Price: SOLD
Mileage: 158,500 Miles
Engine: M20B25 2.5-Liter Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual Transmission
Exterior color: Zinno Red Exterior (138)
Interior: Grey Leather Sport Interior
Additional features:
3-Spoke M Tech 1 Steering Wheel
3:73 Limited-Slip Differential
Leather Sport Seats
13-Button On-Board Computer
Map Light Mirror
BMW Factory Radio
BMW Premium Sound
Period Blaupunkt Stereo
14-Inch Style 5 Basketweave Wheels
Firestone Winterforce Tires
Colorado Car
Clean Carfax
All Maintenance Up to Date
2-Owners
Texas / Colorado Car
The 1984-1991 BMW 3 Series, known generationally as the E30, is the one model more than any other that earned BMW the Ultimate Driving Machine reputation. E30s are one of our specialty vehicles at Glen Shelly Auto Brokers. The population of worthy E30s was decimated when their values were at the bottom of the inverted bell curve of appreciation. Lower mileage, properly sorted, pristine examples like this one are extremely hard to find and have appreciated considerably in recent years. 1989 was arguably the best year of the E30. It had the late model M20B25 “i” motor, projector headlights, and a non-airbag steering wheel. The 325iS featured an aggressive front spoiler, rear deck lid spoiler, sport seats, an M Tech 1 steering wheel, 13-button onboard computer, sport suspension, and a limited-slip differential. The end result was a significant improvement over the base model 325 and arguably one of the best driver-focused E30s produced. Properly sorted examples like this one are extremely hard to find.
This Zinnoberrot over Grey Leather 1989 BMW 325iS came to us from the second owner, who reached a point in life where it was time to find it a new home. They purchased it from the first owner in 2004, always maintaining it at Schomp BMW with a thorough stack of records throughout their long tenure. The best E30’s are the ones that come from someone’s grandmother—and this is one of them! It is a completely stock and unmolested example of one of the best BMWs ever made. The only modification is a Blaupunkt stereo, that is a period correct upgrade to the BMW stereo. The Zinnoberrot exterior over gray interior is a great color combination; the exterior presents very well and its flaws are easily forgiven. The original paint shines up brilliantly, and everybody loves a shiny red E30! Everything is tight and the stock suspension combined with 14-inch basket weaves soak up the road at triple digit speeds. In preparation for sale we gave it a complete round of maintenance, including replacing the head with a fresh head gasket, timing belt, cam seal, water pump, spark plugs, valve adjustment, oil change, oil pan gasket, transmission seals, rear shock mounts, and a fan clutch. As it sits, it is a turn-key car ready to be enjoyed by its new owner. Other than making it mechanically sound, and a thorough detail inside and out, we decided to leave this one as close to original as possible—but we do have the capability to take it to the next level. Possible upgrades we have in stock are a sport cloth grey interior, lots of performance bits, and 15” basket weaves we can add for additional expense if the buyer would like to do so.
The Zinnoberrot paint is original, and presents very well. Close inspection does reveal small imperfections, in the form of rock chips along the leading edges and small dings and scratches (the worst being along the driver’s side rear quarter panel. There is also some UV fade on the upper section of the rear bumper. That said, I would much rather have a car that was original and showed its history over a shoddy repaint. There is no rust; common areas like the front fender seams, battery and jack trays, floorboards, and lower windshield are clean. All VIN tags are in place and the Carfax is clean. The passenger side rocker panel is pushed in, but it is a livable imperfection. The front and rear Roundel emblems are not faded. All black-work and trim are present and intact, with minor UV fade. The lower front “iS” lip is freshly replaced and looks great. The windshield is crack-free, as are the headlights, fog lights, marker lights, and tail lights. The retractable antenna works. The wheels have no bends or defects, but the finish is showing its age upon close inspection and they have minor curb rash. The center caps are present and Firestone Winterforce tires have 60% tread.
The interior is in good condition. There are no odors and it has never been smoked in. The carpet is in good condition and is protected by original BMW floor mats. The front seats have minor bolster wear, it appears the driver’s seat bottom has been reupholstered. The rear seat leather is great. The door cards are clean with no tears. The dashboard presentable, but does have several small cracks (we have a few crack-free dashboards in our inventory for additional expense). The 3-spoke M Tech I steering wheel has only minimal wear with very good leather. The early-style shift knob and boot are also in good condition, although the leather on the shift knob is beginning to wear at the top. All instrument cluster functions, including the odometer, work correctly. The 13-button onboard computer has correct backlighting and all functions work. The original BMW Premium Sound system works, the volume rheostat on the Blaupunkt head unit can be finicky, and the balance only works on the right front speakers. The heat blows warm, and air-conditioning blows… whatever the outside temperature is . All window and sunroof switches work. The central locking system works. Two keys and the owner’s manual are included with the sale.
This E30 has clearly always been correctly maintained, which is evident after only a short drive. The engine bay is clean, and still has the original cosmoline protectant on most components. The timing belt was just replaced, along with the list of other maintenance in the summary paragraph. No common E30 issues are present. The engine idles smoothly and pulls very strongly to redline. The clutch does not slip, the take-up is correct and the shifter is tight—not the spoon in a bowl of spaghetti that so many are. There are no driveline vibrations. The suspension is firm yet compliant and the bushings are tight. It passes emissions in Colorado, which we pay for.
This is a properly sorted, properly documented, and properly cared for E30 325iS. Like any E30, it will need continued care and maintenance, and it deserves to be well cared for by its new owner.
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