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1989 BMW 320i Touring

1989 BMW 320i Touring

Published March 11, 2015 by Andrew

I promised myself I’d switch it up this week and not write up another BMW but then this rig came across my desk and I couldn’t ignore it. Royal Blue over Tan leather is one of my all time favorite color combos. It looks good on nearly any vehicle and the E30 Touring is no exception, it just works so well with the design and vibe of the vehicle. I have to say the replica BBS wheels are not for me, but the bright silver polish on them does pair nicely with the blue. I look to swap them out for a 5 or 10 spoke wheel if I was going to go with an aftermarket set, otherwise I think some E46 M3 wheels would look excellent here, though I’m sure many of you will disagree.
I think that one of the most attractive things about all E30’s is the variety of ways they can be modified (or not) by their owners. There are so many different paths one can go down, full Euro-spec, engine swaps, “Stanced”, rallye or just restored to stock. Each genre of E30 has its own vibe and I think this one would be best lightly modified but kept visibly simple. Blue/Tan is a pretty classy color combo, one that evokes thoughts of clean European cities and tidy country homes. What I’m trying to say here is this isn’t a model I’d like to see turned into a hotrod with a Thule rack and bunch of stickers on the windows. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t want to replace the sway bars, control arms, end links and all the bushings because I certainly would. The beauty of an E30 is that it’s a relatively slow car that you can drive fast if you know what you’re doing and enhancing the handling capabilities will only enhance that experience.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 BMW 320i Touring on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1986 Hartge H26 SP

Tuner Tuesday: 1986 Hartge H26 SP

Published March 10, 2015 by Carter

Well, GCFSB faithful, “ExoticCarsJapan” has provided us with a bit of a headscratcher today. I’m continually mystified by the seemingly endless amount of original and perfect condition Alpina, Hartge, AMG and Ruf cars that come out of Japan. It’s as if they were all bought and stuck in a storage container, awaiting their certain increase in value. And right now, it doesn’t get much hotter than the E30 market is in terms of number of people interested and number of cars coming to the market. Like some of the rare Alpina models we’ve previously covered, here’s a real-deal Hartge. The strange part, from what I can tell however, is the badge which matches the VIN plate – it reads H26 SP. What’s strange about that is that this car appears to be slightly different than most of the H26s – and I can’t find any actual information on the H26 SP:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Hartge H26 on eBay

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1988 BMW M3 Evolution II

1988 BMW M3 Evolution II

Published March 9, 2015 by Carter

While as of late I have not been a huge fan of the early M3 market or the resulting insanity involving all-things E30, I have to admit a very soft spot for the box-flared high-revving wonder. I’ve loved the E30 M3 since I first learned of their existence; trips to the track in the early 1990s with my father only heightened my respect for what was really one of the few track-ready cars out of the box. Back then, it wouldn’t be uncommon for half or more of the instructor group to be zipping around the track in one of the many M3s that would turn up to hot lap. I even remember one of the first times I got to lap around Lime Rock was in a M3. On the back straight (No Name, which ironically is named and isn’t a straight) I looked over at the first kink in horror as the driver, a soft spoken friend of my father’s, whipped the M3’s engine into a frenzy above the indicated redline. Surely, pistons would emerge from the hood in just a moment – but they didn’t, and with reckless abandon he flung the car into the uphill, barely lifting off the throttle for turn-in, then cresting the hill with a touch of opposite lock and the wheels spinning. That’s what the M3 did – it turned otherwise normal, law abiding individuals into hooligans. But it was because of the natural balance, the race-bred motor and the success on the track that this car encouraged you to drive it at 10/10ths. Or even, occasionally, 11/10ths – plenty have encountered hard objects in their lifetime. But now, these cars are no longer the go-to track rat they once were; they’ve become collector royalty – and few are as collectable as the special editions like this Evolution II:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 BMW M3 Evolution II on eBay

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1988 BMW 320i Touring

1988 BMW 320i Touring

Published March 4, 2015 by Andrew

The E30 Touring I wrote up last week was a fine example but not for me as it was a.) Red and b.) a RHD model. I quickly moved on from that vehicle and wasn’t really giving the E30 Touring much thought, that is until I came across this beauty on eBay.

Certain cars just catch my eye and immediately I feel a connection to them. Such is the case with this 1988 320i Touring that currently resides in New Jersey. The overall condition of the car looks to be quite good for its age and living in a state that still thinks it’s ok to use road salt. Most people think silver is a boring exterior choice but here, I think it works splendidly. The blacked out kidneys are a nice touch, something I would have wanted to do myself. It’s such a minor detail but one that really makes the car pop given that the window trim is also black, not of that chrome garbage. The 15″ BBS mesh wheels also look to be in good condition, some scratches and curbage are present but not so much that I’d take issue with their condition.

The interior of this car is what really sells me on it, no tears, cracking on the dash or droopy headliner. The grey cloth seats are wonderfully simple and the grey door cards only add to the clean, elegant vibe of the car. It’s getting harder and harder to find BMWs with appealing interiors, whether it’s the condition or the color choices, that makes this car even more of a rarity in today’s market. I’d go so far as to say this is the most lust inducing classic BMW I’ve come across in over a year of carefully watching the used market, that includes M variants as well.

Click for details: 1988 BMW 320i Touring on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1991 Alpina RLE

Tuner Tuesday: 1991 Alpina RLE

Published March 3, 2015 by Paul

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The first of the BMW Z1s to roll off the production line are now eligible for legal importation to the US, given they’ve crossed the 25 year old mark. None of the 8,000 produced over three years made their way stateside, but these roadsters with their funky downward retracting doors do have a cult following. Famed BMW tuner Alpina tried their hand at modifying the Z1, the result being the vehicle you see here: the RLE, or Roadster Limited Edition. Only 66 of these special Z1s were ever made, half going to Japan and half allocated for Europe.

Amongst the modifications was an inline-6 enlarged to 2.7 liters that bumped power to around 200 bhp, shorter front springs and trademark 17″ Alpina wheels. Along with the original 66 produced, a handful were also converted to Alpina spec from original Z1s. This RLE for sale at 4Star Classics is one of the original 66 and produced. It’s hard to imagine a Z1 being thought of as common, but this RLE takes exclusivity to another level.

Click for details: 1991 Alpina RLE at 4Star Classics

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