1988 BMW 3-Series

Coupe

I6

Manual

WBAAB5405J8866170

Clear

Gasoline

E30 BMW 5spd 325i coupe for auction. Started life as a 325 with the eta motor. Converted to the 2.5 liter i motor a couple of years ago. Motor received a top end rebuild, with new gaskets and seals done on the lower end before it was dropped into the rust free shell. New rockers, springs, seals and 284 cam, timing belt, thermostat and water pump done at the same time. 173 ECU installed. Lightweight flywheel and performance clutch installed at same time to help it rev a little faster. Instrument cluster swapped over as well to represent the increased redline and motor bottom end age. When you pull the valve cover, everything still looks new. Synthetic oil change just done. Exhaust is a High flow cat with same size factory piping running all the back to a simple magnaflow 2 into 1 small muffler. Muffler tip is plain and ends right at the opening of the rear skirt. Sounds good, doesn't drone inside, not raspy, not ricey. Upgraded almost everything else about the same time including: Ground control coilovers with Koni adjustable shocks TR Motorsports 17" wheels. Original 2.93 eta differential still installed. Kept it in there as I have another e30 that gets really bad gas mileage. This one keeps it an average of 25mpg. Genuine euro M Technic 2 front and rear bumpers with lower valance. Not the fake GRP or duraflex copies. You'll notice the difference in the sides of the bumpers. No marker lights. The US versions ruin the lines with amber and red markers right in the center lines of the bumper. Thule roof bars with wind deflector. Sport seats in beige. Passengers seat could use a retrim, but its serviceable and everything works. Rear seat in great condition. Rear pop windows installed. Ellipsoid headlights. Car runs well with no issues. Strong motor, solid trans that shifts smoothly. Now, it's not a perfect car, she does have her minor issues from age, but its an excellent base to do whatever you want to do. Great frame, good addons that will accommodate future modifications. Flaws - being critical. Rust on bottom of drivers door and not the original door. Small spot of surface on the rear tail just below license plate. Solid, but needed to mention. Rocker panels, trunk wells, and wheel arches are solid with no rust. Undercarriage is clean with zero rust in the pans. All panel gaps are good and there is no body filler anywhere. Drivers side was repainted at some point, and the door and front left fender are DOT replacement (no matching vin tag). Paint still has decent shine, it does have some rock chips to the hood and a couple of other spots. Clear is peeling in the front drivers fender. Typical door dings from parking lots. Not bad, but they're there. Rear driver quarter panel has one dent from an inexperienced fender rolling incident long before I got her. Odometer does not work. Bottom end had 160 with a working odometer, but it failed not long after the swap. I have a few e30s and don't drive them much, so best guess is about 170k total miles. Blower fan creaks occasionally, but all speeds work. Heat works well. A/C works but has a pin hole leak in the condenser. R134 fill last about 2 or 3 weeks. Temp stays cool with a lower thermostat. Even sitting in traffic in August, it never made it past half. Usually sits just below. Sunroof works, but motor is out of sync. Power antenna does not extend. The motor works fine, it's the toothed line that is connected to the extendable portion. Fog lamps work, but both have cracks in the lens. Understand, she is an older car. There are going to be minor issues as it is not factory fresh or restored, but she's been a very reliable and fun car to drive with great gas mileage and good looks that get comments everywhere.