buying e30

[bem-on 0]

Hay guys a mate of mine is looking at an e30 and was wanting some advice.

Its an 87 4 door manual e30. nz new, says the diff is 318i with 320i internals and the speed sensor is disconnected. Says it has a new clutch and no rust but when i saw it today it had a small rust hole just under the front door. has no power steering belt (no biggie).

He also said that the biff blew from when he put a small wheel on, Im assuming that it was a space saver or some thing. I think it all seems dodgy I mean I haven’t herd of the diff blowing from just that and the fact that he wouldn’t let us take it for a spin so yeah.

$1500 what do you guys think? Good buy? And are nz new more prone to rust?

Cheers

Contear

[E30stz 0]

I've seen ones for $2000 go fully working etc with 250+km's on the clock.

I'd start offering maybe around $1200 seems fair seeing as its going to need work done.

the diff probably blew due to the tinkering done, I suspect he could have been doing burnouts on a couple of space savers or mismatched tyre sizes and blown the diff, E30's didnt come with space savers last i checked, so thats the only real reason I would suspect you'd put one on for unless your cheap enuff to buy a space saver over a spare tyre.

Edited January 2, 2006 by E30stz

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manual ones ?

He originally wanted 1750 ive gotten him down to 1500 ... He wont budge...

apparently hes going to let me take it for a little drive up and down the street tomorrow

[bmwsparkle 3]

its my one of my best mates brothers, the diff did go because of on one side he ran a smaller wheel, and was like that for a while. It ruins diffs. Its worth $1500, not any more. You basically get what you pay for. But its not too bad.

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do you know in detail what needs fixing ?

[topless 5]

Rust is the biggie on e30's... check for rust under battery in engine compartment, also rust on firewall behind cubby where wiring loom goes through firewall. If carpets are damp check for rust under the door sills where the floorpan is welded to the sills. If the car has a sunroof, check around the sunroof for rust, this can be very tricky to fix. Most other rust spots are easy to fix.

The diff would blow if you put 2 different diameter tyres on it and ran around with it. When you drive it, feel for vibrations from the drivetrain, could mean the propshaft is shot. It is difficult to find decent manual propshafts and I don't know of anyone here who does universal joint replacements for them.

Did he replace the instrument cluster for a 320 one when he did the swap?

good luck with your purchase.... let us know how it goes. Post pics...

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Apparently they said the last owner let the battery lapse and it spilled on the firewall and made it go all rusty... but they got that fixed.

Last nite i noticed the carpet was damp around the center console.

Im not sure about the diff he just said its a 318i diff with maunal 320i internals

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Front

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back

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interior

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rust hole

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took those photos with my pxt phone

Apparently Gear Tech did everything on the diff

[topless 5]

I would be having a VERY careful look for rust around the firewall area.... water around the centre console will be getting in from the blower fan area. This could be a blocked water drain vent or could be rust around the fan mounting. Remove the blower cover in the engine bay and check for rust around the blower mounting. If it is rusted inside here it is difficult to fix and i would have second thoughts on purchasing the car...

pic shows blower cover removed and the drain vent is circled in yellow

[petone 0]

I would be having a VERY careful look for rust around the firewall area.... water around the centre console will be getting in from the blower fan area. This could be a blocked water drain vent or could be rust around the fan mounting. Remove the blower cover in the engine bay and check for rust around the blower mounting. If it is rusted inside here it is difficult to fix and i would have second thoughts on purchasing the car...

pic shows blower cover removed and the drain vent is circled in yellow

definatly, I have seen several e30 where the firewall was badly rusted. Pull the rubber cover down and have a really good look. Also check around rear shock towers and wheel well. Chances are if theres rust there its in other places.

[ducatiss 1]

One theory is that because its a cheap old car, you shouldnt be too fussy about its condition. However, the E30, like most BMW's run on money and its best to be circumspect about any purchase of an older model. That said, I can only endorse what the previous posters have said. A 320 runing on a 318 Diff shouldnt pose any issues. Body panels can be had for peanuts on trade me. See if you could lift the carpet a little and look under the rubber lining. Because they are rubber, any water that gets in there can stay around for ages without drying out, and cause rust problems in the floor pan. Get the guy to put it through a WOF as well if its got less than 5 months to run. Engine wise, check the condition of the oil and also have a look around the inside of the filler cap. If its white and sludgy anywhere, walk away. Expect that the motor may puff a little blue smoke on startup. I have seen the M20 engine do this at quite small millages - as long as it doesnt blow blue smoke after the first min or so of running. PPl generally buy the E30 because they love em and expect to have to maintain them more than they would say a Jap box. So as long as your mate appreciates this - Have fun!

Edited January 3, 2006 by ducatiss