FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
- FRUNKenstein
- Curator Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3955
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
- Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
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FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
I bought this car back in June 1999. It was never a daily driver, but has been incredibly reliable. I eff'd up back in about 2002 by not changing the timing belt and had it snap. Although it is an interference engine, it ended up only being about a $1,500 fix. Other than that, there have been no major repairs. Thankfully, the convertible top is manual, so no hydraulics to maintain. I did a R-134a retrofit on the AC system at some point, and it's still blowing cold air. It's been pretty bulletproof over the years.
Its claim to fame is that I bought it sight-unseen off the internet out of Dallas. I was told by many, many people that it was absolutely insane to buy a car off the internet. I did it anyway. I can safely say 22 years later that it worked out OK after all.
Some pics:
Last night, I changed the master brake cylinder and flushed the entire brake system. I bought a decent quality Uro unit - not OEM, but not one of the $60 cheapo units either as the BMW forum guys say those cheapo ones never last. It wasn't a huge job, but the power steering reservoir was a huge PITA in getting to the front brake line connection to the master cylinder. But, all went well and the brakes are working great again!
Its claim to fame is that I bought it sight-unseen off the internet out of Dallas. I was told by many, many people that it was absolutely insane to buy a car off the internet. I did it anyway. I can safely say 22 years later that it worked out OK after all.
Some pics:
Last night, I changed the master brake cylinder and flushed the entire brake system. I bought a decent quality Uro unit - not OEM, but not one of the $60 cheapo units either as the BMW forum guys say those cheapo ones never last. It wasn't a huge job, but the power steering reservoir was a huge PITA in getting to the front brake line connection to the master cylinder. But, all went well and the brakes are working great again!
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
- 32wildbilly
- Never gonna run around and desert you
- Posts: 5779
- Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:46 pm
- Location: Kneebraska
Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
SCORE!! Car still looks nice.
FRUNKenstein wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 9:34 am I bought this car back in June 1999. It was never a daily driver, but has been incredibly reliable. I eff'd up back in about 2002 by not changing the timing belt and had it snap. Although it is an interference engine, it ended up only being about a $1,500 fix. Other than that, there have been no major repairs. Thankfully, the convertible top is manual, so no hydraulics to maintain. I did a R-134a retrofit on the AC system at some point, and it's still blowing cold air. It's been pretty bulletproof over the years.
It's claim to fame is that I bought it sight-unseen off the internet out of Dallas. I was told by many, many people that it was absolutely insane to buy a car off the internet. I did it anyway. I can safely say 22 years later that it worked out OK after all.
Last night, I changed the master brake cylinder and flushed the entire brake system. I bought a decent quality Uro unit - not OEM, but not one of the $60 cheapo units either as the BMW forum guys say those cheapo ones never last. It wasn't a huge job, but the power steering reservoir was a huge PITA in getting to the front brake line connection to the master cylinder. But, all went well and the brakes are working great again!
Never gonna make you cry...
- FRUNKenstein
- Curator Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3955
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
- Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
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Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
Thanks Billy!
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
- Cuda911
- Possum Hauler
- Posts: 897
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:34 pm
- Location: Oceanside and Vista (N. San Diego County), CA
Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
Love that car, looks great!
BTW, my 328i is prolly the best DD I have ever owned, in spite of its constant minor issues (the dreaded "stuck cup holder," etc.). Kind of funny story... since the Bimmer is my workhorse, I use it for everything.
A friend commented recently that I'm the only person he knows who grabs the BMW when needing to haul mulch from Home Despot. Or to haul opossums.
BTW, my 328i is prolly the best DD I have ever owned, in spite of its constant minor issues (the dreaded "stuck cup holder," etc.). Kind of funny story... since the Bimmer is my workhorse, I use it for everything.
A friend commented recently that I'm the only person he knows who grabs the BMW when needing to haul mulch from Home Despot. Or to haul opossums.
Mike
'68 Ford Custom 500; '70 Plymouth Cuda; '71 Ford Econoline; 73 Porsche 914 1.7, '74 Porsche 914 1.8; '74 Suzuki TC185; '86 Suzuki GS450L; '88 Subaru GL104WD Turbo Ltd Edn;; '88 Subaru XT; '91 Lexus ES250; '93 Jeep Wrangler, '99 Porsche Boxster, '03 Turbo VW Beetle; '03 Porsche Boxster; '03 Porsche Carrera C2; '07 Porsche Cayman, '11 BMW 328i, '12 Porsche 991 S, '14 Porsche Cayman, & a mishmash of other vehicles.
'68 Ford Custom 500; '70 Plymouth Cuda; '71 Ford Econoline; 73 Porsche 914 1.7, '74 Porsche 914 1.8; '74 Suzuki TC185; '86 Suzuki GS450L; '88 Subaru GL104WD Turbo Ltd Edn;; '88 Subaru XT; '91 Lexus ES250; '93 Jeep Wrangler, '99 Porsche Boxster, '03 Turbo VW Beetle; '03 Porsche Boxster; '03 Porsche Carrera C2; '07 Porsche Cayman, '11 BMW 328i, '12 Porsche 991 S, '14 Porsche Cayman, & a mishmash of other vehicles.
- FRUNKenstein
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Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
Thanks Cuda. And generally, at least with the top down, I let the opossums ride in the back seat.Cuda911 wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 9:27 pm Love that car, looks great!
BTW, my 328i is prolly the best DD I have ever owned, in spite of its constant minor issues (the dreaded "stuck cup holder," etc.). Kind of funny story... since the Bimmer is my workhorse, I use it for everything.
A friend commented recently that I'm the only person he knows who grabs the BMW when needing to haul mulch from Home Despot. Or to haul opossums.
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
- FRUNKenstein
- Curator Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3955
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
- Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
- Contact:
Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
Yesterday, I replaced the aftermarket Kenwood Radio/CD player with a Radio/Bluetooth player. Now that I have a new iPhone with no headphone jack, there was no way to stream music to the Kenwood that I had installed back in 2006. It only took about 30 minutes to swap everything over as the wiring color scheme was the exact same on the old head unit as the one I replaced it with.
I also replaced the old Wal Mart generic floor mats with a set off eBay that was supposedly specifically designed for the E30. They look nice and were only $79 (with free shipping). Unfortunately, they are not the same shape as the ad references. They are just a little too big. The fronts are pretty close - maybe 3/4” too large all the way around. But, the rears are probably 2” too big and aren’t even the same shape as depicted in the ad. I threw the box away, plus don’t want to screw with returning them, so will probably just keep them as they are an improvement over the old generic ones. Plus, unless you have the front seats leaned forward, you barely see the rears.
I also replaced the old Wal Mart generic floor mats with a set off eBay that was supposedly specifically designed for the E30. They look nice and were only $79 (with free shipping). Unfortunately, they are not the same shape as the ad references. They are just a little too big. The fronts are pretty close - maybe 3/4” too large all the way around. But, the rears are probably 2” too big and aren’t even the same shape as depicted in the ad. I threw the box away, plus don’t want to screw with returning them, so will probably just keep them as they are an improvement over the old generic ones. Plus, unless you have the front seats leaned forward, you barely see the rears.
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
SWEET. Do they do Radwood events near you? That car is a Yuppie time machine!
Understeer: You will hit the wall with the front end.
Oversteer: You will hit the wall with the rear end.
Horsepower: How hard you will hit the wall.
Torque: How far you will move the wall.
Gone hunting with Alec Baldwin and Dick Cheney. Back soon.
- FRUNKenstein
- Curator Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3955
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
- Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
- Contact:
Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
Hmm, I hadn't heard of that. But, damn near my entire hooptie fleet would qualify.
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
- FRUNKenstein
- Curator Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3955
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
- Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
- Contact:
Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
I have been driving the E30 quite a bit over the past month since we sold one of our daily drivers. It had developed a clunk in the right rear wheel well, which a little online sleuthing revealed to be an upper rear shock mount. The part was in stock at Advance Auto for about $23, and I replaced it myself. Really a very simple repair. I bought 2 mounts as I figured I would do the left rear as well, but the bolt that attached the shock to the shock mount was not coming off without a fight, and I ended up buggering up the threads on the shock. So, I put it back together. When either the shocks or the left shock mount go bad, I'll just replace both rear shocks and shock mounts. The car rides fine now, so there's no sense in replacing parts that aren't broken.
I also charged the AC system with 3 ounces of oil and 12 ounces of refrigerant. It blows cold now (well, "cold" being judged against the standard for a 34 year old system designed for R12 refrigerant that's now running R134a).
I also charged the AC system with 3 ounces of oil and 12 ounces of refrigerant. It blows cold now (well, "cold" being judged against the standard for a 34 year old system designed for R12 refrigerant that's now running R134a).
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
- FRUNKenstein
- Curator Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3955
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
- Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
- Contact:
Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet
Looking through the glovebox last night, I noticed a few things:
-Last timing belt change was on November 30, 2009. I probably haven't put over 3,000 miles on the car since then, but it is clearly due for a timing belt change. I learned the hard way that timing belts do break on these cars. I have the new TB/WP parts kit sitting on my workbench. I plan to do that over the summer.
-That 11/30/2009 timing belt receipt included replacing a camshaft.
-Last oil change was April 8, 2020. So, even though I haven't put a lot of miles on the car, I will get that changed soon, too.
-I replaced the muffler on May 22, 2020. Had I bothered to look in the glove box before I had it changed, I would have found a receipt from Midas for a new muffler from back in 2000. Supposedly, the replacement muffler from Midas would have been free. So, that was $753.91 wasted.![Evil or Very Mad :evil:](./images/smilies/icon_evil.gif)
-Last timing belt change was on November 30, 2009. I probably haven't put over 3,000 miles on the car since then, but it is clearly due for a timing belt change. I learned the hard way that timing belts do break on these cars. I have the new TB/WP parts kit sitting on my workbench. I plan to do that over the summer.
-That 11/30/2009 timing belt receipt included replacing a camshaft.
-Last oil change was April 8, 2020. So, even though I haven't put a lot of miles on the car, I will get that changed soon, too.
-I replaced the muffler on May 22, 2020. Had I bothered to look in the glove box before I had it changed, I would have found a receipt from Midas for a new muffler from back in 2000. Supposedly, the replacement muffler from Midas would have been free. So, that was $753.91 wasted.
![Evil or Very Mad :evil:](./images/smilies/icon_evil.gif)
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red
2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver