Early 90's BMW's - yeah or nay?

[daepp]

I am looking for a interesting but inexpensive car for my daughter. When I look at the early 90's 3 Series Bimmers, I cannot believe how cheap they are. Are they maintenance nightmares ala the 928? You can get a decent 325 for less the a 70 Beetle...

[fastfredracing]

Both the e 30 's, and the e 36's are great cars, from a maintainence standpoint the e 30 is probably a little easier on the wallet to maintain, if you find a decent example , but I personallly think the e 36 is a much nicer car, lots more power, and way better looking .

[stevepaa]

I had a 95 325 for may daughter. Was perfect until my son totalled it.

I can give you a good deal on the shop manual.

[daepp]

So why are they so cheap then?

[GothingNC]

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

So why are they so cheap then?

It's an old car and there were plenty made.

Just hard to find the right one that was not abused or riced out.

[Looking_for_911]

Best two work cars I've ever owned were a 320is and a 325i. Both had a ton of miles - by most people's standards - but with a little TLC they were relatively cheap, considering I paid something like 2800 and 3500 respectively. When I sold them the 320 had almost 300k on the clock and the 325 was something like 275k. And they still ran great.
My long-time BMW/Volvo mechanic did advise me to not go with a 5-series once because parts costs being so much higher, so I stayed with 3's and was very happy.

[RWebb]

how about some comparison pics of E30s and E36s

-- just to spice things up

[WilsonTC]

Originally Posted by RWebb

how about some comparison pics of E30s and E36s

-- just to spice things up

The only E30 worth having...

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by WilsonTC

The only E30 worth having...

Then you obviously haven't experienced the best kept secret of the E30 generation.

[WilsonTC]

Originally Posted by Sarc

Then you obviously haven't experienced the best kept secret of the E30 generation.

Whadizit?

[Sarc]

318is;

140hp.

2600 lbs.

30+ mpg.

A blast to drive.

[WilsonTC]

Originally Posted by Sarc

318is;

140hp.

2600 lbs.

30+ mpg.

A blast to drive.

E30 M3:

Engine
Configuration S14 Straight 4
Displacement 2.302 liter / 140.5 cu in
Bore / Stroke 93.0 mm (3.7 in) / 84.0 mm (3.3 in)
Compression 10.5:1
Valvetrain 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed Bosch Electronic Fuel Injection
Aspiration Naturally Aspirated

Drivetrain
Chassis/body unitary steel
Front suspension wishbones, McPherson struts, anti roll bar
Rear suspension diagonal arms, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Steering rack-and-pinion, power assisted
Brakes ventilated discs front, solids rear
Gearbox Getrag 5 speed Manual


Dimensions
Weight 1200 kilo / 2645.5 lbs

Performance figures
Power 195 bhp / 145 KW @ 6750 rpm
Torque 240 Nm / 177 ft lbs @ 4750 rpm
BHP/Liter 85 bhp / liter
Power to weight 0.16 bhp / kg
Top Speed 235 km/h / 146 mph
0-60 mph 6.5 s
0-100 mph 19.0 s

[rammstein]

E30 with engine swap.

That's what I got... M52B28 engine (1999 328 engine) in a E30 sedan.

I'll make a full post on it once I've ironed out the last few details on it.

Looking under the hood, I see PLENTY of room to work, even with the swap.

The E30 body, IMO, is BMW's best design.

I do have a soft spot for the E36 M3 sedan though...

[jim72911t]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Both the e 30 's, and the e 36's are great cars, from a maintainence standpoint the e 30 is probably a little easier on the wallet to maintain, if you find a decent example , but I personallly think the e 36 is a much nicer car, lots more power, and way better looking .

Personally I think the E30 is a nicer looking car, but I'm a Datsun 510 guy so that might explain my bias

And yes, the E36 has more power, but the E30 is a bit lighter so that negates the difference a bit. I've tracked both an E30 325is and an E36 325is, (both cars had similar mods) and they are pretty much a wash with equal drivers. The M3 (of any generation) is a different animal.

It is getting hard to find decent ones that haven't been riced, but they are out there. Quite reliable, too. My '89 has 160K and runs like new. I've though about selling it, but I can't think of another ~$2500 car that will bring me as many smiles.

[VincentVega]

I'm on my 2nd e36, great cars. The current one is a 95 w/ ~185k miles. Within the past ~6 months the headliner has started to drop, a bubble formed in a door panel and there is a squeak in the drivers seat. Other than that it's near perfect.

There are a ton of them out there, be picky.

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by WilsonTC

Like I said, one of the best kept secrets.


-Former E30 M3 driver.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Sarc

Like I said, one of the best kept secrets.


-Former E30 M3 driver.

Actually, as a current E30 M3 driver, I have to say that if you want a nice E30 to drive every day, get a 325iS. The six cylinder engine is a much better engine than the 4 in the 318 and for most people, a better bet than the 4 in the M3.

Here's what you want:



As far as I am concerned, the later E36 cars are not as good for a variety of reasons. The problem you will face is finding a nice E30 for cheap. There are nice ones and there are cheap ones and they are not the same car.

JR

[rammstein]

I began my search originally looking for E30 M3s. Its a lost cause. They are crazy expensive. I originally thought that I would be ok with that, because I could sell it for the same as I bought it, but even then its pricey.

If you see one under $20k, chances are 99% that it needs a lot. I think that they are all $20k cars, meaning if you find one for $14k, figure another $6k to make it work right.

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by javadog

Here's what you want:
JR

I've been waiting to see a photo of this car. Beautiful.

[Schumi]

Never understood the appeal of any model E30 when there is always a flavor of 944 out there that impresses much more, for less money.