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Hey Guys,

A friend of my is working in South Africa and he bought a E30 325i coupe... And he ask me if i want to buy it after he's finishing work (december)...
But it's a right hand drive and i think it's not nice driving in Holland ... (he works on sale and marketing and know how to import)
My question is: How is the market for E30 325i coupe's in the UK? Is that a car everyone want's and hardly to get... or are there enough and it's not worth to import...

Greetings Randy

Decent 325i 2 doors are always in demand AFAIK.

Yes and the South African spec 325i has some really sought after parts. If its a 325is, will have a 2.7 and some aluminium panels

Yep the 325iS is a sought after valuable car fitted with the Alpina 2.7 engine, but I guess this is not one of them.

Options make a whole difference on the price I guess, like A/C and sunroof, and of course mileage and general condition.

@Randy,

I would say.... import the car into the netherlands and try it here. A very nice E30 325i would be sellable here and otherwise you have the engine for an engineswap in the E21. If it is the 2.7i engine this brings enough money then. Is it before 1987 then?

The south african Air Flow Box is Sought after by the E30 guys, and the values on E30 325`s are not spectacular, its all about Mtec 1 and Mtec 2 that people want more....


J

If you're importing from South Africa,it's the E30 333i that you want.In my opinion an imported 325i is just that.An imported 325i.A good 325iS in the UK can fetch good money,but it MUST have FSH,low miles,low owners.The lot!

The SA 325iS is a homologation special with aluminum bonnet and doors and the Alpina C2 2.7 engine and worth quite something. And it's just as hard to find as a 333i.

Importing from outside the EU will attract TAX (there are soem loop holes howlong you owned it abroad and how long will you use it for) so that going to be about £500 on a decent 325i, plus registration and road tax about £150 plus transport £750 so if it worth 3k (assuming it's mint) you got to be getting it for 1k to make any money
Jason

--ALPINA-- wrote:The south african Air Flow Box is Sought after by the E30 guys, and the values on E30 325`s are not spectacular, its all about Mtec 1 and Mtec 2 that people want more....


J

Hope that's enough information for you Randy. Jimi just out of curiosity why is an SA Air flow box so sought after?

Because the airbox sits lower down into the front panel where the aiflow is cooler direct from the outside, the european airboxes is higher up and does draw air from the engine which is warm.. engine runs better with more performance when cold air is drawn into the manifold..giving better combustion!! Have you ever started a car in the cold and driver it and felt much faster?


J

Ah thanks for enlightening me there Jimi. I guess with the cold comes ice and rain so I usually drive slower not faster, but I'll try to make a comparison some day!

cars always feel much faster in cold damp conditions. its more noticable on forced induction cars. the air is dencer and has v slightly more oxygen in it.

you drive slower in the rain?? do you own a rear wheel drive car???

murran wrote:cars always feel much faster in cold damp conditions. its more noticable on forced induction cars. the air is dencer and has v slightly more oxygen in it.

you drive slower in the rain?? do you own a rear wheel drive car???

i drive slower in the rain although my back wheels are normally going about 6 times faster than i should and at a jaunty angle. oh i do love a bit o drift

murran wrote:cars always feel much faster in cold damp conditions. its more noticable on forced induction cars. the air is dencer and has v slightly more oxygen in it.

you drive slower in the rain?? do you own a rear wheel drive car???

I think I have an inkling of what your replies going to be, but yes definitely drive slower in the rain. I've been driving an Audi A6 quattro for the last 3 years and not being the best driver in the world means I can't chance it in my E21 now. Mind you I'd drive slower in any car at the moment. 9 points on your license does that to you