Is This Where The E30 Market Is Now..?

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

325i manual for $15k

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2212985628&rsqid=8fa76d71f17b4fb29e50e2b9a1ba1711-003

Or a SA built 325i Auto for $9.5k

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2212057356.htm?rsqid=5a4c0d075cb545519602894040040ce5-003

I know there has been an E30 tax for a long time, and M3s and M325i have been above this level for a long time, but is this really the price level of 4-door 325i now? OK they are listed at these prices but have not sold yet.

I've been amazed at some of the prices I am seeing on E30s on Facebook groups, etc. and these were a couple of the highest asking prices.

Hopefully this is actually a true reflection and I should be increasing the insurance on my E30s, and horde of junk valuable spare parts.

[Olaf 3317]

I think so, Jon.  Demand, age, increasing scarcity, and cost to make a good one.  I’d not accept less than $6k for mine, though no plans to sell.  There’ll be folks reading this going ‘flamin’ dreamin’, $6k for a slick-Top 316i manual?   It’s not worth less than that to me to part with it.

just keep watching the prices rise. Expect one day to be approached by a cashed-up gen-Yer with a phat offer on your cabby.

[qube 3570]

the prices for E30's have been this way for a good 5 years now and good examples are near impossible to find.

anything sub 5k is definitely project material and anything that can be driven is asking 8k+ for basic auto and around 13-15k for something slightly desirable in manual.

 

[str8_6 275]

What should one expect to be paid for a cabrio? Asking for a friend of course...

[Olaf 3317]

1 hour ago, str8_6 said:

What should one expect to be paid for a cabrio? Asking for a friend of course...

Surely $10k for one that moves and has been wof’d and Registered and the top goes up and down?  Above $15k if the interior’s tidy along with the bodywork.  Another $2-3k for immaculate top, and keep climbing from $20k if the whole package is immaculate, well maintained, mtech2, nothing to remediate, etc etc?  But then, when did you last see one that nice for sale?

Does 316/318/320 suffer much from 325 in cabrio?  Does auto cut desireability of Cabrio?  Quite possibly not.

[Gaz 1061]

1 hour ago, str8_6 said:

What should one expect to be paid for a cabrio? Asking for a friend of course...

I paid 10k for mine facelift 325 auto about 3 odd years ago. Now has tech 2 kit, alpina boot spoiler and manual and IF I'd sell it, would want north of 20. I do need sort out the seats however

[Palazzo 477]

So I should keep hold of my Nz new  Mtech 1 manual 325i?

i priced up replicating an M325i a couple of years ago after driving my old one (that my dad has) and couldn’t see any change from $25k to do it right.

[Eagle 1662]

Bet most don't sell for asking though. No way that top one is worth 15k unless its had a good overhaul (which i doubt it in this case)

[str8_6 275]

2 hours ago, Olaf said:

Surely $10k for one that moves and has been wof’d and Registered and the top goes up and down?  Above $15k if the interior’s tidy along with the bodywork.  Another $2-3k for immaculate top, and keep climbing from $20k if the whole package is immaculate, well maintained, mtech2, nothing to remediate, etc etc?  But then, when did you last see one that nice for sale?

Does 316/318/320 suffer much from 325 in cabrio?  Does auto cut desireability of Cabrio?  Quite possibly not.

I don’t know if auto lowers desirability. It was a slightly different target market. I do miss my old M325i tech 1. That thing has to be my all time favorite BMW. Shame about the rust. 

[gjm 3258]

Some readers will know I have a closer relationship with E30 sales and prices than most people do. And no - I'm not a dealer/flipper/valuer!

E30s are tricky to price. There are many variables to consider. Many people look at 4 vs 6 cylinders, coupe vs 4-door, cloth vs leather interior, manual vs automatic (and whether it is a factory manual) and use that to come up with their personal) valuation. The truth is that little of that is especially relevant in the current market - condition is ***everything***. The best-specced late-model 325 manual is virtually worthless if it's running in a rusty shell.

4 cylinder cars are often overlooked in favour of 6-pots, when the reality is that they are typically better balanced and nicer to drive. Less power (in most cases) but also far easier to work on because of more space in the engine bay. That makes them, imo, a good buy in the current market.

There are a few E30s worth more than $6k. And a few worth more than $10k. But it is a few. Most - the majority - simply are not. Most have significant shortcomings in one area or another which will require love, attention, and significant time and $$$ to correct or even just bring up to scratch. There is a world of difference between a 'good' WoF'd and rego'd E30, and an excellent one. (I'm leaving dead rego cars out of it for now.)

Bear in mind also that what a car - any car - is actually worth, and what it sells for, can be very different things.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

3 hours ago, Palazzo said:

So I should keep hold of my Nz new  Mtech 1 manual 325i?

No, you should sell it to me, now, as the market is at peak E30. But seriously, that is very much a keeper even if it needs work.

To Graham’s point above, I find it very hard to see an E30 being north of $10k value when it has ripped seats, a cracked dash, and missing or broken trims. Which I see quite a lot. Hence my question on this post.

[Palazzo 477]

I don't think it will be going anywhere.

They all seem to have rough seats/dash/etc, but there are a couple of ok looking ones for $6k or so on TM.

 

[Driftit 2078]

The M-techs and tastefully modded ones I understand.  The boring Povo-Spec runnarounds will only be worth their body panel parts to me.

[325_driver 422]

I saw a manual 318i for $8,000

What has this world come to

[coop 261]

3 hours ago, Driftit said:

The M-techs and tastefully modded ones I understand.  The boring Povo-Spec runnarounds will only be worth their body panel parts to me.

I agree with tastefully modded ones but generally speaking modified examples have a smaller amount of potential buyers due to differing tastes and intentions. Unsure what basis the seller of the first example above is going off to think it is worth anywhere near $15k. 

If past sales of a lot of classics, or upcoming classics is anything to go by, originality is key. Jap, Euro, Aussie. Some models have gone for silly money. A lot of these seem to be models that carry nostalgic value, and/or were popular enough back when, for them to be modified/butchered in everyway possible. E30s are a contender for this. 

Excluding the M325s, the E30s may still be too common, perhaps give it another ten years...

[gjm 3258]

18 minutes ago, 325_driver said:

I saw a manual 318i for $8,000

What has this world come to

I saw a pair of door cards for a coupe being advertised for $250. Just the cards - no trims or similar.

[Driftit 2078]

I agree.  At $15k a non M-Tech better have a S motor of some kind in it.

$15K also opens up the market to far better vehicles.  As a driver and not a collector I wouldn't even pay 15K for an M-Tech E30.  They just don't have 15K worth of drive in them for me.  I loved my one.  But I wouldn't buy it now unless I was looking to make money by keeping it for 10 years.  Boring.

 

[APT 195]

I sold my modified 327i, 5 speed, M3 5lug, Tech II for 12k a couple months ago, some of these sellers are pure dreamers! Some would say i sold mine too cheap, but it sold in 3 days with multiple buyers... by the time i sold all my spares (wheels, interior trim goodies etc) that I had on the car/keeping for a rainy day i was knocking on 20k for everything i had accumulated over the years! 

Realistically these cars are worth more in parts with these stupid crazy prices ! ?

[GetCam 15]

Certainly sounds like a steal to me. 

[Eagle 1662]

Pretty much why i parted out all the extra on mine when one of the members here crashed it, then sold the body and running gearbox to another member who fixed it. I dont think mods really add too much value.

[gjm 3258]

1 hour ago, Eagle said:

I dont think mods really add too much value.

Depends on the mods, but typically I agree - no resale value in modifying a car.

Fancy wheels, brakes and suspension, aftermarket seats, unusual paintwork will add interest, and may improve sale opportunities, but doesn't (normally) translate into more $$$ at sale time. Many mods can significantly reduce value - I won't look at a 'cutties', 'superlow', 'juddies' vehicle. If the owner can't fit decent suspension, what are the chances of them actually looking after the car? And E30s really suffer from this. If buying - check underneath. Stock suspension is often fitted to a "stock motor, mate" car in order to attract more interest.

 

[topless 13]

On 7/4/2019 at 5:07 PM, Palazzo said:

So I should keep hold of my Nz new  Mtech 1 manual 325i?

Hey Scott, good to see you still have your one .. twin to my one which I sold a long time ago now to someone in ChCh I think? Still have 2 e30 verts but neither are standard so will be hated by all the flat-capped rivet counters ?

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

I know what a flat-cap is, but I'm not so sure about the "rivet counter" part. Intrigued to know what one of those is..??

[topless 13]

Comes from the Land rover clubs in UK... nitpicky pratts that will go totally off the deep end if they suspect that an old land rover has been put together/restored with the incorrect number of rivets... etc... much like the small group of BMW "rivet counters" on this forum that anally go after any car that is not OEM (in their absolute opinions of course!)

[Palazzo 477]

Hi Will, yes, still have it and wouldn't have the heart to change it. You have a black V8?

I have an E36 touring for messing around with....