[Don Plumley]

My son's first car was an E30 - we just worked on it to make it reliable and it was the first real car he turned a wrench on. Today, he owns a couple, plus a truck and works on them himself. As I type, a friend has her car over and he's fixing something. It's been a pleasure to watch someone once hesitant to tighten a drain plug swap a clutch like it's no big deal.

So many of us lust after an E30 M3 - so I like your approach to sort it out first and then look at the fenders, etc. But unless you want to get into metalworking, I think a clean semi-resto is the way to go. He now has a 318i, very original with sport seats, etc. Really a nice car without the ego involved in an M3. I love the way the four banger winds up, really a fun car - and just underpowered enough to keep him from doing stupid stuff with his right foot.