Buying a used E30 with damage?

[quinnobenauf]

Hey everyone,

Long time lurker, first time poster. So it goes, right? Anyway, I'm currently in the process of selling my e34, which I love, but I want an e30 instead. I'm currently looking at a 325i that has a lot of work done, M50 swap, manual transmission swap, struts, shocks, headers, the works. However, according to the poster, their little brother hit a guard rail on the freeway and there is someone damage to the hood, fender panel, headlights, grill and radiator support.

My question is, is this something worth buying, taking to a body shop, having them replace the radiator support, and doing the rest of the replacing myself? I'm more worried about damage I can't see, and if it'll end up biting me later. The damage seems pretty minor from pictures. It's basically the perfect E30 for me, which is why I want it so bad, but I don't want it if I'll end up regreting it done the road. They're asking $3000.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/c...372551752.html

Please let me know your thoughts!

[MauiM3Mania]

Can you have a good body shop take a look at it before you buy the car?

[quinnobenauf]

I don't know if it'll make a the drive to a shop. He suggested having it towed because the fan is touching the radiator. But if I can drive it I will see if that's an option. I live in Seattle and the car is about a 45 minute drive north.

[nick325xit 5spd]

So, the basic answer is that if you need a body shop, that car doesn't make sense.

It needs a hood, fender, front valence, radiator core support, and has a tweaked fender rail. And that's just what's obvious in a very quick review. It also has a salvage title.

It *could* make sense for someone who can paint, but by the time you pay a body shop to fix all that, you're probably looking at a minimum of $3k in work, and likely more. Around here, I'd expect that repair to cost $5k. For context, on my old white E30, a got an insurance payout of about $2k for a damaged fender and bumper cover *only.*

Net-net, I have a very hard time being enthusiastic about this car. Also, you have to keep in mind that M50 swaps suck. You get the significant downsides of a swap car (tight clearances, a heavy nose, and usually crankiness), but very little in the way of power gains.

You're buying a car that's worth *maybe* $5-6k for $3k, and you pretty much have to assume that it needs $5k put in to it. This makes a lot more sense if you can acquire used body parts, do your own welding, and paint it yourself.

Edit: You can probably remove the fan and drive it to a shop. But you should probably just pass on it.

[quinnobenauf]

Thanks for the great response! I only wanted the body shop to fix what I couldn't, which would be the anything with welding. I'm comfortable changing out any of the other used parts myself, which I was thinking wouldn't help keep costs down. But even if this is the case, a body shop fixing only the stuff I need it to to be structurally sound, it sounds like it might not exactly be worth it anyway?

[nick325xit 5spd]

Thanks for the great response! I only wanted the body shop to fix what I couldn't, which would be the anything with welding. I'm comfortable changing out any of the other used parts myself, which I was thinking wouldn't help keep costs down. But even if this is the case, a body shop fixing only the stuff I need it to to be structurally sound, it sounds like it might not exactly be worth it anyway?

If you can deliver the car to a shop largely disassembled and provide a core support to install, it's probably more like $500 for that. The fender rail can probably be pulled/hammered straight.

None of this is *hard* to fix. It's just very expensive to pay someone else to do it.

Personally, I'd put the money towards a welder and teach yourself how to MIG. It's really quite easy.

I'd still want to pay a heck of a lot less than the asking price for the car.

[82eye]

wants a mint for a wreck after he strips his "sentimental" parts..

he's got the mental part right

[95BMWIC]

Its funny I always look to see if the sport seats are in good shape - I always think those (sport seats) are probably worth $1000 if they are original and in excellent condition...

Is 3K worth it? You probably have 3K - 4K in parts (power train, seats and a few other things) but it would take a lot of your time to list, pull the parts and sell. I agree with Chris - if you "can do it yourself " - 3K may not be out of line.. but definitely offer much less.. I mean the market for a salvage title E30 is pretty small... I doubt you'll make any money if you intend on fixing and flipping.. The value is in you wanting a M50 engine crammed in an E30 chassis..

[quinnobenauf]

How much would you offer? Most of the work I do intend on doing myself. And I'm not planning on flipping it anytime soon. More into the idea of just keeping it forever and maintaining it as I go

Edit: Is the m50 really that much of an inconvenience for the e30 engine bay?

[323i E30]

How much would you offer? Most of the work I do intend on doing myself. And I'm not planning on flipping it anytime soon. More into the idea of just keeping it forever and maintaining it as I go

Edit: Is the m50 really that much of an inconvenience for the e30 engine bay?

I'm not at all familiar with the M50, but some things I ran into with my M52:
The radiator needed to come out to change the alternator (no clearance for that long bolt).
The engine needs to be lifted to change the starter as there is no way to get to it otherwise.
Fan and radiator are imo too close to eachother (I only have an electric push fan).
Some shops are afraid to work on it as it is not a factory setup.
There is probably more, but this is just my experience on the downsides so far.

Make it easy for yourself and ask for a complete list of non-E30 parts that have been added to the car.
Mine has parts that came off of an E28, E34, E36 and E39 for example.

[nick325xit 5spd]

I'm not at all familiar with the M50, but some things I ran into with my M52:
The radiator needed to come out to change the alternator (no clearance for that long bolt).
The engine needs to be lifted to change the starter as there is no way to get to it otherwise.
Fan and radiator are imo too close to eachother (I only have an electric push fan).
Some shops are afraid to work on it as it is not a factory setup.
There is probably more, but this is just my experience on the downsides so far.

Make it easy for yourself and ask for a complete list of non-E30 parts that have been added to the car.
Mine has parts that came off of an E28, E34, E36 and E39 for example.

It's not that terrible if you are a reasonable DIYer. But there are ways in which the car is noticeably worse and more annoying to deal with. And an M50 is just not enough of a power gain to even contemplate the hassle, IMO. It's one thing to gain close to a hundred horsepower. It's another thing to gain maybe 20hp.

[quinnobenauf]

It's not that terrible if you are a reasonable DIYer. But there are ways in which the car is noticeably worse and more annoying to deal with. And an M50 is just not enough of a power gain to even contemplate the hassle, IMO. It's one thing to gain close to a hundred horsepower. It's another thing to gain maybe 20hp.

Since the M50 swap has already been done, is it easier to do a better engine swap? I think the S50 is a direct swap from the M50, and the S52 would be a little bit simpler comparing to swapping from an M20 correct?

[nick325xit 5spd]

Since the M50 swap has already been done, is it easier to do a better engine swap? I think the S50 is a direct swap from the M50, and the S52 would be a little bit simpler comparing to swapping from an M20 correct?

Sure, assuming that the swap was done well. An OBDI S52 swap would require very little extra work vs. an S50, especially since you have the M50 to steak parts off of.

Basically, having an exhaust (assuming that the exhaust isn’t garbage), and a repinned harness is what you have with an M50.