small bumper ones

 

fixed

 

m3/m3 replica ones

 

God damn some missinfo in this thread.
E30 ran from 84-91 in the US. Come convertibles go into 92 and will have factory cd changers in the trunk. The E30 was available with the M10 4cyl, M20 6cyl and M42 4cyl. Basically you want a later model. The m10 4cyl was used early on and is belt driven. Also a bit like moving the car flintstone style. M20 was used for decades by BMW and parts can probably be found laying on the road side. I've got a couple M20s in pieces in the parts box and until this year I hadn't owned one for almost 5 years. Cars made 88 after will have updated looking plastic bumpers. You can also swap these onto an older car, but shipping them around is a bitch. Cars built before 7/87 have two fuel pumps. No real problem, just more to replace and can get annoying. Also minor differences in some of the parts. But I consider +/- $10 on top of the cost of a radiator to be water over the bridge. If you're buying one I would consider interior to be the most important. You can buy one that doesn't run and spend less than 50% what you spent getting it going in most cases. But leather seats will be hard, cloth seats will dry rot, etc. Dash will crack. You can find an uncracked dash used on the internet for ~$150. Keep in mind that these cars have been on bottom dollar teen owner level for multiple generations now. At this point its worth it to pop a little more short term and save big $/headache in the long run. Good news is these cars have a cult following and sold 2.2 mil in the states. So everything is available bnib. Even carpet sets are about $450.
If you're looking for good info go to bimmerforums.com or r3vlimited.com. R3v is just a much info as bfc and many of the same members, but more like here in the rofls, ot, and rape.
The M20 is belt driven and interference. Timing belt needs to be replaced around every 50k or you're looking at a toasted motor. Belt can be done in the mall parking lot while gf shops and costs ~$15. Tensioner is $27. Cars are remarkably simple to work on. I replaced the alternator on the side of 95. It was $120 from auto zone. Could have gotten less if I'd not had to get it there. Head gaskets can wear out from heat or age. Kits can be had under $100 and I'd help you do it. Set aside an afternoon. 4 or 5 beer job max. To look at parts prices go to pelicanparts.com and autohausaz.com. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. But if you're getting a car based on what people tell you then...
As far as reliability goes, I'd trust it. The manual trannies will outlive all of us. Autos for the E30 are german made and do well on their own. I've put 275, 260, and 320k on autos personally. There are some differences in model. 325e has the 2.7l m20. Its got more torque but was made for better mpg, little slower. 325, 325i, 325is will have the sporty 2.5l m20. Thing will pull at 120. 325is is what I would choose (and have settled with). It was designed as South Africa's answer to the M3. Suspension like its on rails and zippy motor. Theres too much PPI info to list here, go to those sites I suggested. But basically everything normal, idle and idle speed, electrics functioning, and for rust under the battery in the trunk. Check carpets for water. Old bmws suffer from vacuum leaks, electric shorts, water pumps, and bad previous owners. A 318 will be a 4 cyl, most likely a sedan, and have drum rear brakes.
Two testaments to E30s. Got one when I was 13. Never worked on a car before, gravel driveway and hand tools. Replaced head gaskets, brake lines, brakes, sunroof motor, AC compressor, other random shit.
Secondly, had one that was rear ended and totaled by ins. 270k on it. Auto, never been serviced. Stock suspension (I mean original). Tons of bad bushings and gasket leaks. Drove the car with a tore up rear end and a dying fuel pump, starter that had to be beaten and a touchy voltage regulator for 4 mos and 8k miles while I lined up the replacement. Never had to get a towtruck for a BMW.

 

Hmmm, I like the metal bumper cars, especially if you tuck them.

 

[QUOTE=streetlamp;5975117] Also the 88s are more reliable due to having titanium rods,/QUOTE]

That's news to me. If that's the case, I'm going to tear into some old bimmers to harvest that metal.

 

[QUOTE=danhx;6004220]You can get titanium valve retainers. But even most stroker kits for the E30 have steel alloy rods.

 

You're a font of e30 wisdom, man.

Just one quibble: Late-era e30 318s (both "i" and "is") have discs on the rear, so far as I'm aware. Check the parts diagrams on realoem.com, just to be sure, and couldn't find any drums for '90 or '91.

 

You're right. Its seared into my mind from when I was a kid seeing that 318 (the early one) have disc brakes. I just remember sitting in 10th grade english reading up for when I got home and being shocked that a car that had a comp in 84 would have drums. Maybe it was a rare instance of Germans not over engineering with stopping power it didn't need. Or, a cheap way to carry over from the 320. I don't E21s well enough to know what they had going on.

Sorry OP, good call dan.

 

The only reason the brakes thing sticks out in my mind -- aside from the fact that I'm sitting 20 feet from a 318is -- is that the 1990 318is MotorWeek review heralded the braking behavior as "the way all cars should stop." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRgKisbQ87U