1989 BMW 325i

Today’s E30 325i is a well maintained and lightly upgraded survivor that hardly shows its 26 years or 174k miles. It’s not an “is” model but it looks just as good sitting on E38 16″ basketweaves and a lower H&R/Bilstein combo. As is expected on BMWCCA classifieds, the clean appearance is backed up by well-documented care. Overall, it’s a great, driver-quality E30 with a clean look only available in the absence of a spoiler. The only real question here is do the nice upgrades and care justify $10k for 174k miles?

Click for details: 1991 BMW 325i on eBay

Year: 1989
Model: 325i
Engine: 2.5 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 174,000 mi
Price: $10,000 OBO

The Story
I love this car. I have owned it for almost 4 years and enjoyed every single moment with it. I get compliments on it almost every time I take it out. It’s rare to see an E30 in the Northeast in excellent condition like this and people notice. It’s the nicest one around but it’s time to pass it on. With a growing family and a recently acquired third vehicle I just don’t have the room or time to drive my E30 so I’m putting her up for sale.

The Details

ENGINE
The engine is the original M20 2.5L straight six. At 166k miles, it’s received a new new timing belt, water pump, cam seal, crank seal, all the belts, valve cover gasket, and fuel pump, cap and rotor, and spark plugs. The previous owner mad a few performance upgrades including long tube style headers, Eurosport performance 535is computer chip, and 17.5lb injectors from a 1995 325is (M50). You can really feel the increase in performance from those upgrades.

TRANSMISSION
The car has the a original 5-speed manual transmission. It shifts into all the gears with no grinding or slipping issues. The shift knob is the short shift version.

INTERIOR
It has ultra rare European Recaro sport seats. These were only available in Europe as an upgrade to the original sports seats. The interior has been re-upholstered in black leatherette with Alcantara gray perforated cloth. Rear headrests and brackets have been added to the rear seats. This was an option only available on European models. The interior is in excellent condition except for a couple of small cracks on the dash that are covered with a dash mat. I planned on replacing the dash at some point but never got around to it.

PAINT AND BODY
The body is in excellent shape with no major dents or scrapes although there is a small crease above the left front fender. The car has its original factory paint except for the bumpers that appear to be painted. This car has lived in Southern California all it’s life and has only been driven in dry weather since I have had it in MA. It has never seen snow, salt and it is 100% rust free. The paint is 25 years old and is still very glossy, but it’s starting to show its age and has some scratches and dings that are hard to pick up with the camera. I was thinking of repainting it, but I liked that fact it still had the factory paint and a little patina so I kept it as is.

WHEELS AND TIRES
One of my favorite parts of the car… The wheels are from a 2000 BMW 740i that were redrilled for the E30 lug pattern. They are 16×8 ET23 with 205/50/16 tires. The tires have about 8000 miles on them.

ELECTRICAL AND ACCESSORIES
The A/C system is R134a refrigerant and blows very cold. The head unit is a Pioneer CD player with Aux. input upfront and Alpine speakers in the rear. I usually hook up my iPhone and stream music through Spotify. Both the power windows and mirrors work great and the sunroof is manual. No leaks.

EXHAUST
The catalytic converter has been removed and has a resonator installed in its place with a Magnaflow 18″ muffler and 2.5″ tubing. The exhaust sounds sporty and aggressive. It is not excessively loud and annoying or droney. It really sounds great above 4000 rpm and the exhaust upgrades have made a difference in performance.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES
The car rides on H&R springs and Bilstein Sport shocks that were installed in the fall of 2011. They have approximatley 8k miles on them. The springs lower the car about 1-inch and the sport shocks really make the car handle and corner great. Although I will admit the ride can be a little harsh on New England roads. The car recieved new brake pads and sensors with resurfaced rotors in 2010 along with new tie rods and control arms with M3 bushings.

MISCELLANEOUS
The car has always passed inspection and is registered in MA until November 2015. I have an accident free, clean and clear title in my name.

This is strong money for a 325i, but it’s the right one to command it. Looks great through and through – how about that interior? One of the nicer leather/alcantara upgrades in an 80s car I’ve seen. The mechanical upgrades are well-chosen too and it must sound great. With the extra assurance of being sold by a card-carrying enthusiast, it’d make a great little brother to the E28 M5!

-NR