lilme 0 Report post Posted December 27, 2006 hiya, merry christmas everyone. i think ive finally talked my father round to buying himself a bmw, even if it is just his runner!! so what sorta price range is he looking at for an e30 in decent condition, and by that i dont mean all flashed up with mags and tints i mean not to many dents most of the paintwork still on and no rust!! preferably manual but its not a big issue at this stage as im only getting a price range. and is there anyone in welly selling now or thinking of selling soon? appreciate the help!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jpp 0 Report post Posted December 27, 2006 Merry Christmas to you too, Auckland prices range from $1,200 to $3,500 for running e30s, range of transmissions, kilometers and condition. You can get some little work needed e30s for $500 - $800, if you have some sort of mechanical background... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E30stz 0 Report post Posted December 27, 2006 (edited) Finding an E30 without rust is like a needle in a haystack really. Having looked at dozens of potential E30's to buy at prices right along hte scales I've found that generally most E30's arent in good condition. Problems iwth rust, leaks and rough running engines were quite common. Some characteristics I've noticed with nice E30's is: - Few owners (2-3) .. it only takes one person to neglect the car and hte more owners it has the more chances its had that an owner hasnt taken good care of it and its been determental to the ongoing health of the car. - service history - very important. If its been a genuinely serviced regularly for its whole life, you'll more than likely be looking at a very sound car. - Km's - often people think low km's is best, well with cars this age, low km's can mean very little. I know from experience, my low km (115km) engine died not long after I'd bought it, with such low km's and on hte original engine it seemed as though it hadnt been properly run in. Another thing with the higher km cars is that its probably had alot of the gear replaced anyway. - cambelts - be sure to check that its been changed at least within the last 20-30,000km's as these can sometimes be the life or death decision. - rust - rust is getting more and more common on these as time goes by, best to find out hte regular places and check for it when you look to buy. Edited December 27, 2006 by E30stz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike 1 Report post Posted December 27, 2006 depends heaps on what you want, an early 4 door 318i auto goes for as little as $1000 while 2 door 5spd 325i SE go for $5000 easy if they are mint, M325i go for even more. I agree with Andy on the mileage, I'd pay much more attention to service history and overall condition of car than mileage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lilme 0 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 thanks heaps guys for your replys. i was right when i was thinking that getting a car within the e30 age range with no rust would be nearly imposible as you have said, my father is more mechanically minded so i think to him it matters more wether the engine is good rather than the body, but i find a good combination of both is best! so would i be right in saying a low engine size e30 in need of a lil tlc roughly 800 - 1500? again, is anyone in welly selling or thinking of selling anytime soon? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E30stz 0 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 sub $1500 will probably get you a car thats more rust than car. Goto the local techbooks or automotive book store and have a read of the E30 restoration bible. In there its got alot of ocmmon faults, where to look for rust etc. its very good. I might know of something you might be interested, I'll get back to you after I get back from holiday. Cheers Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
