Newbie questions abt E30

[Ace89]

Hello and salam everybody,Im from PJ, Sel. 24 this year and a beemer fan. Came across the website whilst browsing the web looking at pictures of E30s and also reading various forums about the car. I dont own a beemer but if all is well would love to own one. Right now, im surveying and studying more or less about this machine. I'd like to know how much is the price roughly of a used E30 and most importantly, how much should i be prepared to spend on the initial cost in repairs(engine, gearbox, ac, cosmetics etc.)?.. Assuming that the car is in a below average condition. Appreciate it if you could help. Hope to learn a lot by reading through the forums.Thanks.

 

[subsonique]

View attachment 27947View attachment 27948
i got my E30 318i year 1991 about last year in May 2012. price was RM21k, and the condition was superb, with MTech interior etc! nothing much i had to spend on except for regular maintenance la. it's a daily driven car, and it turns a lot of heads when it hits the road. some uncle in Taman Tun even offered RM25k for my E30 hehe.

anyway, i saw some in Mudah, which is like below RM10k, and i think you are gonna have to part with quite some amount of cash to fix and change parts.

 

[Ace89]

subsonique RM21k with that price, the previous owner must've done a few touchups before selling. Happy for you to have found yourself a car that old with superb condition. Hopefully, im lucky as you are. =))

Ive been browsing around and i find that the price seems to be hovering around 15k-18k. If it's anything lower than that, im guessing the car needs lots of attention. If i do purchase an E30 around RM10k like you've mentioned, how much approx. should i be prepared to spend in major reworks? And if a car that price, that old, what should i expect to change?

Very new to this but would love to get to know as much as possible if anyone is willing to help. Thanks.

 

[mizhan]

Ace, there's no benchmark ballpark number for restoring an E30. It all depends on the condition of the car, plus your appetite for restoration. I spent about 30k bringing the grey car to its present state; and i could have bought a used E90 with what i spent on my red E30.

Buy me a drink if you want to get into details.

 

[Ace89]

mizhan, i have to say im a fan of your red E30.. Was following your restoration, took me a week to finish the whole thread. Kena racun baik punya..

Hmm appetite for restoration? I do have the appetite but not as big as yours unfortunately, if only. =p My question still stands, what do i expect to change after acquiring one? No doubt, the initial cost for restoring one(regardless of the appetite) is a big sum, but is it expensive to maintain on a monthly basis after restoration? Searching for parts etc.

Definitely. Just name time and place maybe get a glimpse of your red UDM. =)

 

[mizhan]

What can you expect to change? The answer is 'a lot'.

Work your way like this,
1. Electrical
2. Hydraulics
3. Mechanicals
4. finally, Aesthetics

Change everything you need to.

 

[subsonique]

What can you expect to change? The answer is 'a lot'.

Work your way like this,
1. Electrical
2. Hydraulics
3. Mechanicals
4. finally, Aesthetics

Change everything you need to.

i could not agree more!

anyway, i could not recall exactly how much the owner wanted to let it go, but i just paid that much and snatched the E30 haha. it was love at first sight, when the previous owner opened the door and i saw the interior and it was sold!

 

[BobTheBuilder]

Ace, let me share my experience with you....

I got my E30 about 2 years ago. It was 1986 320i 4 door auto. I paid RM5k for it. It was not in good condition, hence the low price. I've spent about RM20k on parts to make it reliable (mechanically) again. These include an engine transplant, change of gearbox, hoses, cooling system etc. For the body, paint and interior, I'm targetting about another RM10k for these. Mind you, it's almost 25 year old when i got the car, so a lot has to be done to restore it back to good condition.
I think you'll have less to restore with newer E30, like the facelift models. Coz they don't rust as bad as the pre-facelift ones, I think. But then again, I fell in love with my car when I first started it. That 6 pot engine is music to my ears. Lol.

One more essential thing is to have a very good mechanic to care for your car. A mechanic who's not good in troubleshooting will only worsen your E30 owning experience.

Like Mizhan said, buy him a drink if you want to get more details. That's what I did. Lol.

Good luck in your search.

Cheers.

 

[EuJax]

Its great to see there are still young fans of the e30...welcome Ace.

I dont know where to start but i guess Miz and Bob's advise is good enough. Buy them the drink (teh ais for Miz) and you'll learn alot. Hope you find your car sooner than later, it took me about a year to find mine those days back in 2006. Been enjoying it till now, just stock.



Cheers.

 

[BobTheBuilder]

Its great to see there are still young fans of the e30...welcome Ace.

I dont know where to start but i guess Miz and Bob's advise is good enough. Buy them the drink (teh ais for Miz) and you'll learn alot. Hope you find your car sooner than later, it took me about a year to find mine those days back in 2006. Been enjoying it till now, just stock.



Cheers.

He should buy you a drink also la.... lol....

Ace, if you want to feast your eyes on the best looking stock E30 in town, PM EuJax fast. I always admire how pristine his car looks.

p/s: Milo Ais for me pls.

 

[Ace89]

I was reading a few posts and i found that there's a good mechanic workshop at Kayu Ara? Is this true? Before i buy, i'd like to know where to find a good mechanic.
Is it easy to maintain an E30 by DIY? I dont have the experience in maintaining a car but i wouldn't mind getting my hands dirty if there's a guide and of course the car is forgiving enough.

Haha seems like lots of drinks to belanja! Thanks a lot everybody.