Unused, Unregistered E30 M3 Shell - $30k

"Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney" (braddelaparker) 01/07/2019 at 10:20 • Filed to: None

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File this among the stranger things I’ve seen recently. From the ad:

This is possible the last unused, unregistered factory E30 M3 Shell left in existence. Part number is 41 00 1 979 078. It still has all the factory stickers. There is no VIN number as it has never been registered which make it ideal for a restoration project.

I have had this for over 15 years and it was stored in a bubble and on the original wooden dolly until I had it shipped to the USA. At that point it was moved to a new dolly in order to meet the US import requirements for wood.

I no longer see the need to keep this for any future projects and could do with freeing up the garage space.

Looking for offers over $30,000. Purchaser to arrange and pay for shipping.

Currently located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

And let me tell you, Allen, TX is about as bland as suburbs get; this is just weird. How this thing wound up there is beyond me. Why he’s selling it on Facebook is even weirder.

Nibby > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 01/07/2019 at 10:28

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can’t wait to turn that into rust

functionoverfashion > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 01/07/2019 at 10:35

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30. Thousand. Dollars. For a shell. I mean.

Holy Mother of Crack Pipington.

Tripper > functionoverfashion 01/07/2019 at 10:47

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That shit is the Mayor of Crackpipington. You could get a beat but running E30 M3 for that kind of money and I’d rather have that

functionoverfashion > Tripper 01/07/2019 at 10:52

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When prices are like that (or at least, someone feels emboldened to ASK a price like that) it’s time to look at other things. Like, oh, I don’t know, maybe a 2002?

Azrek > Nibby 01/07/2019 at 11:01

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We should recycle it into beer cans!

ShrimpHappens, née WJalopy > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 01/07/2019 at 11:16

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I’m amazed that something like this exists, even moreso that it’s in the hands of a private individual. But that price is outrageous. There’s no way to give it a VIN, is there? So would it be kit car registration, or could it be registered at all?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 01/07/2019 at 11:18

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This seems a bit sketch. My understanding of the la w i s that that car can never be made street legal. If that she ll was never issued a VIN it's stuck as a track only machine. To get a VIN issued now it would need to meet modern safety standards. Porsche had the same issue with that gold 993 they just made. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Tripper 01/07/2019 at 11:19

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Right, but the E30 M3 you’d buy for that money would be beat to shit and probably have frame damage, structural rust at the very least. I think this is probably the right price for the chassis.

I’d toss a KA24DETT in there, though, because I’m the worst.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > ShrimpHappens, née WJalopy 01/07/2019 at 11:20

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I’d imagine if you had another E30 M3 with major frame damage, you could maybe swap the VIN onto this and have it be legal ish? The same way people do with old Porsches and reproduction Beetle chassis ? Bit of a Theseus’ Ship at that point though.

Tripper > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 01/07/2019 at 11:27

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This one sold for 33 a few months ago. Plenty of others in the same ballpark. At the absolute minimum you’d spend another 30 putting the rest of the car together, and you’d never get top dollar for it because it’s a project with a really nice shell, not a factory E30 M3.

The market has cooled off quite a bit. Sure you can spend over 100k on a perfect one from EAG, but most of them go around 50.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Tripper 01/07/2019 at 11:31

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Fair enough. If people bought them as drivers’ cars, not collectors’ cars, and the frame cost as much as a cleanish example, I would see a frame swap adding to the value, but with people buying them as numbers matching investments, you’re dead on I think.

Tripper > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 01/07/2019 at 11:37

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Yea it would have to go to someone that’s already got most of the car and can do most of the work him or herself. Even still, I personally wouldn’t even go 10k on a frame like that. I’m only ever in the market for a drivers car. Even if I could afford a garage queen, I’d drive the piss out of it because that’s what I like to do with cars.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Tripper 01/07/2019 at 11:46

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And that’s why you’re here. I could see this going to either someone with a wrecked/rusted car or a tuner shop who wants to build an incredibly powerful/brutal track beast. Like, swap in a F80 M3's running gear in. Actually, someone will do that and just take it to shows/SEMA.

Tripper > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 01/07/2019 at 11:51

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Yea I’m honestly on board with this being powered by something Japanese. Not a 2Jz, or SR20DET because I’ve heard about and seen enough of them but something light powerful and unique.

I wonder if you could try and sell it back to BMW so they could do something like Porsche did with “project whateverthefuckitwas” where they put modern guts in a 993 shell.

  > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 01/07/2019 at 11:57

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At least if it had all its body panels... I’m struggling to see any value in this. A primer grey E30 would look cool though

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Tripper 01/07/2019 at 11:59

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I’d like to shove some weird Euro crap in there, but not German stuff. Like, take a Taunus V4 or a Saab 2-stroke 3 pot (with sequential twin turbos, of course) in there, just to see what would happen. Maybe a turbo Pinto engine?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Tripper 01/07/2019 at 12:00

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Wankel 12A?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/07/2019 at 12:04

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I mean in theory you could just swap your existing E30 guts and doors onto this and attempt to register it that way. In WA, they will — at best — check the VIN on your dash when you get emissions tested every 2 years. And many counties and cars over 25 years old don’t get tested. So if I bought that shell and put it on the road, using and existing title and registration, in my state no one would be the wiser.

Tripper > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/07/2019 at 12:08

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Hah, mas och ism.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/07/2019 at 13:51

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But you'd have to swap the VIN plate onto it, which is highly illegal

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/07/2019 at 14:14

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I know, I know. I'm just saying here you could get away with it because it will never be checked.