Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Following on the heels of the 1990 BMW M3 we featured last week, here comes an even later model 1991 M3 for sale in New Hampshire. This car has slightly less mileage and has a rebuilt, blueprinted motor under the hood and wears the iconic Alpine White on the outside. Bidding is strong on this one, eclipsing the $30,100 that the M3 from last week fetched.
I have a confession to make. Speaking as a former owner of a BMW E30, I’ve fallen out of love with them. Blasphemy, right? Hear me out. I feel as if this car has become a bit of a hipster in the world of modern classics. It’s a fantastic car, with plenty of engine options and body styles to choose from, not to mention good roadholding abilities. But somehow the myriad of aftermarket modifications coupled with the M3 pricing craze that has trickled down to the rest of the range leaves me a bit unmoved. After piloting GCFSB co-manager Carter’s race prepped Audi Coupe GT this summer, it made me realize there are plenty of other interesting, more exclusive machines out there that can be had for much less money. Subsequently, my attention has shifted to some nineties rarities like the Audi S6 Avant and Porsche 968.
This E30 M3 for sale in California isn’t a clapped out high mileage example, but it has been used and is described as reliable. Perfect, then, for the person who might want to use one of these early ///M machines daily.
Rounding off Turkey Day here at GCFSB, here’s a car that’s could be considered anything but a turkey. A tasty, late model E30 in the form of a 318is. Known in some circles as the “poor man’s M3”, this 3er had the new 1.8 liter M42 four cylinder engine with an updated Bosch Motronic system. With 138 horsepower, this was no dragster, but had excellent weight distribution and was the gateway drug to many great BMWs that would appear over the course of the 1990s. Even though E30 production was soon to be phased out, this model would reaffirm that the 3 series was still the vehicle of choice for those moving up in the world. This 318is comes to us from our reader Corey, who also happens to be the seller.
The E30 Touring influx is reaching critical mass, and where they used to come up once every few months, they are available in various levels of trim on eBay and craigslist around the country. The black on black one we recently featured was very tempting, but pretty spendy. Today’s receives negative points for the automatic transmission, but overall is looking outstanding in Royal Blue and some shiny BBS wheels. 167k miles is nothing to sneeze at, but the bids are starting much lower than the black edition’s $12,500 asking price. If you’re third pedal-averse but live in an area with actual seasons, this is the E30 touring for you!
Are you in the market for some cheap, silly fun? If so, today’s your lucky day. This bronzit 325is, a healthy performer right out of the box, has had turbo slapped on the inline-6 and now pushes out E46 M3 power to the wheels. It’s certainly no garage queen, but that’s clearly not what this bronzit brawler was built for. A little worn paint is no problem when you’re spooling up a fat turbo and drifting on an abandoned racetrack. Any turbo/project car should be approached very carefully, but the seller’s price makes it a little easier to take a gamble. There aren’t many E30s out there for $4k these days, and those that are are probably ready for some hooning. In that case, it might as well have a big turbo!