http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/1461066634.html
I don't know anything about the car other than what is on the ad, but I'm torn- nice price for a repairable classic? I'm sure it's a big difference if its a salvage title. For $4k I'd be in just for the body. LS3 here we come. I'd actually feel better about swapping knowing it was a salvage.
$4K sounds a lot better than the $6K asking price, which is way more I'd want to invest in this project. "Light body damage" meaning both driver side fenders/quarter panels being toast, lol. I wonder if that damage made its way to the suspension as well? I also wonder how hard it's going to be to fix that rear quarter panel if it is part of the shell.
Dunno. Looks somewhat shady and expensive. Proceed with caution.
Looks like just sheetmetal damage. Could be a bargian of all the paper work is legit and it runs ok.
If it still has a running S14 and its really "light" body damage and not "and the rear subframe is twisted 4 inches" you can make a really nice car out of that.
If doing a LS3 swap, save the expense of present and future bodywork by skipping the M. That car needs a ton of M specific bodywork to be nice, and 6 grand is steep.
How hard is it to box flare a 325is? Not that anyone on this board is a box flare fan. That's mainly what I like about the e30M3. I'm not the biggest purist (if my MG is any indication).
wheelsmithy wrote:If doing a LS3 swap, save the expense of present and future bodywork by skipping the M. That car needs a ton of M specific bodywork to be nice, and 6 grand is steep.
You can sell a running S14, all the "special" 5 lug stuff, Seats/wheel, BBS Wheels and unbent body work and such for more than 5k so its really not that bad - I'd go the best offer route starting at $4k without hesitation - but $5k+ means all the running gear is poker straight. Also that I can straighten the quarter & fender, not replace them.
are those fenders and flares still available for purchase? if they don't make them anymore, that can get pricey
amg_rx7 wrote:are those fenders and flares still available for purchase? if they don't make them anymore, that can get pricey
They are very pricey and hard to get. The aftermarket has glass fenders for a reasonable price though so its just the quarters that scare me.
I feel a very strange sense of respect for that damage. Makes me think of slide hammers and bondo.
A good "old school" body man who fixes metal rather than replacing it could pull off this job. These guys are getting tough to find and aren't cheap when you do. Aren't these things crazy expensive in mint cond? like 20k+?
I've been scouring all day for decent E30 M3's and the cheapest I can find is 15k+. Tim bought the magazine car for $7500 four or five years ago. This may be a good deal yet as long as it's not salvage and it's just skin deep damage. Just to find a decent E30 325is is tough around here.
I owned an e30 M3 ~7 years ago. While an owner, I joined the BMWCCA Special Interest Group for the model and still get their email digest as a result. There have been A LOT of emails on that list lately regarding the skyrocketing prices for the cars. Nice cars are going for over $20k, with prime examples going for over $30K! 
If you are interested in buying the car to repair and restore, I'd say it's worth it, depending on the mechanicals.
Gearheadotaku wrote:A good "old school" body man who fixes metal rather than replacing it could pull off this job. These guys are getting tough to find and aren't cheap when you do. Aren't these things crazy expensive in mint cond? like 20k+?
Yup, and all indications are that prices are going to continue to go up. Only 5000 made it into the country and many are wrecked, have been turned into race cars and wrecked, etc etc.
I still want one, but I doubt I'll ever be able to justify it.
If that car is otherwise straight and you could get it for $4500-5k, it might be a good deal.
I sold a wrecked car once that I really really regret selling. It wasn't THAT bad. My ego was bruised and I was depressed. I couldn't stand walking past it in the garage every day, so I sold it too cheap.
It would be worth a look if you would just fix it. If you're hellbent on putting an LS3 in an E30, I would just look for a 325is.
I just forwarded this to a guy that lives in Va. and works in NYC (sucky commute) But he's got an M3 and an M5, looking for an E30 M3.
I'm guessing his budget is bigger than mine. 
Dan
the E30M3 is one of those cars that I had a chance to buy for cheap 5 years ago and didn't.
I still kick myself for that
This one's local to me. If I didn't already have 4 cars and 2 parking places it would be mine! http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=1691630
I really like e30 M3s, but the fact that for the same price I could buy an e46 m3 is crazy!
The one you posted the link to is the cheapest I have seen for sale in a long time! If you check it out let us know how bad the damage is, I am sure somebody else here would be interested in the car if you decide not the buy it! I know I would be interested if it wasn't on the opposite side of the country...
That's gotta be BS. I'd almost buy a yellow car if that is in fact real. Holy smokes.
I too like the E46's- but no panache. I'm looking for something I could pass off on the wife as a four seat "second" car, but with (reasonably) low maintenance.
Oh, and I'd like it to be cheap.
