My new freE30.

Well, I bought a house and I swore off car projects. I made it a week and a half before I picked up another project!

Sometimes you come across an offer you cannot pass up

It's a '87 BMW 325is. That's right now, I own 2/3rds of the GRM Holy Trinity. The best part is I didn't even have to open my wallet! You read correctly! This is my '87 Freemer, my Free30! Basically what I'm trying to tell you is that I picked this thing up for about free dollars.

I don't have a lot of pictures yet, just one, but I'll post that as well as the back story.

Picture:

Back story: A couple years ago, a part-time co-worker just got his license and was looking for a new car, his dad had always had BMWs but he was convinced he couldn't afford one. I introduced the merits of the e30 chassis as well as its low introductory price. With himself convinced this is the direction he needed to take, he proceeded to search on craigslist until he came across a 1987 325is that was very meticulously maintained and well modded (Eibach springs on Konis, other suspension mods. albeit with questionable 17" 5 spoke wheels). The guy wanted a lot for it but reasonable for the condition. I suggested to my co-worker he could spend a little less and get a still pretty nice example. He was set on this so got the really nice one. He added some equally questionable 17" wheels and otherwise just drove it. Fast forward until about 6 months ago: some traffic incident occurred where the car ended up on the curb and a hole was subsequently punched in the oil pan. Car sat while the kid is off in college, it was deemed too expensive to get the shop to replace the pan. Kid's dad says it's got to go. Dad threatens to crush it so the kid calls me, I we make a deal.

How about that?

This all went down today so I don't really know what plans I have for it yet, haha.

I shattered my oilpan out of under mine the other summer. It is possible to swap it without undoing motor mounts, although it is a PITA and you need to be good at wedging your hands into places.

I got a pan from a GRM-er that had been patched and a pristine one from Zionsville autosports ($150, but they are currently out of stock) the pristine one is on the car and i wanted to have the spare around due to how vunerable the pan is.

happy pan hunting! (or is the bottom end of the motor shot?)

that picture is current?

sharp looking little car

Apexcarver wrote: I shattered my oilpan out of under mine the other summer. It is possible to swap it without undoing motor mounts, although it is a PITA and you need to be good at wedging your hands into places. happy pan hunting! (or is the bottom end of the motor shot?)

I changed the clutch in a SW20 MR2, I'm good at PITA jobs and tight places, haha. The bottom end should be ok. I haven't taken delivery yet to really get under it, the pan seems to have been perforated rather than a huge hole. The PO shut then engine off and had it towed home as soon as it all went down.

Grtechguy wrote: that picture is current?

Nope, but it looks exactly the same now, just with 6 mo of pine needles and pollen on it. Paint is still shiny and exterior is almost flawless.

I think I am really jealous

$2009 project? Would be off to a good start. Nice find/story.

Volksroddin wrote: $2009 project? Would be off to a good start. Nice find/story.

Good idea. What's the ruling on free cars again? Does it have to be assigned FMV since it wasn't advertised publicly as free?

Whatever I end up doing to/with it it'll be $2009 legal, mostly because I'm, uh, thrifty.

The interior could use some work, it's a little ratty, the dash is cracked in about a dozen different places and the leather sport seats are a little cracked. It does have a FOMO wheel that actually feels pretty good, so that might stay. I would like a track rat/HPDE/time trial/hill climb...

Awesome find - I'm jealous!

Nice! +1 on the jealousy.

Gut interior, add roll cage, seat, harness, less questionable wheels, and you've got a track rat right there. Supposing the engine avoided damage, which it sounds like it has.

Google CR's BMW Wholesale. They can probably supply you with a low priced used pan. If it still has stock, non-poly motor mounts I'd replace those while you're at it as the rubber ones WILL fail under autocross conditions. Dashes crack pretty frequently but I seem to find quite a few at my local U-Pull-It. Once you know how to get them out it's not that hard.

Welcome to the E30 fraternity.

I'll give you double what you paid for it!

man, i miss mine...

Wow, I never find things like that. Congrats and I'm green with envy.

Ha that's awesome! I got a delphingrau '87 325is for free too!

It needed quite a bit of work but I ended up selling it for $2500 after a $250 investment in used parts :)

Rusty_Rabbit84 wrote: man, i miss mine...

Not to get this off topic, but what wheels are these?

Nice score on the Free30...

JFX001 wrote:

Rusty_Rabbit84 wrote: man, i miss mine...

Not to get this off topic, but what wheels are these? Nice score on the Free30...

Sportmax 002 - 16x8 E.T 0

Wow that picture is right, those wheels are hot.

The wheels are going to be among the first things I change, after the oil pan anyway.

FYI, Sportmaxx is known as XXR now. Wheels have the same names, just the brand name changed.

super cheap on ebay, like 400 shipped! gonna need some tuner lugbolts and hubrings, but they fit oh so snug!!

Dangit!!! Why can't I find free bmw's laying around? That looks like a good find. I'll give you $100 for it. I'll be happy and your wife will too. Now mine is a diff story, but I'll deal w/ it later.

mrwillie wrote: Dangit!!! Why can't I find free bmw's laying around? That looks like a good find. I'll give you $100 for it. I'll be happy and your wife will too. Now mine is a diff story, but I'll deal w/ it later.

Actually my wife fully supported and talked me into this one. Sorry, haha, this car probably won't leave for a while.

crap...ok. I tried. I'm first on the list if you want to sell.

And have you guys got unpacked and everything yet?

haha, nope! And I'm already dragging more cars home.

What a get. Total win-won situation.

You are a lucky man.

Also--I don't think those wheels (the generic meshes) are all that bad. At worst, they'd fetch a couple hundred on CL.