Advice

i had an E30 as my first car. It was great.

Go on r3vlimited and ask there as that is an E30 specific forum and youll get better answers.

>>16243717
>Alright, who knows more about cars, advice, troubleshooting, and maintenance than /o/, right?
Everyone.

I can tell you even with zero experience on the matter that replacing that soft top is gonna be a pain in the ass. Finding one for cheap, and installing it.

>>16243717
say 500 or leave

>interior flooded
Mold, rusty floors, ruined electronics depending on how long its been. Best to ask why it was parked and the last time it ran. Do the tires air up, does it roll easy? If not, you're gonna have fun getting that onto a trailer

Just be a Jew about price and whine about all the work it needs

E30s are great cars, very reliable and easy to maintain, but that thing is fucking gone. If the interior is flooded the floor is going to be rusted out. I can see visible rust bubbling on the quarter panel in the second picture, there will be plenty more where you can't see it from a walkaround. I see the car is also an automatic, in addition to being a convertible which needs a new top and interior. As far as E30s go it's probably the least desirable type on the market. I wouldn't pay more than $200 for it because for all I know the timing belt snapped and it needs a new head. If the timing belt is intact and the engine is known good I would pay $500 for it, since I could easily make that back selling parts like the wheels, bumpers, valance, taillights, grilles, and any body panels that aren't rusted to shit plus I'd be able to keep the engine as a spare for my E30.

>>16243743
I was wondering about that, I thought about paying someone to stitch the flap back onto the soft top.

>>16243717
That car's price tag should be negative.

>>16243717
if it got flooded, not just a bit of water it's going to be fucked
all under the carpet is insulation that is pretty much like a sponge and absorbs water

unless you want parts besides that aren't the shell/engine then avoid

>>16243717
don't do it. it's a piece of shit.

>>16243717
Sounds like an amazing choice for a first car OP
Do it

>>16243788
>>16243750
Weirdly enough, only the passenger side of the carpet is flooded with murky water. Either way I'd have to replace the carpet and filling to check how the shell is.

As far as rust, i see rust creeping from the corners of the front, side, and rear bumpers, where the wheel arch starts.

>>16243753
Yeah, i noticed the rusting around the quarter panels. unfortunately, the car is so low to the ground that my car jack wouldn't fit underneath it. I'd suspect there would be rust in the undercarriage too.

The interior is far too late to "fix". I'd have to buy new carpets and seats as well as the convertible top. Unfortunately i didn't take a pic.

I don't know what kind of trouble I'd be getting into if i were to invest in the car. i know it'd be at least $2000 for interior work and convertible top alone. Not to mention it needs a new paint job and rust repair.

My family and dudes keep telling me I'll be fucked if i buy it, but the image of me restoring that bby is overwhelming

>>16243821
it's gonna be a huge money and time sink and it's unlikely you'll ever get it to a point where it's decent, especially if you've never done work like this before. The interior is most likely full of mold from all the stagnant water and the floors are probably rusted to hell

>>16243717
>800
I hope HE gives you the 800 with the car, because I wouldn't pay a dollar for that wreck if I were you...

That seller should be paying you to get rid of it for them

>>16243830
why? 800 sounds fair imo

>>16243897
how come? you said the interior and top are ruined. the tires are junk and probably the engine wont run due to old gas. theres nothing good about it.
i bet even the suspension is worn out

>>16243821
>ground that my car jack wouldn't fit underneath it
your jack would probably go through it anyway

Anyway if you are determined you will probably need a donor car for the following parts:
All interior parts
The soft top
The engine
The wiring harness
The unibody
Most of the body panels

The transmission should be o.k. though.

>>16243906
i didn't say anything. 800 for an e30 chassis is ballpark what you'd pay

>>16243906
Op here, it'd be a fun project car. It wont be my dd until I'm satisfied with it

File: 1477266261457.gif (27KB, 800x399px) Image search: [Google]

27KB, 800x399px

Op do not buy that car.

20 yo, you need something that just works and this isn't it. There are lots of cars available.

Even if you are on a budget, if you spend 800 thinking this is a good idea, you will probably spend 3000 fixing this thing, and that's if you do a bunch of it yourself.

Just go buy a used sedan with 1 previous owner and maintenance records for $2000-3000 At around 100k mi on it.

At 20 yo I know you don't have the tools, space, cash, or time to consider this heap of junk.

>>16243923
Exactly what i needed to know

>>16243717
thats a parts car man. You could pay $800 bucks for a running one if you keep looking.

>>16243968
The acceptance side of the possible crippling debt and money burned away is kicking in. Who needs to drive anywhere? Waking doesn't sound too bad so long as i have a project car.

>>16243732
Get it OP, it has cruise control

File: prisma.png (701KB, 1080x966px) Image search: [Google]

701KB, 1080x966px

the convertible model is disgusting.

you're going to be a LOT better off paying the ~$2k-$3k for a running model and working your way up from there. you're still going to have a ton of work to do on a $2k example unless you get really lucky. you'll still be able to put work into it and feel good about yourself and learn, you'll just also be able to drive it.

>>16243987
I think I'll go with that choice. I'll find another 325i someday and it'll be better than that brick

>>16243897
Everything electronic inside will be corroded to shit, you can throw out the whole interior, replace fuel lines and so on... this car should be advertised as "spares".

>>16243717
>electronic gremlins
>everything rubber will be rotted to shit
>water damage
>sitting for years
Its borked OP. Stay away.
>>16244125
good choice
the amount of money you dump into getting this car road worthy will not be worth the headache

>>16243987
Not this guy, but basically this only maybe don't limit yourself to E30s. E36s are in that price range and you're much more likely to find a nice one in that price range.

Walk away, that car is only good for the scrapyard, and thats being generous.

>>16243923
>The engine
>The wiring harness
Are you high? Why does he need a new engine and wiring harness? A soaked interior from a broken rear window won't do jack shit to the harnesses, this isn't a car from the late 2000s

M20 strong. unless the timing belt is broken it would most likely be fine.

>>16243717
My first car was an 85 318i. Mine had a lot more rubber under the hood than a 325i like that does, but still be prepared for dry rotted rubber parts. If your willing to do basic repairs yourself it's a damn good deal. If it's an auto I would pass for reliability concerns. If it's the manual the only major work would be a timing belt/water pump. If the timing belt breaks your motor will be fucked so consider doing that at the least

Do it op. Timing belt, water pump, brakes (pads master and slave cyls) is to be expected at the least. You could do that all yourself (except timing belt/water pump) even if you know nothing for cheap. just get a Bently manual

As for as the roof I couldn't help ya I've had 2 e30s both dailys but never a vert.

The pink door is oxidezed you can fix paint when it's faded and it'll look brand new with some work. That hood however if fucked, because the clear coat is peeling. The hood has been repainted before. E30s came with single stage paint (no clearcoat) so they just fade and can be restored