Bill's E30 M3 Project

[illirep]

Here is the official project thread for my newly acquired E30 M3. I have been looking for the right one for a couple years, and have watched prices climb out of control. This beauty was for sale locally and I decided to pull the trigger before they get even more pricey and out of my reach.

1990 BMW M3
e30 chassis
Diamond Schwartz Metallic
Gray Leather
86k miles
Uber rare OEM BMW carbon fiber rear wing
One 3 inch binder with almost complete documentation since new

The car came with some mods, some tasteful, some not:
-Supersprint exhaust and cats - going back to stock
-Evo2 rep front bumper - going with new OEM Euro bumper
-Beautiful OEM e39 multi-piece BBS wheels - undecided but leaning toward factory basket weaves that were included with the car for that original look
-B&M short shift kit - will remain
-Koni adjustable suspension - will remain
-TMS performance chip - will remain

I plan to document my journey here and here only.

One teaser pic for now ;)

[Pip]

Looks beautiful.

[KevinC]

Great project! I'm RIGHT there with you on your mod critique. The market for E30 M3's right now is white-hot, and the most valuable cars are the most stock ones. I'd definitely go back to a stock wheel, in a heartbeat.. especially since you can probably recruit most or all of the cost by unloading the E39 wheels.

Can't wait to see more pics.. hopefully rightside-up. ;)

[danewilson77]

Awesome.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/04/he3a6are.jpg

The friendliest forum on the planet.

[TigerTater]

MOAR pics please! Love it


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[illirep]

Ha - this forum hates iOS pictures.

The car came with 5 factory basket weaves!

[bcleaver]

Very nice.

[jgt_zhp]

Beautiful car, Bill. I love E30s, kind of wish I still had my '89 325iX. Diamond Schwartz is a great color for an e30 as well. Can't wait to see more

[illirep]

Thanks guys

[gmurphy]

Impressive. Very nice


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[johnrando]

What a machine!

[Avetiso]

:drool you have impeccable taste, Bill. I think we all can say that.

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[Hermes]

Congrats, gorgeous car

[slater]

awesome, bill. the boxed flares make the E30 proportionally correct - without them, not so much.

good choice!

peter

[illirep]

Thanks guys.

[illirep]

By the way, if anyone has any good female German names, I still need to name her. Something that says German, but has a pretty tone to it. An example of what not to suggest: Helga.

[TheFinanceGuy]

I'll throw out a few

These are people I actually know.... Not very many Germany names that sound "pretty."

Antje: Meaning Grace
Frauke: Meaning "little lady"
Katrin: Meaning pure

Beautiful looking car.

[n0kian]

Beautiful!!

[derbo]

Oh my god. Hot. I say go back to the stock weaves.

[ryankokesh]

Holy freakin crap. Sie ist sehr schön...

[328ioc]

Damn Bill, that thing is beautiful.

Also I vote this as a name.


Katrin: Meaning pure



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[fredo]

Well done, Bill ! She's a beauty. How many owners before you ?

[ELCID86]

Sie ist sehr schön...

jawohl

[illirep]

Thanks guys!

I also vote Katrin for both the sound and meaning!

I believe there were 4 previous owners. Two in Hawaii, one in Connecticut and one in Pennsylvania.

[poke08]

Congrats on the E30 M! Did your IR zhp sell?

[illirep]

Thanks - I have a deposit on the IR Zhp.

[gmurphy]

Thanks - I have a deposit on the IR Zhp.

Good news!


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[ELCID86]

super. hope it goes through.

[UdubBadger]

I'm in love! Awesome pickup bill!


Goin' HAM mobile

[illirep]

Thanks guys.

I know we have some old school BMW guys here....

I'm looking to remove the supersprint exhaust and cats from this car. Oem M3 parts are north of $3k at the dealership, which is simply ludicrous.

I've heard of e36 parts working, z3, etc. Does anyone here know for sure?

[3ZHPGUY]

Very Nice find, congrats

[derbo]

Thanks guys.

I know we have some old school BMW guys here....

I'm looking to remove the supersprint exhaust and cats from this car. Oem M3 parts are north of $3k at the dealership, which is simply ludicrous.

I've heard of e36 parts working, z3, etc. Does anyone here know for sure?

My GF's E30 has an E36 Section one with a custom rear magnaflow rear bumper. There was some hacking involved and it does have an E36 so I am unsure how much welding/hacking you would actually need.

[illirep]

Thanks. I'm not worried about fitment as much as I'm worried about performance compatibility between the 4 cylinder s14 and the inline 6 motor parts. I'm no tech, but aren't there issues concerning back pressure, air flow, etc?

[az3579]

Thanks guys!

I also vote Katrin for both the sound and meaning!

I believe there were 4 previous owners. Two in Hawaii, one in Connecticut and one in Pennsylvania.

Wow, I missed this thread. I KNEW this car was familiar... was the owner in Connecticut by any chance named Jim???

[hardrivn]

Ps Bill, I sold you that car and then found my ZHP 6speed vert in Brooklyn. Hope you love that as much as I love my new car. Also really wish those wheels would fit my ZHP as I would buy them back from you.

[hardrivn]

I called her Heidi as in Klum, good luck with the name.

[JupiterBMW]

Great looking car Bill. Have fun working on it and getting it right where you want it, I'm sure it'll be a gem when you're done with it.

[danewilson77]

Bump

"No flamesuit required"

[illirep]

Thanks for the bump Dane. Nothing to report here yet. The car has been at my body shop for the entire winter. I'm letting them take their sweet old time, and it frees up a garage space for me for the winter. Win-win!

Am having some paint correction done to roof, hood, side skirts, and mirrors. Also had a small rust spot on the passenger side rear quarter panel addressed.

Can't wait to share pics when I get her back!

[danewilson77]

Good hearing from you anyways :)

"No flamesuit required"

[elsanto]

Really late to the thread! Congrats! If you have any tech questions Lmk. Did you join the SIG mailing list yet? A great group of guys very passionate and not Pretentious at all.

S14 exhaust is specific to the m3 afaik. I recently put a used oem supplier mid and muffler on fitment was perfect and looks great. You've probably noticed that a lot of parts are nla by bmw..Much more quiet than the supersprint rear and vsr catted center I had on before.

I just replaced the master cylinder tonight, pedal feels incredible, I really love driving this car.

[illirep]

Got her back after a 14 month hiatus. Paint looks incredible after some professional grade paint correction. Had one fender and roof resprayed. Had the Evo carbon wing painted but left the gurney flap in carbon. Remainder of car wet sanded to perfection!

Just had oem cat put back on. Leaving super sprint muffler for now. Sounds much better than when I got her.

Took for first joy ride in over a year and got an immediate thumbs up from a Porsche 996 driver! This car demands respect ;).


23073230742307523076




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[illirep]

Please excuse my cluttered garage... It is stuffed for the winter.


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[Pip]

I love this car. Can't imagine paying for one myself because I'm not that comfortable yet but would be a blast to own one. Love the touch of CF on the wing

[danewilson77]

:drool

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[ELCID86]

Very nice Bill!


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46f member

[bcleaver]

So much like

[quikryptonite]

That is a fantastic looking machine. Makes me miss my 325is. Enjoy!

[danewilson77]

I'd be in for a few more pics for sure.

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[Johnmadd]

I love it Bill!

[illirep]

Thanks guys. I will definitely take some more pics. It was getting dark by the time I got home. I also want to get rid of the awful aftermarket headlights and put the original basket weaves back on before proper dslr pics....


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[elsanto]

Congrats Bill! I'm sure it was worth the wait. I ended up selling mine 2 weeks ago, no regrets *sniff*

[illirep]

Thanks and Congrats. Where did you have it listed? I didn't see it


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[johnrando]

Nice. Yup, pics pics pics.

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[illirep]

It has literally been raining here on and off for a week! I'm afraid she will melt if she gets wet.


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[hardrivn]

Looking great! you were right to return the front end to stock, I am a little conflicted about the paint on the factory carbon wing, but with the slight glazing and cracking I understand why, still that was an unobtanium part, and you might have been better getting an aftermarket spoiler to paint, keeping that one original and locked away for sale with the car. I do think the wing looks great painted though, I just wonder if it might have been worth more original with flaws or if it is worth more flawless with paint. I am excited to see it with the original wheels on it. Glad you got the car, hope you're happy with it.

[BADCLOWN]

Oh dear god I want it!

[fw_fw]

Oh dear god I want it!

Seriously....and what makes me really sick finding these in good condition for around $12K wasn't that long ago......

[danewilson77]

Bump

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