1986 325i Help
Discussion
I have naturally posted this in the BMW subforum but thought that I may get some good help in here too 
Basically, I am being given a 1986 BRG 325i Sedan from a family member and have been told I can do whatever I want with it. It is has had three owners (two of which are family members), has only gone 59k miles and has been SORN-ed and garaged for the last few years.
I don't have the cash to restore it just now so there are two options and I do not have a driveway or garage at my current flat. So I can either arrange storage for it until I can get it out on the road or sell it.
I am in two minds (although, hopefully, I don't have to make the decision fast). I am a total car nut and to own an E30 would be incredible and I can see the excitement of storing it and then being able to restore and use it in years to come.
Should I fork out on storage (would that be expensive?) or should I just bite the bullet and sell it? What would it be worth?
I am going to see the car tomorrow (bearing in mind I can still say I don't want it) and then will see the condition it is in. Is there anything I should look for in particular?
I understand that seeing it might change my view altogether but would appreciate the pointers and thoughts.
I will report back tomorrow with pictures!
Basically, I am being given a 1986 BRG 325i Sedan from a family member and have been told I can do whatever I want with it. It is has had three owners (two of which are family members), has only gone 59k miles and has been SORN-ed and garaged for the last few years.
I don't have the cash to restore it just now so there are two options and I do not have a driveway or garage at my current flat. So I can either arrange storage for it until I can get it out on the road or sell it.
I am in two minds (although, hopefully, I don't have to make the decision fast). I am a total car nut and to own an E30 would be incredible and I can see the excitement of storing it and then being able to restore and use it in years to come.
Should I fork out on storage (would that be expensive?) or should I just bite the bullet and sell it? What would it be worth?
I am going to see the car tomorrow (bearing in mind I can still say I don't want it) and then will see the condition it is in. Is there anything I should look for in particular?
I understand that seeing it might change my view altogether but would appreciate the pointers and thoughts.
I will report back tomorrow with pictures!
Rust, rust and rust. If it's not too bad on that you're laughing.
I briefly ran a 320i and then a 325i as snotters/ track slags many years ago (when they were worth buttons). Great fun, simple to maintain and a ready supply of parts from breakers, fleabay or specialists.
Good ones are only going to go up in value so if you can, you should. (also I have a Golf 16v that was laid up for 5 years. New oil, plugs and battery and it started first time).
I briefly ran a 320i and then a 325i as snotters/ track slags many years ago (when they were worth buttons). Great fun, simple to maintain and a ready supply of parts from breakers, fleabay or specialists.
Good ones are only going to go up in value so if you can, you should. (also I have a Golf 16v that was laid up for 5 years. New oil, plugs and battery and it started first time).
Huntsman said:
I run a 1983 520i as an everyday car doing 12k a year, get that 325 through a MOT and drive it, they are very basic cars compared to more modern stuff, fixing them is both simple and cheap. Mid 80's BMW's are a fab everyday motor.
Abso-bloody-lutely!This was one of the best cars I have ever owned.
BMW in those days were utterly superb. Get the thing MOTd and run it!
J
Chances are there's not much wrong with it that a decent drive won't sort out. You might find a few things have seized up (windscreen wiper motors, brake pads, boot lock, windows, clutch etc) and the tyres will probably need replacing. Definitely worth an oil change and a new fuel filter. Definitely worth some fresh petrol in it.
As said above, for the small price of an MOT, you'll find out what needs done critically. If you can get it an MOT, you can tax it and store on the road under a cover with the tax disc displayed.
Never worth paying for storage unless it's a supercar tbh. Better to ask around and use your network to find someone with a quiet corner of a yard / barn / garage / warehouse / large garden.
As said above, for the small price of an MOT, you'll find out what needs done critically. If you can get it an MOT, you can tax it and store on the road under a cover with the tax disc displayed.
Never worth paying for storage unless it's a supercar tbh. Better to ask around and use your network to find someone with a quiet corner of a yard / barn / garage / warehouse / large garden.
jith said:
Huntsman said:
I run a 1983 520i as an everyday car doing 12k a year, get that 325 through a MOT and drive it, they are very basic cars compared to more modern stuff, fixing them is both simple and cheap. Mid 80's BMW's are a fab everyday motor.
Abso-bloody-lutely!This was one of the best cars I have ever owned.
BMW in those days were utterly superb. Get the thing MOTd and run it!
J
175/80/14's on my daily driver, it is epic level of comfort.
E30 325i's are great cars, cc8s. And pretty rare these days - in fact howmanyleft.com reckons there is only 1 '86 325i (not the Sport) left that is taxed or SORN'ed in the UK for example. I know that the website is often far of the mark but I haven't seen a standard E30 325i 2 or 4 door on the road for a very long time, in fact the last time I saw a non-sport E30 325i was when I sold mine back to a mate 6 years ago ('86 2 door manual in Black)!
Beemers from that era aren't the greatest for rust proofing, mine was going on the jacking points, the inner wing against the bulkhead (where the battery would sit on a 4 cyl E30, 325i's had the battery in the boot) and the bottom of the wings. If they get too hot then they'll blow the head gasket with fairly short notice, usually (but not always if you catch it fast) cracking the head as well. But well maintained, they'll run for a very long time and the M20 engine without a cat sounds lovely (can't remember what year the cat was introduced but it lowered the BHP down by 1 to 170, used to rib a mate with an '88 325i about that...)
The M20 2.5 is quite thirsty compared to a modern 6, I doubt you'll see better than 30-32mpg even on a long motorway run, and it'll dip into the low 20's in town. It was expensive to run for me when petrol was 85p a litre!
If the body is structurally sound, it think it would be worth saving. If I found another one and had a place to put it undercover, I would do it. In fact I would buy my old one back if I had a place to put it, as it now has a reliable (so i'm told) 210BHP apparently...
Oh yes, if it doesn't have PAS, the stering is 4.75 turns lock to lock if I remember. That will bite you on the ass if you don't pay attention on a wet day, even if it does only have modern 'warm hatch' levels of power!
Beemers from that era aren't the greatest for rust proofing, mine was going on the jacking points, the inner wing against the bulkhead (where the battery would sit on a 4 cyl E30, 325i's had the battery in the boot) and the bottom of the wings. If they get too hot then they'll blow the head gasket with fairly short notice, usually (but not always if you catch it fast) cracking the head as well. But well maintained, they'll run for a very long time and the M20 engine without a cat sounds lovely (can't remember what year the cat was introduced but it lowered the BHP down by 1 to 170, used to rib a mate with an '88 325i about that...)
The M20 2.5 is quite thirsty compared to a modern 6, I doubt you'll see better than 30-32mpg even on a long motorway run, and it'll dip into the low 20's in town. It was expensive to run for me when petrol was 85p a litre!
If the body is structurally sound, it think it would be worth saving. If I found another one and had a place to put it undercover, I would do it. In fact I would buy my old one back if I had a place to put it, as it now has a reliable (so i'm told) 210BHP apparently...
Oh yes, if it doesn't have PAS, the stering is 4.75 turns lock to lock if I remember. That will bite you on the ass if you don't pay attention on a wet day, even if it does only have modern 'warm hatch' levels of power!
Firstly, if you need help or advice on these get over to www.e30zone.net and you will find a wealth of knowledge and experience from genuine E30 enthusiasts!
In 1986 the model changed slightly...the old "pre-facelift" cars had chrome bumpers and ran L-Jet management...later cars had black/colour coded plastic bumpers and ran Motronic...
As stated mechanically these are easy to sort and all parts are available as are most, if not all, trim and electrical bits...Rust is the enemy. Particularly the front floorpan, the front scuttle and the sunroof tray/drain channels (leading to rear side panel corrosion inside the boot)...
The worst parts for wear are the suspension components...rear subframe bushes are a PITA as are rear brake pipes (fuel tank out, unless you are very patient)...
Worst electrical issues are the injector loom (facelift cars), central locking module and the SI board behind the instrument cluster...none are show-stoppers, though.
I ran one (a facelift '87 325i SE 4dr) for over 5 years as a daily driver and it was very reliable and pretty cheap to run, averaging around 26mpg...They are fast and fun and there are plenty of easy upgrades to cure the "issues" such as slow steering, long gearthrow, etc...
Get it MoT'd it probably won't need much (my guess is bushes and pipes if it has been standing a while) and will be easy to use or sell on afterwards.
In 1986 the model changed slightly...the old "pre-facelift" cars had chrome bumpers and ran L-Jet management...later cars had black/colour coded plastic bumpers and ran Motronic...
As stated mechanically these are easy to sort and all parts are available as are most, if not all, trim and electrical bits...Rust is the enemy. Particularly the front floorpan, the front scuttle and the sunroof tray/drain channels (leading to rear side panel corrosion inside the boot)...
The worst parts for wear are the suspension components...rear subframe bushes are a PITA as are rear brake pipes (fuel tank out, unless you are very patient)...
Worst electrical issues are the injector loom (facelift cars), central locking module and the SI board behind the instrument cluster...none are show-stoppers, though.
I ran one (a facelift '87 325i SE 4dr) for over 5 years as a daily driver and it was very reliable and pretty cheap to run, averaging around 26mpg...They are fast and fun and there are plenty of easy upgrades to cure the "issues" such as slow steering, long gearthrow, etc...
Get it MoT'd it probably won't need much (my guess is bushes and pipes if it has been standing a while) and will be easy to use or sell on afterwards.
Thanks for your responses!
So I went to see it - and it is awesome
Firstly the battery was as dead as can be but we got it a little juice with help from my friend. Unfortunately we couldn't get the engine to fire up. The motor was turning over healthily but wouldn't catch. There is almost no fuel in it and we were thinking a few connections could have corroded (my Uncle thinks sparkplugs?). My mate noted that there was no noise for the fuel pump. Does anyone know what it might be?
To my untrained eye I thought the car was reasonably rust free for it's age! I tried to get lots of pictures to see what the forum would think of the condition.
Unfortunately not leather as someone said but the interior was pretty immaculate.
A new battery is definitely needed (note it was from 1997 and obviously is the wrong size as it is held in with a block of wood!).
The main thing I noticed was the green flakes on the chrome (corrosion?) but my mate said that was to be expected.
Apparently no children have ever sat in it (I don't even recall getting to go in it when I was young).
Custom speaker system?
Now bits of rust.
Someone warned that there could be rust around the sunroof, but no sign of any yet.
Only 59,942 miles on the clock.
Barely any signs of wear inside.
So...
Are there any causes for concern in the pictures?
Have I missed anything important (I couldn't get under the car as it's in a tight garage)?
What could be causing the engine to refuse to start up?
How could I go about getting the car started without the help of the AA?
How would I go about tackling the rust and corrosion?
Needless to say, I am going to sign the car over tomorrow
And a big thanks to Syd who came along and helped me out!
So I went to see it - and it is awesome
Firstly the battery was as dead as can be but we got it a little juice with help from my friend. Unfortunately we couldn't get the engine to fire up. The motor was turning over healthily but wouldn't catch. There is almost no fuel in it and we were thinking a few connections could have corroded (my Uncle thinks sparkplugs?). My mate noted that there was no noise for the fuel pump. Does anyone know what it might be?
To my untrained eye I thought the car was reasonably rust free for it's age! I tried to get lots of pictures to see what the forum would think of the condition.
Unfortunately not leather as someone said but the interior was pretty immaculate.
A new battery is definitely needed (note it was from 1997 and obviously is the wrong size as it is held in with a block of wood!).
The main thing I noticed was the green flakes on the chrome (corrosion?) but my mate said that was to be expected.
Apparently no children have ever sat in it (I don't even recall getting to go in it when I was young).
Custom speaker system?
Now bits of rust.
Someone warned that there could be rust around the sunroof, but no sign of any yet.
Only 59,942 miles on the clock.
Barely any signs of wear inside.
So...
Are there any causes for concern in the pictures?
Have I missed anything important (I couldn't get under the car as it's in a tight garage)?
What could be causing the engine to refuse to start up?
How could I go about getting the car started without the help of the AA?
How would I go about tackling the rust and corrosion?
Needless to say, I am going to sign the car over tomorrow
And a big thanks to Syd who came along and helped me out!
Edited by cc8s on Wednesday 22 February 18:44
That looks fantastic from the phots although a good poke around underneath would pay dividends.
Definitely worth replacing the plug leads and putting some fresh fuel in it. Fuel pump could be lots of reasons - I don't know if it's an electronic one (probably) or a mechanical one. The latter would probably work in the short term with a quick whack with a persuader. As said above, check relays and fuses, also the state of the fuel filters. You can also disconnect the fuel line at the engine end and see if the pump is working at all - you'll need a helper to aim the petrol into a suitable container though.
Best of luck with it. Nice to see a good news story for a change!
Definitely worth replacing the plug leads and putting some fresh fuel in it. Fuel pump could be lots of reasons - I don't know if it's an electronic one (probably) or a mechanical one. The latter would probably work in the short term with a quick whack with a persuader. As said above, check relays and fuses, also the state of the fuel filters. You can also disconnect the fuel line at the engine end and see if the pump is working at all - you'll need a helper to aim the petrol into a suitable container though.
Best of luck with it. Nice to see a good news story for a change!
great stuff! Spend a couple of hundred getting it road ready (how old are the tyres??? They can be dangerous if too old) and enjoy it. Then you'll have a rolling restoration to enjoy whilst doing the odd bits of bodywork over time. Like any old car, get on top of the maintenance and it'll be a fine, useable everyday car. Let it get the better of you and it'll be expensive, painful, breaking-down sort of lifestyle with
Oh, and please:
dont lower it
dont add boyz trim: headlight eyebrows, shaded lenses etc
dont add the M-sport bodykit. Of all those orginally fitted, just 274% of these cars remain on the road
if you must change the wheels, keey them BMW and period.
Just my opinion, of course but I think it looks great as an original car...
Oh, and please:
dont lower it
dont add boyz trim: headlight eyebrows, shaded lenses etc
dont add the M-sport bodykit. Of all those orginally fitted, just 274% of these cars remain on the road
if you must change the wheels, keey them BMW and period.
Just my opinion, of course but I think it looks great as an original car...
alfa pint said:
Definitely worth replacing the plug leads
Definitely not worth doing this IMO. Turn it over for a bit, take a sparkplug out and test for presence of fuel and spark. If you have a lack of either of these then you might like to check the fuel pump and ECU relays.If you remove a fuel line to check for pump pressure take care as it will be delivered at quite a rate. I believe there are better (electrical) ways to test one.
I think that car is a 325i non SE, although my knowledge of chromies is a bit rusty (ahem). The name of the colour will be in German, on a plate on the NSF suspension turret. The value of the car depends upon how clean the shell is, check the front scuttle, rear arches etc unfortunately, the colour and substantial number of doors don't help. And lose those godawful bottletops. Definitely get on the e30zone.
Aye aye chap,
Just back from the Dutch.
Being as you've picked it up at Aberdonian rates, first priority is find a space where you can leave it to play about with it for a while. It won't be worth sinking too much of your hard earned into it but if you can get a ticket on it for not too much you'll have a hell of alot of fun.
If it's not starting, fuel, spark or nae enough amps the problem. Probably not a great deal of even amateur diagnosis required to figure out which. Next get it up on some axle stands to see how much rust there really is & to have a nosy round suspension, steering etc.
As already mentioned E30zone is your friend. There are some good guys very local & I'm sure you can bribe a few of us local PHers to give you a hand if need be.
Give us a nudge if you need a hand from a very amateur mechanic & I can ask a few wiser friends about trickier stuff.
Finally some inspiration, ok it's not an M3 but you'll still feel like Snyers if you can fix it up for a hoon up the west coast. There's an E30 cult for a reason.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiBoP7tcG_s
Just back from the Dutch.
Being as you've picked it up at Aberdonian rates, first priority is find a space where you can leave it to play about with it for a while. It won't be worth sinking too much of your hard earned into it but if you can get a ticket on it for not too much you'll have a hell of alot of fun.
If it's not starting, fuel, spark or nae enough amps the problem. Probably not a great deal of even amateur diagnosis required to figure out which. Next get it up on some axle stands to see how much rust there really is & to have a nosy round suspension, steering etc.
As already mentioned E30zone is your friend. There are some good guys very local & I'm sure you can bribe a few of us local PHers to give you a hand if need be.
Give us a nudge if you need a hand from a very amateur mechanic & I can ask a few wiser friends about trickier stuff.
Finally some inspiration, ok it's not an M3 but you'll still feel like Snyers if you can fix it up for a hoon up the west coast. There's an E30 cult for a reason.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiBoP7tcG_s
Edited by 7SS on Thursday 23 February 02:06
E30Zone indeed but also try http://www.pbmwc.co.uk/ as this lot race the 318 and 320s and they're always stripping cars and swapping stuff so you can usually get lots of goodies for not much money.
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