E30 M3 Convertible?

[Turbo16 PSI]

Has anyone ever seen an 1989 M3 Convertible how many made any details would be appreciated.
This is an MB AMG SL 55. We @ my shop work for a company that does DOT & EPA conversions and they have an E30 M3 convertible that they are doing a conversion on and I was just wondering how rare the M conv was. The car is awesome. I will have pics of the car 01/17/03.



:buttrock

[Kos-motate139]

Only pictures. There's supposedly only 1 in the USA, one of the fellers on roadfly owns it.

[Oddjob]

They are for sale every month if you buy the European BMW magazines. They're not even that expensive. But you can't import them to the US (if you can I'd like to know how)

[phae1017]

Here's one.

[Turbo16 PSI]

There's supposedly only 1 in the USA, one of the fellers on roadfly owns it. Well now there are 2!!!:clap:

[///Milk]

an E30 M3 convertable?
i see!
why do they only have 1 in the US (or 2 or whatever)?

[phae1017]

'cause they weren't imported by BMW to the US, I assume the 1 here is not a custom job 'cause that would kinda blow.

[Bry]

I think there were something like 600 produced in Europe? I don't really remember the figure.

A few have been made here from converting a regular E30, but I only know of one that is in the US. I guess this makes two!

Please post some pictures! :)

[MechE30]

I know this is old but last night I saw some guy in a 88-89 e30 convert (grey color) with M-Touring badges on the front grill, and back boot lid but no other badges anywhere. I had never seen such a thing, and he did NOT have the m3 type fenders which flare out. So my thoughts were that he was just a giant d-bag.

[gobuffs]

I think there were something like 600 produced in Europe? I don't really remember the figure.

786...no more, no less.

[M-technik-3]

I went to a BMW CCA event at LRP in CT in 03 and there were 4 there. I have photos. The last time I was in Germany there was one in Ramstein village for sale for 14k euros.

[IHeartE30s]

I've seen plenty that are just E30's with the flares welded on or the whole panels I guess. There were two at Bimmerfest but they were fakes. . .looked good still but not authentic.

My dads in the importing buisness too but I guess just regular E30 M3's are more expencive in Europe then here so a convertable would be uber expencive Im sure.

[jusdrake1]

I heard there is a guy with one in CA that paid nearly 80k after all was said and done to get it.

[jusdrake1]

I know this is old but last night I saw some guy in a 88-89 e30 convert (grey color) with M-Touring badges on the front grill, and back boot lid but no other badges anywhere. I had never seen such a thing, and he did NOT have the m3 type fenders which flare out. So my thoughts were that he was just a giant d-bag.

That is an m-technic. Only 149 built. Not a d-bag. I know cause I was fortunate to find one.

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/6708/dsc4698wz1.jpg
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8584/img0149ud2.jpg

[GGray]

I'll be building one this winter with OEM body parts. Probably use E36 M3 brakes on it. With a 2.5 M50 turbo motor:D Shoudl be fun...

Red with Tan interior...(makes the wife happy, she wants a red vert)

I saw a yellow one a few years ago a guy did it was super clean conversion. He had a donor E30 M3 and swapped everything over!

[Brodee]

That is an m-technic. Only 149 built. Not a d-bag. I know cause I was fortunate to find one.

I thought the only M-Tech vert offered in the US was the '92 and only in white.

[MechE30]

That is an m-technic. Only 149 built. Not a d-bag. I know cause I was fortunate to find one.

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/6708/dsc4698wz1.jpg
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8584/img0149ud2.jpg


Pretty much the one I saw. Good thing. I dont like D-Bags D-badging D-licious cars.

[david55838]

Here's my fake. :D

[IHeartE30s]

Damn your fake is hawt! Is it actually a fake M3? If it is Im sorry but I wouldnt sport the M3 badge. I love the ltw flag though, I want it so bad on my car.

On the convert convo, Im trying to convince my brother to pick one up as his first car. Silver with a blue rag top, if he could find an MTech YES!

[jusdrake1]

I thought the only M-Tech vert offered in the US was the '92 and only in white.

That would be an m-tech appearance package. You see alot of these in California with white on white. They are not real m-technics, which were only offered in Red, Silver, Blue and were model year 91'.

[jusdrake1]

Pretty much the one I saw. Good thing. I dont like D-Bags D-badging D-licious cars.

Lol! Yeah, most people and even the dealers around here have no idea what it is. It is a pretty sweet car though, has m-cloth interior, m-technic suspension, 15" Euroweaves, m-technic door sills among other goodies.

Anyhow I am thinking of taking on an S52 m3 cabrio replica project with my dad so if anyone has any good tips (ie. where to get the rear 1/4's?) it would be cool.

[david55838]

Damn your fake is hawt! Is it actually a fake M3? If it is Im sorry but I wouldnt sport the M3 badge. I love the ltw flag though, I want it so bad on my car.

On the convert convo, Im trying to convince my brother to pick one up as his first car. Silver with a blue rag top, if he could find an MTech YES!

I've already d-badged the trunklid, I'll probably d-badge the rest - although it DOES have an E30 M3 5-lug and suspension, and of course, it's an S50 conversion, so it's 'almost' an M3. That sounds kind of pathetic, doesn't it? :rolleyes

[GGray]

Phhhh I'd leave the M3 stuff on it. How many people will honestly know it's not a real car....How many Muscle cars are out there with SS on them or GTO that were originally NOT a SS or GTO...Its even faster than a Real M3..

If your'e making a replica the right way would be to put all the factory correct markings on the car...

[Fist of Karma]

Here's my fake.


I've already d-badged the trunklid, I'll probably d-badge the rest - although it DOES have an E30 M3 5-lug and suspension, and of course, it's an S50 conversion, so it's 'almost' an M3. That sounds kind of pathetic, doesn't it?
damn nice car.

[Diamond Blk]

Here's my fake. :D

By chance is that the one that was for sale in RI.?

[david55838]

That be the one. Good call. :D

[mcnab]

I've had the pleasure of seeing the only E30 M3 Vert in Canada that I am aware of. It is owned by my brothers, ex gf's,dad. It pretty much sits in a garage all it's life, and driven a hand full of times in a year during the summer. It has less than 10,000km on it. It's no fake either.

I will dig up a pic of it somewhere here.

[mcnab]

Edit...I have a pic, but it won't allow me to post URL's or Pictures yet :( How many posts do I need until I can?

[darwins52]

I don't know why my last post didn't well, post but here it is again. I think I have the first fake built, which was created out of 2 complete M3s and a 325iC back in 1993. At that time Dakar Yellow was out in Europe but not here. Dwight Lile of Zionsville Autosport built the car for himself and did it right, with an entire real M3 front clip, trunk floor and frame rails and real BMW OEM parts throughout.

I bought the car with 41k mi and promptly put another 76k on it before doing an early S52 conversion. Again, Dwight's conversion kit was instrumental in making this happen. I chose to use a dogleg CR 262 close-ratio box out of an M6 that didn't fit the engine OR the car, but that is what made it fun!

I now have 182k miles on it, every one of them a delight.
Anyone who says the additional 80 lbs will 'kill the balance' of an E30 M3 had better get used to seeing the rear end of my car...

I'd trade another 80 lbs for an additional 100 lb-ft of torque and 80 HP again if I could. And besides, my car is a Cabrio, never destined for ultimate lap times. If you want to go fast buy a shifter cart. These cars are about FUN.

As for the 'originality' crowd, if your car has 140k mi and a couple replacement body panels, its never going to be worth anything anyway. Do the conversion. It WOULD be a travesty to do this to a museum quality car. Anybody know where I can see one of those on the street?

If ya'll are ever in Vegas I'd be glad to demonstrate the advantages of 250 lb ft in an E30 chassis. I do have pics at mproved if you want to see. I also have pics of my car and the other fake running back roads in southern Indiana. Long live the E30. Now, lets go someplace fun topless...

Jeff Krause
317-506-7314
jeff@mproved.com

[M-technik-3]

I thought the only M-Tech vert offered in the US was the '92 and only in white.

Nope, here is the one from DC that was sold in my local area cheap last year.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/M-technik-3/mtechfs1.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/M-technik-3/mtechfs8.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/M-technik-3/mtechfs.jpg

It was real and an auto with 15" wheels. It was a cali car and beat so I passed on it, but a fellow E30 owner here from MD bought it.

One from a show at LRP about 4 years ago. It was the BMW vintagefest.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/M-technik-3/P8310058.jpg

[darwins52]

I was not aware of this black one in the US. There are (were?) two real white ones last known to live on the west coast. My Yellow one, the Red one in Ft Wayne, IN. Now there is the white one owned here.

Does anyone know of any others, real or otherwise? It is always nice to keep track. When I had my E30 325i Touring there were 3 in the US when I got mine; there are now at least a half-dozen.

Thanks!

[M-technik-3]

At the Lime Rock show in 03 there were three real ones. Black, White and a Blue one I have photo's but they are at home on my HD of my desktop and I am on the road with my laptop.

They were real as I dug into them pretty deep. All had front vin tags behind the headlights and had 16 digit vins. On was from Canada thou, the blue one.

[e28forlife]

I was not aware of this black one in the US. There are (were?) two real white ones last known to live on the west coast. My Yellow one, the Red one in Ft Wayne, IN. Now there is the white one owned here.

Does anyone know of any others, real or otherwise? It is always nice to keep track. When I had my E30 325i Touring there were 3 in the US when I got mine; there are now at least a half-dozen.

Thanks!

There are several m3 cabrio replicas on the boards alone, so I would imagine that there are 10+ atleast, possibly 20 or so in various levels of trim in the US. I have seen a few quarter panal conversions, but less people do both that and 5 lug suspension, and then even fewer actually put the s14 in to trully replicate the e30 m3.

I'd love to do the conversion if I could, and hell since its not a real m3, I'd have no problem with an s50b32 either;)

Oh, and I'm fairly sure theres 5 or so real cabrios, I feel like there were atleast 3 reals all at the annual e30 picnic the m3 guys have.

[L James]

Hey Guys,

It's my first post, I've been here for sometime, but mostly reading the classifieds. This thread caught my eye, because I own one of the E30 M3 Cabrios here in the U.S.

Here's a bit about myself: www.bmwe30m3cabrio.com
Hopefully, the link is still good. I've just moved and switched IP's

The following link will have a couple of pics as well: (my lack of posts prevent me from linking some threads - sorry) If you search s14 dot net you'll find more information regarding E30 M3 Cabrios

Here's what I know in regards to E30 M3 Cabrios in North America:

West Coast -
Victoria, Canada - White
San Francisco area - Macau Blue

East Coast -
NJ - Nogaro Sliver (Mine)
NJ - Diamond Schwarz
NJ - Laguna Green (BMW Individual Produced )
MD - Misano Red

Replicas -
IN - Dakar Yellow
CA - Sliver
CA - White
NY - White
IN - Red (Recently sold)

There maybe more replicas and real ones, but these are the ones I know of at this time

[M-technik-3]

I have photos of your Nagaro Silver on at LRP from a few years back.

[e28forlife]

Hey Guys,

It's my first post, I've been here for sometime, but mostly reading the classifieds. This thread caught my eye, because I own one of the E30 M3 Cabrios here in the U.S.

Here's a bit about myself: patmedia dot net/ljliu

Hopefully, the link is still good. I've just moved and switched IP's

The following link will have a couple of pics as well: (my lack of posts prevent me from linking some threads - sorry) If you search s14 dot net you'll find more information regarding E30 M3 Cabrios

Here's what I know in regards to E30 M3 Cabrios in North America:

West Coast -
Victoria, Canada - White
San Francisco area - Macau Blue

East Coast -
NJ - Nogaro Sliver (Mine)
NJ - Diamond Schwarz
NJ - Laguna Green (BMW Individual Produced )
MD - Misano Red

Replicas -
IN - Dakar Yellow
CA - Sliver
CA - White
NY - White
IN - Red (Recently sold)

There maybe more replicas and real ones, but these are the ones I know of at this time

Wow my numbers are pretty accurate. You can add carreraboy911's red e30 rep to your list, he's in central jersey .

[L James]

West Coast -
Victoria, Canada - White
San Francisco area - Macau Blue

East Coast -
NJ - Nogaro Sliver (Mine)
NJ - Diamond Schwarz
NJ - Laguna Green (BMW Individual Produced )
MD - Misano Red

Replicas -
IN - Dakar Yellow
CA - Sliver
CA - White
NY - White
IN - Red (Recently sold)

Wow my numbers are pretty accurate. You can add carreraboy911's red e30 rep to your list, he's in central jersey .

Very true - Actually that's a list from '04 (Copied from my S14.net post) - Since then I think there's also (but probably more):

Replica's -
NY - Laguna Green (Built in early '90's by Motorsport Performance in Englewood, NJ)
NJ - Red (Vald's project built by Rui Azevedo)
CA- Red with S50 ( In Bimmer Mag a few months ago)
CA - Black (Was on Ebay like 20 times)
WI - White (Owned by David55838 - Built by E30M3Ryan in '05)

"M-technik-3 I have photos of your Nagaro Silver on at LRP from a few years back."

Would love to see those sometime - PM or email at bmwe30m3cabrio@aol.com if it's not too much trouble

[oomz1975]

Heres one...

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z63/oomz1975/image26513_a.jpg

...& another

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z63/oomz1975/E30m3cab.jpg

[Bill1980]

I just noticed the M# having a wider wheelbase.

[vr4boy]

here's one that was just completed(vlad's car).
he also has a super tricked out e30 m3 as well and mostly freq s14.net and r3vlimited
here's the build story on his car w/ an s52 (vlad,hope you don't mind-just an awesome project)
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=81293

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/vr4boy/IMG_1099.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/vr4boy/IMG_1101.jpg