Hi guys:Some of you may have seen my post in the "Newbies" section where I mentioned having "lost" this thread when I tried to post it yesterday. Turns out it was in my visitor section...I'm in the midst of acquiring a 1989 E30 318i (mistakenly wrote 1987 in my intro) directly from its 3rd owner. It's in fairly good condition inside and out, except for little things here and there, like slight cracks on the dash, the overhead fabric (or whatever the material is) stained, etc. Otherwise things like the fabric seats are in good condition.At a later stage, I might consider repainting the car and other major work but for a start I'm willing to spend up to RM3K as soon as I get the car to make it look as pristine and "like new" as possible.Any place anyone can recommend to me to "restore" the interior or get used parts that wouldn't cost a bomb? Can things like the rims be repainted? I'm more keen on keeping things as close as possible to the original but would be happy to replace anything if I can get something used in a better condition.Appreciate any advice anyone can give. Thanks a million and cheers guys!
Some questions on doing up my E30
- Thread starter RajTaluar
- Start date
-
Click here to become an Official Member of BMW Club Malaysia Download Form
ejfong
Club Guest
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2008
- Messages
- 115
- Points
- 0
hope all goes well in ur acquisition of ur ride dude! all the best with ur restoration work! im new to e30s too, sorry i cant be of much help, many sifus here will give u some pointers soon im sure L
do post pics of ur UDM so we can droll on her~
cheers
do post pics of ur UDM so we can droll on her~
cheers
Jules
Club Guest
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2004
- Messages
- 2,028
- Points
- 0
Raj,
Not to put u off but a good paint job alone will cost & exceed 3K.....the slightly cracked dash will cost u another 1K and that's if u can find one. Dun need to mention ur interior trim re-upholster.
Its not my intention to discourage u from a E30 but rather, I want you to understand that bringing a car back to specs cost money, effort, money, patience, money, time, money....
Good luck....
Not to put u off but a good paint job alone will cost & exceed 3K.....the slightly cracked dash will cost u another 1K and that's if u can find one. Dun need to mention ur interior trim re-upholster.
Its not my intention to discourage u from a E30 but rather, I want you to understand that bringing a car back to specs cost money, effort, money, patience, money, time, money....
Good luck....
good luck on getting your car bro and welcome to the club.however,instead of making it look good from the outside,i would recommend making it 'work good from the inside' first no point having a good looking car breaking down every 10m. if i were you,i'd get a list (as detailed as possible) of what's been changed and when, new or used etc and decide on what parts u'll need to change.
more often changing the small parts on times will save u the headache of problematic major parts.take the car for a thorough inspection with a bmw mech and check your baby out. bushes,seals,rubbers,hoses, check for all wear and tear..check your control arms,bearings,joints,brake disc,pad,exhaust,rust.check your A/C, radiator,pumps,etc etc..how's your lights and power windows?
chances are not all of these will be spoilt or worn out,but its better to get a good list of stuff u need to change and change according to importance.i got my car 8months back andi i'm still working on it. last week just changed my rear wheel barrow and power steering pressure host, both original including workmanship 1k
how's your car's idling?starting?how does it handle at 60,100,140km/h?this are just some of the things i can think of now off my head.in the end, u'll find it a very valuable experience as the learning curve is truly steep!
no point having a good looking car breaking down every 10m. if i were you,i'd get a list (as detailed as possible) of what's been changed and when, new or used etc and decide on what parts u'll need to change. more often changing the small parts on times will save u the headache of problematic major parts.take the car for a thorough inspection with a bmw mech and check your baby out. bushes,seals,rubbers,hoses, check for all wear and tear..check your control arms,bearings,joints,brake disc,pad,exhaust,rust.check your A/C, radiator,pumps,etc etc..how's your lights and power windows?
chances are not all of these will be spoilt or worn out,but its better to get a good list of stuff u need to change and change according to importance.i got my car 8months back andi i'm still working on it. last week just changed my rear wheel barrow and power steering pressure host, both original including workmanship 1k
how's your car's idling?starting?how does it handle at 60,100,140km/h?this are just some of the things i can think of now off my head.in the end, u'll find it a very valuable experience as the learning curve is truly steep!
Thanks guys. Truly appreciate your honest opinions and advice. Am taking all into consideration.
EJ: Thanks for the kind words, mate :top: If not these sifus then who, right?
Jules: Definitely not put off but truly appreciated. Thanks again!
Jag: I'm glad I had thought of the some the stuff you mentioned and am getting a detailed list from the current owner so I can sort that first. Aesthetics are of course nice but you're right, I have to be real. I know I should have it in good running condition first as I'll be using it on a daily basis. Thanks a million for the detailed areas I should look into.
Cheers all, thanks for the welcome again and have a good week ahead! I'm sure I'll be "bugging" you guys from time to time... :wink:
EJ: Thanks for the kind words, mate :top: If not these sifus then who, right?
Jules: Definitely not put off but truly appreciated. Thanks again!
Jag: I'm glad I had thought of the some the stuff you mentioned and am getting a detailed list from the current owner so I can sort that first. Aesthetics are of course nice but you're right, I have to be real. I know I should have it in good running condition first as I'll be using it on a daily basis. Thanks a million for the detailed areas I should look into.
Cheers all, thanks for the welcome again and have a good week ahead! I'm sure I'll be "bugging" you guys from time to time... :wink:
Hi Raj, I'm also in the midst of restoring my e30 and my plans have been as follows:-
1) Restore the mechanics of the car first. Make sure the faulty parts are changed, make sure the engine (standard) is running smoothly, make sure the cooling (fan), and belts are working fine, clutch, so on, so forth.
2) I won't be restoring my interior as i have reupholstered my seats a couple of years back.
3) Finally work on exterior, add bodykit, give it a new paint job.
4) I don't know what to do with the rims. Respraying might make it look 'fake'. So I might need some suggestions from the pros here as well.
Hope I've helped. Have fun!:rock:
1) Restore the mechanics of the car first. Make sure the faulty parts are changed, make sure the engine (standard) is running smoothly, make sure the cooling (fan), and belts are working fine, clutch, so on, so forth.
2) I won't be restoring my interior as i have reupholstered my seats a couple of years back.
3) Finally work on exterior, add bodykit, give it a new paint job.
4) I don't know what to do with the rims. Respraying might make it look 'fake'. So I might need some suggestions from the pros here as well.
Hope I've helped. Have fun!:rock:
E
elwine30
Guest
restoring the E30 is ain't bed of roses.
Good luck.
Good luck.
elwine30;311419 said:
You're right. I've been doing it for the past 3 years. Technically, was just keeping it in as optimal condition, but it isn't easy as well. Nevertheless, I realise that of late, the parts of the car are just starting to become a lil less and prices, a lil more. So that makes it a bit more frustrating.
Should have changed more previously and not wait until now.
I'm lucky that this car has been with me for the past 7 years, was a hand me down. So condition wise, I can say that it's at least 7/10, with only minor wear and tear. Otherwise, the car is capable enough to travel from Johor to Penang without any dramas. =)
Raj: Check the other threads for mechanics in your area.
Recommend you just replace the ceiling liner for now, as it wont cost so much and will make a big difference to the feel of the interior. Any reputable upholstery shop should be able to do it. Of course make sure that the leak that originally caused the staining is fixed first! Throw in a new set of floormats and go over all the surfaces with some cleaner followed by armor all and and I think you'll be surprised how nice the interior will look.
