I bought a thing.

"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
09/14/2014 at 09:00 • Filed to: oppoprojects, e30

I picked up a 1984 325e off CL yesterday. Runs (rough) is in good (kind of) cosmetic shape and is a 5 speed. What's cool is that the original owner kept every receipt related to the car over the last thirty years. Tires, oil changes, timing belts, etc... Another cool thing is that the guy stayed up to date on all the maintenance and repairs until last year.

This thing is like a time capsule. The original owner obviously cared a lot about this car, so I'm hoping to get it into fighting shape soon. It's running stupid rich right now which is resulting in some interesting behavior while accelerating. One last cool quirk is that the guy spent extra money to have a LSD put in. Oh, and he spent about $50k in today's money for this car new. 97% depreciation over thirty years ain't bad.

DISCUSSION (22)

Brian Silvestro > DipodomysDeserti
09/14/2014 at 09:03

LSD should be an option (read: standard) on every RWD car.

jkm7680 > DipodomysDeserti
09/14/2014 at 09:06

Awesome! Any mods or anything planned?

FrederickLawOlmsteez > DipodomysDeserti
09/14/2014 at 09:10

Kinja'd!!!

That's the beer choice of a Chevy Cruz driver! Pumpkin is for pies.

E92M3 > DipodomysDeserti
09/14/2014 at 09:20

Cool find! How many miles are on it?

Jobjoris > Brian Silvestro
09/14/2014 at 10:20

Well, maybe not on 'Economy'-versions like a 325e? That M20B27 was meant to be a low-revving fuel-efficient engine so I personally don't get the LSD on that.

Awesome buy nevertheless!

Renescent > Brian Silvestro
09/14/2014 at 10:24

And having it for $370 dollars in today money would be sweet too!

DipodomysDeserti > Jobjoris
09/14/2014 at 11:50

In 1984 the e was the only 3 series available, so I'm guessing the guy was trying to make it as sporty as possible. It has the sports seats too. I have a receipt from '89 where he spent $800 on a set of tires.

DipodomysDeserti > FrederickLawOlmsteez
09/14/2014 at 11:53

The statement of someone who obviously knows nothing about beer. If you can find this give it a try. Probably one of the best beers I've ever had. Paired with a butternut squash soup and maybe some sort of pot roast and you've got yourself a fantastic meal.

DipodomysDeserti > jkm7680
09/14/2014 at 11:57

For now I just want to get it running smooth and clean it up a bit. The suspension was redone not too long ago along with a new steering rack and all new hoses, so all I have to worry a it is getting the engine smoothed out. Not sure if I'm going to mod it, or just freshen it up. I really like the look of these cars stock.

DipodomysDeserti > E92M3
09/14/2014 at 12:01

At least 210k, but the odometer stopped working. Almost everything except the engine has been replaced though. Newer steering rack, suspension parts, hoses, brake lines...are all less than 10 years old. I have a bill from last September for $900 for various repairs.

Jobjoris > DipodomysDeserti
09/14/2014 at 12:21

Well, I've only driven the EU-spec 325e which had like 120bhp and a real 'overdrive' 5th gear. Awesome drive when used daily, I just don't understand the LSD with that. We had a 320i/323i over here as well in 84, those were far more sporty than that 'e'. But as I sad: Awesome buy, especially if it has a good solid body. Over here you can't find a decent E30 for less than 7k Euros (just look at this one with 200k kms on it!), what did you pay for it?

jkm7680 > DipodomysDeserti
09/14/2014 at 12:33

Sounds good! So you might just flip it?

Sounds like a good purchase though!

DipodomysDeserti > jkm7680
09/14/2014 at 13:16

I'll probably hold onto it. I have two young daughters and I'd like to work on this and my other project car (1991 Loyale 4wd wagon) with them. I have an Abarth and a 335d which both satisfy my need for speed. The 325e is mainly for aesthetics.

DipodomysDeserti > Jobjoris
09/14/2014 at 13:26

Yeah, I was pretty surprised when I saw it had an LSD. In the US the 325e was the only E30 imported for the first two years. Mine was purchased in '83, so it was the only E30 available in the US at the time. Body is perfectly straight, no rust (it's been in Arizona its entire life), and the tranny and suspension are good. The engine needs a tune up which I'll be working on this week. I bought it for $1,200. All the other ones in this price range in my area either aren't running or have been in accidents. It was definitely a good deal, but not too crazy considering it needs a bit of work. Everything is a lot cheaper on this side of the Atlantic. The best thing about the deal is all the records. I know exactly what has been replaced and when. The original owner stayed up to date on maintenance until September of last year.

Jobjoris > DipodomysDeserti
09/14/2014 at 13:44

Hahaha, $1200! Even more awesome! Keep us posted on your progress, remember to tag it accordingly and make an entry in the newly created oppoprojects section. Is it legal/easy to remove/replace those US-spec bumpers?

DipodomysDeserti > Jobjoris
09/14/2014 at 15:42

It would be very easy to swap them out. Once I get the engine running smoothly I'll focus on the cosmetics. I'll put the plastic bumpers on when I paint it.

FrederickLawOlmsteez > DipodomysDeserti
09/15/2014 at 10:39

I've brewed over 100 batches of beer in my kitchen. I am the president of a local homebrew club. I work part time in a homebrew store and part time in a brewery. I think I know a little something about beer. Pumpkin beer is an abomination. Most of these beers don't even have PUMPKIN IN THEM! All they do is add some all spice into the brew and call it a day.

Southern Tier is solid brewery. But, they are clearly chasing dollars with their two pumpkin beers. Hopefully, they'll entice some of you Linenkugel/Blue Moon pseudo craft beer drinkers to try the rest of their otherwise stellar lineup.

DipodomysDeserti > FrederickLawOlmsteez
09/16/2014 at 09:09

Well its pretty clear you don't know anything about this beer, yet decided to run your keyboard about it. It is brewed with pumpkin, and does not just have pumpkin seasoning added. To compare it to Blue Moon or Linenkugel and to say they're chasing dollars without knowing anything about this specific beer or having tried it is pretty ignorant. As with any hobby, there's always the dicks. They usually end up pushing new people away. I'm not new to craft beer, so to me you just sound like an asshole. I've spent too much time in Belgium and Germany to waste time on Blue Moon or Linenkugel. I enjoy good American (real) craft beer, and there are definitely good craft pumpkin brews out there. This is the first time a Southern Tier pumpkin has been available in my state, so I figured I'd give it a shot, and it's definitely the best pumpkin brew I've ever had (it's also the only pumpkin Imperial Stout I've ever tried). I generally prefer craft Belgians over anything American, but they're very pricey on this side of the Atlantic. The best beers are brewed by monks in my opinion.

FrederickLawOlmsteez > DipodomysDeserti
09/16/2014 at 11:58

I'm sure its a step ahead of Blue Moon and Linenkugel — mostly because ST is too legit to do something idiotic and brew anything with corn and rice as their base malts. But, the objective is the same, cash in on some idiotic trend that seems to be grabbing people's attention (and cash).

I did not say this beer was brewed without pumpkin. I said most of them are. But, here's the thing, pumpkin in beer is horrible. It leaves a pasty mouth feel and a vegetative flavor that is far from pleasing. So, the amount of pumpkin in any of these beers is very likely to be in the "token" category. That is, they put it in just to say its in there. It's not discernible. It's the all spice that people associate with pumpkin. Plain and simple. Which is good for some of these brewers, because pumpkin is incredibly hard to work with and usually results in a much higher level of lost beer due to all of the pumpkin sludge that ends up in the bottom of the boil and fermenters.

Good to see your other choices in beers are little more reasonable. History will side with me on this pumpkin craze. You may not be willing to accept what I am about to say, but I tell you this having watch 100s of homebrewers evolve. Your beer pallet will change. You will look back on the pumpkin years as an embarrassing time in your history of beer drinking. Until the next trend (hoping for Belgian Brussel Sprout Ale) bumps pumpkin to the lower shelves, I guess I'm going to have to live with it.

DipodomysDeserti > FrederickLawOlmsteez
09/16/2014 at 12:39

My pallet in beer changes on a monthly basis. I also only buy maybe one six pack of pumpkin beer a year (usually once the weather cools off). It's definitely not my go to, but it's nice to have once fall hits. I make a mean butternut squash soup, and pumpkin beer pairs nicely with it. For the past year I've been on a big Belgian strong ale kick, but $15 four packs coupled with my penchant for buying cars is starting to affect my wallet.

FrederickLawOlmsteez > DipodomysDeserti
09/16/2014 at 13:05

Homebrewing is rarely a cost saving scenario for beer drinkers. The single exception is those of us that drink 9%+ beers. You can make those beers for about $1.25/bottle. But, the downside is that you have to age those for at least 6 mons (more like 12) before the scent of alcohol dies off to the point where it isn't the primary "event" when you're drinking it.

DipodomysDeserti > FrederickLawOlmsteez
09/16/2014 at 15:36

If buying by the bottle, all the beers I drink cost at least $2 from the local Total Wine (which is the cheapest place around). The Belgians run $3-4 per 16oz bottle. A four pack of my favorite Belgian is $15. I think the most I've ever spent on a single bottle was $30, but it was a pint and a half of some special edition barley wine type stuff. It was worth it. I rarely drink beer that is under 8%.