Starting a project car... thoughts?

[Ghost Chip 188]

@Olaf and @Southerner, thoughts on this? https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-3119191390.htm

In the other thread, seems the main worry is the passenger door.

[Olaf 3317]

All the work's been done, and it's certed.  Not to say you wouldn't spend a few $k on sorting the body - does it have the usual e30 rust or is it clean and sorted?  My personal view is those wheels are dugly, but one many's meat is another's poison!  It might need a few $k on bringing maintenance up to spec, or it could be good.  But hey, if it's certed, wof'd, and rego'd, and it's an M52B28, and a slicktop coupe, for $13k.  Worth investigating at least.  [EDIT:  wonder which gearbox they used?]

I suspect it'll shift quickly unless there's something glaringly wrong.   Note:  this is not a recommendation for you to buy.  Caveat emptor.

Edited June 3, 2021 by Olaf

[Ghost Chip 188]

40 minutes ago, Olaf said:

All the work's been done, and it's certed.  Not to say you wouldn't spend a few $k on sorting the body - does it have the usual e30 rust or is it clean and sorted?  My personal view is those wheels are dugly, but one many's meat is another's poison!  It might need a few $k on bringing maintenance up to spec, or it could be good.  But hey, if it's certed, wof'd, and rego'd, and it's an M52B28, and a slicktop coupe, for $13k.  Worth investigating at least.  [EDIT:  wonder which gearbox they used?]

I suspect it'll shift quickly unless there's something glaringly wrong.   Note:  this is not a recommendation for you to buy.  Caveat emptor.

Yeah, definitely not perfect but there’s some work done to it. Looks like except for the cracked dash, interior’s tidy. The dent on the passenger door has rust (who knows how deep), not a fan of the wheels and the side skirts, unsure of the gearbox, and apparently there’s wiring issues that they were quoted 4k for - seller couldn’t clarify what the issue was but apparently it needed that done for it to be drivable daily? Was on the market before (unsure how long ago) and didn’t sell so that also raises question marks.

I had to look up what caveat emptor meant 😅

[Olaf 3317]

if you buy a very tidy coupe and buy an M52 (and the right sump) and appropriate gearbox and do the full service of all those parts mentioned earlier and conversion finishes with around $25k outlay (it costs a bit more to do an M52 conversion than an M20).  So $13k - unless it's a complete basket case - isn't unreasonable.  Question is, where do you want to be for your $25k?

[Ghost Chip 188]

Wonder if this is any better? Not a m20 and complete pov spec.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/477763150177373/

[leichtbau 525]

Seriously, buy this and be done with it. On FB...

[Ghost Chip 188]

2 hours ago, leichtbau said:

Seriously, buy this and be done with it. On FB...

It sold already.

[Olaf 3317]

3 hours ago, Ghost Chip said:

Wonder if this is any better? Not a m20 and complete pov spec.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/477763150177373/

tht's not poverty-spec, it's got powah windows!  and foglights, and rear headrests.  try no tacho, wind-up windows, slicktop, manual, no aircon.  Just an electric antenna and a radio cassette.

 

[Ghost Chip 188]

1 minute ago, Olaf said:

tht's not poverty-spec, it's got powah windows!  and foglights, and rear headrests.  try no tacho, wind-up windows, slicktop, manual, no aircon.  Just an electric antenna and a radio cassette.

 

Fair point but surely auto < manual. Or does the comfort of not having to shift technically makes it go on the pov spec

[Olaf 3317]

No.  Austere models - now referred to as 'poverty spec' are low-cost, optioned down, to keep the price low.  It usually added $1000 or thereabouts to the price to add an autobox.  

So no, the 'luxury' of Automatic has no place in a poverty spec car of the 70's or 80's.

Go buy a car already!

PS - poverty spec is a pretty ironic reference for a cheap 4 cyl BMW that cost more than half the price of a three bedroom house in a second or third-tier suburb back around '87-90.

Edited June 3, 2021 by Olaf

[Ghost Chip 188]

10 hours ago, Olaf said:

No.  Austere models - now referred to as 'poverty spec' are low-cost, optioned down, to keep the price low.  It usually added $1000 or thereabouts to the price to add an autobox.  

So no, the 'luxury' of Automatic has no place in a poverty spec car of the 70's or 80's.

Go buy a car already!

PS - poverty spec is a pretty ironic reference for a cheap 4 cyl BMW that cost more than half the price of a three bedroom house in a second or third-tier suburb back around '87-90.

Very interesting, makes sense I guess. And yes, it is ironic. One of the sellers that I’ve talked to said he bought his house for 15k back in the day.

Haha, I will, I will.

[Olaf 3317]

Finally, the other item I forgot to include in my runthrough of what you need you consider as part of your M5x swap is - amongst your certing, suspension refresh, and brakes - the 5 stud swap.  If you want to know how it's done, don't ask - google.  A specific form of e36 front control arms, some knuckles, the rear from one of the Z3's or a Ti (I forget which), and then of course the right rotors, calipers, pads etc.  You'll find more -ve camber, and a big selection of wheels... join the long queues of e30 conversion owners looking for a diminishing supply of the same 16 and 17 inch 5 stud wheels.

Have you bought a car yet?

[Ghost Chip 188]

3 hours ago, Olaf said:

Have you bought a car yet?

Does this count?

[leichtbau 525]

I'd get it one piece at a time and it wouldn't cost me a dime

[Ghost Chip 188]

13 minutes ago, leichtbau said:

I'd get it one piece at a time and it wouldn't cost me a dime

I’m assuming this is sarcasm. Nah, that’s not really the plan. There’s a few people that I’m waiting on that I’d want to put this drivetrain in. I’m also waiting on the seller to contact me when he’s back from his holiday on the white one with the m52 engine. An opportunity came up to buy this (before I saw the white one) at a good price so bought it and if I don’t use it then can sell it as there are people looking for b25+g260 anyway. Generally better to buy/sell a car when you don’t need to. And since I can sell it off and either not lose any or only a bit of money anyway then thought why not. I’m not planning to buy anything else separately.

If you don’t agree then feel free to share your thoughts. I’m genuinely interested to hear other people’s thoughts/opinions - literally what this thread is about. It would be more helpful and would help me learn more than a sarcastic comment. If you don’t want to then that’s fine too. Cheers.

[Sammo 2544]

Its a song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cW_yHo3PY

Good approach IMO, now you can take your pick of clean but less desirable E30s and build it up 👍

[Ghost Chip 188]

1 hour ago, Sammo said:

Its a song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cW_yHo3PY

Good approach IMO, now you can take your pick of clean but less desirable E30s and build it up 👍

Oh 😂. My bad my bad. Obviously not cultured enough to pick up on the reference.

@leichtbau Sorry for assuming.

Edited June 7, 2021 by Ghost Chip