Yesterday was the day

"duurtlang" (duurtlang) 09/08/2014 at 10:29 • Filed to: e30 touring

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After a gruesome and challenging 6 hour drive which could've/should've been done in 3.5 hours had Hamburg had its infrastructure in order I encountered the BMW E30 Touring I had !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! over a week ago. It wasn't just the time it took us to get there that caused a problem though:

The Journey

We left Groningen, the Netherlands, at 9:30 am, heading for a village in the Ludwigslust area of Germany. A one way trip of 365 km of almost entirely German Autobahn, which should've taken 3.5 hours. It didn't though. While the first 2 hours and 45 minutes went as planned, once we reached Hamburg the trouble began. Endless traffic jams.

My trusty 14 year old Peugeot 406 coupe, which I've owned for 2 years/50+k km and which besides normal maintenance (consumables) never needed anything other than a €5 exhaust mounting piece, didn't like Hamburg' traffic jams consisting of staying in first gear for close to two hours. I was in the passenger seat at that time so I don't know exactly if my buddy who was driving screwed up with the clutch pedal, but right after we escaped two hours of traffic jams with a detour he informed me the car wouldn't shift in 1, 2 any more. 3, 4 and 5 were hard to reach as well. As we were almost at our destination and after a few accelerations from 0 in third gear we still did manage to reach the home of the BMW owner. We decided to let it cool down for over an hour, while I inspected the BMW, dealt with all the formalities and we had our very late lunch.

It turned out the BMW was as described, so I bought it. I'd won the Ebay auction, so no haggling or negotiations involved. As the Peugeot cooled down we took the fully packed BMW to lunch. After lunch, driving back to the Peugeot, we found out the BMW overheated when idling. When driving everything was fine though. At this time the Peugeot wouldn't shift in any gear at all, unless when the engine was shut off. After fiddling with the Peugeot for a while I noticed the clutch pedal had sunk into the floor almost entirely. This was the cause why it wouldn't shift while the engine was running.

So there we were, with a Peugeot that wouldn't shift and a BMW that would almost overheat when idling. In a foreign country, with a drive through traffic jam riddled Hamburg ahead of us. Both cars wouldn't make that trip. Now what?

After some more fiddling with the Peugeot, topping off the (not that long ago refreshed) brake/clutch fluid that looked overly brown and no progress at all my friend had a brilliant idea. He pulled the clutch pedal back, towards the position it should be in. Problem solved. The Peugeot didn't give us any problem after that.

Anyway, back to the BMW. Trying to circumvent the potentially catastrophic combination of unending traffic jams and overheating within minutes when idling we decided to plan an alternative route. Right trough German countryside, staying away from Hamburg (and Lüneburg) completely. We encountered very few problems during this trip, but it did took us ages. At the end the entire trip took us 15 hours, while total driving time according to Google Maps is 7-7.5 hours while taking the fastest route.

The BMW

The BMW is dirty, a bit rough, but has potential. It came with a ton of spares. A full set of steel wheels with winter tires and BMW hubcaps, a front seat to replace the utterly trashed driver seat, the factory side skirts, a front wing (no idea why), an original steering wheel to replace the aftermarket one and a case full of other smaller spares. Apparently the previous previous owner had dismantled another E30 and threw some usable parts into the Touring when he sold it. This could be a little gold mine.

As seen in the pictures the indicators of the BMW work, which is odd for a BMW. I guess the BMW itself realized this as well, as the front left one broke an hour or two after we replaced the broken rear left bulb. What also works is the check control panel: it indicates a problem with the coolant. Like I mentioned before: the car overheats when left idling for more than a few minutes. There's an issue with the driver door as well, the seals aren't great and the hinges need some grease at the bare minimum. Another minor issue is that the central locking does unlock the rear left door, but doesn't lock it. It needs a radio, and the heating of the heated seats doesn't work on either side. The BMW drives absolutely beautifully though, and I like that sound of the straight six.

The Plan

My plan is to fix this BMW up, and than ship it to the US !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . While it's optically not as perfect as that one it didn't cost as much either. I'll have to wait a little while though, as it's only 24 years and 9 months old at the moment. The car was built in early December 1989 and first registered in Germany late December 1989.

I've fully rewritten this story after an overly tired post last night, so I thought setting a new post time was appropriate.

Flavien Vidal > duurtlang 09/07/2014 at 19:45

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very nice, what do you plan on doing with it? Ship it somewhere in the states to make a bit of cash or keep it for yourself?

Jobjoris > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 04:31

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Hamburg, Kleve, I'm confused! Another Touring, good luck with that!

duurtlang > Jobjoris 09/08/2014 at 05:04

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I was in Arhem for work late last week, so I picked up those plates on the other side of the border there. This enabled me to drive (east of) Hamburg whenever I wanted within a 5 day window (the duration the temp plates stay valid). Good luck getting plates like these on a Sunday. I had 'won' the car on Ebay, so I was somewhat obliged to buy it anyway if it met the description, which it did.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 10:35

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Awesome tale!

Are people from Hamburg called Hamburgers?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 11:30

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Let me know when it's available - I might be interested. =)

KirkyV > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 11:37

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At least you've got a gear stick this time! I'm glad to hear your 406 was okay in the end.

duurtlang > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/08/2014 at 12:14

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It's available as is right now, but it's still a few months from its 25th birthday. I won't have the BMW worked on until my 1988 Peugeot 205 GTi is in the condition I'd like it to be and I'm not in a hurry there.

My US contact (a jalop, see link in article) is weighing his options, and told me I shouldn't restrict my options to him alone. If he decides he wants it before I make a deal with someone else he'll get it though. Anyway, he'd be reselling it in the US as well and I bet we'll both be posting updates on oppo. If you're seriously interested in an E30 Touring or something else 25+ years old and not overly expensive and you'd be willing to handle everything beyond me buying a car and delivering it in good condition at a shipping company of your choice, let me know.

Please note that I've added an E30 Touring tag to this post.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 12:22

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Thanks - I'd love to have an E30 some day, and getting a Touring would make it even sweeter. What other cars are good buys in your area?

Once you've got it running well and fixed up, what do you guess the total cost would be, ballpark?

car + shipping + ?

duurtlang > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/08/2014 at 12:31

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This car, with everything wrong with it (as mentioned in the article) fixed, including shipping to an Eastern US port? I bet about $6500-7000 or so. This would mean you'd have to pick it up at the US port yourself, and deal with customs and registration in the US yourself as well and those costs are excluded as I haven't got a clue about those. Western coast will add a few hundred $ as well. As I've sent another E30 Touring to the US two months ago (and it arrived one month ago, in Texas) to a fellow Jalop I could find out. (note that I've already converted € to $)

What other cars are interesting is up to you. The ones that might be interesting from my perspective due to the difference in price between the US and Europe are an original Mini, a LR Defender, a VW T3 (vanagon) van/pickup/camper or something like a Peugeot 205 GTi. But that's my perspective, judging cars with high resale value in the US. If you're looking for something for yourself you could go wild and just pick something you really like, ignoring potential US resale value. Use a site like http://www.autoscout24.eu/ and use the advanced search options. If you don't want a RHD vehicle exclude the UK.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 12:34

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Thanks again - I'm in Oklahoma, so knowing what it cost to get it to the port near Houston would be nice.

duurtlang > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/08/2014 at 12:42

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I shipped my previous E30 Touring to Houston (Galveston), but didn't arrange the shipping myself. You could ask the Jalop who did . That car is in Dallas right now, and should be for sale shortly. It's almost factory fresh though, almost a museum piece, and will be more expensive than what I've quoted before.

duurtlang > KirkyV 09/08/2014 at 13:17

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I'm glad too, it had me worried quite a bit. I'm having it looked at though, I don't want this to happen again.

Brian Silvestro > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 13:56

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Wait....$7k is all it would cost with shipping and such? I might have to keep in contact with you.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 13:57

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This just got front-paged. I think the price might soon be heading out of my ballpark - ha!

I'd want a good running driver. No garage queens for me.

BMW > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 13:57

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If someone is interested on a E30 Touring mine will be for sale soon. It has been feautured here before.

Pablobar > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:02

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On that note, a British Jalop should should take the chance to buy Phil Collins's E30 wagon: http://bit.ly/YqGdO6

Salmanorguk > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:05

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"As seen in the pictures the indicators of the BMW work, which is odd for a BMW. I guess the BMW itself realized this as well, as the front left one broke an hour or two after we replaced the broken rear left bulb. "

legendary writing

900turbo > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:07

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An E30 wagon?

Not an E34?

nice.

J-Tenno > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:09

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Are you throwing her a birthday party? She deserves one.

mcseanerson > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:09

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You are starting something very bad. I see many angry wives of Opponauts in the future.

duurtlang > Brian Silvestro 09/08/2014 at 14:13

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Yes. However, do keep in mind we're not talking about a pristine trailer queen, we are talking about something with a bit of rust (not a rustbucket at all though) and we are not talking about a low mileage vehicle (181k miles on chassis, 99k on engine, is mechanically sound though). Also, while this car does have the M20 straight six, it's a 320i and not the 325i. Same engine, half a liter less displacement. A 325i is more costly here. I haven't touched the US based bureaucratic costs either, that's not my part of the equation. I bet the 325i (119k miles, totally rust free, looks like a 3 year old car) I've shipped to the US a few months ago will go for $10+k.

boxrocket > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:17

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Too bad you're not in the U.S. I know a guy with all the bits to do an M3 conversion on a wagon, and will only sell to an E30 wagon owner.

CALUSA > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:19

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Haha mooie bak man!

monovich > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/08/2014 at 14:19

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I paid 1141 british pounds to ship my E30 from Southampton UK to Galveston. Kingston Shipping. Insurance during shipping was $424 through Hagerty but for your car shouldn't even be a 10th of that based on value (which is a good thing!). I might even skip insurance if I were you. Once in the country I used Horizon Auto Shipping as my port broker, which I think you must have. They cleared the car through customs with zero hassle. They also paid duties and then added it to my invoice which was probably around $400 total. When I went to pick the car up I hired a taxi with port clearance to be my port escort. They drove me to the dock, I signed paperwork, and away I drove. For a 25 year old BMW, that's the whole story. Emissions should be easy in the US.

duurtlang > J-Tenno 09/08/2014 at 14:19

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I might! I'll rub her skin, replenish her fluids and then buy her a cruise to the other side of the world.

TurboS60 > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:20

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Lucky! My second favorite wagon behind the V70R

Volvosaurus-Rex > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:20

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You are doing the world a great service. Thank you.

Brian Silvestro > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:21

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That's literally all perfect to me, I'd get a daily driver, I don't want a garage queen that I'd have to take care of so carefully. $10k seems perfectly reasonable at the end of the day with an E30 touring in my garage.

MM54 > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:25

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Depending when this makes it over to the US, you have someone (me) interested, as long as it's like 8 months from now. Awesome car either way!

Nicholas Stango > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:29

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"No, not me. God I wish." I laughed.

super-dt > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:30

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Do you have an email address I can save? I have been needing a party 'over there' for this thing for some time. How familiar ware you with the shipping process? How expensive is it typically?

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > monovich 09/08/2014 at 14:32

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I'll second what's been said here. I'm duurtlang's US contact who currently has the first E30 touring he shipped in my possession. I shipped with Horizon and those prices all sound right.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > boxrocket 09/08/2014 at 14:34

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Tell me more. I currently have duurtlang's first E30 touring that he shipped, and while I'm planning on selling it, I could be interested in taking the one he has now too, especially if M3 bits are available.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > monovich 09/08/2014 at 14:37

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Thanks for the info!

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:39

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Wow, a ton of interest in here, it seems. I'm the guy who duurtlang shipped his first E30 Touring to. I'm currently in the process of getting it registered here in Texas and then it will be put up for sale shortly. It's a gorgeous car and, honestly, I'd consider keeping it if I wasn't trying to thin out my personal herd right now.

Don't have any good pictures at the moment, but they'll be coming shortly.

monovich > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/08/2014 at 14:39

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Happy to help. The more we bring in and preserve the merrier!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:40

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I'd love to have an original Mini or a Defender as well!

duurtlang > super-dt 09/08/2014 at 14:42

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Like I mentioned in other replies I've shipped one a few months ago. This shipping was arranged by the Jalopnik member I shipped it to though. As a very rough estimate I'd guess shipping to a US east coast port is $1500-2000. For shipping alone, excluding customs and the like. Add a few hundred more for Western US ports. These are merely educated guesses, no promises.

I'll add an image of my email address to prevent spam:

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > monovich 09/08/2014 at 14:44

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Absolutely.

You've got quite a pair with the 912 and an original M3. What else is in your collection (other than the bikes)?

duurtlang > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 09/08/2014 at 14:45

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For those interested (myself included), when do you think your Texas based E30 Touring will be registered and ready?

J-Tenno > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:45

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Your partner must love you if you have one.

timeToy > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 14:54

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Talking about dream wagons, here is what I saw in Berlin last week-end:

M550d wagon: 335 HP/545 ft.lbs @ 37 MPG (280 kW/740 Nm @ 6.3 l/100km) with a nice matching plate.

http://m-power.com/_open/b/varlin…

boxrocket > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 09/08/2014 at 14:58

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I'll talk to him this week and let you know. His wife made him get rid of all but one of his project cars, hence the lack of car to put the bits in, which right now is stuffing an M5 V10 in an 850i, IIRC.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 15:00

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Within two weeks. At this point I just have to find the time to make it to the regional DMV location here in Dallas to get what amounts to an authenticity plate mounted on the firewall confirming that the German VIN is authentic and that the car has been brought in through the proper channels.

To those who are interested, this will be a 100% legitimately imported, registered, driveable, insurable vehicle when I'm done with it. It's been a bit of a pain, but that's my place in the process with Duurtlang in selling these cars. There should be no ambiguity as to the legality of the vehicle or its status in this country or your state (provided you don't need to meet CARB). The biggest issue for most people is that you'll need to find an insurance company that will insure a car with a foreign vin (Allstate won't, btw), but I've already found that GEICO generally will, as will Hagerty.

plonko > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 15:04

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brings back old memories of my E30. This is your busted part:

viscous fan clutch. part number BMW: 11521723027

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 09/08/2014 at 15:04

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Thanks - what are your plans with that car?

RallyWrench > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 15:05

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Nice! If I move to Germany, this is what I'll be looking for.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/08/2014 at 15:07

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Plan is to sell it once I have it fully registered and legal here in Texas. Although, every day that I drive it brings me closer to saying "eff it" and keeping it.

duurtlang > plonko 09/08/2014 at 15:08

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That was our diagnosis as well, although we didn't check the actual part. Thanks for the part number! What do you think is/was wrong with my Peugeot?

duurtlang > RallyWrench 09/08/2014 at 15:09

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They're getting harder to find, I didn't travel as much as I did for nothing. Living outside of the US you won't be restricted by the 25 year rule though so that's helpful as these E30 Tourings were offered until 1994.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 09/08/2014 at 15:10

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Ha! Yes!!!

monovich > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/08/2014 at 15:41

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That's it for now. The Mrs. will be having no more cars. I spotted a 280z the other day and tested her response... not good! Time to be content and enjoy what I've got although if I were a single guy I'd just keep going and going and going.

DanPadge > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 15:42

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It'll cost you about $2000 minimum including customs fees to import a car. It varies a lot depending on what shipping line you use, what the current rate is, where it's coming from and if you use a freight forwarder. That's also the "at cost" rate, so it doesn't factor in the broker's time, insurance, etc. About $3.5k is a good, conservative amount to budget.

You are also usually better off shipping to a "main" international port and then shipping overland to wherever you want it as you'll get better shipping rates that way.

DanPadge > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 15:44

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And if you're seriously interested and looking for someone to handle customs, let me know. My wife is an import specialist and we've been considering getting into the auto customs assistance business since importation seems to popular lately (thanks skylines!)

Gary Yogurt > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 16:03

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I ask that this post is deleted as soon as possible due to it being dangerously enabling.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > monovich 09/08/2014 at 16:10

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Ha! Well, you can't do much better than the two you've got, I think.

I'm still working on mine for #2! I bought the car I did because she didn't like the idea of me having more than one, so I had to go the One Car To Do It All route. Looking forward to a lighter, lower, raw-er something in the future, but I'll need to upgrade her ride before I can get serious about that.

LodestarRunner > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 16:23

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US E30 Tourings, unite!

tapzz > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 16:23

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I was getting all interested in what motivated you to move away from your French voitures to a Bimmer, and looking forward to comparisons of said contraptions, and then found it was just for trade. Ah well.

Still, the Pug requiring no more than a bit of lateral thinking and the judicious application of force, while the 3er was an unrelenting pain in the arse somehow seems symbolic 

Marty Graw > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 16:27

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This is screaming to be an M3 wagon.

duurtlang > tapzz 09/08/2014 at 16:34

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Well, it isn't 'just for trade'. While I don't really care for modern BMWs I genuinely like E30s, and I'm doing this because I enjoy doing it. If it makes me some money that's nice and all, but it is not my prime motivation. Given the hours it costs it's marginal anyway. Having said that, I like my 205 GTi and 406 coupe even more than the E30.

Neutral President > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 16:55

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10/10

Would buy.

they-will-know-my-velocity > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 16:57

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And so, the most Jalop car ever began its destined voyage.

AM3R > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 17:06

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Hey I'm really interested in this. It's perfect too, I don't want it for another few months anyways! I noticed in your reply to another oppo member you listed some other interesting cars. LR defender caught my attention. How much could you pick one up for?

duurtlang > AM3R 09/08/2014 at 17:10

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That's really difficult for me to tell. They're tricky vehicles in that I know very little about them, they can rust like nothing else and my favorite mechanic is an E30 fanatic. Would you want one delivered to your door or would you want one delivered to a shipping company of your choice with a base in Europe? And LHD, RHD or either?

Mechanix > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 17:12

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Gre

AM3R > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 17:18

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I'm on the east coast, and I can reach the Baltimore Harbor in about an hour and a half so if it would be cheaper to pick up from the harbor I'd do that.

I'd prefer LHD, but if a nice RHD popped up I'd at least think about it. I also know little about LR defenders. If I were to go for an E30 I wouldn't want a garage queen, but I don't want something that *looks* like it's been a daily driver, if that makes sense.

Mechanix > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 17:27

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Nice to see a Dutch man repair a BMW E30 Touring (please no wagon). I'm curious how well it goes. Bit jealous of the fact that it is a six cilinder. I currently own an Ekris maintained BMW E30 touring edition from 94 and original BBS rims. It is a 318i with a M40 engine . Second hand owner. Loving everyday with it, but it is overpriced in the US (one on petrolicious $11.000,-). Lovely touring drifting!!

duurtlang > AM3R 09/08/2014 at 17:47

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I've been looking a bit a LR 90s and 110s now, and it seems all the relatively cheap ones are RHD here, even though we drive on the right. English import I'd imagine. Another issue is that they tend to be modified one way or the other. Looking at local prices very briefly I imagine getting one from the UK (by someone in the UK) would be best if RHD isn't a problem, LHD would be $13k for a very drivable but not very clean 90 (pictured) and a bit more for a 110. Delivered at a European port, excluding shipping to the US! I didn't look that long though, there might be sites I haven't looked at with better offerings. One addition problem is VIN swapping, I've become rather wary.

About an E30: you'd want a very clean but not utterly immaculate car, I presume. The car I've just bought is a bit rough for you I'd guess. However, the car I shipped to Texas recently (see other replies) would fit that bill. I'd say a car like that, in the US with all the paperwork done, would be $10k minimum. That specific car is in a condition you'd expect a 3 year old car to be in, not utterly perfect but very nice.

duurtlang > Mechanix 09/08/2014 at 17:52

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Well, being overpriced in the US is precisely why I consider shipping one there. I see it as a conservationist thing to do as well, here it's just an old car with only some enthusiast appeal (no more than a regular E30), there it's a cherished unicorn.

Mechanix > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 17:55

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I must say I totally respect your marketing ideas and indeed it is also good for conserving those old beauties. Most of the time their old, worn down and rusty on all sides it is a shame to see them go to waste. Just a pic of mine as an extra

AM3R > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 17:57

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actually the one you just bought look decently nice, nicer than those that are available around me. If I were to spend upwards of $10k I'd just wait and import an e36 M3.

That 90 looks nice, I'd prefer a 110 but beggars can't be choosers! Didn't know they were still worth that much, I'll shop around a little more and see what I find. Worse case scenario I just wait.

duurtlang > AM3R 09/08/2014 at 18:05

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They're cheaper in the UK, but they're RHD. Also, I didn't post the prices they're going for here, I posted a price for which I could get one worked on to fix some flaws and delivered at a shipping company. If you were to fly over, buy one and drive it as is to a shipping company you'd spend significantly less (excluding your travel expenses).

AM3R > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 18:20

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Oh so you think $10k could get me a 90 like the one you just posted? Not bad at all. Oddly enough, I'm going to Europe on a vacation next year. Germany seems to be where I'll be staying. Is that 90 a manual transmission Diesel engine?

duurtlang > AM3R 09/08/2014 at 18:33

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If you pick it up yourself? Sure. Especially if you don't mind RHD. My quoted price might've been a bit high, now that I'm looking at other sites. This link has 1980-1990 Land Rovers in Germany. They're not all Defenders, as Defenders aren't always labelled the same I submitted a broader search. Anyway, the following vehicle was the cheapest I could find that is probably in an acceptable condition and not an older type or a Range Rover. 1987, diesel (whopping 68 hp), manual, LHD, seller asks for $5800 . Army version.

RussCCC > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 18:51

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"What also works is the check control panel: it indicates a problem with the coolant. Like I mentioned before: the car overheats when left idling for more than a few minutes. "

...put some coolant in it?

AM3R > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 19:18

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This is awesome. I appreciate all the help. I'm thinking of importing one this summer or maybe the summer after now. I'll definitely be in contact with you, if it wouldn't be too much to ask you to buy and deliver it to the port (after I pay all the costs and a little extra for all your help). I've never imported a car so I know nothing of the process. If I had a guy (you) who could do it all for me I'd certainly be willing to pay a little extra just for the convenience.

Kanaric > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 19:29

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I work the the Air Force and airmen bring all kinds of cars like this back to the US.This one guy who parks where I do has two classic minis from his time in the UK.

Hirsch > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 19:34

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Having spent 3 hours in a Dutch traffic jam in a Peugeot 406, I can confirm that Peugeot clutches do not like traffic jams.

TwoToneLoser > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 20:26

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Nope nope nope

CleverUsername > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 21:16

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Dammit, Patrick. I thought we finally brought you over to [ahem] real BMW land.

I guess we'll just have to get you a 2002.

eurojulien > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 21:23

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my brother's 406 wagon/diesel has been the most reliable car I've heard of short of a camry. Acceleration? Not so much.. Merging on the E313 somewhere by Hasselt I timed her 0-60.. 55 seconds!!

E30Joe drives a Subaru > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 23:11

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Chase > duurtlang 09/08/2014 at 23:58

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He pulled the clutch pedal back, towards the position it should be in. Problem solved. The Peugeot didn't give us any problem after that.

Brilliant! XD

Gloff > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 02:09

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Fan Clutch, fairly common failure on E30, I replaced mine on my 318i at 213k miles. http://www.realoem.com is a great resource for part no.s

Your Car

Cooling System Fan

F&S Make Fan Clutch: 11521723918

Behr Make Fan Clutch: 11521740962

carsandmusic > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 02:17

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When my Miata had a problem like this, the clutch slave cylinders as broken, but that's just a guess. As your clutch liquid looked so dark, it could also be caused by that (i.e. old liquid).

aztecred92 > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 02:21

1

From RCR E30 Review:

"Driving the E30 now in 2014, is sort of like finally banging the Prom Queen. Except now she's 41 years old, four kids deep, twice divorced and out of options. But you're taking the plunge anyways, so you can just say you did."

shane > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 04:01

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This car has that 288 GTO meatyness in person.

EhBrah > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 04:25

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Thanks for sharing this is good information. Wouldn't mind having a Sierra Cosworth.

Bloqs3 > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 05:11

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And I just bought a 1987 (M10) E30 318i. It has the Is springs, needs some love and some work, but since I bought it for 500E is all good. I do have a problem though, the gas needle is all over the place, I works for around 5 seconds and then it just goes crazy. Any ideas, change both fuel sensors, clean the filter?

Stef Schrader > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 07:18

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Want.

Send a Trabi with it, too. Heh.

Reborn Pyrrhic > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 09/09/2014 at 11:13

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USAA will too, as I've found out.

anonsagainstanonymous > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 11:13

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hamana hamana hamana and the exact right color. I'm so jealous. congratulations!

Reborn Pyrrhic > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 11:16

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As I've been finding, LE Defenders and Series trucks are full of rust when they're affordable in Germany. In Italy you can find them in better prices with less rust.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Reborn Pyrrhic 09/09/2014 at 11:25

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I'll add them to my list, thanks for the input.

Reborn Pyrrhic > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 09/09/2014 at 11:34

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You're welcome. I'm in the US Army in Germany right now, coming back to the US next February and looking to bring two cars with me, one to drive and one to sell. The one to sell might be an E30 wagon too, I hope we don't flood the market...

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Reborn Pyrrhic 09/09/2014 at 11:42

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Mine should hopefully be gone this fall, the market will have time to recover by February!

In all serious, I think I've seen an average of about one for sale per month since duurtlang and I first started looking 6 months ago. There seems to be reasonably solid amount of interest in them each time as well.

Reborn Pyrrhic > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 09/09/2014 at 11:47

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I might be looking at a rust free, garage kept one in a week. The car has high mileage, but one owner and loads of receipts. It's a 325 too, I hope there's no surprises.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 19:24

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Ah, yes, I love a good Leuchtweitenregulierung. But not as much as a fine drehzahlabhängig...

Chrisrudd > duurtlang 09/09/2014 at 21:55

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What's a mini cost? My wife would love to have one. I'm in tx

duurtlang > Chrisrudd 09/10/2014 at 01:45

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This is nothing but an estimate for now, but a LHD (!) 1980s or maybe 70s Mini in good mechanical condition with a good body and interior, including shipping to Texas and all the Texan paperwork/registration done, would probably be $9-10k or so. This would be a Dutch or German import, so with the steering wheel on the correct left side. It would be a great driver but not a perfect trailer queen.