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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » What is a clean E30 worth these days?

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April 15, 2010 9:36 p.m. Sonic Dork

I'm finally ready to sell my 88 325is, but have no idea what to ask for it. I've had the car since 2003 and put 85k miles on it, and replaced nearly everything. I've seen that it is getting really hard to find clean, unmolested E30s, which this one is. I thought I'd post it on the GRM classifieds, along with R3V, E30tech, and bimmerforums. Other suggestions?

All E30 problem areas have been addressed, 9k on the timing belt and whatnot, just did all rear bushings in Poly. 209k miles, but you would never know unless I told you. All the options and gizmos work as intended, clean title.

Paint and bodywork and interior are all original and in quite nice condition.

Only mods are maintance replacements: bushings, Konis, H&R springs, stainless exhaust. Runs and drives great, clean title, no rust.

So what is the GRM verdict? I don't want to ask to much and sit on it for a long time, or too little for what it is worth, and trust the GRM E30 braintrust to guide me
April 15, 2010 9:56 p.m. mw HalfDork

Make it expensive so I don't end up driving down to get it. That's a really nice looking e30
April 15, 2010 10:07 p.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork

Plus one.

If we get another E30, I'll have to work on it.
April 15, 2010 10:10 p.m. MrJoshua SuperDork

AC work? Trade you a 91 Miata for it.
April 15, 2010 10:24 p.m. Sonic Dork

A/C blows cold, I put on a new R134 compressor a few years ago.

Part of the reason for the sale is the $500 Miata in my driveway and my hankering to boost it
April 15, 2010 11:21 p.m. mtn SuperDork

Oh that looks really clean and I want it.

I keep telling myself, no looking at cars michael, no looking at cars. You are saving to get a Miata in the fall. No looking at cars.
April 15, 2010 11:30 p.m. 2002maniac Reader

I'd try for $4.5k maybe?
April 16, 2010 12:47 a.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

Aim high. That car is is great shape.
April 16, 2010 1:44 a.m. Appleseed SuperDork

That car is everything I'd want in an E 30. Good thing/too bad I'm broke.
April 16, 2010 4:25 a.m. Luke SuperDork

One of the most desirable models in great shape, in one of the best colour combinations.

You could definitely hold out for the right price with such a nice example like that.
April 16, 2010 5:51 a.m. z31maniac Dork

2002maniac wrote:

I'd try for $4.5k maybe?

Exactly what I was going to say.

I just sold my '91 318is for $5200 (without the SSRs or BBK I was planning to install) and had I actually put the car up for sale publicly, I honestly think I could have gotten $6k for it. Granted mine also had Ground Control coilovers and camber plates.

However, I didn't feel like screwing around with lowballers and the whiners who would just hate that their crapbox E30 was a heap.

So I sold it back to the guy I purchased it from 6 months ago.
April 16, 2010 6:37 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

Very nice car. The only negative you face is mileage. Even though 209K is only about 1/2 way thru the life of a well kept M20 - that is what will be used as the bargaining chip. Have all the receipts for the work and an E30 "guy" will be along eventually. (possibly as soon as I find someone to buy my 964 :) )
April 16, 2010 9:36 a.m. Sonic Dork

Nice to hear a concensus, $4500 it is. I have a 3 page writeup all about the car ready to go with it, I'll post it up tonight
April 16, 2010 9:43 a.m. dyintorace Dork

I can't see the pictures.
April 16, 2010 9:56 a.m. grimmelshanks New Reader

as for price, im on the bandwagon with all of the above posts. as for other places to advertise it, craigslist???
April 16, 2010 10:37 a.m. Ian F Dork

Where are you? I'm semi-looking for one and yours is basically exactly what I want. Hard to find.

$4500 seems to be the going price for a nice clean one. It seems the days of the sub-$1K cars are gone...

Do you still have the OE springs (in case I'd want to run it in D-Stock). Any other mods?

I wouldn't even bother with CL or Ebay. You'll probably get less static replies if you post it here and on BMW forums.

edit: I'm blind... I see you are in PA... where? I'm near Philly.
April 16, 2010 10:46 a.m. Sonic Dork

Ian, I might still have the stock springs, I just put them in a pile of scrap metal at my moms in February, not sure if she has had it picked up yet, but they are easy to find.

I'm in your area, between Philly and Reading, near Pottstown.
April 16, 2010 10:54 a.m. Ian F Dork

Yeah... I see from you profile you're in Birdsboro. I'm familiar with the area.

I just started "negotiations" with the other half. I really hadn't planned to getting anything this soon as I was hoping to sell my truck first, but as we know, these don't come around very often. Especially a clean on in the northeast only a couple of hours away from me.

Don't worry about the springs... I see it has poly bushings as well, which would also toss it out of stock... not a big deal all things considered.
April 16, 2010 4:34 p.m. Sonic Dork

Listed in the classifieds: GRM Classifieds

Lots of pics Picasa Album
April 16, 2010 9:05 p.m. red5_02 New Reader

Nut jobs at bimmerforums are selling them for more than 10 grand. Ask for 8 and you won't be disappointed when it sells.
April 16, 2010 9:12 p.m. Sonic Dork

I've gotten a pretty great response in the last 3 hours from the $4500 asking price, so I can probably be pretty firm.

Damn, I wasn't expecting this sort of response, I still need to get the car to the alignment shop tomorrow, I haven't had the front toe set from replacing the tie rod.
April 16, 2010 11:52 p.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

In reply to Sonic:

Very good news. And I say that as an E21 guy, who can only talk myself out of buying it because it would make me a hypocrite. As a stupid young'un driving an E21 when the E30 came out, I called em "ugly". Of course, that was about 20yrs before Bangle was allowed to pen one.

That much of a response, you should be able to get what it's worth.
April 17, 2010 12:03 p.m. Ian_F New Reader

Went. Saw. Drove. Left deposit. Barring a disaster, I pick it up Monday.
April 17, 2010 12:19 p.m. Josh Dork

What's with the alternate username there, Ian? An impostor, perhaps?
April 17, 2010 12:37 p.m. Ian_F New Reader

No... For some reason, I've ended up with two different log-ins... "Ian F" is at work, and "Ian_F" is here on my laptop at home. I seem to have issues with logging into the forums, so once I get logged in, I tend to leave it that way. Some day I'll talk to Baxter and get it straightened out...

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