E30 BMW 325is??

[AkursedX]

There's a guy local to me that has a rust-free 1988 BMW 325is that I have been considering buying. I was thinking that something like this would satisfy my need for a track day car plus it has a back seat so I could haul my son around if I need to. After doing some researching, it seems that this thing has a rather enormous aftermarket and isn't terribly expensive to maintain (It's expensive when compared to a car of the same age).

The car I'm looking at has had a ton of general maintenance done:

-*all new parts with in the last 3 months*
- idle control sensor
-02 sensor
-valve cover gasket, also just did a valve adjustment
-timing belt/tensioner
-water pump
- ignition rotor and cap
-plugs
-all v-belts
-radiator
-thermostat
-cam seal gasket
-coolant temp sensor
-ICV
-starter
-fuel pump
-fuel filter
-fuel pressure regulator
-oil pan gasket(being installed this week)
-CSB
-Gubio
-motor mounts

The car has 200k miles on it and has a couple of issues, but nothing seems all too bad:

-passenger side window just stopped working
-oil pan has a leak(planning on fixing this week)
-sputters occ while driving, I think its a backed up cat, Im gonna have it cut out and straight pipped this week as well.(this will be situated before the car is sold)
-could use shifter bushings but not horrible
-dash lights just went out(im gonna look into it this week)

So anyways, I was just wondering what you guys think about a car like this. I know there are a few BMW owners on here who know a bit more than me about them, but it seems like a good car. The guy is going through a divorce so he's looking to unload it for some quick cash and I feel I can get a good price on it.

[CincinnatiFiero]

The majority of American youth has a raging hard on for E30s. I put 3k miles on one in a week, it was fun, but my love affair with the E30 is over. They are slow, small, and ride hard. Never autocrossed one, the one I drove had euro manual steering and coil overs, it was fun to drive, but it was a 325e and was a turd on merges.

My friend has a 535i of the same vintage with a 5speed, more my speed. The same friend also had a 325i E30, it never idled right. I had another friend with 2 E30 318is, either will idle right. Whatever kind of fuel injection they have seems to not work well, I know of dozens that never have ran right. If the cat fixes this one, excellent, but I like I said I know of a ton that don't run right. That said, I personally have never tried to fix one.

They are fun to drive, and cheap, german built so they are pretty solid. However like I said they are slow and very small inside, and the fit and finish of E30s isn't the same as E34s or E36s. The gap between an E30 325i and an E30 M3 or even an E36 328i is galaxies apart as far as I'm concerned. They're good and cheap, but they are far from the definitive answer in german cars.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'll echo pretty much everything he said.

Good cheap RWD platform that is lightweight and handles well.

The M20 is worlds better than any of GM's 6's from the same time period, BUT the electronics are about on par. DO NOT neglect the replacement interval on the timing belt.

The running gear is fairly light weight. Unless you buy an M3, you'll be cursed with a bastard 4 lug pattern and small brakes. 300 WHP starts to destroy the rear suspension... not sure how durable it is with stock power and track use. There *IS* a weld-in kit to add a second diff mounting ear to the rear underbody and use an E36 diff rear cover to improve durability. I'd suggest that for a track pony.

Other than that, be prepared for the same sort of issues you'd have taking ayn 200K mile car to the track... rebuild the suspension & brakes, etc.

[AkursedX]

Thanks guys. I gave the guy an offer and he's ok with it, but there are two people going to look at it before me due to my work schedule. If it lasts till Wed, I will probably buy it. I've been doing some research and this seems like it should be a fun little track car. It already has a cup kit on it (Eibach springs, Koni Yellows, and unknown swaybars) And brakes are so cheap for this thing that I'll just end up buying a set of dedicated pads and rotors. As long as the engine is a solid runner, I could possibly have this ready for a track day later this year. Then over the winter I would like to find another M20 to build up a bit.

[The Dark Side of Will]

My dad and I picked up an '88 325is automatic for my mom last year. She likes it. I've been thinking that a 3500 v6/60 would make a good engine for the thing. Being short front to back, it would move the engine CG well back compared to that of the M20. It may also be a lighter engine, although certainly not any heavier. With an S10 bellhousing and a T5, it could make a cheap, durable track bastard.