Saved my girlfriend’s dad’s E30 from being scrapped — worth bringing back after 20 years?

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Illustrious-Unit-636@reddit

Also, the intake boot has a split. It will never run right with that split in it, as that air has already been metered by the MAF (mass air flow) sensor

So you’re going to want a new rubber boot

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Getaf1x2007@reddit

Damn you really trying to secure them buns

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huntermatthews@reddit

24 hours of lemons is calling - BMW E30 - you'll dominate!

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mne1237@reddit

Those are selling for 5k euros where im from. Probably more in US. Id get it fixed and sell it

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Icy-Banana-3291@reddit

Look man, not even highly desirable cars in this condition are “worth” restoring in a financial sense. It will cost you at least 200% of the post restoration value to get this thing sorted.

But if by “worth” you mean intangible value gained through restoration experience, or sentimental value, then sure yeah (maybe) it’s worth it (to you).

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That will be a very special car if you restore it, they were great fun to drive. They had a really strong engine and gearbox so they are probably ok if they were not damaged when it was laid up. I would recommend you have a good look underneath for structural integrity. If it is very rusty and requires fabrication and welding you will need a big fat wallet and may consider walking away from it. It’s difficult to put a price on it to bring it back but I would guess 10,000 if it needs the underneath repairing you could double that.

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HighKneeGrows@reddit

ls swap it

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Dstar1978@reddit

I can smell that car from here. Smells like years of effort and a bottomless pit of money...

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International_Lie_36@reddit

Contact wd detailing for a free detail

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TheIronHerobrine@reddit

Once you get it in good shape i’ve got an M Technic steering wheel that i’m selling. 😉

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Manlady197@reddit

Any e30 is worth it to bring back to life, such wonderful cars

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SuicidebySocialism@reddit

A 325IS?! I know tons of people who'd kill that that IS

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FoundationFair4060@reddit

To someone sure. I’d either scrap it or sell it as a parts car tho

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AmbitionLow5881@reddit

I would rescue, would be a fine machine restored 👌🏽

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NMgeologist@reddit

What’s the undercarriage look like? old and rusty would be a parts car. If it’s solid then welcome to the club!

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kukensmamma1337@reddit

my porsche was sitting on a lawn for about 10+ years, i was worried there wasnt much left to save but it only had two small holes.

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Danielle_is_the_hole@reddit

Porsche used galvanized steel early

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Illustrious_Entry413@reddit

That may be true but I guess the 914 was built by karmann. I still miss that car

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Danielle_is_the_hole@reddit

Maybe built to porsche specs.

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Illustrious_Entry413@reddit

914 was a joint venture between VW and Porsche built by karmann. They all rusted pretty badly

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RetiredRacer914@reddit

I've probably replaced the battery tray and the surrounding metal including sections of the frame rail on more than 30 of them. They weren't galvanized and they did rust pretty effectively. I replaced a couple of floors on 6's and a couple of rear trunk floors and a front trunk floor also, that one was bent and rusted through.

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Illustrious_Entry413@reddit

Definitely not galvanized. They love rust.

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Danielle_is_the_hole@reddit

Not all.

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BALINTIO@reddit

Not until 1975, not that early.

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Danielle_is_the_hole@reddit

That is early to me.

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MMMHOTPI@reddit

Fuel, fuel lines, any and every wire possible. Check fuses and make sure it’s not the hard to find old euro ones. Brake problems probably need to replace all vacuum lines and brake lines

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PeachMangoGarage@reddit

Make sure it's in your name first

Make sure it's in your name

MAKE SURE IT'S IN YOUR NAME

then wash it

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RuinFabulous3077@reddit

This! My brother (moron) has yet to get the title to a 1978 bronco he 'bought' 8 years ago. I told him I'll never touch it until I see the title in his name.

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jiggidyjivejackson@reddit

It didn't happen to be blue and bought in Mesa AZ was it?

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RuinFabulous3077@reddit

No, Red, central TX

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radarer@reddit

My son was "given" an old waverunner by his GF's family after saying they were going to scape it. We didn't change the ownership over. Spent a weekend washing it and getting it running. Suddenly it was put in his GF's name, not his. They're still together, but they're only 20 somethings, so you never know.

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eejjkk@reddit

"Is this realistically worth restoring?"

Yes... to someone that knows what needs to be done, how to do it and can afford it.

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Moon-People@reddit

And has the time!

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Enough-Refuse-7194@reddit

All jobs are nothing but time and money! (skills can be "bought" for $$$)

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PckMan@reddit

Yeah and usually three to five times more than the initial estimate.

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Enough-Refuse-7194@reddit

I usually figure on adding a zero on the end of what I think it'll be😆

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RuddyOpposition@reddit

To both the time and the money estimate.

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Enough-Refuse-7194@reddit

Absolutely both!

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FMK_garage@reddit

That's the one thing people underestimate the most. OP might not have his gf after he's done with this car

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TheBunnyChower@reddit

Maybe he loses the gf, fine, but he still keeps the wife

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Inevitable-Pie-724@reddit

Maybe... but with that much shit under the hood. You know rodents have been in there and ate half the connections.

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

My E34 looked very similar when I found it after being parked up with a dropped valve. Every one said it was too far gone after 12 years out side.

I was lucky it was almost rust free (small repair needed in floor pan due to a water leak) but the sun and heat along with the rats had taken it toll on it. So far I’m 2 years in but have maybe spent 3 months working on the car with just the engine to finish and the trim.

If you have the time it’s surprising what you can do !

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HumpbackShitWhale@reddit

lol @ cats just chillin casually

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SensualBeefLoaf@reddit

sigh unzips

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

If you carry on I will start posting pics of my 1972 E9 CSL. I’m the third owner, it’s done 67k miles from new. I paid £9500 for it in 2001……

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

My 79 308, carbs and dry sump. Purchased in 2002 for £12k as non runner. It sat in some guys garage with glass doors so he could see it from his dining room for 18 years. I’ve put 38,000 miles on it, driven it like I’ve stolen it. All I’ve had to do is routine maintenance, fluid changes and added tubular manifolds and a sports exhaust. Other than that the only really costly part has been a new distributor cap @£700.

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

I like old cars, one of the first MG midgets I restored over a 4 year period. It’s slow, brakes like a bike but omg it’s fun. Guitars are my other love (and for around 10 years the tools of my trade) that’s a 1964, original black and been converted to left handed since 1975. I purchased it for my 18th birthday 40 years ago. Worth more than the car these days……. I paid £260, the same price at the time as a new strat.

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SensualBeefLoaf@reddit

dude. seriously.

fwiw, i own two w201’s. one is a homologation car. both started life absolutely trashed. i’ve done every bit of work myself to put them back together. i also own multiple 80’s volvos

i know the disease well

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

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Shnaznet@reddit (OP)

Damn that's beautiful. You have pictures what it looked like before?

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

I do I will post them tomorrow from my PC, only have my phone with me.

It’s been a fairly cheap rebuild so far, more time than money but engine parts are not cheap. My next job is the seat retrim, if I ever decide what colour to do it. Alpina trimmed it originally in blue suede with green piping, but I replaced the door cards with black cards due to not being able to find any blue ones, so may go with black leather

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Sir_Tmotts_III@reddit

How did you even find an Alpina?

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

Would you believe FB market place. It was listed as an Alpina BMW. I was in Europe so messaged and the guy insisted it was the real thing. Got a friend to go and take some pictures and it was obvious it was genuine.

I paid him the 45,000 php (from memory $5 or$600) and he was surprised I didn’t haggle him down. It even had a free title, was registered as an Alpina rather than a bmw it is on the log book as a 1996 model rather than a 1991.

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Sir_Tmotts_III@reddit

That's a crazy steal when you think of the endpoint. How's it been sourcing the Alpina Specific stuff?

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

It’s needed very little, it’s only done 34k miles from new and luckily most of the Alpina parts have been retained.

Engine wise it worked out cheaper getting forged pistons and rods made to order than paying Alpina £7-£8k for them. I had a set made for circa £3.5k. Alpina parts are silly expensive, they quoted from memory £5,500 for the exhaust not including the cats. I repaired the original one for around £10 in welding consumables.

They are old technology and most parts are rebuildable, some parts like the original Alpina oil cooler are just not worth replacing like for like as newer manufacturers processes make new ones more efficient and smaller.

I have kept it as original as I could, the only alpina parts I’ve had to replace is 2 rear shocks the original Alpina oil cooler and the front spoiler. I have repaired the original front spoiler and taken a mould from it, the chances of the original getting broken are very high as they do sit low.

Interior wise I could not find a decent set of dark blue door cards but found a really good set of black ones, so will do the seats to match. I’m not restoring it to resell so as long as I like it that’s all that matters! I have been looking at converting it to manual transmission but tbh the M30B35 dose suit an auto. I did a vin search on the original Vin number (not the Alpina Vin) and according to that it left the production line as a manual car, also it confirmed it was taken from the production line for Alpina.

It’s not going to be a fast car, 260bhp has about the same out put as a good 2ltr diesel, but it will be a very nice car to cover distance in. It will no way be a garage queen I am restoring to drive and enjoy!

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Iepoev@reddit

Fyi, Alpina uses stock bmw badges on the hood and trunk. Having alpina badges there screams ‘fake alpina’ which is a huge shame for the time and money you must have spent so far.

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oldmanoftheworld@reddit

If you read the posts in the link I did address that. My father purchased them for me for Christmas shortly before he died. The chances are I will replace them with some period correct BMW badges as original.

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pacman12a@reddit

You need to stop posting pics of this. I can only get so hard.

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JessyRedwood@reddit

PLEASE GIVE THIS MASTERPIECE A SECOND CHANCE PLAESE

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lnm1969@reddit

Simon Fordham

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niccoIndy@reddit

If it's been sitting on soil for 20 years it probably looks like it's been in a coral reef for that time underneath.

So like someone else said, look under it. That's your tell. Rotten inner sills, floor pans, sub frames. If by a miracle they are good, go for it.

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Georgednc@reddit

Great car

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deevil_knievel@reddit

"there's nothing more expensive than a cheap German car"

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Hustletron@reddit

My mk1 is super cheap. By far the cheapest car I’ve ever owned. Cheapest parts, cheapest insurance, cheapest tool requirements.

Don’t let haters without experience bring you down.

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deevil_knievel@reddit

A) it's a joke B-Z) it's a joke for a reason

I have more than enough experience with German engineering to make this comment.

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SensualBeefLoaf@reddit

shh. it’s not expensive, it’s an investment with no roi.

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ChampionshipUpper198@reddit

e30s arent too bad though but i know what you mean

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mr_j_12@reddit

The parts are either cheap or stupidly expensive. Like rocker cover bolts are stupid expensive because its a proprietary bolt.

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FunRaise6773@reddit

What about a cheap Italian one?

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deevil_knievel@reddit

Not nearly as many clever, but unvetted, engineering bells and whistles.

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Maumau93@reddit

I'm guessing parts is in its future...

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LoquatObvious1224@reddit

Nah bro get rid of it, I’ll take it off your hands..

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ingannilo@reddit

Rust is the main enemy, especially for a car sitting on not-pavement for a long time.

It looks like the passenger side rockers might be rusted out... or maybe that's just dirt... but you'll have to give it the pokey-with-a-screwdriver in all the suspicious and typical rush places.

If it passes, and if you have lots of money and free time, sure tear it up. Otherwise... you'd probably do it more dignity (and make a bit of $$) by parting out and then scrapping what doesn't sell.

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Independent_Cup7132@reddit

First thing first get that title situation sorted. Nothing worse than putting time and money into a car someone can legally take back. Then check for rust. Everything else is fixable.

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CaliforniaNavyDude@reddit

Yes, if the undercarriage is okay still, not swiss cheese, it's worth it.

Take the hose off the output of the fuel filter, put that hose into a gas jug with fresh fuel. Hell, even a 20oz bottle full of fuel would work if you can't angle the jug right for it.
Hook up a jumper pack or cables and see if the car will start. This will tell you where you need to start mechanically, make sure the basics work. Keep an extinguisher handy.
If it starts and idles okay after some likely initial stumbles and smoke, now get to cleaning and changing all the fluids. Brake fluid, coolant, oil change, diff fluid, transmission fluid, and all the fuel in the tank has to go.
Make other repairs as needed. All the belts and hoses and vacuum lines are almost certainly in need of replacement. Timing belt especially, if it has one. Pads and rotors are very likely shot, and keep an eye on the brakes for fluid leaks. Those seals haven't moved for a while.

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PckMan@reddit

Define "worth". What's it worth to you? How much money can you actually pour into this? As long as it's not rusted through or full of mold you can fix it up. It's not actually going to cost as much as you think. It will be several thousand yes but considering you got it for free you'll basically just pay a few thousand in installments to end up with a freshened up beemer for the cost of any used car that isn't absolute shit.

In that sense to me it is worth it. If you think you're gonna powerwash the gunk off and get it on the road for 2-3k then no that's not happening.

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alonso240@reddit

Needs a turbo

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IAMN0TSTEVE@reddit

Power wash top to bottom. Check the undercarriage. No rust = full send. Rust = parts car. You should be able to get some good return on parts if nothing else.

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Vfrnut@reddit

You hand wash old paint .

gif

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Vfrnut@reddit

Lucky bastard

gif

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NuclearWasteland@reddit

So, don't power wash that car. It will destroy the old paint. Hand wash it with a car wash soap, not laundry detergent or dish soap, once it's reasonably clean, let it dry and absolutely slather the thing in McGuires #7 'Show Shine', it's extra oily and the dry paint will suck up a lot of it. Leave it sit overnight, or longer, whatever, and then buff /wipe the dry stuff off with a reasonably soft cloth.

Repeat this a few times and the paint will pick up a lot more color and shine, and gloss as the process sorta clay bars the surface contaminants off with all that rubbing.

Then do a detail clean, and seal the shiny more colorful paint with some sort of car wax sealant or whatever to keep the oils in the paint.

It won't "restore" the paint to it's like-new structural state, but it will make it look far better and will protect what remains.

Personally I like the hand rubbed shiny "good enough" looks good at 10ft or dusk sorta finish on drivers. It feels authentic to me.

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saidtheWhale2000@reddit

I wouldn't waste my time working on it unless its fully in your name, in writing, with proof of ownership

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PlatypusSpecialist79@reddit

This, I just dumped thousands and thousands into a truck that the seller had no legal right even selling to me and the DMV wouldn’t register it as a result. Luckily enough, it all ended up working out for me in the end and I got it registered but I learned a valuable lesson from it all. As soon as you get a vehicle, register it in your name before you even wipe the dash off.

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KnownSoldier04@reddit

Same thing happened to me with a GMT400 suburban. Did a full engine breakdown and refresh, then buying a second engine, that turned out to be scrap too and never got the papers and having to trade it in for scrap value

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PlatypusSpecialist79@reddit

This was literally a gmt400 k2500 lmao what are the odds

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KnownSoldier04@reddit

As nice as the coincidence is, I’m willing to bet it’s not as uncommon as you might think hahahaha

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hookydoo@reddit

True facts. People that own vehicles long term frequently lose the titles, and suburbans tend to be one of those vehicles that owners hold on to for a long, long time.

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NuclearWasteland@reddit

Also trucks tend to end up off road for farm use and basically become a more comfortable tractor, so don't tend to be registered.

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zcmc@reddit

At least get the title in your name. Here in PA it would be silly to register this car. Not sure how it works in other states but to register a vehicle you need current insurance and it wouldn’t make any sense to insure a vehicle in a non drivable condition.

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redravin12@reddit

100% this. I almost lost my mustang this way. I inherited it from a cousin because his mother, my aunt, wanted it fixed and no one else wanted it. I wasn't 18 yet so my parents made a deal with her that it would be "sold" to me after I got it running. Well 4 years and several thousand dollars later I got it running after my parents got divorced. The car was with the other parent not the one related to my aunt and of course the deal had changed. Now suddenly there was a promissory note that I never signed demanding another $8,000.

Fortunately I was able to register the car fully in my name before anything happened and I never heard anything about it again. But I was about ready to torch the car

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name4231@reddit

Can’t register if it’s isn’t insured. Can’t insure if it isn’t inspected, can’t get inspected unless I fix shit. This is my genuine fear after slowly tinkering for 5 years

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Popular-Firefighter2@reddit

This isn't true. You have to drive it to inspection, so it has to be insured first. Get insurance, then try to register.

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name4231@reddit

I got it towed for inspection because I didn’t want to deal with going to the registry to get an in-transit permit. I can’t get insurance without a safety inspection

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Local_Bobcat_2000@reddit

When I brought my mustang to California it was far from running, I brought it in on a trailer to the DMV to take care of the title and non-op registration work. It was in pretty bad shape and there definitely was no insurance on it.

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stillpiercer_@reddit

I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few insurers who would write a “garaged” policy on something like this. I’m not 100% sure if those “not being used / in-storage” policies actually require it to be stored indoors, but it’s a possible avenue.

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bigtony8978@reddit

Hell yea

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Dirty-Richard@reddit

Yeah, if you have a vision for the car and have a affinity for the car and are willing to put money and time into it, even when it seems like its not going to work then yes its worth it. E30s are great cars and have a large aftermarket, so finding parts/ideas shouldn't be hard. As far as what to look for, and what kills these projects here are some it learned.

As for what to look for, wiring as mice and other animals have probably eaten or destroyed the original, engine health as in would it be viable to try and get the original motor working or would it be better to just swap it, but the main thing to look at is rust, especially on the frame, as this is what will dictate how long a project takes as it's usually one of the harder things to fix.

When it comes to what usually kills these projects, its usually the person not the car, I mean sure sometimes you have a car that is truly unsavable. However most people abandon their projects because it's either to expensive, its to time consuming, or its harder than what they thought it would be. My advise is to know you abilities and don't worry about learning on the car, as you probably just going to fix it again, and more importantly don't give up!

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SensualBeefLoaf@reddit

both of my w201’s started life like this. so did my volvos. admittedly one of the 201’s probably should have been scrapped. either way, money and time later, they are all in very good shape.

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LYL_Homer@reddit

Why was it parked in the first place?

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mini4x@reddit

Also ask why it was parked.

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petaahah@reddit

rust

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dingman58@reddit

I can save her

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JONOV@reddit

That one probably is worth it if there’s no rust on the frame. Given Georgia it may be a keeper.

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BusyInDonkeykong@reddit

Worth for a race car most likely

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Larry_G@reddit

Consider what we know today about vintage cars....

Imagine yourself in the time where this e30 is your current newly bought daily driver, late 80s.. Someone is presenting an Eldorado 1959 in this condition.

Would you save it?

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TheCubanBaron@reddit

Clean it first and then come back. Also lift it and look underneath.

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HunterShotBear@reddit

Don’t know if there is much value in restoration as I don’t know the market, but it looks like a sweet track project. Unless there is something sentimental to it.

Clean it up and strip it down. Put a cage in it and get it running with minimal interior.

It’s looks pretty clean and straight for the most part, so long as major points are rusted beyond repair you can do anything you want to.

Just gotta figure out what the end goal is and why and does that justify the time and energy to reach your goal with it.

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kfzdt@reddit

What usually kills these projects is the reality that you can buy one in good condition for a third of what you are going to invest into that thing. And the fact that it will likely take years.

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Flash-635@reddit

I think so.

The mechanicals don't scare me at all. As long as it's good for rust, a 325, 2 door, 5 speed would be a good car. IS means better suspension and a body kit but it's hard to tell with that horrible American number.

Those front chairs are part of the kit too.

I couldn't say that a 325iS is a rare car but it would be a nice little car to zip around in.

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Mission-Sherbet-8271@reddit

Keep the car. It will still be with you even when the girl is long gone.

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Ecstatic_Job_3467@reddit

These pictures smell like mouse piss and mold.

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lookinggoodmiss@reddit

This would never be scrapped in Europe.

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cgj321@reddit

In Denmark, it will be worth 15.000 usd i that condition 🤩

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Iron-Shadow-552@reddit

Hidden rust and rising costs are what usually kill these projects. If the chassis is solid, it’s worth doing if not, I wouldn’t touch it

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Shnaznet@reddit (OP)

Just got word from him that the engine will need a new head and that's all he knows forsure that needs to be replaced last time he tried to work on it, so that's a little disheartening to hear

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akep@reddit

You’ll probably just have to pull everything out of the bay to fix and rodent issues…they like to eat wires and stuff. That’s a decent project starter, clean body and interior.

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mr_lab_rat@reddit

Engine is the least of the problem.

Worst case scenario you can find a spare engine to swap in.

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Shlocktroffit@reddit

just part it out and use the $ for a better project

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mikePTH@reddit

Lots of race cars have junkyard replacement motors to start with...

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Away_Shirt_5888@reddit

Depends on how deep you’re willing to go into it bud - I haven’t personally worked on an e30, but engine work such as a head, especially in these older bmw engines is easier and less time consuming than fixing a large amount of rust!

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valthechef@reddit

Great engine, worth it IMO

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The_Barry_O@reddit

Junk

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UrsoKronsage@reddit

It's a popular car so aftermarket support is good which saves alot of headache. Been the nice thing about me getting an el camino Vs the AMC javelin which is where you have to have parts cars for many things

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Chappo5150@reddit

325is Def worth the work.

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qenh@reddit

YES IT IS

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qenh@reddit

Yes

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guido_nrw@reddit

Auf jeden Fall fit machen Einmal Motorraum sauber machen Neue Riemen und Öl dann versuchen den Wagen zum laufen bringen Ist das Herz in Ordnung kannst mit der Restauration beginnen

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lightingthefire@reddit

Go find a running unit and use this as a parts car.

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eddievandawg@reddit

Picked up an e28that looked like that. Old bmw electronics are notorious difficult. E30s are fairly simple but there is a lot of weird stuff under that hood. Even finding the torpedo style fuses can be difficult if you need one in a pinch. Good luck

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ryguymcsly@reddit

Be prepared to do all the work yourself. E30s were cheap to work on 15 years ago, they are not now. Parts costs are crazy for some things.

Also don’t move it in gear or try to crank it until you’ve checked the whole engine. Interference engine plus a wonky timing belt can really fuck up your day.

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Big_Locksmith_4211@reddit

Looks moderate, make sure you can get the engine running and the transmission working before anything else, no runner is no project, the E30 IS is a good car with the M20 engine

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Paper-street-garage@reddit

Save it!

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rynoman1110@reddit

Sitting outside for 20 years? Nope. Too much plastic.

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andrewkpt@reddit

gif

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Shnaznet@reddit (OP)

Come on man. Give it too me straight

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andrewkpt@reddit

Either flip a coin trying to see how far you get saving it orrr - do a part out instead 👀

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horner3509@reddit

Don’t part it out somebody would want it whole imo

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Fryphax@reddit

Yeah, so they could part it out.

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Brewtown@reddit

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Rus-t-bolts@reddit

Dude i literally just last week brought one back from the dead after 21 years. Looked equally as bad. Took me 2 days to get it running and a week to be daily driving it. Its work but its not that bad. If you dont want to do it gimme his number and ill go grab it and bring it back to life lol if you want to know what I had to do just dm me

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FourlokoPapi@reddit

💸

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Spike_Spiegel@reddit

Sell it as a parts car. A 325is has some special parts on it.

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BN3163@reddit

Nice car! Better than any modern BMW!

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Outrageousintrovert@reddit

that’s the spec model for Spec e30 race car, or PRO 3 in the PNW. If you’re near Seattle, Portland or Spokane, list it on the PRO 3 Facebook page.

https://www.pro3-racing.com/pro3-rules-specifications

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Danube11424@reddit

here’s a restoration

https://youtube.com/shorts/lehvV7cEnKo?si=KeMCSd-E3zkQskr6

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offworldwelding@reddit

If you don’t need to do body work (rust or otherwise) to feel good driving it, then the mechanicals can be sorted with enough spare time and commitment. How long you take is up to you, and that’s a good thing. If you need to spend thousands on rust repair, part it out and let others harvest the good stuff for their E30s, then scrap it. Fun little car though!

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Dismal-Function@reddit

If you really want to marry her and need her dad’s permission, sure.

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thescrapplekid@reddit

E30s are pretty rad

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OkraInternational505@reddit

Absolutely yes these are some of the best BMWs ever made !! Good luck

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Dude_Love_1974@reddit

Why did he park it?

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Grazenburg@reddit

Maaaaaaaan keep the welder close. Before you buy a single replacement part, peel back the carpets in the cabin, and the trunk to see where the rust is at. If it's been sitting, it will have rust. If there is a bad weather seal or water intrusion in the cabin you will probably see the road through the floor by now.

From there, your biggest battle will be old, dry, cracked and brittle rubber. If you want it road worthy you will need to look at redoing all the lines for gas, engine vacuum, electrics, engine oil seals, maybe even brakes. If there's any leaks your number one culprit will probably be old rubber.

This is a big damn project but if the engine can be turned over and it has compression you'll be fine.

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punkassjim@reddit

Also wiring harnesses. That car definitely has had rodents living in it.

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Syscrush@reddit

Look up the nicest version of this car in your area to see what they go for.

Now ask yourself if you're willing to spend 150% of that amount and 2 years of hunting for parts and dealing with specialty shops to end up with a similar result.

I'm not trying to dissuade you - it would be cool to get your gf's old man's E30 going again. But it's a lot of time, money, effort, and learning. Have you restored anything before? Do you have a dedicated shop space to work on it? Do you intend to do any of the work yourself or will you farm it all out to pros?

As for what kills these projects, the answer is always the same - someone does the easy stuff first (tearing it apart), then realizes that they're in over their head as they run out of time, money, or skill as it gets to the hard stuff (putting it back together).

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RubyRhod_Official@reddit

If you don’t I will

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Kidiotic@reddit

As long as the rot isn’t bad

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Pizpot_Gargravaar@reddit

And if the rot is bad, as an iS this is a great parts car.

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motoshniper@reddit

Get the title, get it running, then make a decision on if you want to restore it, modify, or just run it until it dies again. A free car is free up front, but don't get too much money into it until you know if the engine is viable. Good luck and keep us posted.

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ambuguity@reddit

And electrical not destroyed by mice

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Grand-Inspector@reddit

Was someone sleeping in it?

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nopantspaul@reddit

“Saved” is doing some heavy lifting here.

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PeaceofTexas@reddit

😂

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imightwin@reddit

Restore it VG Garage style first before you think about a full restoration.

Does it crank? Spark? If it does run, is there compression? Does it build oil pressure at all?

If all that is a "yes" and the frame isn't rusted in half or at least its salvageable, this would be an incredible restore.

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Plastic_Ad_8619@reddit

No

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Greaseskull@reddit

Had a friend receive a Porsche in basically the same condition about 10 years ago. He had zero dollars in it and took it to a shop to bring it back to life. He will be getting it back this summer.

He now has over $150,000 invested in this “free” car.

Now it’s sick af, to spec, and what a cool story. But food for thought….

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rqx82@reddit

It looks pretty complete, and I don’t see any cracks in the dash or obvious rust. Rust could be hiding underneath, and the engine issues are a big minus. Depending on the severity of damage, that could be a project/budget killer. The manual swap is great, if it was done correctly. You’ll be a lot of hours in cleaning everything and replacing rubber bits, etc., but could be really nice when done.

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Ok-Patience-3333@reddit

Yes, but…. Make sure you have a real budget (3-8k) you will need to replace every belt, hose, vacuum hose, seal, filter, bushing, and fluid. Anything rubber or any simple wear item should be replaced, tires can be had cheaply probably $200-400 for some good senturys from discount tire.

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Shnaznet@reddit (OP)

Yeah was told after getting it in my name and washing it to firstly wrench the engine and see if it turns, change timing belt, new battery and see if it cranks and start from there

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Heliyum2@reddit

You can learn a lot about cars by parting one fully out. Take a serious look at it mechanically and if it is above your comfort level, clean her up, catalog what’s good, and sell her piece by piece. There are certainly people out there looking for those wheels, glass, doors, etc.

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a23y1@reddit

That looks pretty rough.

If there's sentimental value, and you have both $5k-$20k and lots of free time to sink into it, then sure.

If not, then either give it a thorough cleaning and sell it, or part it out.

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OopidSplatter@reddit

With a clean title? 2k in parts and 25 hours of labor could put it back on the road if the frame isn't rusted out.

Without a clean title? Someone gave you a stolen BMW.

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Own-Opinion-2494@reddit

If you can wrench

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MidDayGamer@reddit

Get the title and then do the work to get it running again.

Friend got burned on a car a few months back. Basically came down to a deceased owner status and he's been going though hell.

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Sir_Tmotts_III@reddit

What would you check first before spending money?

Rust, a thousand times over. Parts can be bought, rust is a motherfucker and always more expensive than you expect.

What usually kills these projects after sitting this long?

Task paralysis, Budget, time, and the bravery to accept expensive screw ups.

Take a look at this car, and take a look at what a finished car goes for. From what I've seen, an E30 325is Coupe with a 5spd will gor for about \~20k for something in good shape in the same color on Bringatrailer. Can you get the car sorted within that budget? In most people's experience, that rarely works out. If it can't, you need to give yourself a very good reason for your own sake why you want to undertake that effort regardless, and how you can be accountable to yourself and actually follow through.

For me, that's my Alfa Romeo. It's objectively more trouble than it's worth, but I wanted to undertake the project for a lot more reasons than the value. I wanted to learn how to work on cars, and I really feel like the car I bough deserves to be saved. If that's the kind of connection you can have with your project, than by all means go crazy and get to work. If that's not the sort of project you're willing to undertake, hold onto your cash and find something that's at least running and driving.

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clydee30@reddit

Its a manual. Yes lol

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Shnaznet@reddit (OP)

Yeah! It use to be an automatic but he fully converted it to a manual

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clydee30@reddit

Haha nice, that's what I did with mine too

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ZSG13@reddit

Worth it? Probably not. Just depends how much you value your time or if this would truly be a hobby for you

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mr_lab_rat@reddit

Rust kills them.

Make sure you can get the paperwork sorted and then decide based on rust.

Everything else can be fixed easily by large amounts of rust are expensive and not DIY friendly.

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Shnaznet@reddit (OP)

Yeah we'll be doing paper work sometime this week. I'll get it washed and see what the damage is underneath.

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Butane9000@reddit

I'll be honest, I feel like that interior could have been in way worse condition.

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Busterlimes@reddit

Do you have 15k?

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Silverback_Vanilla@reddit

Looks like it has an mb20b engine. Those butches are indestructible from my experience.

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Big-Explorer-6253@reddit

BMW and Porsche are famous for bad corrosion in their fuse block. Wiring will be a huge problem. Anything sitting this long is going to have real problems. BMW ain't cheap to repair or fix, You better have Deeeeeep pockets!

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BicyclesOnMain@reddit

Most parts for that car aren't more than for a Civic. OEM parts are a different story, but brakes, suspension, etc have great aftermarket support.

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Big-Explorer-6253@reddit

Thanks, I realize there is a great aftermarket out there for BMW, I had 2 of them and I had both good and bad experiences with them, especially with wiring. There seems to be a greater supply chain now then when I owned mine 15 and 20 years ago

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Rus-t-bolts@reddit

That's so absurdly wrong lol. Clearly you dont have any real experience with bmw e30's

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i_got_a_rune_scimmy@reddit

I'm assuming the moss is where it's going to be rusty?

I wouldn't spend time on it unless the body is pretty much rust free.

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Riozen888@reddit

Give it a clean and see what's what, then decide.

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flightwatcher45@reddit

Why was it parked for 20yrs?

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Shnaznet@reddit (OP)

At First it just needed a fuel pump but just sat there cuz he does have other cars, plus he's a firefighter, and always has his grandkids over

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Educational-Cake7350@reddit

I think it’s worth saving. Older BMWs are dope.

I would say spend $200-$1000 on basic maintenance stuff(oil change, coolant, spark plugs, brake fluid, battery,etc) and see if you can get it running as it sits. You don’t even have to touch the tires or suspension or anything until you know it runs…ish… wouldn’t hurt to get under it and see what it looks like underneath too, before you buy anything.

If the structure of the car is solid, but the drivetrain is shot, time to LS swap it or somethin!

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DakarCarGunGuy@reddit

Ls Swap drift car.

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adiffkind@reddit

nope, get it to the scrapyard and buy yourself some candy with whatever minimal change you might get for it.

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DakarCarGunGuy@reddit

Drift car!

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RunNgunr88@reddit

Coyotes swap

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Elon_is_a_Nazi@reddit

If this car sat on the raw earth for 20 years, shits gone

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MischaBurns@reddit

Do you have a title for it? If not.....🤷🏻‍♂️

Start by washing the car and seeing what the rust situation is or isn't.

Then clean out the engine bay and see how bad the wiring and engine are. Does it crank with a good battery? Chewed/corroded wires and fuse blocks?

.

Lastly l, sell it for a few hundred bucks to someone who wants to build a stripped down drift missile and spend the thousands of dollars you'd spend fixing this on a car you can actually drive instead of maybe finishing this in like 5 years.

Unless you're the one who wants the drift missile, in which case knock yourself out I guess.

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Familymanjoe@reddit

Clean it inside and out (interior, exterior, engine bay, trunk.) Get it up in the air and inspect the underside. Check your suspension and drivetrain for wear and slop. The car looks like hell so get to work before asking more questions.

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wybeubfer@reddit

This is the way

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MayaIsSunshine@reddit

No rust? Send it.

Rust? Send it... To the scrap yard. Or list it on marketplace for dirt cheap.

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rhythim313@reddit

If it's been sitting 20 years I wouldn't even attempt to start it without putting a timing belt on it. The M20 is an interference engine. The only thing that makes this car even questionable to save is the fact that it's a 325is.

It will eat your wallet alive, and good soft bits/plastic parts are few/far between for them.

I've never had an E30, but I moved on from the E34 platform for the same reason. It got too hard to find good parts to keep it looking nice, and what I could find was bringing M-tax money.

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