Need help in picking between two E30

[CosmicRockstar]

Hi guys,

Need some help in picking an E30... There is a convertible 1992 325i AC Schnitzer and a 1989 325is coupe for sale but I'm unable to make a decision between the two and also is the big price difference between them (almost $4k) justified?

I tried to research E30 AC Schnitzer but ended up with nothing... Is the AC Schnitzer rare?

I was hoping someone can help me in the right direction. Any information would be helpful...

Thanks!

[325e '87]

Just decide if you really want a convertible or not. I love to see them but I would never own one unless I had all the other cars I ever wanted first. I wouldn’t advise anyone to get a vert unless the car will be parked in a garage when not in use.

[snaponbob]

The Schnitzer is a bit scarce, but one has to be sure that it is genuine.

What you have not mentioned much about the coupe.

Those two comments aside, I have been working on people's 3 Series Bimmers (30, 36s, and 46s) for almost a decade after selling my business. This started almost by accident, and now I own three. Let me share some thoughts.
1) If can't do your own work, you better have plenty of money. These are not Civics or Corollas.
2) You will be looking at cars that are, at best, 26 years old, and as much as 34 years old.
3) Being in Texas, you should be able to find a rust free example, but you need to be VERY VERY careful about this.
4) Being in Texas, due to recent events, you may be looking at cars that have been in, or under, water.
5) The advice about the vert from 325e 87 is spot on. I will add to that by saying that probably extends to the coupe as well. If your job depends on dependable attendance, you will lose it !!!!!!!! See #2.
6) Once sorted, these are fun cars. But, even FULLY sorted, they require a lot of attention. See #2.
7) There is a HUGE wealth of knowledge out E30s, so working through problems is a Google search away. EVERYTHING that CAN happen to one, HAS happened -- a lot. So fixing issues is a matter of time, skills, and money.
8) PLENTY of sources for parts. You almost NEVER have to buy from a BMW dealership. However, if you join BMWCCA, most dealerships honor their significant discount program.
9) You MUST have an actual expert inspect anything you are thinking of buying. This PPI (pre purchase inspection) should be extremely comprehensive and you should have the engine compression tested as well.
10) You MUST do a CarFax to uncover as much history as possible.
11) Sellers lie !!!
12) Check the title to see if it is "clean" or "clear". Try to avoid a salvage title.
13) Rust IS an issue. I live in the KC area, and even here it is an issue. You probably should NOT be looking this far north for one. Try to avoid Gulf Coast cars as well.
14) Verts LEAK !!!!!
15) A cheap E30 requires one action ----- RUN AWAY.
16) REALLY good ones are out there. The better they are, the more expensive one will be. Rust free clean E30s are going up in value. Mileage is NOT the prime concern as CONDITION and HISTORY is EVERYTHING.

Now, if that has not curdled your milk, well --- be very patient, emotionally detached, and careful. Demand proof of claims from sellers. See #11 !! "Not that I am aware of" usually means they ARE aware of.

As an education (for FREE), spend some time in this section of Bimmerforums reading threads about various topics. It is best to learn from other people's experiences and mistakes than to go through them for yourself !!!

Happy hunting !!!

[ELVA164]

That was pretty comprehensive (nice work), but I'll double up on the fact that the Schnitzer car is most likely not genuine unless it has documentation and plates.

[aaverhulst]

Hey SnaponBob you really nailed it. I always say if you drive an old car, you need two - one for backup as to when one is down. This really is not bad as the car is cheap, taxes are low and insurance is less. Even new car drivers have theirs in the shop from time to time. My convert leaks but it really is not bad and is no inconvenience. I also live in the KC area and have been driving my second car a lot this winter, due to the crappy weather, my vert is kept in the garage.

[CosmicRockstar]

Appreciate the feedback...

SnaponBob thank you for the detailed list, helps a lot. As you said, my goal is to go into this with eyes wide open and get a good, reliable car.

Will ask for documentation on the Schnitzer and update this post after checking out the cars today...

[RomeoMike]

Verts and lengthy times spent parked outdoors don't mix. The plastic rear window is crap. The other drag in dealing with M20s is replacing their timing belts every four years or 50,000 miles. Minor annoyances: intake manifold gaskets that like to leak, non-hydraulic valve lifters needing periodic adjustment. The M42 and M54 in my other BMWs have their own quirks, but I much prefer timing chains to timing belts.

If you take the plunge, you'll find getting and giving plenty of smiles and thumbs up when you see another E30 on your travels.

[snaponbob]

Hey SnaponBob you really nailed it. I always say if you drive an old car, you need two - one for backup as to when one is down. This really is not bad as the car is cheap, taxes are low and insurance is less. Even new car drivers have theirs in the shop from time to time. My convert leaks but it really is not bad and is no inconvenience. I also live in the KC area and have been driving my second car a lot this winter, due to the crappy weather, my vert is kept in the garage.

I'm in Lees Summit. If you want to stop by, I can show your where it is probably leaking. If it is what I suspect, the cause is STUPID, and the solution is very easy.

[aaverhulst]

I'm in Lees Summit. If you want to stop by, I can show your where it is probably leaking. If it is what I suspect, the cause is STUPID, and the solution is very easy.

I would like to stop by for your wisdom. Grandview is only a hop and skip from Lee's Summit. I'll send you a private message with my contact info. Not sure how that works but I'll give it a try.

[snaponbob]

I would like to stop by for your wisdom. Grandview is only a hop and skip from Lee's Summit. I'll send you a private message with my contact info. Not sure how that works but I'll give it a try.

I'm available now. I texted you.

[CosmicRockstar]

Checked out the 325is and it's a clean looking car with no visible rust in the areas Snaponbob recommended.

Pls see the pros and cons below:

Pros:
Clean with no visible rust
Drives smooth
No dash cracks
Power windows work
Sunroof works
No issues with the tranny
Timing belt changed
Water pump changed


Cons:
Tach doesn't work and he installed a digital one
Repainted car, don't know if there are any previous issues
Low car seems to bottom out on bumps and driveways
Coolant light is on
No prior documentation
No carfax- got the VIN number to get one generated

The guy is asking $7800. Is the price good for the car?

Planning to get a PPI done and check for compression. Any other areas to watch?

Thanks y'all!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CosmicRockstar]

Checked the 325 IS and here are the pros and cons

Pros:
Drives smooth
Timing belt and water pump changed a year ago
No visible rust
Clean title
Tranny felt good
No dash cracks
Idles well

Cons:
AC doesn't work- claims it's out of gas
Tach doesn't work, installed a digital one
Repainted roof and fender
Lowered car which bottomed out on a driveway- couldn't see the bottom of the car so don't know if there maybe damage


I'm gonna get a Carfax and get a PPI done along with compression check.

Asking $8300. Is it a good price?

If I need to check anything else pls let me know.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RomeoMike]

Coolant light could be nothing more than a trashed level sensor. Part 12 in this diagram:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=17_0006

If the car was parked front end up on an incline, that might also trigger the coolant light.

[snaponbob]

Checked out the 325is and it's a clean looking car with no visible rust in the areas Snaponbob recommended.

Pls see the pros and cons below:

Pros:
Clean with no visible rust
Drives smooth
No dash cracks
Power windows work
Sunroof works
No issues with the tranny
Timing belt changed
Water pump changed


Cons:
Tach doesn't work and he installed a digital one
Repainted car, don't know if there are any previous issues
Low car seems to bottom out on bumps and driveways
Coolant light is on
No prior documentation
No carfax- got the VIN number to get one generated

The guy is asking $7800. Is the price good for the car?

Planning to get a PPI done and check for compression. Any other areas to watch?

Thanks y'all!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is a lot of money. If the car is low, you MUST inspect the oil pan for damage. If it has been "stanced", it probably has junk shocks, struts, and springs. Based on your observations, that may be too much money. So, if it is that low, and the owner was foolish enough to not just buy a good cluster, you can bet there is more to be discovered. There is an absolutely gorgeous one on Bring A Trailer this at $7500 and probably more worth it.

[82eye]

The Schnitzer is a bit scarce, but one has to be sure that it is genuine.

What you have not mentioned much about the coupe.

Those two comments aside, I have been working on people's 3 Series Bimmers (30, 36s, and 46s) for almost a decade after selling my business. This started almost by accident, and now I own three. Let me share some thoughts.
1) If can't do your own work, you better have plenty of money. These are not Civics or Corollas.
2) You will be looking at cars that are, at best, 26 years old, and as much as 34 years old.
3) Being in Texas, you should be able to find a rust free example, but you need to be VERY VERY careful about this.
4) Being in Texas, due to recent events, you may be looking at cars that have been in, or under, water.
5) The advice about the vert from 325e 87 is spot on. I will add to that by saying that probably extends to the coupe as well. If your job depends on dependable attendance, you will lose it !!!!!!!! See #2.
6) Once sorted, these are fun cars. But, even FULLY sorted, they require a lot of attention. See #2.
7) There is a HUGE wealth of knowledge out E30s, so working through problems is a Google search away. EVERYTHING that CAN happen to one, HAS happened -- a lot. So fixing issues is a matter of time, skills, and money.
8) PLENTY of sources for parts. You almost NEVER have to buy from a BMW dealership. However, if you join BMWCCA, most dealerships honor their significant discount program.
9) You MUST have an actual expert inspect anything you are thinking of buying. This PPI (pre purchase inspection) should be extremely comprehensive and you should have the engine compression tested as well.
10) You MUST do a CarFax to uncover as much history as possible.
11) Sellers lie !!!
12) Check the title to see if it is "clean" or "clear". Try to avoid a salvage title.
13) Rust IS an issue. I live in the KC area, and even here it is an issue. You probably should NOT be looking this far north for one. Try to avoid Gulf Coast cars as well.
14) Verts LEAK !!!!!
15) A cheap E30 requires one action ----- RUN AWAY.
16) REALLY good ones are out there. The better they are, the more expensive one will be. Rust free clean E30s are going up in value. Mileage is NOT the prime concern as CONDITION and HISTORY is EVERYTHING.

Now, if that has not curdled your milk, well --- be very patient, emotionally detached, and careful. Demand proof of claims from sellers. See #11 !! "Not that I am aware of" usually means they ARE aware of.

As an education (for FREE), spend some time in this section of Bimmerforums reading threads about various topics. It is best to learn from other people's experiences and mistakes than to go through them for yourself !!!

Happy hunting !!!

nailed it. is there any chance we could just sticky this for subsequent : "is this car worth X price" threads lol

Checked out the 325is and it's a clean looking car with no visible rust in the areas Snaponbob recommended.

Pls see the pros and cons below:

Pros:
Clean with no visible rust
Drives smooth
No dash cracks
Power windows work
Sunroof works
No issues with the tranny
Timing belt changed
Water pump changed


Cons:
Tach doesn't work and he installed a digital one
Repainted car, don't know if there are any previous issues
Low car seems to bottom out on bumps and driveways
Coolant light is on
No prior documentation
No carfax- got the VIN number to get one generated

The guy is asking $7800. Is the price good for the car?

Planning to get a PPI done and check for compression. Any other areas to watch?

Thanks y'all!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

it's really on the bubble for that price imo. sounds like it's some maintenance and a suspension refresh away from not worth it. would factor that in to the offer.

[ELVA164]

Your two posts have different items and different prices listed, so I'm not sure which is real. That said, the suspension will be a headache in more ways than one, the A/C will likely not be a small fix, the quality of the repaint is important (just exterior surfaces? Any rubber removed?), and like 82eye mentioned the tach issue just screams, "improper maintenance." Without records, that car is too expensive to me.

[snaponbob]

Your two posts have different items and different prices listed, so I'm not sure which is real. That said, the suspension will be a headache in more ways than one, the A/C will likely not be a small fix, the quality of the repaint is important (just exterior surfaces? Any rubber removed?), and like 82eye mentioned the tach issue just screams, "improper maintenance." Without records, that car is too expensive to me.

ALL correct.

[CosmicRockstar]

Sorry, I was trying to reply on the iPhone and prematurely hit send and I could not figure it out on Tapatalk... I negotiated the price down to $7800... but my worry was the AC and the suspension. The paint was just exterior surface and no rubbers removed. Thanks for your advice. Will skip this one.

The AC Schnitzer seller is non-responsive. I will try to check it out this weekend and provide an update.

I really hope I can find a good example to get my hands on!!

[superj]

man, being in Austin, you are really central to all the cities in texas for good deals. hit dallas, Houston, san Antonio, plus your craigslist. and you could actually go out of texas and still not travel as far as it is for me to go to dallas.

we bought our most recent 87 325 in Austin for 900 and drove it home, ac and all. its the nicest one I have ever bought

[snaponbob]

I recently purchased a 1990 325i convertible for $5500. It appears to be in good shape and it runs well. Everything works as it should with the exception of the hydraulic seat adjustments. There are a few very small spots of rust. There are no water leaks that I have seen so far. The Carfax shows that it has had 3 owners and was maintained most of it's life at the same shop.

1) Seat are electric.
2) ANY rust needs to be addressed as soon as possible, or the progressing damage will kill the car. Have you gotten under the car to inspect there?

[Bradd D]

1) Seat are electric.
2) ANY rust needs to be addressed as soon as possible, or the progressing damage will kill the car. Have you gotten under the car to inspect there?

I don't believe my seats are power. The underside of the car looks good. The few rusts spots I have are about the size of a pea.

[aaverhulst]

If your 90 325ic seats are like my 89 (I think they are). The adjustment mechanism is mechanical. There are either 2 or 4 little strut shocks per seat. You probably need to remove the seat to fix, no big deal as there are only 4 nuts to remove and the electric connection. This is the electrical part but this is for the heated seats.

[Bradd D]

If your 90 325ic seats are like my 89 (I think they are). The adjustment mechanism is mechanical. There are either 2 or 4 little strut shocks per seat. You probably need to remove the seat to fix, no big deal as there are only 4 nuts to remove and the electric connection. This is the electrical part but this is for the heated seats.

My seats are like yours.