Another E30 off the list

Well, scrub another E30 off the list. I got very excited by this ad on Thursday http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3266641089.html I was in a meeting so I e-mailed the ad to Tom Spangler and he called the guy. I followed up with a call later and I scheduled to see the car Friday after work. The guy has 21 E30’s, mainly Verts and he’s getting out of E30’s so he selling/sold them all. The ‘story’ on this one is he had it, sold it to a friend and told him to change the timing belt, which he didn’t so the seller bought it back with a broken T. belt. He has cars all over the place. This one is apparently at his sons house, we meet him at 7 mile and Farmington, he told me to look for a ‘beat up old Maserati’, sure enough, here comes a slightly tatty (but running!!!) Bi Turbo with rust stains on the rockers. Tom snapped a cell phone pic as we drive round the corner to where the car is. Side note. This is the first time in over a decade I’ve seen a running BiTurbo and they look awesome from behind as the rear body work is quite high allowing you to see much of the rear suspension, it looks great.

So the car. Cut to the chase, this one is a no go either. The basic body structure is rust free, but the wheel arches are all crusty with bondo and filler. In the corners behind the bumpers and trim it’s the same story The underside looks clean though, one rocker is starting to rust on the seam by the rear edge of the door, normal place. That I could probably have lived with, but there were other issues. I’m glad it rained Thursday night as that revealed the lake in the rear foot wells, at least an inch of water. Ditto for the battery hole in the trunk (also rusting out). Worse it’s an autotragic, although the swap to a manual isn’t too bad. Under the hood it’s supposed to be a stock eta with a broken timing belt. Tom’s car is also an 85 and he spotted several discrepancies to his engine and a couple of bits of tapped up wiring. The interior is fair with sports seats with a couple of tears, but definitely savable. The overall body has been hit up with white rustoleum (there was a rattle can in the trunk) as well as black and stone chip to hide many sins. Too much work for the upside. Keep searching.

sorry to hear that.. now where are the pics of a running BiTurbo?

RE Running/Driving BiTurbo: Are you sure it wasn't just a long, gradual hill he was slowly rolling down with the aftermarket stereo making the supposed engine noises?

RossD wrote: RE Running/Driving BiTurbo: Are you sure it wasn't just a long, gradual hill he was slowly rolling down with the aftermarket stereo making the supposed engine noises?

No no, he honestly accelerated on flat ground with no tail wind. Looked and sounded great. Spangler, post the damn proof quick!!!!

Snapped through the windshield of Ade's C30 at the corner of 7 Mile and Farmington Rd. on September 14, 2012. I was there.

I never realized how much they look like every other mid-eighties euro sedan from the back. Like a mix between a VW Fox, VW Quantum, and an E30.

Only in the most vague way. What doesn't come out in the pic is the perspective. how short and angled the rear window is, how high the underside of the bumper is for how low the car is. How pronounced the tumblehome on the sides is etc. IT's a very good looking car in the flesh, much more so than pics suggest.

tumblehome: not a word you see everyday on a car site.
PS: I knew the meaning.

In addition, BiTurbos appear quite wide for how short they are.

the real question is why does this guy have 21!!! e30s...talk about hoarding. And if he's getting out of the e30 game, why not look at one of the 20 others since this one seems "meh"?

irish44j wrote: the real question is why does this guy have 21!!! e30s...talk about hoarding. And if he's getting out of the e30 game, why not look at one of the 20 others since this one seems "meh"?

Because the dude thinks everything he has is made of gold. He had a nondescript-looking 4-door 325i auto with faded paint and an OK interior there, too, and he wanted $3500 for it because it supposedly has 60k original miles on it. I was going to ask him about seats, because I need one, but after talking to him, I didn't bother.

Also, 19 of the 21 cars he has are convertibles.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

irish44j wrote: the real question is why does this guy have 21!!! e30s...talk about hoarding. And if he's getting out of the e30 game, why not look at one of the 20 others since this one seems "meh"?

Because the dude thinks everything he has is made of gold. He had a nondescript-looking 4-door 325i auto with faded paint and an OK interior there, too, and he wanted $3500 for it because it supposedly has 60k original miles on it. I was going to ask him about seats, because I need one, but after talking to him, I didn't bother. Also, 19 of the 21 cars he has are convertibles.

so he means that the odometer broke at 60k miles, then?

as if any e30 owner knows the ACTUAL original miles on the car, lol.