Frank

Thanks Everyone for your feedback, a bit to consider. Other than painting we can do most things between us but we just aren't sure we are ready for a project just yet. We hadn't gone into this with that intention.

Thanks, just got back from looking at it. Boot has rust showing plus some repaired patches cut in from a few years ago above the tail light. Sunroof looks good, very dry as garaged and hardly used. Last service was May 16 and it still has 3k's to go to next service, so i guess only about 2k travelled since May 16. Lots of little niggles you would expect of a 34 year old car including rev counter and vacum gauge don't work, service light still on from last service. Lots of signs of surface rust on seams, door hinges etc. Bonnent stay not working, looks to be the gas ram. Battery Tray has been patched and is primed. Dash has 3 full cracks. Drivers seat pretty tired. WOF sheets going back 10 years in car, nothing major over that time reported except rust to a middle sill which we couldn't locate so repair looks to be well done. (Unlike the boot..) Reasonable ding in front left guard next to headlight, patch painted but nothing else. K's are low and engine no noise, gearbox a little notchy. Brakes are terrible, not sure if that is normal, needs a service or just lack of use. Gut feel is to dodge it and keep looking, it is the first E30 we have physically looked at. Son is thinking at $2500 it could be worth getting then doing the engine swap you mention but for closer to $4k there are some nicer e36's around too.

Thanks Graham, he currently has a Skyline and been through the whole Nissan range of 2.5t cars, Cefiros, other Skylines, S14's etc, so the lack of HP in the E30 is appealing to his parents even if it doesn't have all the safety bits. He has been looking at Escorts too which lack the safety bits but I understand the appeal having had a few of those myself. If he has a nice almost classic then I don't mind using it occasionally either and he can use my E90.

Hi, my son is looking at a 86 e30 318i, NZ New 126k, 5 speed manual, factory sunroof, described as not pristine but tidy for $3700. Seems too cheap! Looking to do basic mods (slight lower, new wheels) and then become his daily driver. What do we need to look out for? Rust in struts, sills, in front of windscreen seem the most common issues, is this same in NZ. TIA