First project car- E24 vs E30..What's your opinion?

Well, I've been thinking of buying a project car. Weather is getting cool in Dallas and I'm thinking to do something as a side hobby-job for my college fund.
Since I do not have large project fund ($4k-8k max), so I started to look for old BMWs with few problems such as...

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/2560872839.html
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/2583376654.html
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/2599365649.html

So, as you can see, they have bit of problems. Head gasket, power steering, etc..I'm going to replace most of old parts and bring the car back to excellent condition. Simply ambitious lol.

Problem is, I've never done this kind of project so called 'restoration'. I was never professionally trained nor do I have ample experience like 10~20 years or so. But I am quite mechanically inclined and a fast learner, do have access to numbers of equipments since my neighbor has fully-gadgetted garage. Lucky me.


Replacing head gasket and several other gaskets/o-rings and mechanical parts won't be hard as long as I follow procedures of service manual, but how hard will it be to do body restoration?
According to the owners of those E24s, they are cosmetically in great condition. No rust/no visible damages except tiny dings. I only plan to re-paint since I don't have any experience with body restoration at all.


So..If anyone has ample experience with high-level of repair jobs and this kind of restoration, please give me any advice! What I should be aware of, prepare, etc. It's my ambitious(but rubbish? lol) first step, I may rely on your advice a lot.

TIA

I would go for the e24 or a e28 before a e30.

Originally Posted by deadpass

I would go for the e24 or a e28 before a e30.

Yeah I thought of looking for 5ers as well, but I'm more like a coupe/vert guy.
If you were planning a project, considering everything what would you choose between e24 and e28?

I've personally got an E30 convertible myself, as a project car:


I think it really depends what your goal is. Do you want just a nice car to drive around during the weekend or do you want an all our restoration? For me, I love the way the 6er look, but they are very hard to find around here. The E30 vert just fell in my lap so I went for that.

I overpaid a bit (but it is a 5MT and has a new top), but I just finished compiling a list of everything I want to do to it and we are looking at over $8k already. And the engine needs valve/head work so we might be on the same boat

Given your budget contraints, I'd go with the E30. Parts are cheaper and more readily available (someone's always parting out an E30 somewhere) and we're seeing their values appreciate while the E24 is still stagnant. Your money will go farther with one, just make sure you buy well: an i or is rather than an e model, a 5-speed rather than an auto, ideally a coupe over a sedan (the cabs are getting pricey), something rough but not rusty. Good luck.

I've got a 533i with a 745i motor and turbo swapped in for sale. I'm in Tyler.