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After about 18 months of failing to get an E30 out of my head, I managed to secure my affordable dream car. A 1989 (Built Sep 1988) M325i in Lachssilber. This is the exact colour and spec car that became etched in my brain 20 plus years ago when a well-off school friend's father had one in the mid-late 90s. Before I owned my E46 I had always assumed old BMWs were prohibitively expensive to maintain. Car popped up on Facebook, I got lucky and called the seller within 5 minutes of the post (was the 2nd caller) , built a bit of rapport and did the deal a few hours later. The previous owner is a great guy who has owned and loved it 20 years, although in the last 5 or so it's seen limited use so is in need of a bit of a birthday. I have to say however, for 33 years and 389km it is in good shape. In addition to all the standard M325i goodies it has a spicy Remus exhaust, Dobi / Koni suspension, 22mm and 16mm whiteline swaybars and a short shifter - things I would have done anyway. I still need to get under it and have a proper nosey, but have pulled together a to do list for the next 6 months: Maintenance Cambelt / Waterpump / Tensioner / Coolant / Drive belts Valve adjustment / Spark Plugs / Valve cover gasket Oil and filter / Gearbox and Diff Fluid / Fuel Filter / Air filter Rust treating for few small surface areas / clear sunroof drains / replace elephant drain Sort intermittent ABS light before my next WOF Fuel Lines / Vacuum Lines New tyres - 15" RE003 or 16" PS4 depending on wheel choice Steering coupler / Control Arms (with Powerflex offset M3 CABs) / Tierods Shocks / Springs / mounts - Will likely get a matched ST Suspension set - 50mm / 40mm with thicker rear spring pads for saggy butt Strut brace - I'm guessing a car this old and used could benefit? Engine mounts and transmission mounts Exterior DIY repaint mirror + rear window trims in meantime Full paint correction and detail Replace all faded / blacked out badges / decals with new OEM Exterior Trim refresh - front grills and kidneys / door handles / B pillar trims Euro plate Refurbish Basket weaves (or more likely get 16" Alpina / 16" Weaves reproduction wheels - undecided) Finish detailing engine bay and restore a few parts cosmetically Tackle rust gremlins - sunroof tray and few small bubbles in roof skin / boot and boot seal Respray roof / boot / drivers door and rear right quarter after rust work - other panels are excellent Interior Refurbish Mtech 1 380mm wheel inc new badges New plush floor mats Condor 'Shorty' Gear knob and Stitchboots shift and brake boots in Anthracite Uberkaro Bluetooth stereo in 'period correct' style - BMW Radios Reverse RDS customised with text / bluetooth / mic / pre-outs Refinish interior plastics and parcel tray / carpet Re-upholster full interior including door cards - Anthracite Uberkaro Re-foam and rebuild drivers seat with new shocks etc Needs odometer gears so will tart up the cluster while I'm in there Mtech 2 370mm wheel and restore that 2023 and Beyond RTABs / Diff carrier / Subframe bushes Shifter rebuild Beat on the M20 until it needs a rebuild and stroker 🤣 Looking forward to driving and improving this beauty!

The M135i was the original though as I figured could kill two birds with one, replace the wifes golf with it while I still get a sports a car to play with, however she was not interested in it and told I should just buy what I wanted. She also loves the look of the M235i so is actually interested in a car purchase for a change which is a nice bonus over all the other things I buy where she just rolls her eyes lol.

219,000km Much needed wheel alignment. Didn't get the sheet but he said it was very 'out' . Tyres pumped up to 40psi up front and 36 in the rear, cars feeling great. Here's my photo assistant taking a smoko break.

Sick. This is the one to have! As an ex 300km e30 daily driver, I'd suggest replace every rubber hose. Clear front and side markers? I've heard the Mtech steering wheels are very expensive. Why not a period Momo/Sparco ? Will you be daily-ing? Look forward to the updates

To further support my nomination I just bought an E30 with almost 400km

Clocked this on the shore last week, lovely looking and sounding!

I was drooling over the E46 but I’m also drooling over this. 🤤

Update... E60 M5 Going great - thoroughly enjoyed it on the last two club runs (Wairarapa and Feilding). Need to sort the paint bits and pieces F30 335i Daily driver going well - still get a bit of rattle despite the engine cover being re-fastened by two mechanics 🤔 E53 X5 4.4i intermittent ABS trifecta continued - so had it in at Driscolls for troubleshooting - faulty brake light switch replaced, steering angle sensor checked and recalibrated - but it ended up being a faulty pressure sensor in the brand-new ABS pump from the final MBI claim!!! Good to have it sorted but there goes more $$... 🙄 Plenty of labour and a $600 pressure sensor. Noticed a clicking on right lock when in the car park at work - in at Driscolls again and turned out to be CV joint... RF boot was torn etc. Looking at my notes in here - this was a 'fix soon' item from 2019... 🤦‍♂️ Driver's seat leather needs a clean and tidy up again... Xmas holidays job I'd say. Wife's Mazda Atenza - sold via TradeMe and replaced with a 2012 Audi Q3 Quattro S-line 2.0TFSI. She loves it and it is a nice vehicle, but ... not so happy with it today! Check engine light, EPC (Engine Power Control) warning light on and engine running rough. It's getting towed tomorrow morning for dealer and MBI to resolve 😕 And in other news I have acquired a 2001 E38 750i SWB individual - which Jon is working on at his leisure... Special? Yes. Sensible? Unlikely...

Yeah, love the colour - the benefits of silver but with a little more depth / interest to it. Seats could benefit from a little more foam TBH, also a bit 'wobbly'. I don't think the wheel is original to the car - per the build sheet came with: 708 - M Technic Leather Sport Steering Wheel II So will probably refurb the leather on this one (have already ordered a fresh BMW badge and coloured trim piece) in the meantime and put that towards a refurbished 370mm MT2.

Very nice! Some potential there for sure. These BMWs were really peak BMW. The glory days!

Very nice! Great that you found what you wanted, and great that another E30 is going to be given some love. Imho Lachs is one of the very best E30 colours but then I’m biased! The seats look well worn, but pretty solid, so can be sorted - not sure if that cloth can still be found, I know some of the classic BMW stuff is still around. Is your Tech I steering wheel original, I thought all the FL M-Sports had the Tech II wheel? If you do change it out you should get a good amount of $$$ back selling the Tech I. Looking forward to your updates, and seeing in the flesh at a future meet.

Im sure you will sort it out in due time

I was thinking about creating a Bimmersport award for Masochist of the year.

Looks very good for just under 400kms! Would never have guessed.

Haha - Cheers! Still can't believe I found an M325i, even if she's due a little love.

Here's a couple from before we picked it up... had been sitting for a couple of years.

Try power steering specialists in belfast

I will help!

What about the BMW powered Daihatsu Rocky's? Named a Bertone Freeclimber and FreeClimber 2. https://www.drivingline.com/articles/bertone-freeclimber-was-bmws-first-suv-by-way-of-japan/ https://www.motor1.com/news/228017/bertone-freeclimber-for-sale/ Rarer. And no doubt just as rusty. Maybe I should just throw one of my BMW motors in my Rocky. Would be on the only one in NZ. AKA Daihatsu Rugger Daihatsu Rocky Daihatsu Fourtrak Daihatsu Taft Toyota Blizzard Bertone Freeclimber 2 And that's just the bigger one.

One picture of the 750i?! - come on, we need more than that! 😆

Wow - an e38 750! It must be one of very last ones. Congrats on the BMW 'V' trifecta - V8, V10, V12!

At least you’ve avoided the most troublesome number of cylinders in a BMW @TermiPeteNZ? The Audi is trying to tell you something… 😂

Yup, certainly not a rational decision I know, hopefully my E30 will be at a similar standard in 6-12months.

Land Rover people are a different breed. End of.

but it has working aircon (rare) 12-20k + GST LOL. What kind of moron comes up with these prices.

since when!?

Sold... pretty much, pending finance for the buyer.

Not mine but a customer of mine will be selling this nice one tidy and with a few nice tasteful upgrades etc probably in the 20k plus price range

Probably just a tidier version of itself Maybe with a slightly spicier interior 😎

Not in my possession yet, but quick snap last night. 1989 Lachssilber M325i

Early Xmas prezzy for me 😍

Hahaha being bald makes you look that much better in a vert. Plus, it helps with aerodynamics. but good luck with your hunt, hopefully something comes up

I do like the look of the verts, but I'm set on a 2 door (hard top) - plus I'm bald so, harder to look cool in vert hahaha

here is a pic as promised

Some inspiration for you @Sammo

target acquired hahaha

Just thought I would post this up for all you DIYers. I compiled this a little while ago. It doesnt cover everthing, however it may help someone out there. Diagnostic Overvue I have compiled this overvue to help DIY repairers and Profesional people alike. The diagnosing of repairs can vary dependant on the actual fault, however this is a procedure that most should follow. In most cases specialist equipment is required and most DIY people don't have access to this type of equipment. It is also likely in most cases that professional help would be needed to sort out problems. This overvue can be used on any vehicle…not just BMW's. Not much can be decifered on pre '88 vehicles without the 20 pin diagnostic plug, without the use of a scope and gas analyser, dependant on what the fault is. After '88 things get a little better untill you get to about '93 and then things get better and continue to get better as time goes on. Generally there is not much that the average person can do when a fault occurs, apart from open the bonnet and check for the obvious, broken induction & vaccum hoses, spark plug leads, fuel leaks, loose connections etc. etc. All fuel injected vehicles rely on manifold vacuum as a source for DME function. Regardless of it being MAP, AFM or MAF sensored. Therefore, manifold vacuum is critical for the engine to function properly. Air leaks from hoses, gaskets, crankcase ventilator valves, tight tappets and burnt valves will effect the manifold vacuum, which inturn creates a problem for the whole system. The first thing to do when approaching a problem, is look for the obvious, and try and think if there is any relation to what has happened when you last drove it ie: did you just fill your car with petrol (diesel ???) sounds stupid… but it does happen. Did you drive through a 500mm puddle at speed ?? Things like that, because they could have a bearing on what you need to look for. I grill customers all the time. This helps me help them. If the car stopped while driving it generally is a fuel problem, crankshaft speed sensor or a cambelt. If the car has an irregular driving fault, diagnosis of the problem should be approached in this manor: First do an under bonnet check of all induction hoses, vaccum hoses and check crankcase vacuum by checking how much suction there is when you release the oil filler cap. If vacuum is excessive, it will be a crankcase ventilator valve problem. Check the obvious, spark plugs, leads, distributor cap, rotor etc etc If there is nothing obvious, I would then get it scanned before fiddling. ( Fiddlers are our biggest enemy) Check engine compression If compression is not within 5% check valve clearances Compression should be a minimum of 11 bar Check for spark at the spark plug Then check for spark at the coil (coils) Fuel pressure 2.5 bar with vacuum 3 bar with no vacuum Flow is also critical, you can have pressure without flow Check injector pulse signal On all injectors Manifold vacuum Minimum of 16 and stable If manifold vacuum is not correct then check: Check for air leaks A can of engine start can help find leaks Cylinder leak test All cylinders should be within 95% and should not vary by more than 5% Check camshaft timing Should not change on chain driven engines under normal conditions unless this fault has occurred since work has been done on the engine Make sure TDC mark on front pulley is actually TDC Confirm with flywheel lock tool or a piece of wire down the spark plug hole. Especially with front pulley crankshaft sensors In most cases the above checks cannot be done by the average DIY'er because you wont have the tools or the knowledge to use them I might add also that some so called professionals don't either These above checks are basic for any engine , Timing, Compression, Spark, Vacuum & Fuel. However it must all come together at the right time. SCANNING First I'd just like to say that a scanner is just a very useful tool. Some are good, some arent so good. Some are better on Japanese cars, some are better on Euro cars. This isn't going to be a scan tool buyers guide, however I will say that scan tools are friggen useless, unless you have the mechanical understanding and a brain. You will also need precise vehicle data to make accurate assessment of the data your reading. You will also need to understand what you are reading and relate that data to the driveability fault you are dealing with. Putting it into perspective, I repair doctors cars because they can't fix their cars. Put me into a doctors surgery with all the necessary tools and data, could I repair you ?? I think not.. A lot comes down to training and experience. That’s why there are good and not so good technicians out there. Most fault codes relate to actual sensor faults. ie: Camshaft position sensor Crankshaft position sensor Camshaft position sensor (inlet) Camshaft position sensor (outlet) However, some fault codes are the result of something else wrong, causing a fault code to come up from a sensor that actually is doing it's job properly, but has gone out of scale (trim). Air mass sensors are a prime example of this occurance. An air mass sensor will not normally come up as a fault code unless it fails completely, and the car won't go. If it is reading incorrectly and out of scale, you will get an oxy sensor fault code relating to fuel trim limit reached. Driving the car with the scanner using live data will confirm this. Blocked cats will give you the same problem because the engine can't breath, so will collapsed crankcase ventilator valves and broken induction hoses. Most of these faults will register an oxy sensor trim fault. Oxygen Sensor (Heater coil) would either be the relay or the oxygen sensor itself Engine missfire cyl (1-6) can be many things Igntion coil missfire cyl(1-6) is normally a spark plug, faulty coil or wiring fault Combustion missfire cyl(1-6) on M52tu & M54 engines normally indicates hydraulic lifter fault Again, live data must be checked, particularly engine dynamic balance. Measured differently on most scanners. Remember this is only an overvue. Most individual engine models have their own idiosyncrasies and I can't cover everything on here. However, this should help or give you some idea of what is involved in checking faults PLEASE BE AWARE.. OUR BIGGEST ENEMIES ARE "FIDDLERS" Never fiddle, or replace anything unless you have properly diagnosed the fault first. You will waste money and time. If you don't have the ability or access to the right equipment, consult a professional.