Bmw E30

[Supra_Natural]

I've always been a big fan of the 80's BMWs, liked them for their engines, construction quality, driving pleasure and a host of other things... My favourite model of the lot of them (In fact, i'd say my favourite BMW of the lot), is the E30 generation 3 series. In the current market situation decent examples can be picked up for reasonable money if you look hard enough, and Im now seriously thinking of looking at one.

Now AFAIK I've mapped out what i see as the Pros and Cons of the Model... I'd like you guys to kindly add your opinions and experiences of the car

Pros: Solidly put together, fun to drive, comfortable, refined, decent prices at the moment and supposedly bombproof if well looked after (which I dont entirely believe). People who have run them have also stated that maintainence is not quite the expensive nightmare that people imagine it to be.

Cons: Its an old European car... The youngest examples are 17 years old, most have had several owners, quite a few have been put through the mill. It is a rather more complex machine than say a jap car of equal age/price and thus is going to need specialized attention. Parts are probably going to be on the costly side and difficult to source. And last but not least, although the four pots are quite economical, the otherwise desirable six pot cars are horrendously thirsty.

If i do manage to land one it will be used on a daily driver basis, so if it's going to need constant tweaking thats not going to be very helpful.

Certain of my mates think this is a very good idea, certain of them think i'm nuts to even consider it... so i'd like to have the opinions of you guys as well. any and all contributions will be greatly appreciated

Thanks in Advance

Cheers

[gunat]

I think there's an earlier thread on this- might want to search for it.

Once had a 84' E30 318is 2 door (not in SL). As you have highlighted, great car- probably the most elemental and spiritually true BMW apart from the mad 2002tii.

Even now, the E30 M3 is on my wishlist of great cars to own.

Dynamically, no car will teach you better about RWD bias on an excellent chassis (especially since the E30's never came with any electronic nonsense to dial out driver input). They look and sound great- and are generally very tough cars. Like any other car, if you maintain properly, they will give you good service.

I've seen a few cars here in SL, and very few are in good condition. That said, the great thing about BMWs is that if you restore them with original parts, you're bound to get about 10 years life out of the new parts. If you can afford to get a clunker, and spend some time restoring it, thats a good way to go. Main thing is to find a car that hasn't had a major accident thats buggered up the chassis or suspension....because a lot about the great driving characteristics come from those- if compromised, its no good.

Its no japanese econobox, and you shouldn't equate it to the same. I think it'll end up being one of the "Classics" from the Munich garage- only because the new cars are so far fetched in electronics and driver-aided control. Sign of the times i guess.

[miniace]

Its good to hear about your latest hunt.

Being a former user of an E30 , regret for getting part with her (the 7878 babe).

Dont need to tell much other than very reliable,economical,and absolutely great with driving pleasure !

Parts are available but of course with limited dealers and not expensive (still cheaper than Mini Minor parts).Never hesitate to go for one and I will also add one to my small fleet very soon (take my word).

MINIACE

[Supra_Natural]

I think there's an earlier thread on this- might want to search for it.

Once had a 84' E30 318is 2 door (not in SL). As you have highlighted, great car- probably the most elemental and spiritually true BMW apart from the mad 2002tii.

Even now, the E30 M3 is on my wishlist of great cars to own.

Dynamically, no car will teach you better about RWD bias on an excellent chassis (especially since the E30's never came with any electronic nonsense to dial out driver input). They look and sound great- and are generally very tough cars. Like any other car, if you maintain properly, they will give you good service.

I've seen a few cars here in SL, and very few are in good condition. That said, the great thing about BMWs is that if you restore them with original parts, you're bound to get about 10 years life out of the new parts. If you can afford to get a clunker, and spend some time restoring it, thats a good way to go. Main thing is to find a car that hasn't had a major accident thats buggered up the chassis or suspension....because a lot about the great driving characteristics come from those- if compromised, its no good.

Its no japanese econobox, and you shouldn't equate it to the same. I think it'll end up being one of the "Classics" from the Munich garage- only because the new cars are so far fetched in electronics and driver-aided control. Sign of the times i guess.

Im certainly Not equating it to a jap econobox, just pointing out the generally held perspective... among the SL car buying public, the finer points of an E30 when compared to a jap clunker for the same money are usually completely lost....

btw, the AL forum search and it's inability to search for words less than four characters can often be a problem..... such as searching for "BMW E30"

[Supra_Natural]

Its good to hear about your latest hunt.

Being a former user of an E30 , regret for getting part with her (the 7878 babe).

Dont need to tell much other than very reliable,economical,and absolutely great with driving pleasure !

Parts are available but of course with limited dealers and not expensive (still cheaper than Mini Minor parts).Never hesitate to go for one and I will also add one to my small fleet very soon (take my word).

MINIACE

thanks for the view miniace, was hoping you'd see and reply.... would it be possible to give the details of the reliable parts dealers if i drop you a mail?

[gunat]

Im certainly Not equating it to a jap econobox, just pointing out the generally held perspective... among the SL car buying public, the finer points of an E30 when compared to a jap clunker for the same money are usually completely lost....

btw, the AL forum search and it's inability to search for words less than four characters can often be a problem..... such as searching for "BMW E30"

Explains it.

One word of advice- if possible, go for a 318i and not the 316, which is horribly underpowered...but is likely to keep you out of trouble If i'm not mistaken, i believe a fleet of e30s were brought down by the Big Gun of a bank+Food Importer+alcohol producer+insurance company. No idea what happened to those cars subsequently...

[MADZ]

btw, the AL forum search and it's inability to search for words less than four characters can often be a problem..... such as searching for "BMW E30"

it's fixed now

[Supra_Natural]

Explains it.

One word of advice- if possible, go for a 318i and not the 316, which is horribly underpowered...but is likely to keep you out of trouble If i'm not mistaken, i believe a fleet of e30s were brought down by the Big Gun of a bank+Food Importer+alcohol producer+insurance company. No idea what happened to those cars subsequently...

yeah, the 316 IS a bit slow.... i actually have my eye on a certain car with a bigger mill though

[Supra_Natural]

it's fixed now

Thanks Madz, kept wanting to ask you about that, but forgot...

[Pericles]

Im certainly Not equating it to a jap econobox, just pointing out the generally held perspective... among the SL car buying public, the finer points of an E30 when compared to a jap clunker for the same money are usually completely lost....

btw, the AL forum search and it's inability to search for words less than four characters can often be a problem..... such as searching for "BMW E30"

Try the main site google search like Madz mentioned?

[fuzzo]

the e30's are definitely an awesome car and is just the right size for a daily driver. it's small but still not too small..

as for maintainance, i never owned one myself but my friends have and thye have pretty much spent quite a bit of their life in milroy's garage for the most part. but i think like the others say, if you can go through the restoration process. then it should be running strong for quite some time.

[dhp]

I am not sure about your market but I have been on the lookout for a decent E30 2.5 in the US for a while now. I have found a few cheap ones that are either northern cars with some rust or very high-mile cars. Really good examples still demand decent money.

again, this for me in the US mkt

pros: RWD, handling, HP/weight ratio makes a good weekend AutoX, track car, handling, low maintenance cost, handling, plenty of after market support and did I say handling I know ppl that say a properly setup E30 is like driving a go-kart.

cons: most cars out there either has rust, high miles or have already been tracked. By the time you spend for a decent specimen, you're within reach of a decent 300ZX, Supra or 3000GT.

I have since almost abandonned my search for an E30 and focussed my efforts on finding a decent 300ZX TT

I would say that if ur in SL, an E30 would be perfect...

[GTAm]

A 'nice' car. Well engineered, smooth and feels sophisticated - this is what you can't get from another brand. 316i feels slow as it has very tall gearing and only 106 bhp. Six pots are great engines but could be thirsty. Carb engines are a lot more responsive but replacement carbs are very expensive and need to be imported probably from Germany.

Interior is very cramped especially at the rear. Handling is good in the dry but tricky in the wet and IMHO overrated by Brit magazines. E36 handling is a huge step forward.

Maintainence cost was above average when we had one (late 90s/early 2000s) but now I believe is relatively cheaper. Your biggest problem will be as ever finding a tidy one.

Thailand has great tasteful body kits and M3 alloys as it is a very popular car that was assembled there.

If I were you, I'd phone Milroy or another reliable parts supplier and ask if they can recomend a car which is up for sale. The other thing is I beleive Milroy is not as enthusiastic on repairing older models anymore.......

[Supra_Natural]

A 'nice' car. Well engineered, smooth and feels sophisticated - this is what you can't get from another brand. 316i feels slow as it has very tall gearing and only 106 bhp. Six pots are great engines but could be thirsty. Carb engines are a lot more responsive but replacement carbs are very expensive and need to be imported probably from Germany.

Interior is very cramped especially at the rear. Handling is good in the dry but tricky in the wet and IMHO overrated by Brit magazines. E36 handling is a huge step forward.

Maintainence cost was above average when we had one (late 90s/early 2000s) but now I believe is relatively cheaper. Your biggest problem will be as ever finding a tidy one.

Thailand has great tasteful body kits and M3 alloys as it is a very popular car that was assembled there.

If I were you, I'd phone Milroy or another reliable parts supplier and ask if they can recomend a car which is up for sale. The other thing is I beleive Milroy is not as enthusiastic on repairing older models anymore.......

thanks GTam, will drop you a mail shortly, have my eye on a particular example in the rajagiriya area.

[miniace]

Good comments by GTAm.

I would never agree with issues,E30 316i is under powered.I find the acceleration is always better than a recent age Japanese car.Its true the car is bit heavy.Never came a single day I had to slam the gas to overtake.

Milroy is good and Euro guy (Beddewela) of Cotta road also very good.But Ajith of Roadstar Seeduwa always did the best for me.He himself owned an E30 316i before upgrading to present E36.

MINIACE

[GTAm]

Hey Miniace we owned the same car remember 16-7878 ! It's not under powered as such. But it does have tall gearing. Which is not helpful especially in SL - short stretches and constant gear changes. And this make it feel slow. Its not v heavy either 316i 1060kgs if I remember right!.

However after my Interplay (which the Beemer replaced) was 1040kgs and 110 bhp it felt slow especially at the lower end. That said I have no idea if that Mazda had been chipped because at that time it felt faster than almost anything similar on the road.

[miniace]

Hey Miniace we owned the same car remember 16-7878 !

Wow ..nice to hear that! She is a lovely babe...BTW who put the M-Tech bodykit? You?

MINIACE

[GTAm]

Wow ..nice to hear that! She is a lovely babe...BTW who put the M-Tech bodykit? You?

MINIACE

The kit and the sports seats was there on the car when we bought it. The catalogue was in the glove box. Lots of my friends were crazy about the car and I thought that colour (Delphino - or Dolphin in English) was very cool. Actually my Alfetta is something close to that but more metallic - a Maserati Colour.

[GTAm]

Wow ..nice to hear that! She is a lovely babe...BTW who put the M-Tech bodykit? You?

MINIACE

The kit and the sports seats was there on the car when we bought it. The catalogue was in the glove box. Lots of my friends were crazy about the car and I thought that colour (Delphino - or Dolphin in English) was very cool. Actually my Alfetta is something close to that but more metallic - a Maserati Colour.

[miniace]

The kit and the sports seats was there on the car when we bought it. The catalogue was in the glove box. Lots of my friends were crazy about the car and I thought that colour (Delphino - or Dolphin in English) was very cool. Actually my Alfetta is something close to that but more metallic - a Maserati Colour.

Yeah was suprised to see the owners manual and the complete tool kit ..The colour is very uncommon .

MINIACE

[Gummybr]

yeah, the 316 IS a bit slow.... i actually have my eye on a certain car with a bigger mill though

Would this be the 320 that is for sale in a certain mag??

[Devinda_Z]

Would this be the 320 that is for sale in a certain mag??

affirmative

whats the down n dirty on the car machan?

[TomaHAWK]

Machan go for a Beema,

I used to have 318 E-30 coupe in early days.

look out for water pump and radiator problems, i think it's was a common to some models. probably rust spots but in SL you can get it all nicely done for cheaper i guess.

go for 318, felt like 316 is not powerful enough but hey 316 is 1.6, 318 is 1.8. six pods will drink your tank so quickly

i am not sure about the part cost in SL but if you have any contacts with Europe, parts are not expensive, check online. I am not sure about the service intervals in SL but in UK it is about 10-12k miles. Did only oil changed/ fuel & oil filter changed when i had mine, easiliy can done by your self.

I agree with comments on ASC - automatic stability control system on new models as E46, as it is less fun with ASC on and you do not feel the power, and can not drift around corners. ASC on is more safer but preffered otherwise.

perfect on corners, well balanced car (thought it is better than japs but driving Evo killed it), and really good on breaks. I had E30 318. E36 318/ 320 & 325TDS & E46, all are solid, love Beemas to max...

[Gummybr]

affirmative

whats the down n dirty on the car machan?

Well frankly I dont know much about those cars. Was kinda interested in one myself sometime back (there was a 14 sri carb model for about 400k) but I was told not to buy my friend who had worked at BMW before joining and by Prasan, quoting carb issues.

I'm not sure about the EFi models. But when one of my colleagues said he's interested in one (the white one in the papers) he was told that only thing he'll get from is the driving pleasure (which is nothing for him) and of course the ownership (which he liked a lot.. lol)

Not good on fuel they say, but hey you have Prasan's number why not call him and see?? He'll certainly help a fellow LR owner.. But of course Mr. Chipmunk loves it a lot (he had a 318 I think). Then again machang if you look after it properly there wont be any problems right?

There was another 325Tds (E36) supposed to be a real quick car with indirect injection.

[GTAm]

Well frankly I dont know much about those cars. Was kinda interested in one myself sometime back (there was a 14 sri carb model for about 400k) but I was told not to buy my friend who had worked at BMW before joining and by Prasan, quoting carb issues.

I'm not sure about the EFi models. But when one of my colleagues said he's interested in one (the white one in the papers) he was told that only thing he'll get from is the driving pleasure (which is nothing for him) and of course the ownership (which he liked a lot.. lol)

Not good on fuel they say, but hey you have Prasan's number why not call him and see?? He'll certainly help a fellow LR owner.. But of course Mr. Chipmunk loves it a lot (he had a 318 I think). Then again machang if you look after it properly there wont be any problems right?

There was another 325Tds (E36) supposed to be a real quick car with indirect injection.

EFI models have hardly any probs except maybe the air flow sensor packing up after a long time (if it's not been replaced already). But this is the case with any FI car. 316i fuel consumption is a steady 8km/l in Colombo. 320I can go down to half that if my friends' car is anything to go by.