What I should know before buying an E30

[chevez3296]

Hey there. So I'm 18 years old. I'm mechanically inclined as in i know how to take something apart and put it back together again, but I do not have an automotive technology education. I'm actually working towards that in January.

I have did all sorts of reading and watching and learning about the E30 car. It seems to me what I would want is a 91 325i swapped with an M50 from an E28. Please do correct me if I'm wrong

I want something quick and reliable, but not too hard to work on. I've read some of the DIY walkthroughs and I feel like I could do it, but I want to hear from the community.
I've got about $4000 to spend,but I would have to sell my current car to get $3000 of that $4000 (I drive an 85 corolla with 91k original miles).

Should I go after an E30 now? Or wait until I'm past the motor and Manuel/auto classes which I don't be through until the end of 2016?

I wish to hear all of the wisdom from the community.

I'm located in Louisville Kentucky and I do a lot of highway driving so I do know for a fact I want a Manuel tranny.

Please help me out as much as you can!

(BTW I'm looking to make an E30 my DD and also a life long car, its my dream car.)

[323i E30]

Awesome, welcome.
IMO best get a stock car instead of a swapped one. If anything goes wrong or breaks down, it will be easier to replace and fix. You can always swap it yourself if the M20 starts to bore you, which might take a while...
I don't think that the E28 ever came with an M50 engine btw, but I assume you meant E34. The E36 also came from the factory with that engine.

Keep a close eye on what's for sale. You might run into a good deal now, maybe in a year

[wcipolli]

If your looking for something for keeps ALWAYS check for rust and rot - I've had three and only one was okay in that department. I agree with the post above, try to find a stock one and if you want to change things it will be a nice learning experience. I downloaded the manual and learned my way around a car when I was 16 and I've saved thousands playing around. Of course, you will break things from time to time but it's a lost art worth knowing. (The nice thing about an E30 is that you can do a lot of jobs with less than five tools.

Search around the forum, someone posted a really nice checklist. Try something like "buying checklist" in the search. A subset is as follows:
-Check for rust - start with wheel wells, check the undercarriage and door jams too
-Check for last timing belt change
-Check for maintenance records
-Try every electronic to rule out gremlins
-Hit bumps on the test drive

Definitely join the community - my first car an 84 318 had 340k on it before the shifter linkage went and I started using it as a parts car for my 86. It's a lovely car and they last forever if you take care of them. If you want it to last a long time NO RUST, just walk away. Do all the preventative maintenance and you'll be clear sailing for a long time.

4k might be a little low for an e30 with the swap, particularly for a REALLY nice one. I've been on the look out for a vert to add to the collection and really the best thing is to keep checking and purchase when you find one that speaks to you. Don't empty your toy fund on something unless you're absolutely sure. It might take a year to find "the one" but keep an eye out.

[chevez3296]

I still haven't seen one that I feel like I could call the one and I've been searching on them for awhile. It makes me feel like I'll never find it,because I refuse to settle for less.

[15Michaeljoseph]

Owning an e30 will be the greatest thing to ever happen, I assure you. The car is easy to work on most of the time, and once you start doing smaller things, you sort of see that some repairs are really no big deal. There are threads out there as to WHAT to look for, but remember that almost anything can be fixed, whether you do it yourself or not, and always use that to your advantage when negotiating a price. And a little rust is okay. You just don't want to not have floor pans or anything like that. And I second the opinion that you should maybe not buy a swapped car. I guess I'm more of a purist in that way, but you'd be surprised at what an m20 can do. It also looks better imop

As soon as you buy your e30, GET THE TIMING BELT CHANGED.

I don't care who you bought it from or what they say about it, get it done. If not, you might be sorry.

[clevye30]

You have a great 223 member Facebook group named " Louisville Kentucky Area BMW E30" I encourage you to join.

[chevez3296]

I don't use Facebook. It isn't my thing anymore. I knew about the timing belt issue but I'm just curious as to if I should jump into one

[HVZE]

For sure man. I get compliments and comments everywhere I go. Its seriously a community. At gas stations people will walk up to me and tell me how they used to own one or how they always wanted one. At my old job I convinced a guy to actually buy on and he ALWAYS tells me how much he loves it. Some maintenance can be pricey. I bought a 325e, don't make that same mistake if you plan on modding it. 325i has tons of potential and is an extremely fun/cool car.

[chevez3296]

I plan on getting a 90/91 325i and swapping an m50, into it. Or maybe get a couple and swap an LS1 into it lol

[illiano]

I plan on getting a 90/91 325i and swapping an m50, into it. Or maybe get a couple and swap an LS1 into it lol

save up for an s50 or s52. You'll be glad you did

[braddammit]

Never go into OT.

[NJDD]

If you're planning on swapping it and don't mind doing a bumper swap later on, I think an E car is the way to go (but I'm biassed), you should be able to find a nice clean one for $2,000 or less. Sure, it won't be as fast as an I car, but on the bright side once you swap it it'll seem that much faster!

For the record, even the lowly E car has 10 more horsepower and 70 ft/lb more torque than an AE86 GT-S, so it'll be a step up for sure

[rbelton]

Here are two things you should learn to do if you buy an e30:

https://bimmerzeit.com/2020/10/06/tw...ng-an-e30-bmw/