I have an '87 325is coupe with a 5spd and I'd like to try something else.
The car needs some work, but it's also had a ton done to it in the last few years. New control arms, all kinds of bearings and bushings, radiator, brakes (including some of the calipers), new clutch master, and the list goes on. The chassis and presumably the engine have a ton of miles on them, IIRC the odo is somewhere in the 250k range and has been stuck there since I bought it, but a rebuilt head had just been installed on the car when I bought it and the car's done less than 5k since then.
The good: -Runs well. Smooth under power and pulls well. Sounds like a sewing machine but that's apparently normal for an E30. -Clutch and transmission seem to be solid. -LSD feels like it's in decent shape. -Stock aside from an aftermarket head unit. No stupid screwed up mods. -Body is solid and straight, surprisingly free of damage (just a few door dings), and almost all of the trim is present. -Interior is in decent shape, albeit dirty. I think everything that should be there is there. This was a loaded car and seems to have had all of the options. -Majority of the electrical systems work. Windows, sunroof, etc. -Recent, low-mileage tires on 14" bottlecaps. -A/C works well and blows cold.
The bad: -Needs a fuel pump. It works but one of the studs that holds the level sender in broke, so I might as well just replace the whole thing since it's probably going to die sooner or later anyway. -Needs a battery tray. -Needs paint. Hood is plasti-dipped black because the paint was so horrible. -Needs shocks/springs, but those would be one of the first upgrades an owner would do anyway. -Steering wheel is in rough shape -Shifter feels like stirring mashed potatoes -Driver's seat has the typical broken weld that seems to happen to all E30 sport seats. Relatively easy fix if you have access to welding or just want to put a race seat in it. -Foglights are missing. Fortunately these seem to have become available relatively cheaply from the aftermarket recently. -Passenger window has popped out of its holder on the track, should be an easy fix. -Typical minor E30 electrical issues - OBC doesn't light up, power mirrors are dead, etc. -HVAC Fan squeaks like crazy.
So what we have is a reasonably driveable project E30 in a desirable model with the right options. Most of the problems are either minor or things that will be replaced in the course of upgrades. It only really needs cosmetics to be a nice driver, or it's a great start for a track car project.
So what am I looking for? I'm open to just about anything that's light, relatively reliable, and has decent aftermarket. It'll be a track/fun car, so it doesn't need to be super streetable as long as it's legal in CA. I'm leaning toward RWD but a cool Civic with the right mods might be fun. I'm also open to classics as long as they're of the sporting variety and don't need major work. If anybody's interested, tell me what you've got.
