Anyone also own an E30 325ix?

[r-mm]

Sorry this is off topic but I went over to the BMW side of PP and it was tumbleweeds . I was kicking around the idea of a 325ix winter beater, as my 911 is presently my only car here in CT. Ran it by the wife who was totally taken with the looks of the E30, which only fueled my fire.

Yes I fully realize that there are newer more practical AWD sedans, and even that late model AWD beemers sell in the 7-10k range, but this is about E30! I have always loved the way they look, and the understated interiors. Plus think of the photo ops with my 87 Carrera.

I've done my standard internet homework on these. Have a comfort level with motronic from rebuilding my 3.2 Can someone give me a compare and contrast to 911 ownership? For sure the 325ix's on the market will have ALL been rode hard and put up wet to a greater extent than Carreras. But then the price reflects that, with decent examples selling for $5k. Incidentaly, I found an old R&T writeup and the list price on the 325ix seems to be close to that of the Carrera(!) in the mid to low 30's.

Any general wisdom appreciated. Pics also accepted. Here's one to kick it off...

[lada03]

Im in the same boat as you are. In Chicago with the brutal winters, Im looking for an e30 as my daily driver while the SC takes a rest. 325xi's are so hard to find.

Audi 4000 quattro is also an option

[nineball]

i prefer to have something newer and more reliable for winter driving, so i picked up a '13 535xi last fall. love it.

[JPM540]

I had an E30 325ix for almost 19 years. Sold it last January as I needed another vechicle for my daughter. It is a rare car. The car is amazing in the snow. I ran with snow tires for several winters in the Northeast and it was incredible. I could not wait for snow. I'd take it out in the worst conditions and drive it like a mad man. It's a blast to drive.

I reccomend not buying an automatic. The splines on the front driveshaft tend to strip on the automatics. Talking about where the front driveshaft connects to the transfer case. The M20 engine is bullet proof....just make sure there timing belt has been changed. Before you buy one make sure the all wheel drive is functioning (does not have a bad viscous coupling) There is a way to test this. Search on YouTube for video. Otherwise the car is as reliable as a regular old E30.

[T77911S]

i have an 86 325is. love it.

[r-mm]

Don't worry, we would never have an automatic in my household.

I get the feeling that like the 911 motor, the M20 is "basically" bulletproof, meaning people rarely spin bearings, throw rods, etc, but what are the little things that go wrong? For instance I know the odometer is subject to the same malfunction as the 911 (I just fixed mine) but how about the ABS which I understand is iX specific, or the little trip computer thing? Can both basically be ignored if inop or are they all tied together? Inspection is not a problem as its not req in CT for cars over 25y.

[hesmart]

Here is what I can tell you from my experience. I had a 1989 for a while. Overall, they are very robust - but there are some common problem areas/maintenance demands:

1. The abs system - I had to repair a wheel speed sensor and module.
2. The front transfer case - make sure its operational
3. Timing belt - easy enough to do
4. Like all older gear driven odometers - the gears can break - it's a common issue, but mine never had any problems
4. Rust - not sure if this is a huge deal for you - they can rust in the rear by the battery box
5. Probably the most annoying thing was the door locks. They can seize and you will have to buy new tumblers. It is very common for only the trunk lock to operate.
6. Power steering rack - I bought a rebuilt one - it had sprung a leak.
7. Suspension - you will need new control arm bushings and related. Like any older car.

Even though I listed a bunch of things, they are very stout. The M20 is very reliable and the AWD system was amazing. I actually liked going out to drive it in the snow, and it literally felt impossible to get stuck. Mine also had heated seats which was awesome. It was the perfect car for the winter.

I would suggest that you find one with minimal rust. I really hate rust. Otherwise, a well maintained example is a very good purchase in my opinion.

Here is the obligatory picture:

[r-mm]

Man that is a good looking car. One of the few german vehicles I would actually seek out in red. Make mine a 4 door with a roof rack though.

Maint sounds very doable. Nothing unexpected. The advantage of having ripped my 911 motor apart and put it back together is that not too much scares me now except, as you say, rust, and pricey model specific parts with no generic alternative. Are there any brains/sensors int he ABS system that are like that? Reading about this model it seems like it is very significantly different than the 325is.

One more question - I see the CR on the M20B25 USA is a low 8.8:1 but presume that like the motronic carrera there is no knock sensor. Can you run these on low or mid grade gas? What sort of real world MPGs you get? I'm presuming carrera-like mid to low 20's on the highway, pretty lousy in the city?

A/C pretty much standard stuff and effective?

[hesmart]

The 325ix is different in a number of ways over a standard 325i, but most parts are still compatible between the two.

I remember buying a used ABS control module for about $80 and the wheel speed sensor was $170. After doing that, I never had a problem with the braking system.

The heat and A/C are very good in the E30. The A/C gets very cold even on humid and hot days. Heat was great too.

I never ran anything other than premium in it, but if I remember correctly there were quite a few people running regular 87 octane without any issues. Fuel economy wasn't as good as I expected. I was getting about 25 on the freeway and in the city it was high teens.

[june82000]

That is one car I passed on which I now regret. My next door neighbor had one in in actually decent condition about 4 years ago - he was asking $700. I just wasn't in the market at the time so I passed on it. Funny thing is that I ended up spending more than 4x that much on an E30 vert about a year or so later. Oh well.

[lgb240]

Lots of info here

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