, kit is like $30
>brake booster and master cylinder, have a set
>all the dampers
>motor, trans, and diff mounts (these are probably fine but I want PU)
>injector clean

I'm probably skimming over something.

More like 1000 in your first year if the car hasn't been taken care of, less than 500 the following years.

Base line right away, no matter what if you buy one, do this.
>timing belt and water pump
>silicone vacuum hose kit (it's like $100 and it's 100% worth it)
>alternator votlage regulator ($20 on ECS, easy install)
>all the belts
>fan clutch if it needs it
>clutch if it needs it
>sway bar links if it needs it (these are cheap af)

Pretty much everything else you can do in your driveway over a beer when you're bored on a Saturday afternoon.

Mine was near immaculate when I bought it.I put very little mileage on it, Had it maybe 5 years ~148k miles at purchase. I've probably put a whole 20k on it since

That being said I've replaced the following

AFM
ICV
Throttle position sensor.
Intake boot.
Front Coolant hoses.
Timing belt
Water pump and thermostat becuase I had to replace said timing belt
Fuel pump x2 because of faulty Fuel pump relay
Fuel pump relay
O2 Sensor
Previous owner had the gauge cluster redone with fresh nicad batteries.

Note all of this was preventative maintenance and for peace of mind. Not becuase the car had issues running.

None of that is too stupid expensive. Worst thing was probably either the fuel pump or the timing belt kit.

Also, if you buy one, go ahead and put new odometer gears in it. They're like $15 on garagistic.

What was your total preventative cost?
Ty
I found this one, it's five hours away but the best I could do in my price range. Seats look like shit
atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/d/1991-bmw-318i-convertible/6368591430.html
Bonus, wtf is this? Looks cool but I doubt part prices are E30 tier
tampa.craigslist.org/psc/cto/d/bmw-633csi/6417964512.html

Mine has been nothing but fantastic. For the love of God replace your timing belt (I recommend the kevlar gates racing one) and water pump immediately

>tampa.craigslist.org/psc/cto/d/bmw-633csi/6417964512.html
Those pop up from time to time and they're cool as shit. I think they have an M30 in them, which is like the M20 in a 325i, but 3.0 liters. Things are pretty rare. Really cool.

That's a pretty neat 318! Price is a little high, probably because it's a vert. Note that the 318s had a 4-cylinder engine with a timing chain, as opposed to the straight 6 in the 325. These tend to require a little bit less maintenance. But if it needs a new chain, that's a pretty big job.

Don't expect a clean interior with any of these cars in your price range. Remember, these cars are from the 80s.

imo, wait for a non-vert 325i. That one looks pretty good though, if you're happy with it. I'd offer $2,800 and see if he'll come down to $3k.

Would I be looking at similar maintenance costs & ease w/ that 633CSI?

Meh around a thousand, 1300 if you add in the tires I had replaced.

Engine suspension and power train bits yes. but sourcing interior parts will be much more difficult.

Me personally I'd hold out for a 635i, the Motronic system is way better then Ljetronic that came in earlier models, and becuase I'm not a fan of tan on bronze.

I can't tell you for sure. I'm pretty sure that there was a lot of parts sharing going on between earlier BMW models. I can't imagine it's that different.

Also my mistake, it's 3.2 L. The M30 is kind of a legendary engine, actually.

It could end up being kind of a hassle but that's a really unique car. If you have the money, I would think pretty hard about that.

huh, so I screwed up the filter on the first search. This one is local
jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/d/1982-bmw-320i/6408722826.html
1982 scares me. Very old. Mileage + clean title is good though. Probably is priced a tad high. I might get a PPI, or should I just pass?

nvm it's not an E30

No fuck you. There is no easy answer to this.

E30 aftermarket is still relatively strong, but fiddly bits will cost you since parts cars are becoming scarce.

The engine and trans will last two hundred thousand easy, but the suspension will likely need to be replaced at least twice in that time, and some accessories (water belt, steering rack) could wear out before then.

If you are hard on cars, you're going to need a rainy day fund of probably a grand to make sure you're prepared for the worst. If you're a good driver, don't care if ancillary electronics stop working for a while, can turn a wrench, and don't plan to track the car, you can probably get away with $500 in reserves for major repairs and maybe $250 per year budgeted for maintenance (oil, coolant, filters every year, tires every 3-5 depending on mileage, suspension refresh every 5-7 depending on driving habits and local roads).

>I've got $4k to spend right now
Bad news. $4k won't buy you a nice E30, it'll buy you a marginally decent one. They're meme cars now, regular models (325i/is) sell for over $20,000 in good condition, M3s for over $40,000. For 4K you will find
>rust
>body damage
>bad paint
>inop AC
>needs maintenance
>needs suspension refresh
etc.

>regular models (325i/is) sell for over $20,000 in good condition
If you're buying one with almost no mileage then no shit dumbass. Get the fuck out. You can find a solid example for $4.5-6k.

He’s right OP, 4k will buy you a shitbox in barely acceptable condition because e30 has become a collector meme

OP spent like 45 min and came up with one in sound mechanical condition, just needing some aesthetic work. For 3.5k. Fuck outta here

>regular models (325i/is) sell for over $20,000 in good condition,

You're full of shit. M3's yes, normal models no.

got a 325i red 2 door 89 mint. 1500cnd
got a pair of 325ix 89's 3000cnd each
bodys in okish shape.
one of them came with a bad transfer case.
barely puts any torque to the front wheels.
ix takes different size rack than the 325i
the drive axle out of the front dif actually goes right through the oil pan lulz.

only the red 325i sunroof works.
what i've done in the last six months.
blue ix had headlights converted from sealed beam to ones where you could change a bulb instead of the whole headlight.
The headlights were all cracked to shit. held together by some 3m coating over them.
that'll would've been annoying but I have a spare e30 for parts.

just fixed a gas tank leak on the blue ix
new front right balljoint (bought whole lower arm)
did new cv boots and grease on the black ix front outer joints.
new pads all around and front rotors
new rear shocks on both ix's
New ebrake cables on one of the ix's
new rear E-brake drum pads. same car
reused the rear discs (both ix's).
blue one has glitched temp gauge on dashboard. just sits at half temp as soon as started.
black ix started a dinging sound like the door is open. and even when the key to the car is off.
on a quiet night i could hear it. so Cut the speaker right out
fucking seat heaters in the black one are broke. oh and i can smell the coolant. pinhole leak in heater core. yay
red one sits inside in the winter. probably why its still mint, fgt azn ricer sold it for only 1500 dunno why. works fine.
fuck ton left to do with the awd models tho
a mechanic friend gets good discounts at auto store. do all the labor myself. cost is. depends what its wrong with it. how old it is thusly how likely something is going to go wrong with it.
I just got a foot of snow. I put the one with the working transfercase in third gear and just ripped through all the drifts. the drift higher than the bumper would glance up over the hood off the windshield dont expect it to last long at that rate. but hella fun.

haha oh yeah forgot new starter in each IX

those things are real fuckers without one of those extended reach vice grips.