Buying an E30 M3

Hi there,

First of all I am appealing for help of the expert kind. I have found an M3 which I so desperately want however, to keep the missus happy and to justify the expenditure I would like to get an expert to cast an eye before I buy.

At the moment the car is advertised on an online auction as well as elsewhere and is located near Aberdeen. I have spoken with the seller and have arranged for a viewing this Friday at his home or on Saturday in Dundee prior to him going to the footy in the afternoon.

Unfortunately I cannot get one of these independant inspectors in time for them and am appealing for someone very kind and helpful to perhaps come along and give an experienced verdict. I am not ignorant on this front in the least and have done some research into these cars. I have had word from a work colleague that if it is as good as it looks then it definately is worthwhile purchasing.

Yours hopefully,

Kevin.

Hi Kevin

welcome to the forum.   Buying an M3 can be a very disappointing at times. I was in this boat last year and looked at many a car described as mint only to find it had been a dog tarted up for sale. As the cars are approaching 20 years old they are prone to rusting (have a look through the old threads Uwe's *need expert opinion*) this will show you what can happen.    Have a close look around the rear number plate lights for signs of rust, also around the front windscreen, bottom of the doors these are all known rust spots. Remove the spare wheel and the jack and inspect inside the boot as they do leak at times. A good or full service history is always a good sign. I would come and help you out but i live near Brighton   Spend a bit of time browsing the old threads as i mentioned earlier and you will get a good idea of what to look for and expect. I hope this is of use to you and good luck in your search

Welcome Kermitt

You should buy this months BMW Car magazine - Rather fortuitously it contains the E30 M3 Ultimate Guide, you couldn't have picked a better month to ask the question!

In the abscence of an expert opinion, go to look at the car armed with this, having read it 3 or 4 times!!!

Good luck! 

Nico,

Have read this front to back several times already (well need something to amuse while resting on the porcelain throne ha ha!). I should be armed with more than enough information when the time comes just better remember it all.

Cheers,

kev.

Andy,

It is indeed G212 JWE, anyone know history of this one?

The seller bought it in Oldham a place called Just Sports Cars only 4 months ago in but I cant seem to access the site for some reason.

What have you got and where are you?

Kev.

Mark,

Thanks for that, yeah mechanics are not what they used to be! I think its got a little dent at the rear and couple of stone chips apart from that I don't know of anything major. Interior wise I have been told by the seller that there is a small tear in the driver's bolster material and that he has been quoted £60 to have this fixed, I would think a bit more but have not seen the damage yet.
I also think I can get it for around 7k as it has not had the tensioner or shifter upgrades but we will see what I can talk him down to.

Would you say around 7 is a fair price for this.

Don't do it! They are rubbish really!  

Only Joking. As above really look out for rust. You can have a mint looking car which can actually be full of fibreglass and filler. Wax-oil and the factory sealer actually does an excellent job of hidding a rust bucket too, so POKE ABOUT!

If the car has hard suspension fitted, take a close look at the bulkhead and front inner wings for cracking too. Check the carpets for wetness (and damp) If they are wet, then I think unless you intend a project where the dash and engine is removed to weld up holes, walk away.

Obviously, all the mechanical checks. The S14 is pretty noisey, but a nice maintained one can actually be reasonably quiet too. Make sure it idles ok, throttle response should be pretty sharp. Make a point of changing down the gearbox for slowing the car down - without heal and toeing the throttle, this will highlight any syncromesh problems.

A drivetrain vibration from about 45mph to around 70mph will most likely be the propshaft UJ's, this is not a cheap repair either. The car should be ultra smooth at these speeds.

Also do a search here as there are numerous postings/topics about advice in what to look out for.

Best of luck.