Things you need to know before buying a BMW E30!

Much requested video of things to look out for when buying a BMW E30 3 series. I tried my best given mine is far from stock, but I hope this video can help some people out!

[@nicklopez1957]

Free E30s from da hype I want everything back to being cheap 😔

[@MrManJoseph]

bro foreal

[@christinebrighenti9723]

Same😫

[@HONdAVE]

No, im tryina cash out

[@donsterr]

Build a time machine

[@6rvna]

just got one so W 🧍🏻‍♀️

[@Anirossa]

Tip: if your M20 is ticking while cold and only while cold the lines that spreads the oil over the cam might be somewhat clogged, taking it off and letting it sit in diesel for a day is a good way to clean it. Will save your cam in the long run

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Great tip!

[@Ben-Hawy]

Good tip I usually put a quart of diesel with the engine oil, and run the car for 10 minutes then change the oil

[@Anirossa]

Flushed an M30B35 that was properly clogged up with diesel, flushed and changed the oil. After it had been driven for a while it did help. That engine had been poorly maintained.. was in a manual E32. Engine was ready for a new headgasket and a top rebuild, it did go on running however... @@Ben-Hawy

[@migonorf225]

The e30 chassis is godly

[@9595david]

THANK you for your videos man. I don’t know why this isn’t more of a thing. You know those situations you find yourself in where you meet an “enthusiast” that just knows EVERYTHING about a platform? You talk trims, engines, what models/trims are the ones to buy. What years are the gems and what parts are the best to modify? Man, I just want to hear some e30 gen talk to catch me up to speed on what to look for, what to buy and what’s the move when modifying these baby’s. Your channel is the closest I’ve seen to finding that info. You helped a TON on the e36 m3 talk. From one gear head to another. Thank you man!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you so much David! I appreciate the kind words and am glad my channel conveys good info across the web!

[@traviswhaley6515]

My first BMW was an 89 e 30 great car bought for 14k it had 50k on it back in 1993. Took that car all over the country. Did the timing belt at 130k my mechanic said it still looked new. Want to get another one but a low mileage one is way over priced.I didn't think mine was tin canny I thought it was pretty solid and well built! It was very reliable never had any problems with it!

[@traviswhaley6515]

Mobil 1 motor oil ran a 325i e30 on a track in Pennsylvania. They ran it a million miles, it took them 4 years driving it day and night , they just did routine maintenance on it, then they tore the motor apart it, and only found minimal wear. The experiment is documented. When I bought my 92 e34 m50 my BMW mechanic told me to run nothing but 15 50 Mobil 1 in it. I've got 368k on it, that same mechanic has been working on my car for the past 25 years. He said the car my run forever! It still has as much power as the day I bought it! I got the car in June of 1996 with 69 k on it!

[@985joe]

Definitely would like to see a similar video for the E36. I've been wanting to buy either a later model E30, or an E36 M3 or 328i for a few years, and the situation has never been right, though that may be changing in the next few months. It does suck that E30 prices have shot up as much as they have in the last few years, and I'm starting to see the same happen with the E36's to some degree, but that's just the reality of what is happening. For what I want out of a 2nd vehicle (manual, RWD, that I can use to enjoy driving backroads and use to learn how to drift, not make into a drift missile) logically the E36 would be the better buy, however I'm still drawn to the E30 chassis and have been keeping an eye out for shells without a motor. I'm not looking to put in an LS and make big power, I just want an appropriate amount of power for the chassis.

[@Bimmervon]

My 84 e30 318i had an m10 but we swapping a m52 but thank you for all the help your vid’s are super helpful!!

[@adamfrancombe4577]

Totally agree with you about the hype, I certainly got sucked in for a few reasons but have zero regrets :) love it

[@emmanuelofori869]

With the m50 you get a lot of vibration but you need quality time to get it silent from exhaust and locate rattles and deal with them.Mind you its 30 years old and a toyota at 30 years would be a noise box.Mine is quiet with the m50 motor and even a loud exhaust.The angle of mount for trans also counts in reducing vibrations so you have to explore that, with taller trans mount seats mine vibrates so i use low profile seats.

[@jone_e30]

Also common issues in e30s is sloppy shifter then they also like to rust on the firewall behind the heat sheilding carpet matt then also the gloveboxes like to break and fall off and also rev counters also like to not work.

[@Lanc.e30]

True in my 325e my shifter still has some movement while in gear

[@ArkanOthman]

Excellent video, thank you so much

[@EinKerl3554]

I'm right there with you on e34s and e30s. The e30 is too light for solid mounts and poly bushings for road use, they will make the car skittish and give you a harsh ride (as you found out) for no real gain. You would need to lose the mechanical fan and go with electric to keep from banging your rad on rubber mounts though. But our e30s are not that much noisier than our e34s and certainly not rattle traps. The e34 is smoother and the only way to fly for long trips especially if you drop in a S52, they eat miles at speed effortlessly, although if you have a tight budget by picking the right cams you can get the M50 up to ~220hp.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Couldn’t agree more!

[@kennyberrios1603]

i loved your video bro. I would love to see a video exactly like this one but with your e46, e34, e36, etc

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you man! I have one for e34, need to make for other cars!

[@McGD4]

So true the prices r going crazy. I got my e30 for 1,000$ 3 years ago. Currently installing a m50

[@jone_e30]

I got my e30 320i coupe for 1000e 1 year ago

[@hollowm.8416]

Cheapest and cleanest I can find so far is for 4200

[@TimSlee1]

That's cheap af@@hollowm.8416

[@Ben-Hawy]

Thanks to your video I was able to buy a 1989 BMW 325IS for only $500 all original only 69,000 actual miles

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Steal!!!

[@Ben-Hawy]

@@m3nameisjosh464 yes, the guy selling it to me thought it wasn’t worth much because it’s manual transmission

[@dle9164]

Rims spec?offset et tire spec???

[@yaseengaffoor]

I know a lot of people chuck the m20… but I get sad when I see it’s been removed

[@ghxvt4381]

I'm so glad this is my first car I'm 15 and already starting to fix up my e30 with my dad it's pretty stressful bc the engine problems but I'll get there

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Great first car to have man! Good luck with it!

[@alihamdan4105]

Can you do before you buy a e36 m3

[@zk9964]

Nice overview. I think new owners should also know these are 30+ year old cars now and will need things that aren’t normal maintenance items. Example if original, all the fuel lines will be rotted and will leak at some point. Brake lines, hard and soft, bushings etc things that a 10-15 year old car you don’t need to worry about you will need to worry about on an e30. Plus I think the younger kids need to know these were safe cars in the day, but 2021 it’s gonna really hurt if you’re in an accident.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Great addition

[@navendratakdari83]

Timing belt m20 and it's and interfacine engine. Valves will bend big headache.

[@friscostreetstories5403]

I love the look of E30s, even the 4 doors

[@punisherelcastigador3667]

Especially in this color looks amazing!

[@TimSlee1]

I can't decide which looks better; a 4 door or a 2 door, they both have great proportions.

[@jorge122300]

I paid 9k my e30 ik its a lot but all the others in good condition are in the mid 20s and the cheap ones are full of rust and cracked dash

[@vladverestiuc9364]

I came here for some tips and all I got is hate about a heavily modified e30

[@M340him]

Hey man I’m looking into changing my interior from beige to black and the seats and door panels either cinnamon or red interior what do you like more just looking for some opinions and if you know what the e36 cinnamon color is called that would be helpful not sure if it’s called Modena or magma or some other color

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Magma or modena is very hard to find for e36. But black and brown is👌🏽

[@cambmw93]

Big spot for rust is in and around the battery box. CaTuned sells replacements fyi.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Forgot about that!

[@adamfrancombe4577]

My e30 on lowering springs and new shocks doesn’t have any rattles or annoying noises so I wouldn’t say it typical of all e30s. In fact I was surprised at how solid it feels and sounds! I test drove a good 7 e30s though and must admit that some very quite noisy. It depends what the previous owners have done and how clapped they are after their 30-40 year lives.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Agreed, i was harsh on this car because its modifications caused those things, was kind of unfair

[@navendratakdari83]

I've been there with my father's twice. Not fun. Also periodic Valve adjustment just like the m30.

[@denysnuttall1706]

I've had 3 325i miss them badly

[@Anirossa]

Have the E30 type odometer on my 88 E34s, tried taking it apart and fixing the error seemed like it had gotten stuck (probably standing still and partly in the sun for 10 years, so when it tried moving again and it had gotten stuck, it burned out the motor driving it :/ my fix.... Found a new cluster with similar milage (not the easiest thing to find)

[@Anirossa]

@@Intelcroa These specific clusters are hybrid between a electronic and mechanical cluster. Its not a wire you can hook up to a drill nor can you just move over a chip, so these specific clusters are extremely hard to change the milage on accualy

[@Anirossa]

@@Intelcroa Depends if it is the same as in the e34 or not I guess, Im in Norway and I got one originally Norwegian and one German

[@reaz8099]

@@Anirossa it type y o p 2 3 1 I the bmw

[@Carter-ir5ud]

What are those wheels on your e30, Im looking for pretty much exactly those

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Fabulous profounds

[@viperocco]

You got some pretty dope rides yo

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Appreciate it!

[@nuudelz3711]

here i am crying that a scrap e30 is not 25k in NA with all the interior styling from east asia

[@xavierchapa9666]

i was just looking into the e30’s, what are your thoughts on getting a 1995 525i w 250k as a first car ?

[@nicklopez1957]

that's an e34 my brotha, but it's a old bimmer, it'll have its problems

[@traviswhaley6515]

Get it, I've got a 92 525i original starter original alternator it's got 368248 miles on it still runs great. Been driving it for last 25 years only left walking twice, the cars a beast!

[@xavierchapa9666]

@@traviswhaley6515 preciate it man!

[@crisl9518]

What water pumps do you run in your M50s? I have to change mine but everyone in the forums seems to hate everything besides the stewart one

[@zk9964]

Just get a euro made one, Geba or Graf is what I use.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Graf usually

[@crisl9518]

@@m3nameisjosh464 was gonna go graf but the posts I saw about them weren't very pleasant. I'll get one anyway and just change it in a few years.

[@traviswhaley6515]

I had to replace mine on my 92 m50 at 220000 miles got a Graf still working fine 148000 miles on it!

[@yoselinerubio4403]

Most realistic guy in 🌎

[@TimSlee1]

I got a good condition E30 here in Australia, it's only a 318i though and M20 and M50 engines are really hard to come-by if you wanna swap. I'm considering turbo-charging it honestly.

[@KINGHUSKII]

I’m thinking the same! Did u do it yet? And have u seen them done befor?

[@TimSlee1]

@@KINGHUSKII There's an Aussie channel that does it just to see how much they can push the limits. But I gotta be honest; the only 4-cylinder E30's worth turbo-charging are the 318is' with the M42 motors because they're DHOC so it's easier to get more power out of them. So I haven't bothered. But if you still want to do it then it'll set you back around $2000-2500 for all the parts if you do most of the work yourself, and you can get a reliable 170hp out of the little M40.

[@qalandaryar]

The rattle and road noise is probably just your car. I bought a low mile stock e30 with all sound deadening and oem suspension/ tires. It was really quite.

[@bimmer.joo34]

Yes, I tought the same, I sat once on a 100km e30 my friend said this car is solid and as new, you'd be sitting and barely hear anything outside

[@timd902]

Don't put solid mounts in a 30yo car.

[@mlfhntr69]

no flex but a e30 sedan no motor no trans is for sale somewhat near me for 750 euros clean no rust

[@kirilchuk]

Gr8t video, why did you decided to go with m50 and not m52 .

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I had e34 parts car, that's only reason

[@connorthibodeaux2584]

Where would be a good place to buy used cars like this.

[@blueumbrellagaming9825]

facebook

[@EliasRizk53]

Is the m50 better than m54 ? What do you recommend me? My 318 e30 is slow😅

[@EliasRizk53]

@@Intelcroa like what?

[@EliasRizk53]

@@Intelcroa thanks bro

[@benvayner2697]

@@Intelcroa who cares what others want 💀

[@tobystraker7410]

LS swap for sure. It’s a documented process, so you can diy the whole thing. Chevy parts are a lot cheaper than BMW parts, a lot more reliable too.

[@EliasRizk53]

@@tobystraker7410 i wish i could get an LS . In the country I'm living LS are not cheap and rare !

[@redmiaccountnikos1140]

Godlike content🗿🛐💯

[@startingtech3900]

hey bro where can i get those euro bumpers josh?

[@m3nameisjosh464]

These are stock late model bumpers

[@startingtech3900]

@@m3nameisjosh464 I’m looking at a 1990 tomorrow but it has the us shitty bumpers. So some had them some didn’t ?

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@startingtech3900 thats weird. Im not sure

[@startingtech3900]

@@m3nameisjosh464 thanks for the reply bro. And nice collection thats badass. I have an 07 335i 08 550i and I’m in sf right now going to possibly buy the 1990 e30. New sub keep it up you got some great cars bro 😎

[@winded..6957]

Looking to get a e30 for my first car.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Not a bad choice

[@noemartiinezz]

Same, I found an iX close by

[@kar2k]

Buy felt tape

[@t33shawa31]

More content on the e36 will be appreciated

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Trying!

[@0-2-1]

Dont bag your e30 on 24’’ rims and ruin the ride wouldve been a good tip too

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Good thing they are 16s!

[@loopz9085]

What’s the name and size of those rims🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Fabulous profound! 16x7 and 16x8

[@kujo-x1248]

God bless everyone have a great day be safe

[@L7Fx]

Lol trying to make e34’s happen. Give it up e34’s are not going to happen g. e30’s are the holy grail of BMW

[@Swagsue21__]

for anyone who sees this comment. i’ve been looking for an e30 but everything is dry craigslist and facebook marketplace have nothing listed. does anyone have any other recommended websites?

[@hollowm.8416]

Only Facebook I've found some, where are you located and also copart auctions

[@kushpaladin]

tbh seems exactly like my E23, except it don't weigh 4000 pounds

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@kushpaladin a liiiitle more fun

[@atn2666]

Plans for the e30??

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Maybe for sale lol

[@atn2666]

@@m3nameisjosh464 nooooo why

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@atn2666 not sure yet, maybe make space for something new

[@atn2666]

@@m3nameisjosh464 damn short time lived. I might need to start a channel for my e30 I just picked up!!

[@hollowm.8416]

@@m3nameisjosh464 you sold it ? Or still tying to 😅

[@stubbk3]

all you need to know .. if you buy one in your twenties and the control arm brakes dont leave it on a roundabout in swindon because years later you will wish you kept that white 318is ,,, ahem so im told

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Hahaha

[@Icantfeeble]

I’m 14 and idk how much they cost 100k or 10k

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Literally both

[@Icantfeeble]

@@m3nameisjosh464 do you think it’s a good first car?

[@is2fiftyslowfsport744]

This is my dream car, smh

[@kujo-x1248]

God loves you

[@frog8396]

Someone buy me an e30

[@Dildology]

>>>>>>Do your timing belt!

[@Dildology]

Also keep the m20.

[@jt9169]

Just buy it