Looking for project car for restoration

Love E30s. Had 4 of them.
Find the best coupe you can. Avoid rust - that one is roached. Avoid the sedan as not worth much. The cabriolets are nice but most now need structural metalwork as they lack strength and crack. Also avoid an auto.
If you can't afford a 318is (baby M3) look for a six cylinder. I quite like the 325e's You can swap the head and ECU chip and they turn into a bit of a monster..
 
Hello everyone,

thanks a lot for your comments, I am really taking them in consideration, the red rusted E30 will no longer be an option.

however.... what do you guys think about this idea?


BMW e21 (with the idea of a group 5 wide body)
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sorry , but are looking into scrap yard cars you can get for free ?
And then build a 100k race car ? o_O
I just don't get it.
 
that e30 will cost you a big pile of money to set right. i think it will cost you a lot more than you can ever get out of it. there have been some decent e30s on BaT - most have sold for below $20k ... and most didn't need much work. my humble opinion, i wouldn't touch that car unless they were paying me to take it ... or at a minimum, giving it to me. i like the e30, but i also like the e21 as well as the e9, e3 and 2002. not trying to be harsh, just trying to be honest. many wise people have said the most expensive e9 coupe, was the one that was purchased for a low price ... the same is true for other cars.

for example - https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-bmw-325is-84/
 
I am also looking at BMW E28
sorry , but are looking into scrap yard cars you can get for free ?
And then build a 100k race car ? o_O
I just don't get it.
haha yes more or less, I guess my budget is really low, and the 100k race car maybe is also not exacly the case.

My dream car is a E9, unfortunatelly too expensive for me. Sorry for posting cheap cars in a super cool E9 forum.
 
Searching for a project is great fun. I recommend that you think about:
  • Even a car in good condition can eat up a lot of cash, so buy the best you can afford of any model you decide on.
  • Choose the make and model you are looking for based on what you really like and make a search plan and don't rush, look for the right one.
  • You said you were looking for a project, great! What are your skill sets and then get a car that plays to those skills.
    • Somewhat skilled mechanically? Get a car with no (little) rust and a great body
    • Have some welding and metal working skills, then get one that is mechanically sound and needs body work
  • Think about the space and time that you have. Do you have enough of either to take on a project of the magnitude that you have shown with the last two you posted?
I recommend that, once you settle on a make and model (or two), that you take some time and ask a lot of people, family included, if they know anyone that has one that they are looking to sell. You may be surprised at what you find. Most of all, take your time and choose carefully to get one that fits your skill-set.
 
Ok one more scrap car/complete trash just for fun (but still give me your opinion please hehe)

BMW E28

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and of course the million dolar idea....(in my dreams)

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Ok I will stop bothering you guys for now......until I found another piece of trash.


Thanks again for the feedback, I wish I had a higher budget, but I have the idea that the best time to start is now, and start with what you can.


Cheers!


Alberto.
 
Searching for a project is great fun. I recommend that you think about:
  • Even a car in good condition can eat up a lot of cash, so buy the best you can afford of any model you decide on.
  • Choose the make and model you are looking for based on what you really like and make a search plan and don't rush, look for the right one.
  • You said you were looking for a project, great! What are your skill sets and then get a car that plays to those skills.
    • Somewhat skilled mechanically? Get a car with no (little) rust and a great body
    • Have some welding and metal working skills, then get one that is mechanically sound and needs body work
  • Think about the space and time that you have. Do you have enough of either to take on a project of the magnitude that you have shown with the last two you posted?
I recommend that, once you settle on a make and model (or two), that you take some time and ask a lot of people, family included, if they know anyone that has one that they are looking to sell. You may be surprised at what you find. Most of all, take your time and choose carefully to get one that fits your skill-set.

Wow, thanks a lot for the enlightenment, you are so right in everything you say.

So grateful for the help I have received!

I will take it easy, I am getting over excited and carried away.

Thanks a lot!


Alberto.
 
I think you should buy a car from Belgium or France. Buying a car from Sweden is the US equivalent of Ohio or Illinois.
 
Also , if you are putting your savings in restoring a car that has "no" special value in the end..... you will never have budget for a serious project.
With the cars you posted , buy a few parts and you never see your money back , putting "10k" in a finished "5k" car.
 
I bought my basket case e9 when I was 23, it was the first e9 I had ever seen in real life, so I had no coupe-specific knowledge, and I didn't have any real experience in restoring a car. 5 years later I got it back on the road.

So it is possible if you really want to, but it's very expensive and time consuming. I got my CSi for 6000€ back in 2013, put around 50k€ into the restoration.
A similar coupe as a starting point nowadays is probably around 20k€.
And the part prices have also doubled or more since then, so a project will be very expensive.

@Belgiumbarry 's coupe is a lot of coupe for the money!
 
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