Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Most of us who are car enthusiasts have a desire at some point or another to go racing. Ever since watching my uncle work the Sports Car Club of America ITE circuit with this ’88 Corvette, I was hooked. The constraints of urban living make having a dedicated race machine a bit impossible, but one can dream. This 1986 BMW 325 built to National Auto Sport Association specifications seems like a good place to start satisfying the urge for those who have track day visions.
The 535is provides a lot of E28 bang for your bucks, with the spoilers and much of the handling improvements of the M5 along with a lot more color choices and lower maintenance costs. The M30 is a beast that can go for Mercedes-diesel-type miles, and all the while you’re cruising in one of my personal-favorite car designs. Today’s is a well-used example that has been cared for enough to still be a good buy. The 80s-BMW price bug may hit these some day, but for now they’re one of the best bargains out there as the M-cars and the E30 “is” models become coveted and values are driven up.
I’ve recently been on a bit of a kick enjoying the looks of the BBS Mahle wheels. I’m not entirely sure why they appeal more to me today than they did last week, or last year, or even when my father had a set on his 1982 BMW 633CSi two decades ago. Then, I felt they looked outdated and undersized and really preferred the looks of the RS wheels he later placed on the CSi; but there’s a certain purity about the original design that I really like. Generally associated with the E9 and E24 models, the BBS Mahle wheels also made an appearance on the E21 320is. Today’s example is stunning in Henna Red with claimed original condition and lower mileage; but does that support the high asking price?
This E30 M3 is an interesting proposition thanks to reversible decisions. The owner has taken some liberties, mainly surrounding his love for the color red and some minor modifications to the running gear, but with some diligence this car could easily be returned to a very stock exterior look (the red valve cover is probably here to stay for a while). One thing that is not reversible is the salvage title, which clearly contradicts his claim of a “clean MN title.” This confusion along with a lack of explanation as to why the engine was disassembled at 196k miles without doing a full rebuild raises question marks that E30 M3 buyers don’t like seeing these days. On the other hand, question marks can also keep it from smashing through the $30-$40k barriers we’ve seen many E30s surpass.
I was joking around with our editor, Paul, saying that I was pretty sure we could just feature E30s all day long and everyone would be happy. There’s a seemingly endless supply of examples that come to the market every week. There are the normal S50/S52 swaps, some crazy turbo editions, mint condition original examples, tired daily drivers and everything in between. But occasionally something special pops up that really makes you take notice. Much like earlier’s H26 modified 325i, here is a 325i that was apparently originally modified by Hartge in Germany. Sporting some of the really tasty Hartge bits but not a full H26 conversion, the Coup de gras has to be the Weismann hardtop:
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