Evan Wrote:(#1 choice being neither)
:lol:
There's really not that much that's special about E30's that you wouldn't look for on any other car. That being said, here's what's likely to be wrong with it:
rear shock mounts failing (easy and cheap to replace)
power steering fluid leaking (no easy fix, but it's easy to remove PS!)
other misc oil leaks (some seals hard to replace, depends on what you can live with)
loose shifter (cheap, usually a PITA to fix)
engine and trans mounts (cheap, easy)
mechanical engine fan clutch (a little $, but just remove the damn thing)
guibo, rubber disc that connects trans to driveshaft (fairly cheap, requires driveshaft removal, usually you think about replacing driveshaft center support bearing at the same time)
Most, if not all suspension bushings need replacement if you're going to track it. Easy in the front, PITA in the rear.
Make sure the rear wheel bearings are good. They are arguably the worst part to replace on the car. The rear subframe and trailing arm bushings being right up there too.
SOMETHING electrical doesn't work. Test out all the switches, accesories, lights, turn signals, something doesn't work. Can be a pain tracing these gremlins down, but sometimes they fix themselves! And if you make an attempt to fix them all, something else is going to fail. :lol:
And keep in mind that unlike ALL other BMWs, these have a timing belt. If you don't know if it's been replaced, replace it. Somewhat involved, but a DIY job, usually you replace the water pump while you're there.
Notice that nothing on this list prevents the car from being driven. :wink: I do NOT recommend these old BMW's to those not somewhat mechanically inclined, or someone who doesn't want to learn to work on car. Nor would I recommend them to someone who insists that their car be 100%, it takes way too much time and $$$ to get an E30 back to "new". And it's not a Honda. It won't just run and run while you ignore it. If you expect to take it to a shop every time something goes wrong, you will end up very poor.
But the major components just age so well, the body is rock solid, there are many people out there TRACKING 250k+ mile cars on their un-rebuilt drivetrains. I find them to be very serviceable and I've learned a lot working on mine. I also recommend the 318 (early M10 or later M42 engines) over the 325, but to each his own. Because of the size of the M20 (the 325 engine), some things are much harder to work on. And the extra torque/weight means the driveshaft, rear bushings, diff, brakes, all have higher wear. And timing belts are gay.
Hit up E30Tech, it's the most useful forum out there, check out the "stickied" thread section too. That's about all I can think of. Any other specific questions I can answer?
