** Acme [Akagi] bought a pink estate car - E30 325i project log! **

acemastr said:
Shouldn't you be fixing the rust/mechanicals before spending on a useless mirror?
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Yes probably, but even though I haven't done some of the important stuff yet, if I see something that I know I will eventually want come up for sale for a good price, why not snap it up?

I also bought a rust free sunroof panel for £150. They usually go for £300+. I have no intention to put it in yet, but its nice to have it.

Prices of these things will only go up.
 
So I didn't drive the E30 for about a week, and now the ABS issue has come back, the drivers side window has stopped working, and the passenger side electric mirror has stopped working. :p :p

ABS issue I think I have pinned down so I'll sort that soon hopefully. The other two problems are down to a loose connection (or multiple) in the drivers door, more specifically in the flexible part where the wires exit the firewall and go into the door.
 
Those flexible connections seem to like breaking! I remember my dad's E39 alarm kept going off randomly, traced it to being the boot sensor triggering. Pulled the rubber sheath back and about 5 of the cables had split due to regular bending.

I do believe it was a bit of a design flaw on the E39 saloon though, the bend when closed was quite severe hence the cables splitting after 10+ years.
 
I'm just going to buy a replacement door wiring loom for now.

Also this isn't short term, but I'm struggling to choose between getting the car re-sprayed in its original colour (Brilliantrot) for originality, getting it re-sprayed in a slightly different shade of red which I prefer, for relative originality, or getting it re-sprayed a different colour, which I would greatly prefer but it would ruin the originality... A genuine E30 colour, a dark grey or something like that.

That said, the interior is no longer original, nor are the wheels, or the fitted optional extras... So does it really matter?
 
Acme said:
I'm just going to buy a replacement door wiring loom for now.

Also this isn't short term, but I'm struggling to choose between getting the car re-sprayed in its original colour (Brilliantrot) for originality, getting it re-sprayed in a slightly different shade of red which I prefer, for relative originality, or getting it re-sprayed a different colour, which I would greatly prefer but it would ruin the originality... A genuine E30 colour, a dark grey or something like that.

That said, the interior is no longer original, nor are the wheels, or the fitted optional extras... So does it really matter?
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Personally if I was to ever buy a classic like that I wouldn't stress about the originality of the colour. Let's be honest it's not an etype. I'd say go any colour you like and stick with BMW colours if you so incline.
 
I guess it comes down to if you'd get it painted properly (i.e leave no trace of the original brilliantrot) and thus fully strip the car to a shell before paint.

If the answer to this is no, go for the original colour, or possibly the closely matching (but slightly different) red.
 
I would get the exterior and door shuts done. The inner shell if you started pulling up carpets and trims would still be red, as would the engine bay. But everything you see would be the same colour.
 
paradigm said:
You'd need to do under the bonnet at a minimum for a colour change!

Grey car, red engine bay... nah.
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yeah agreed. Either stick with standard colour or go full on. I'd say a fresh deep grey colour would look great on it! I don't mind the red(actually love red) but it doesn't quite fit the e30 in my opinion.
 
Guys guys, Its not worth doing a strip down re-spray on. External and shuts/inner doors/panels will be fine. If the car ever gets fully stripped down in the future then the rest will get done too! :)
 
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I don't see the massive issue to be honest, firstly a red bay on a grey car won't look that bad because they are colours which compliment each other, and secondly, you won't be looking under the bonnet much anyway. I hope. :p

Anyway, if I keep the car as long as I plan to, the engine will undoubtedly come out at some point in my ownership anyway. At which point the bay can be painted. :)

This is all a long way off anyway, for now I'm more interested in thinking about the colour rather than the method of application.
 
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Acme said:
I don't see the massive issue to be honest, firstly a red bay on a grey car won't look that bad because they are colours which compliment each other, and secondly, you won't be looking under the bonnet much anyway. I hope. :p

Anyway, if I keep the car as long as I plan to, the engine will undoubtedly come out at some point in my ownership anyway. At which point the bay can be painted. :)
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It's a car that you're putting a good amount of time, effort and ultimately money into. You're at the point now where you're going to get it structurally sound and that is going to add some value in the future. Getting half a paint job done is going to be money well and truly lost for the sake of convenience and it will not add much to the car.

You may want to keep it a long time, but as E30s are going to be a rarity there is a chance it can hold some value. A half arsed paint job isn't going to look good and if you plan to sell and not lose too much, it'll only raise the question "what is this paint job hiding?". A red engine bay on a car anything other than red will look awful. Plus, they're far too many grey cars on the roads. We'll be going back to the old days when everything was black and white soon.
 
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