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Thread: BMW E30 Help!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
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    North Carolina
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    E30

    BMW E30 Help!

    So I’m searching for a new car to get around town, something fun to drive. Something that handles corners pretty well and has some decent get up. I’ve owned a 300zxtt, a 3000GT VR4, and I just got rid of my 350Z. I’m looking to move into getting an older E30. I have two options and I can’t decide. Thank you for your help, I appreciate it.

    https://florencesc.craigslist.org/ct...849670936.html

    https://onslow.craigslist.org/cto/d/...851951283.html

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Japan
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    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3
    moved to E30 forum
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
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    North Carolina
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    E30
    Thank you.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Wake Forest
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    2004 525i, 1985 325E
    The 91 has the more appealing (to many) plastic front bumper. But with someone else doing the engine swap, always a bit risky. The 86 seems lest molested, but with the coil-over suspension, I would question how hard it was beat on! These cars are very different from your Z, and I hope you are good with a wrench, as with cars this age, its always something. But that's part of the reason we love them!
    2004 525i Sport, Manual - 1985 325E Coupe Manual

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2017
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    New York
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    1988 BMW E30 m50 swap
    personally i would do the '86. less headaches with an engine swap. i have an m50 engine swap in mine and its a huge headache for myself

    - - - Updated - - -

    personally i would do the '86. less headaches with an engine swap. i have an m50 engine swap in mine and its a huge headache for myself

  6. #6
    323i E30's Avatar
    323i E30 is offline ⅂!ʈө !ƨ l!ʞө ɐ ʇөlөbµouө
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Europe
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    M52 E30 touring & E91
    ^ M50 swap in an E30 is something different than (re?-)fitting an M42 in there.

    Regardless, I would probably go for the '86 as well. The paint of the '91 looks horrible and given that the asking price is 3000 higher, I'd rather spend that difference on fixing the older 6 cylinder E30 up.
    ^ true story



    D̶i̶b̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶E̶2̶1̶

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Joliet,IL
    Posts
    1,121
    My Cars
    87 325is 96 GMC Suburban
    What is an 86 325is? Does that exist?
    It could be an 86e with an engine/valance swap, or an 88 325is with an owner that doesn’t know the year of their car. Either one, combined with the fact that it is a diving board car, is a red flag (to me) and puts the 91 black one out front, (regardless of the price) Carpet belongs on the living room floor, not on the dash, and is always a bandaid for nasty cracks or sins. Personally I prefer to just see the cracks.
    I don’t see the problem with a newer 4cyl in an original 4cyl car, (if it runs right and all the dash lights and gauges work right)
    At least it’s a like/kind animal and less chance of the fitment being a hack job.
    Both cars are overpriced, but if the black one is solid and half ass straight a paint job would be a walk in the park, plus it has some kind of decent wheels (should have left them unpainted) and the plastic bumpers, which guess what? Are no longer cheap to by OR readily available as complete swaps (as I am finding out the hard way). Now having said that, the owner of the black car is obviously an e30 guy/gal with more than one of them, so here’s what I would look for...did that car get it’s good parts swapped with the other car they own before/as it is being sold off to you, or is it a legit/complete car that is just a bit rough around the edges?
    Last edited by msservices; 04-21-2019 at 10:20 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    corpus christi, texas
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    No e30s, again :(
    The first has a cracked dash, you can see the cracks. It could be an es, could be an e. Hard to tell with the pics other than it has a sport steering wheel and color matched mirrors, signs of an es/is. But, it does have the ellipsoid lights with an 88 and newer valance on front and what looks like the older rear valance.

    The black is not a 318is. Period. 6 button obc and no prwium speakers means no is model. Its just a 318i.

    So at least the first guy might not be an e30 guy and could be just repeating what he has been told. The second guy is an e30 guy, by the other car in the driveway, and is outright lying on the model. What else is he lying about?

    Expand your craigslist search to wilmington and up to new bern. There are cars up there. My brother and sister live in jacksonville and just outside sneads ferry so i am up there enough that i look for cars on craigslist there
    Last edited by superj; 04-21-2019 at 12:11 PM.
    No e30s again.

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    corpus christi, texas
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    No e30s, again :(

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