BMW E30 (4cyl) common issues?

[Akagi]

E30, E36 engine. Problem solved.

(not being entirely serious, that sounds like a-lot of work)

But I don't like E36's. I wouldn't consider owning one to be honest... That was the generation when they became big, bulky, and boring to look at... To drive they might be fanastic, but I wouldn't want to walk up to my car thinking "I wish that was an E30..." I like E21's, 23's, 24's, 27's, 28's, 29's, and 30's... Basically anything they made between the mid 70's and late 80's... So one of those, or abandon the BMW plan altogether... At the minute, it looks like the latter... At least to start off with

Just to help me understand, how unreliable are we thinking here? What kind of issues do you forsee, to what scale, how often, and why?

As much as it may not seem like it at times, I am taking what you are telling me on board. It isn't what I want to hear, but i'm hearing it

I'm sure the fact that i'm still clinging onto this gives you an idea of the scale of my irrational desire for an old BMW

 

[godinman]

You're not planning on chavving it up are you? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/E30-MUST-...8196815?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item41735aadcf

 

[Akagi]

You're not planning on chavving it up are you? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/E30-MUST-...8196815?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item41735aadcf

Oh dear god no :'(

Stock or M-Tech. Nothing else.

 

[Akagi]

If those are your expectations, then you are going to have a bad time with an e30!

I said that I don't expect to be in constant worry, not that I would be taken aback if something went wrong.

Even if I was driving one of the most unreliable cars you could imagine, I wouldnt drive it while thinking "oh god please dont break, it better not break, not now, please dont break" because that's ridiculous.

 

[sigma]

Even if I was driving one of the most unreliable cars you could imagine, I wouldnt drive it while thinking "oh god please dont break, it better not break, not now, please dont break" because that's ridiculous.

Says the person who has never owned a car. When you break down and you are on your way to somewhere really important then I'm sure your opinion will be different compared to when you're sat posting on ocuk.

 

[pcoltrane]

Says the person who has never owned a car. When you break down and you are on your way to somewhere really important then I'm sure your opinion will be different compared to when you're sat posting on ocuk.

Or when your car is yet again off the road for repairs while you empty your wallet and take the bus...

 

[Duke]

I'd ignore everything that website says! Honest John is so full of complete and utter rubbish that I'd not want anyone to follow anything he says.

The replies sent to him in the Telegraph Motors letters section each Sunday are comical to read.

 

[Akagi]

Says the person who has never owned a car. When you break down and you are on your way to somewhere really important then I'm sure your opinion will be different compared to when you're sat posting on ocuk.

If i'm on my way somewhere important and it breaks down, of course i'll be annoyed, and I might feel like a tool for buying the car in the first place, i'm not disputing that. All I said was that I wouldn't be constantly petrified about the car breaking while i'm driving it, cos there are other things to worry about...

 

[Akagi]

I suppose the logical conclusion would be to put this goal of owning an old BMW on hold until I can afford to buy one which might be worth the time, and probably isn't my daily runaround.

Well that's a long way off...