I’ve been tinkering with a new toy over the past two day in the company stables – an E30 3-Series Coupe. If you’ve been a long time follower of this site you may remember a post back in end-2005 where in a caffeine-induced moment I went rambling about how I thought the E30’s design was timeless and how I wanted one.
Well, nearly four years later I finally got one, by accident really. A friend had placed a deposit on this automatic Agate Green 320i Coupe with a 325i engine but later found a manual 323i Coupe with a sunroof. He wanted a manual to begin with so he was looking for someone to take over the 320i, and after having a look at the car I was sold.
What really attracted me was the fact that this particular E30 Coupe had an interior in really good condition. Cream interior with leather seats, no cracks on the dashboard, leather seats in great condition, and everything worked, from the electrically adjustable power windows, the dashboard clock, all instrument gauges, etc. No white smoke (or black for the matter) from the engine, though there was a hairline crack in the exhaust header, but that’s a minor issue.
The car had a little timing issue where whenever you shifted gears into D or R from N, the RPM would drop a little and sometimes the car would just die off. This was fixed by raising the engine idle speed a little. That stopped the engine from dying but there was one problem – when you shifted into gear, the oil pressure light would come on awhile and would go away once you revved the engine a little. Well, that was that… or so I thought.
And then the adventure began. We (road tester Harvinder and I) were on the way to the mechanic’s place to get some electric fan issue sorted, the oil pressure light came on permanently. This was somewhere in TTDI.
Panic ensued – an oil pressure issue is not one to be taken lightly. An engine needs oil for lubrication to function properly. Friction is your engine’s enemy. Of course it could mean that the engine oil pressure has dropped to a very dangerous level which could mean the engine’s oil pump has failed, or the oil pressure sensor has failed. We remembered checking the engine’s oil level just yesterday so it couldn’t really be possible for the engine to have no oil.
So within a few minutes we navigated through the TTDI jam into one of the housing area and parked the car. We turned off the engine as soon as we could to prevent or at least minimize any possibility of damage.
For some reason our first reaction was to check whether the oil pump worked or not. This is an easy test, at least on this particular M20B25 engine. Start the engine and open the oil filler cap. Put your palm above the oil cap. You should feel little drops of oil on your palm. These are the splashes of oil from the cylinder head oil squirters. We didn’t get any drops – a bad sign!
Now this could either mean the oil pump is busted or there’s no oil in the engine. We turned the engine off and let it rest for awhile to let the engine oil settle down into the oil pan and checked the dipstick – uh oh. No oil. Why, was the engine leaking oil? Was it suddenly burning oil? Loads of questions quickly flew through our minds…
And then we noticed something that wasn’t there when we first parked the car – a small puddle of oil had accumulated under the engine! The engine was leaking oil! No wonder there was no oil pressure – there was no oil in the engine!
Sheesh – but this didn’t really eliminate the possibility that either the oil pump or the oil pressure sensor might be gone too. We jacked up the car and had a look underneath. Oil seemed to be leaking from something that looked like the oil pressure sensor – so it seemed likely that the oil pressure sensor is damaged and engine oil had been leaking from it.
After a quick walk across the busy TTDI road (it’s insanely hard to cross that road on foot) to the BHPetrol station and back with a 4 litre bottle of mineral oil, we filled the engine up and started it up. We did the palm test again and I think you can see the results above – oh glorious engine oil! The oil pump was working. Now all we had to do was to quickly get to the workshop before the engine oil leaked all out again. We did, thankfully.
It was confirmed that the oil pressure sensor had failed and to make it worse engine oil was leaking out of the engine through it. Replacing it with a second hand unit fixed the problem. We did another engine oil change at the workshop.
The E30 has since been running reliably so far. The BMWs of that age were really built to last. Only a few bushes and suspension parts need to be inspected and changed, and that exhaust manifold crack has to be fixed, then it will be perfect and perfectly suitable to be used as a daily runabout car! It’s going to be used as a run-about for the company whenever it is needed.
Anyway I intend to start a journal to chronicle the experience of a second hand E30 buyer on this blog under a category so that it can serve as a guide for anyone who is adventurous enough to want to go down the same route and drive an old reliable and fun BMW instead of a cheap brand new car. Stay tuned for another update later :) In the meanwhile, are there any other E30 owners here?
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Hey Paul, Looking forward to your journal for this E30. I've been in love with the E30 for a long time.
how much it cost?
RM14,000
hey paul,
congrats on ur purchase! its a timeless piece of work i'd say :) welcome to the bitter sweet experience of e30 ownership~!
cheers!
I like this car. I hope you can write something on E46 325i. I just get one Oct 2004, 102000+km.
Congratz.. old skool BMW rocks!
my love would be a V70R but :
a) does it ever exist in Msia(or even a basic LPT T5 2.5L)
b) unable to afford its maintenance & spare part cost
T.T
So now still driving my trusty 14years old AD Resort :)
Wah! Paul, close to Wheeler Dealer :-)
Anyone with the experience of the E39, 5-series.. looking for one with Single Vanos 24V engine? 1994? Would like to get one for weekend car.
Interior look great and very well maintain body for 14 year old BMW(I am guessing only), must belonged to some VIP. At 14 grand…worth it bro! Unlike down here(Sarawak) there's dozen of E30 in very bad condition. I think what happen is a lot of people bought this type of car but dont maintain it properly(because of high maintenance cost with authorised service centre). Yupp, typical malaysian way of life, buy expensive cars but dirt cheap on maintenance… always bring to repair at Ah How workshop(as long as boleh jalan, kira oledi repair)…
nice car paul.. looks like its in a pretty good condition.
Seeing your joy with the E30 reminds me of my father's E21 coupe…
Sadly he sold it off already…
BMW E30 is quite rare…. here. Motortrader has only 1… BMW E30 318i selling for RM18k…. You bought your E30 at a very reasonable price…. 325i.
Wait a minute this model is almost 20 years old! Back in the mid eighties….kira classic model…no wonder i seen so many oledi turn junk…hehehe..no offend Paul…i think u got a very good deal here considering the state of the car(in the eighties…this was the ULTIMATE rich kid car). But dont use it to pick up chicks….some are younger that the car…hehehe…
Nice one, paul. This car has been a hit for me especially when it apperared in Sam Hui's movie-Aces Go Places ???? when the movie hit the cinema in 1980s. Awesome.
Good choice Paul, the E30 is a classic!!
those hardcore e30 enthusiasts will change engine to skyline…ive seen few…bt a clean condiiton looks awesome after all those years…though hard to find
saw this wonderful restoration project
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/bmw-m/117376-m…
Oh you.
Baru add ur E39 with M5 kits pun still not enuf satisfaction ka? Once a beemer, always a beemer eh? hehe
Well, have a great time, Paul!!
super buy…
e30 is a classic, best of the 3-series.
congrats, lookin forward to readin more.
My uncle which owns a workshop at Kepong have one of these.
I love the e30! my favorite generation of all the 3 series :)
hope to get one E30 manual in the future as a play-thing, if can get E30 M3 that would be a dream come true!!
i owned 1 of the E30 (1988) 320 , L6 last few 2 years ago.. i really like the shape and the design. But it is not so practical for day use because of the age (too old).
Its cause me very high FC and the parts is more expensive compare to MB.
And now i go for 190E 2.0 , its really a nice car.
But, anyway, This E30 look nice! Enjoy your E30! Paul.
nice addition paul. i myself also own an audi a6 2.4 1999, restored the car to good condition but costed me a bomb. although when you take it for a drive. by god it was fantastic.
as with all continentals, do keep an eye out for the electrical gremlins causing problems and the engine like you mentioned, old europeans tend to have problems in those areas.
@HK Tan
I've tried the E46 325i, very nice car. How's yours holding up so far?
@Awah
1994 should be E34. The E39 started in 1996. The Single Vanos M52 engine E39 was offered the first 2 or 3 years… they are the cheapest to maintain and most reliable of the E39.
If you are indeed talking about an E34 and not an E39, I have one particularly very nice specimen to intro to you. Its got a 24 valve M50 engine but no single Vanos though. Going for RM27k.
@Elvis
It's definitely well over 20 years old!
@Thomas
There are loads of E30 on sale on Mudah.my
@LotusLover
How do you like your 190E compared to your E30? What year is your 190E?
thats a very nice addition to your ownership. i also bought a classic, as discussed with you, lol. a pain in restoring the car though
judging from that, its a post facelifted e30, well, cant wait to see it rumble irl!
http://www.kampar.net/2009/09/my-new-ride-soichir…
heres pics of my car
and the "fun" im going thru restoring this old classic. this car is a museum piece, already appeared in http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/honda-s600.htm… and here http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/cars/HondaSM600_she…
Hey Muharifz / Paul:
Ho much do you think it would cot to rebuild the mentioned red E30? (hw about putting in a E46 engine, possible) (js a pitty wira-lancer wannabe onwer now……)
Cz I was astonished by the work, effort put in & result shown. It's really like in the man genes to have such a own-hand build toy, to be flash ard, turning ppls head !
Hey Mr Transformer, my Ad Resort was 15 years old… Haha
What is the safety rating of the car? I am driving an E36 but always worried about the safety issues on older cars.
Maintenance too expensive..
Good buy Paul!
I used to own an E34 with a heart transplant to a M20B25 from an E30. Its a very good engine once you sorted out all the nonsense…. and the sound of the inline 6 is just music to my ears. I ran mine with a manual transmission and it really pull in spite of the heavy body. On an E30… wow!
Looking fwd to hear about the car more often. Some BBS perhaps?
congratulations, paul..love the music the 325i engine makes when revved…dont neet ICE..
regards
paul,
i gotta agree with you on certain 80's and 90's models of makes such as BMW, merc, citroen, peugeot, etc. all of them have that unmistakable timeless design.
owning one past its prime, regardless of the painstaking restoration efforts, all are very well worth it!
this car deserves a journal of its own, paul!
yes..the final years of the m20 series of the bmw is tremendously reliable.
Have been driving a E30 320i manual. First hand owner and still in tip top condition, and yes the design is endless. Only thing is the driver seat had to be changed as the seats were worn out. Its 25 years old now and still going strong. A true classic!
good price
I luv this car. My dad has one when i was very just a small little boy. How i wish he kept the car. I alwiz reminded him to.
But old chinese man drive car like it's made out of rock, by the time it reach 5 yrs old..it wasn't worth keeping anymore.
Motor oil contact with skins can cause skin cancer. beware.
wahhh…. Paul that E30 was 1 of my dream. You get good deal on the price. Last the person that i ask to sold to me smack me with RM20k cash only (cash & carry) with no nego. so lucky you aaa……
E30 rocks !!!! The last of the true 'sports' 3 Series. Raw but sporty; isnt that what an Ultimate Driving Machine should be?
The M20 is a bullet proof engine. Very little electronics to screw things up. Once tuned correctly, its just wants to be rev hard. Get your 'sliding' ICV checked out. Old age tends to make it 'sticky', thus the drop in rpm problem you're encountering.
Simply beautiful.
There is this guy that stays around my neighborhood in subang, has a few of the E30.
All in good condition. I think he has 4 of it. Various color. Looks pretty in good condition when i drive by.
nice buy… love it.
Paul, do share we us about the restoration. I'm always concern where to find good and reliable workshop and parts for this classic.
Hi Paul, i agree to wat HK Tan says, coz i also got myself a 2001 E46 325i and i love it.
Maintenance wise, cheaper than my 2001 1.5A wira.
FC wise, Alor Star – KL with auto cruise gives me 450km with only half tank petrol. Full tank is around 60L.
My wira only gives me max 530km per full tank of 50L.
DC, u know that near Sunway Damansara Light industrial area have very good place to restore the all best Driving Machine. I have see Aston Martin & Bently do restoration at there. Even U want tune your car also can do at that area. Try go & see.
Great purchase. Look forward to reading the blog. I do recommend replacing the rather oversized standard steering wheel for a secondhand Mtech 2 version (365mm) when you get the chance. Really feels much better and modernizes the cockpit an incredible amount.
Another local E30 restoration blog you may find interesting:
http://virtualmystic.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/the…
Hi Paul,
Congrats on your purchase…Your friend is even luckier as he managed to get hold of 323i manual…damn…seen how 323i rear wheels squat and accelerate when you let go the clutch…priceless
I own an e30 myself…waited many years for this…always feel good driving the car…
From the pictures you got yourself a good car…but do check for rust underneath + the battery area
I would think you should leave the chromie bumpers as it is…There is a trend among e30 M20 owners going back to chromies rather then converting them to the M40 which is all black.
The existing Alpine (original Japan made) interests me…one of the fine CD players from Alpine…
Anticipating more journals on your E30….old skool e30 does rocks!
hey paul!
my dad has one of these in our garage and he promised to clean it up and give it to me when I go to college(two years left). he is VERY good at the hole cars thing. best in the family and the neighborhood. I'm pretty much not worried about that he could clean it up or not. cos he can tear it apart and then fix it together(he doesn't say that, but others do). what I want to ask you is how can I keep the car in shape and goin? Oh! and another question:how can I make it alittle bit stronger? maybe tune it, but very cheap. my e-mail is submitted and I'll keep checking for your answer.
If its possible (and with loads of sponsors to support u), I would love to see u or anyone making a journal/story such as this with old cars, like simply buy an old car then go for a ride without checking the condition (of course the basics to run it is needed), and then do the troubleshooting on the spot.
I'm sure it helps the noob-with-cars like me a lot in term of identifying cars problem before we send it to mechanics for repairs. Can be a great tutorial too for us Malaysian drivers. Just my 2 cents.
Perhaps you can share with us shops doing great restoration works as you go along with you E30 project bro…i am sure many of us are following up…maybe you have a small gang of E30 soon…hehehehe…
Agree with Elvis. I guess E30 will have a surge in demand soon :-) How about fitting HID angle rings for the headlamp. I guess it will look great :-)
Wuah!!! Memories…. We were souping up an E30 when I was still with that tuning shop at 227B. Rebore, restroke, Motec, the works to the extend it was difficult to drive the bloody monster. :p Eddie Koay was playing with a bunch of these at that time. Late 80's, early 90's.
Wonder Toh is still keeping his. I guess not.
Dear Paul..
U r right, it should be E34. How about the engine M50? is it reliable? as I don't see many E34 on the road compare with the same generation MB W124 230E. But, E34 is a classic, in the movie, RONIN.
Hi Paul,
My 1st post & its on e30 thingy.Great!
Have been driving the e30 for 7++ years already. Priceless experience.. there are grp of ppl in bmwclubmalysia who were the e30 hardcore..pure bme no modification withany Jap thingy.
"E30 is not a classic; its an icon".
thks
the interior does look like needs some detailing work and a replacement latch handle for the glovebox compartment
almostthere: When I decided to buy the car, the glovebox latch was fine. Once sent to Puspakom… the bastards broke it. God knows why they want to open the glovebox, and in such a rough manner too. My headliner etc was also seriously messed up. When I bought my last car end 2007 also, they broke my A pillar clips. Really pissed off with them.
1st of all, congrats to your ownership for your E30. It's nice to see a motoring journalist getting their hands on to the classic BMW.
Do visit the BMW Club Malaysia. There are many variants of E30 in the club and also running around town.
BMW better…oh this is bmw
yes. I am in love once. mine is e 30 yr 91 model. But somehow our relation come to an abrupt end in 2005. A big flood had vanished this car under water for 3 days. The car was stationed in a worksyop waiting for me to pick her up after undergone an engoine overhaul and gearbox change. The Auto gearbox is giving me a few headache. To see her under the water for few days and once reappear with mud all over is really heartbroken. I just give it to the worksyop owner out of a heartbtroken.
I always wonder what is the procedure to buy car with cash… such as any documents required and pay first or transfer ownership first? Appreciate for any advise and guidance.
hi.
would just like to enquire,im getting a E30 soon too..but 4doors..
do you know any dealers or place where i can get parts for the car?
because i've heard that parts for the car are getting quite hard to get these days..
pls reply asap..
thx alot..
congrats on your car.. =)
maybe u all can drop by Naidu @ jln gasing or mspeed @ usj1…
Now i just know the paultantk in www.bmwclubmalaysia.com is really u!!
hi paultan, im looking forward for your journal! im a big fan of E30 but till now im still afraid to buy one coz of the 'Banyak Makan Wang' factor. my cousin already own 2 bimmers, an E36 and anE28 and im soo jealous of him.
anyway, congratulations on your 'new' car, all the best. have fun driving the ultimate driving machine!
Congratulation on your new addition. Hard to find an unmolested E30 nowadays.
BTW, the '320i' badge is on the wrong side of the car.. it is supposed to be on the right-side of the boot.
Congrats Paul looks like u succumbed to the pull of BMW..however think MB190E is a more practical proposition as a daily driver..: ) Keep us updated on yr project status..
paul,i think your friend bought over my friend car.if not mistaken your friend car is double digit.
paul,i think i meet u at m'cca,nice meeting u.
I owned 1 for the past 4 years, got a few problem here and there but still I'm keeping it. I bought 190e last april for fun but there are no fun to shout about.Not suit my driving style i think.. E30 handling, performance and character still the best.. Congrate paul, you have made the right decision.
Hi Paul
Nice car. Do update.
Hi Paul,
Well said 'Drive an old reliable and fun BMW instead of a cheap brand new car' …looking forward on the journal.
ok.
thx alot! =)
Paul, I got it for 1 week, just change the tyre to Eagle F1 Asymmetric 225/45R17. Still no chance to bring her to highway to unleash the power!
Paul,
Your nightmare is not over yet.
I used to own an 1989 E32 for many years before getting rid of it last year.
Many problems and it cost too much to repair.
1. Engine oil leaked from oil sensor.
2. Fuel line cracked and leaking fuel on the porch.
3. Engine overheated. Clutch fan replaced and overheated again. Overhauled and still overheats.
4. Electronics failed and warning popping up like Christmas tree.
5. Brake line cracked during highway drive to Penang.
6. Timing belt snapped during highway drive.
7. Rear diff leaking.
8. Power steering tighten for no reason. Pump jammed.
9. Fuse box melted.
10. Auto gearbox kaput twice. Cost RM 4k to overhaul each time.
After many years and thousand of ringgit poorer later, I got rid of it for RM 13k cash to a cash buyer. Phew!
The new owner was happy with it for 2 days before scrapping the old engine and electronics for a V8 conversion – spend another RM 20k.
Since then I swear never to buy a BMW for as long as I live.
Hi Paul,
Have not hear about your E30 restoration journal for a while. How’s it going?
hi Paul….. any updates? Cheers…
Hi, I have own this E30 325i cabroilet for the past 10 years and more. Owing to work commitments in recent 2 years, I have not been using the car. I will entertain a reasonable offer. The car which is registered 1988 is in good driving condition.