Hey everyone, I am looking to buy a late 80's 325i or ix (2 door coupe, 5 speed). I live in Scottsdale, AZ and am having a tough time finding one in my area. There are quite a few 325e/es & 318's but no 325i's that are reasonably priced. Any tips? Thanks guys.
It is great that you have any selection at all. All us E30 fanatics are hording the ones we have. Not sure why you're discounting the 325e and 318i; they are both great cars; the former especially with a little head tweaking, and the latter as-is. I see this is your first post: welcome to the forums. Use the "Search" function to explore; there is a lot of good advice within.
Thanks Brian. I actually found (and fell in love with) an 86 325es with everything I am looking for. I guess I overlooked the e/es originally because the i seems to have many more parts available for performance upgrades. I think what I'll do is chip this es, it already has a performance intake. That's all I really want to do, the rest is just restoring the car to it's original glory. Any recommendations? This is my first e30, I've been waiting years to start this project... my favorite car in the world!
Here are my three recommendations (others can chime in): - take your time to figure out what you want (cosmetics, handling, comfort etc). - learn to do the work yourself (it cuts the cost of any repair at least in half). - search these forums and read (there is lots of opinion here as to how to do what).
Welcome!!! I would expand your search nation wide and be willing to go get or ship a vehicle from farther away. I bought my M3 from Hawaii, I live in Pennsylvania! The other motors can be fun, but there is something special about the small 6 i motor. Brian might have a 318i that he loves, but he also has a 325i cabrio! So if this is going to be your only e30, (we all know it won't be!) hold out and find the car your really want. Remember, buy as much car has you can afford in terms of condition, you will be glad you did in the long run, not to mention it will be less expensive as well.
OP said he found (and fell in love with) an 86 325es with everything he was looking for. We lost our '85 325e to an accident last year. It was a great car, and never let us down!
Welcome! +1 on expanding your search. There have been a lot of good examples on eBay recently. Check the links in this post on Bimmerfest. I have a fondness for the ix, wish I had the garage space. http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=513542&highlight=
