Buying An E30 BMW | What You Need To Know (E30 Buyer's Guide)

[@FootToPedal]

We are currently aiming to reach 2000 Subscribers. If you enjoyed this video and want to see more, then please consider subscribing to help us reach this goal!

[@peterlazarus6112]

Really good practical guide. Good tone of voice and not too technical. Thank you

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks a lot man, appreciate it!

[@FootToPedal]

We're back! Big welcome to all the new subscribers from Petrol Ped's channel. Big thanks to Ped once again for showing our video. Hope you enjoy our latest video and stay tuned for many more!

[@FootToPedal]

Apologies but for the avoidance of doubt, the jacking points I refer to at 1:10 are factory jacking points only. DO NOT jack your car from here as you can damage the underseal or punch a hole through the metal which could cause corrosion issues down the line. Sorry, this was my bad! You can look up online where to correctly jack your E30 from using the E30Zone Wiki. Also check out our sequel to this video which gives you lots of information on specific maintenance items on the E30! Link here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZXQp2lrhLCGrNE

[@Iceeeen]

You can remove the oil sump without any problem at all on an e30 with the engine in the car. Just loosen the engine mounts and put a 3/4 sockets under both mounts and there is more than enough room. Done it several times, low e30 and speedbumps don't mix well 😁

[@FootToPedal]

Ah interesting to know! I had always heard it was either an engine out job or subframe out and brace the engine in place from above. But yeah the sump is particularly low on E30s, I've heard of a few people cracking them on lower cars!

[@Iceeeen]

@@FootToPedal I even remember from when the m20 was popular with turbo a guy replaced roodbearings the same way 😁 More annoying is to replace the rocker arms with the engine in the car but that's also more than doable. Done that way to many times also.

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah sounds like a great way to solve the issue actually, will definitely bear it in mind. That's whats great about E30's though, just how easy they are to work on!

[@chechen_power1jz]

​@@FootToPedal what is more fun to drive e30 or e36 with the same engine m50b25

[@LoveDIYy]

Good video, well done. E30s are nowadays hard to find, especially with 6 cylinder engines.

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks a lot! Yeah there's less and less around now for sure. Buy them while you still can I say

[@santiagoceresa2045]

still can't find a buyer for mine at 5k tho ahah

[@JD-hh2qb]

Could you do a video on how to keep it maintained and what we should do frequently to maintain the car

[@FootToPedal]

That's a great idea! Will look into it, stay tuned!

[@JD-hh2qb]

@@FootToPedal thank you I look forward to it!

[@FootToPedal]

@@JD-hh2qb Thanks for your suggestion and sorry we didn't get it done sooner! We have created a video about what you need to know when it comes to maintenance on the E30's, which will be going live on the 16th October at 7pm BST. Make sure you have notifications on so you don't miss it!

[@JD-hh2qb]

@@FootToPedal thank you, I will be watching that video straight away!

[@Anirossa]

Bought a grey E34 this summer, fixed the fuel lines and painted them up, changed out the cracked out and rusted jack mounting points, changed lights, stopped a zimring leak on the back of the engine with some additives like 917, brushed down and painted the lower inside of the doors with hammerpaint, black anti rust paint, changed oil in the diff, gearbox and engine, replaced the timing belt, thermostat and water pump and and flushed the fluid... And bought a lot of parts to all over, now driving it to and from uni here in Norway, might have to take the bus when the winter comes for full though, salting is crazy....

[@Anirossa]

Oh, and its a 88 model, manual sunroof, black and grey interior m20b20 engine and I absolutely love it :) pretty original as it had stood 10 years... Oh and changed the springs as they were all broken xd

[@Anirossa]

And thinking about buying a 3.5 liter straight six for later I know about that someone has :)

[@FootToPedal]

Awesome stuff! I love to hear this kind of thing, great to know people are working on their own cars. I do have a lot of love for the E34, its a great looking thing. Wouldn't mind one myself. Sounds like you've done some fantastic work on yours! And yeah the M20 engines are so good, plus they make a very nice sound. Thanks a lot for watching, and good luck with your E34! Hope you still manage to use it over winter 👍

[@Anirossa]

@@FootToPedal Yeah, had a M50B20 engine in my secound car and first bimmer, alpina white e34, sadly it was rusted too badly to be saved, so stripped it and saved a lot of parts for myself and sold a lot, just the frame went to the junkjard basically, and some of the back axel.. but think Ill keep to m20s if not m30b35. The sound is amazing compared to the m50s, only down side how I see it is the belt instead of a chain and some of the problems like the humidity building up in the cap outside the rotor. But of course, no car is perfect. Done most the work with a friend of mind that has had 30+ bmws, so he been a great help for me, especially with welding that I haden't done before :)

[@Anirossa]

@@FootToPedal Have to keep these old bimmers going, they are simple, fun and well built cars, so it feels well worth it working on them, lets try keep as many of them around as we can :)

[@caprirob]

Nice video but just one notable correction The “jacking points” you mention are not jacking points at all - the square pads commonly referred to as jacking points are locators for when the car was moved around on the production line at the factory and should not under any circumstances be used as a point to jack the car on. They are horrendous rust spots though. The other classic rust spot is the rear inner arch behind the fuel filler neck. Pull the plastic covers, pipework and filler neck out and remove the kilos of mud that will be present - you’ll be very lucky if its not rotten. Nice looking motor though keep the videos coming 👍

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks a lot for the correction there, that's my bad. But yeah they are certainly one of the worst spots for rust from what I've seen, got lucky with mine being fairly solid! Thanks, many more videos to come on this thing so stay tuned!

[@caprirob]

No worries I’m planning a series of videos about my 325i Touring as soon as I can get the time to extract it from the garage where it’s sat for over a year

[@FootToPedal]

Nice one, sounds good. I'll look out for it 👍👍

[@davidbarker9561]

One thing you NEED to check. In the driver side rear wheel arch you will find a metal cover that covers the fuel tank breather lines. this little bugger is brilliant at trapping soil which keeps water nice and safely stored.. it then rots just above the spring perch., when you clean it up it will most likely look ok but look harder! you might need to remove some of the thick rubber coating that these are protected with, once you get through the rubber coating there is a very high chance you will find something you wish you hadn't seen.. ive seen many 30's junked due to spring perches collapsing.. its repairable ofc but if you are not handy with a welder it will cost a lot to get sorted, the rear end will have to be completely stripped and there will ofc be other areas that need attention, by the time its fixed properly it will run into thousands (since its worth doing properly while its apart) id suggest to all 30 owners to get good with a welder xD

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks for this David, very useful info! I guess with E30s anything and everything will rust if it's allowed to do so 😂

[@mry82]

Thanks and well done! I am thinking about taking the e30 plunge... my e46 made me a BMW convert, I guess!

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks! Yeah I would definitely recommend doing so, just do plenty of research before hand and it'll be fine. E46's are great cars as well!

[@weifeng5958]

Great job on the video, I really enjoyed watching it. I was lucky enough to pick up a basically family owned two owner car a few years back that was rust free (can you believe it) While that was all well and good, it can’t be stressed enough that we ‘re still talking about a 30 year old car and depending on what’s acceptable to you, the new owner is where your work begins. For me both front and rear subframes had to come out and completely gone through. Although I’d like to say that, that was the end of the story, it was not. Suffice it to say that a $2,500 rust free 325i sedan has cost me roughly 8 times as much to get it to where I am happy with it. ✌🏾

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks for watching and sharing your story! Yeah you're absolutely right, ultimately even a "rust free" E30 can take work to get it where you want. And I guess that's what it depends on, some people may want something that is basically like new, whereas some people may want an original unrestored car, even if it is a bit ropey round the edges. I equally appreciate all of them!

[@lorenswag_]

Fastest video I ever clicked

[@bmw-e30]

Just to add that the e30 sunroof seal is not designed to keep water out--it is supposed to channel out through plastic pipes inside the roof and exits down at the wings. Another notorious rust spot is the grommet where the wiring enters the cabin from the engine and rots out the firewall. This is a serious and expensive fix in having to remove carpet, dash and wiring loom to sort out. More prevalent in wet climates where the car is left outside.

[@FootToPedal]

Yes agreed on all points, thanks for the additional info!

[@Negativvv]

They did a 318iS too with an M42 engine, chain driven I believe. They were rare back then so probably are non existent now. RUST is the big issue yes, this was the case 20 years ago let alone now. Any still alive now will have been garaged some or all of their life plus I wouldn't expect anyone to be using one now as a daily driver in all weathers! I l enjoyed the 3 I had years ago but I probably wouldn't get another now, the 4 turns lock to lock annoyed the hell out of me. I was never personally a fan of the 12v M20 engines, they didn't rev and felt somewhat lethargic but can't judge too harshly as it began production about 44 years ago!!! Nice video anyway :-)

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah I do like the 318iS actually, quite a cool variant, still a few around these days but they fetch good money. Amazingly I've heard of a lot of people using E30's as daily drivers! However a lot of the cars out there now have either had light restorations or being well looked after by owners. Totally fair enough, they're not cars for everyone's tastes! Thanks, appreciate it 👍

[@mrothello7403]

E30 has a nickname “money pit” Iv owned a few of them, my current one is a 1990, convertible, my kids love it! My favourite car!

[@FootToPedal]

Think it depends massively on the condition of the car, but yeah I love mine too!

[@fatbongripz4207]

my only old BMW that wasn't a moneypit was my E23 733i because you couldn't even find parts for it so it was just a very heavy paperweight in my backyard

[@chivo22121]

About to go check out a 325e here in the states. Thank you for this video!

[@FootToPedal]

Awesome! No problem and good luck with it!

[@1finchgreen]

Glad to see you uploading again! Gives me motivation to get my finger out my arse and start uploading. Some great points in the video, could also be worth mentioning about the boot and rear window seals as these love to let in water. After heavy rain id have a fish pond in the pockets on either side of the boot and as a result rust is very common here. Yours being a touring you dont get that exact issue but the seals on the tailgate do perish on tourings too and you oftern get rust around the number plate area on the bit that comes down.

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks Mitch, ahaha yeah sometimes motivation is hard to find! Yeah I didn't want to make a completely exhaustive list but you certainly make a very good point. Unfortunately it seems anywhere there is a seal on E30's rust can and probably will develop! The boot seal on mine is fairly worn out I must say but with the Touring tailgate any water tends to drain completely out the way of the seal thankfully. I'm sure we can agree that despite rust issues, E30s are great cars. Look forward to seeing some stuff from you soon! Thanks as always for the support 👍

[@1finchgreen]

@@FootToPedal yep thats very true, same goes for all the old beamers, they love to let in water and rot😂 Im hoping to be uploading in full swing by the end of summer, got loads of videos filmed just dont have a PC up to the task of editing 4k yet. Looking forward to the next video mate👍

[@FootToPedal]

Ahaha very true 😂 Awesome sounds good man, will keep an eye on them coming out 👍👍

[@Lucas-sr1hd]

Great video and very informative. Clean touring mate

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks a lot Lucas!

[@ethankim2142]

I'm really upset that E30 prices are sky rocketing 🚀

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah things have been going a bit crazy recently...

[@nobudgetstudios16]

I don't rrly like the estate version of the e30 but thanks for the help I'm thinking of getting one when I'm 17

[@FootToPedal]

There's an E30 for everyone, that's what I always say! No worries man, glad you found it useful and hope you manage to get one 👍

[@pizza_patrol7757]

Subscribed, this was amazing I’m getting my own E30 too a 320i 😎✨

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks a lot! Awesome, that is what I like to hear. Hope you enjoy it!

[@paullockwood7219]

Brilliant. Thanks for the information. Great channel! 👍😊

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks a lot, glad you found it useful!

[@dmxxor]

Thanks for the video! Going to look at an BAUR soon. This helps a lot

[@FootToPedal]

No problem, glad you found it useful! Good luck with it!

[@pagodacloud2241]

E30 wagon model so velourable. Good condition ❤bimmer❤

[@pero2727]

Are you mad? The timing chain cam drive on the M10 is one of the most long lived in the industry and legendary for it. It's good for a MINIMUM of 500k km (310k miles), I have never heard of a timing chain snap on an M10. Usually outlasts the car.

[@doctortruth4094]

Well done and useful. It seems that cars over there rust really quickly. I live in Seattle Washington, and most E30s have little corrosion if they haven't been crashed.

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks a lot! Yeah rust is a huge problem over here, and for most of Northern Europe for that matter! The damp climate can be a real killer for these so you have to keep an eye on things. Thanks for watching!

[@gavinc.morrison1147]

great video mate

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks Gavin

[@handlotion8244]

Thanks for the video, man.

[@alexway8959]

Useful video 🙂

[@DutchMotos]

Good explanation, thanks bro. What place would you recommend when looking for parts when restoring an E30?

[@FootToPedal]

Thank you for watching! I would recommend Autodoc myself, they've been great so far for me, plenty of parts, good delivery times and decent prices too. I've heard FCPEuro are good too.

[@silviataylor92]

Thank You !

[@ozzyfreeman2619]

This car looks not so bad , would be perfect for a good project mate.

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks! Yeah thats pretty much my plans with this, just a gradual restoration

[@eduardoharoproductions3065]

This is great info but I’ll never get one. As everytime I set a date with the seller to check it out, the car is always sold before I can even see it.

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah some of them do tend to get snapped up pretty quick these days, sometimes its a case of right place, right time I think!

[@craig9843]

Would love one but I never see any

[@slatanek]

I'm eyeing something identical to your car right now - silver e30 320i touring. I have a soft spot for those since I grew up in the 90's and always loved the DTM cars. What would u say about using the car as a daily driver? I live in the Netherlands so the weather should be quite similar to the UK. Is it a car that demands a lot of attention? How is the fuel usage in a real world scenario? (I mean by that: dynamic driving - not necessarily revving it out all the time but also not driving it like an elderly person). Great content btw 👍🏻

[@FootToPedal]

Awesome stuff man! They are brilliant cars in short. Its interesting you ask this as we are currently filming a video called 'Living with an E30' and it will cover many of the points you mention. But basically they are incredibly useable as daily cars. Very reliable on the whole with parts and things readily available, not to mention that they are easy to work on. Fuel consumption is OK on the whole, I think I average 20 to 25mpg (11-9L per 100km) driving fairly spirited but not revving to redline all the time. I wouldn't say it requires too much attention but its probably advisable to keep it inside if you can as they like to rust everywhere! Thanks a lot for watching!

[@slatanek]

Foot to Pedal thx mate! I'm really looking forward to getting one b4 the prices inevitably go into tenths of thousands as it happened with stock and original 325i. Great content man!

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah absolutely, prices only going one way on these. But yeah exactly, eventually all the models will follow suit!

[@slatanek]

Foot to Pedal What would u consider a good price for one? (320i touring) The one that is available has 290k on the clock but front and rear axles have been revised incl. braking system, dampers etc, the interior is stock and in very good condition, the underside has no rot. Sorry for bothering you man lol

[@FootToPedal]

I would say maybe €4,000 based on what you're saying there, possibly a bit more if its great condition but that's obviously decent mileage (not that it matters much but it does effect price). I personally wouldn't pay over €6,000 based on what you're saying there. And no problem at all man! I love engaging with our viewers so not an issue at all!

[@daweik2410]

Great vid

[@FootToPedal]

Thanks!

[@andrewflores7733]

Is the oil sump the Oil pan? or are those different? Also thank you for this video!

[@FootToPedal]

Yep they're the same thing, thanks for watching!

[@braidenwiley6885]

Just after 7.25 you mention about the ‘chip computer thing’, what actually is that and what’s its purpose? Thanks

[@FootToPedal]

Ah so it's actually a trip computer and it measures things like MPG, average speed, I think fuel range as well. I guess its a bit of a gimmick but very cool for an 80s car I'd say! It was a factory option so you don't see them everywhere but the higher spec cars generally have them fitted. Possible to retro fit them too I believe

[@mherdef]

Do you use this car on a daily basis? I want to buy one but want to use it daily as my regular car. Would you recommend? Thank you in advance

[@FootToPedal]

I don't use it daily myself but I would honestly say this could easily be used as a daily driver. I tend to use mine maybe once or twice a week so as long as you get one that is running OK it should be reliable enough to use daily!

[@mherdef]

@@FootToPedal Thanks man

[@FootToPedal]

@@mherdef anytime!

[@amjrashid]

Hi Great video! I have a bmw e30 316 with the 1.8 m10 engine.. I'm after some spare parts.. like radiator pipes, waterpump, belts and other engine parts.. any advise on where is best? Thanks

[@FootToPedal]

Hi, thanks a lot! Personally I would recommend Autodoc, they have a huge selection of parts and good customer service.

[@amjrashid]

@@FootToPedal thanks! I have come across them but wasn't sure 🤔.. I'll give them a go! Thanks again

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah they've been great for me so far - good luck!

[@fatbongripz4207]

why you had to flex on us with that euro-spec w/ headlight wipers 😩

[@FootToPedal]

😂😂

[@solanajv7828]

How often would you say to check and see if there is rusting?

[@FootToPedal]

As often as you can ideally, but you definitely don't need to do it everyday. Ideally once a month would allow you to spot anything before it gets bad

[@silviataylor92]

Hi, Should you warm up your car in really cold weather?

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah you should always warm up your car before revving the engine too high otherwise it could cause premature engine wear. However cars warm up best when being driven so I'd recommend driving the car gently for the first 10 or 15 minutes 👍

[@Anirossa]

A lot like the e34

[@mherdef]

Do you use this car on a daily basis?

[@albanleci5728]

Would you recommend an e30 as a first car?

[@FootToPedal]

Yes definitely!

[@inwoner7190]

You know, all old cars have issues, but what other old car you'd reckon, wouldn't have some ? The plus with these is that they are simple, compared to todays cars. My first was an E30, and I still think it was the best car ever, even with a 318i engine.

[@skuweklis]

hey boy look at the left side rear wheel ark where fuel .... tubes.. that is the e30 RIP

[@FootToPedal]

Yep that pipe likes to rust, but atleast its easy enough to see and inspect

[@squidwards5205]

Wrong diff in there should have a medium case diff

[@FootToPedal]

As far as I'm aware the diff has never been changed so it would appear this is the factory diff

[@bladespataro3917]

Where can u find one online been looking for a whiel

[@FootToPedal]

Depends on the country you live in but try Collecting Cars, Pistonheads, Autotrader, Car and Classic if you're in the UK. If you're in the US try Autotempest, Bring A Trailer, Craigslist etc

[@bladespataro3917]

@@FootToPedal thanks

[@davidcover9591]

Those boxed areas up front arent jacking points!!!

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah that was my bad, factory jacking points is the correct wording here since they were used when on the production line! If anyone wants to see a diagram of areas to jack them up from, check out the E30 Zone forums

[@davidcover9591]

@@FootToPedal no prob, id bet every e30 on the road has been accidentally jacked there at some point leading to the rust; both sides of mine rusted out. The floor is def a big rust area, these cars get water leaks like none other.

[@FootToPedal]

@@davidcover9591 Yes agreed! And yep you really have to be careful with all the seals to make sure they're not leaking, water can get in and go unnoticed very easily!

[@mhamoudsalamah585]

997

[@FootToPedal]

3 to go!

[@31acruz]

Timing belt failure is catastrophic in any car, not just these.

[@FootToPedal]

As this video is about E30's I was obviously talking specifically about timing belts on these cars, but yes you're right

[@kingb4027]

So the video states almost every area on a E30 which may need replacing or repaired...Don't forget the idle control valve, fuel pump, heater resistor which also fail on one of these...Deep pockets are a must to own one of these and no they are not cheap to buy unless they are a proper rotbox with zero service history.

[@FootToPedal]

What you have to think is that it's a 30+ year old car, and so it's entirely possible pretty much any area of the car could have an issue. You don't need deep pockets to own one, but if you buy a bad one and you want it perfect then you will. There are plenty of good, cheaper E30s out there that don't need loads of work and would get by with just mechanical maintenance for years to come.

[@kingb4027]

@@FootToPedal I do understand what your saying, I've owned E30 Mtech 1/2 sports, tourings, a Hartge and even C2 Alpina, back in the day. They are very well built I know, I've broke many of these, best one I've had is one with M50B25 engine in it. Much more responsive and alot more torque...

[@FootToPedal]

Yeah I've seen a lot of people do the M50 swap, seems a good engine swap for the E30 chassis

[@devarajvibhuti845]

Sir 4,50,000/- rate ha

[@yuvapatil2127]

I want e30 how much in Indian curennccy

[@FootToPedal]

Over here its probably the equivalent of around 450,000 Rupees for most E30s

[@davidthomas8317]

thats not the jacking point

[@FootToPedal]

Its the factory jacking point, you can see this corrected in comments below

[@A1DJPaul]

DIFF Whine , Gearbox Whine ?? Search for a More Genuine Example. Think 500,000 miles ++ or Zero Servicing for 25 years.

[@A1DJPaul]

Just about NOTHING Wears out on a BMW e30 at 150,000 miles. Maybe Brake pads & wiper Blades. & Tyres. Worn seats ? Think 300,000 Miles ? An e30 should look AS NEW / SHOWROOM Condition at 150,000 / 175,000. ZERO Wear Anywhere. I bought Genuine Cars when they were Fairly New. at 100,000 miles an e30 320 should look BRAND NEW, Never Sat in. on ALL of the drivers seat. Inc Bolsters. Worn Drivers Seat = VAST Mileages. We had one at 165,000 miles. the driver's seat was AS NEW. BMW Seats Were NOT Designed to Wear out. Under 250,000 Miles. BMW Do NOT Design SHIT / CRAP Seats. GO to BMW & Get the Full Service History Print out for the LIFE of the Car. The Supplying Dealer will Have All the Info. & Build Spec Sheet Data. buying an old BMW ? Contact the Supplying Dealer or BMW UK. They Have all the Info you need. If Not, Walk away from that Lump of Scrap. & Find a Better example. Knackered Seat Cloth = Knackered old Car. DIG DEEPER for INFO before you agree to buy it.

[@fatbongripz4207]

your paragraph was going good until you said to take it to a stealership 🤣 they will do nothing but tell you every part you're looking for is NLA or charge you triple the price for the parts they do have

[@jaredhernandez2999]

You look like Tom Holland (Spider-Man)

[@FootToPedal]

That's not the first time I've heard that 😂

[@themegaarmyplays2989]

tseries v pewdiepie

[@FootToPedal]

What an excellent, profound and relevant comment.

[@hwvortex274]

eminem

[@ThePorsalino]

over priced cars like crazy

[@FootToPedal]

?

[@ThePorsalino]

@@FootToPedal in sweden they cost like 5000 euro minimum for a working car and we are talking a stock car i think that is over priced

[@FootToPedal]

@@ThePorsalino Ah fair enough, depends if its rust free and mechanically in good order I guess, but yeah prices for E30s vary a lot around the world unfortunately

[@darius524]

I was told that the facelift models were galvanized and don't rust, is that true?

[@FootToPedal]

Sadly I think all E30s rust, mine is a facelift model and I think they are prone to the same areas