TTAC commenter esager writes in:
I have a dilemma that may interest our readership (yes, I feel a sense of ownership after being a daily reader for 3-4 years now).
A few years back, my wife and I bought a nice 2007 CPO 328i that was formerly used as a customer service loaner car for the one of our Seattle area BMW dealerships. We really enjoy its performance and sophistication and are happy with the car for the most part, save for the various and sundry trips to the dealership to fix a few warranty items – more trips than I think should be necessary, though not truly excessive. She drove it to work every day and was glad to have it. It’s under CPO warranty coverage for 2 more years.
Earlier this year, a note I left on the windshield of a 1991 318is (the one year E30 model with the M42 engine) allowed me to purchase said car from a co-worker as a daily driver and fixer. I got it for very cheap and have been dutifully cleaning, updating (oil pan gaskets, rear shock mounts, hydraulic timing chain tensioner, differential output shaft seal replacement, etc, etc), and generally enjoying the heck out of it. Lower control arms, ball joints etc. are in the future for this car.
Problem is, my wife was unexpectedly laid off last week, cutting our income in half. Obviously, we don’t now need three cars (two BMWs and a Mercury Monterey minivan) and though we ”only” have 3+ thousand or so on the 328i, we could sell it and put significant money back in the bank and I could drive the E30 as my sole mode of transport (would also include occasional hauling of 3 kids 10 or under – who surprisingly fit quite well in the back). Alternately, I could sell the E30 and pay off a significant chunk of the remaining debt on the newer, faster, safer BMW. Oh and my wife doesn’t know how to drive a manual transmission, so she would be stuck trundling the inefficient minivan everywhere, should I choose this route…not something she would enjoy, though she would not complain.
I keep going back and forth and am really flummoxed. My current thinking is to keep the E90. Am I crazy? I’ve wanted an E30 since middle school when the appeared on the world stage. However, we really don’t want a car payment while we have a single income…would rather use that money to fund piano lessons etc. We are not sure that we’ll be back to two incomes any time soon either – by choice.
Thanks for your thoughts
Kill both BMWs. You have more important priorities to look after.
What does your wife think? That’s more important than anything I might suggest, although that won’t stop me from suggesting stuff.
Why isn’t selling the minivan on the table since you can fit all the kids in the back of the E90?
Keep the E30, sell the E90. Teach your wife to drive stick.
Keep the E30, sell the unpaid for E90, teach her to drive a stick. If the Mercury isn’t paid for, it should be on the chopping block as well. Look at insurance prices, fuel economy, and estimate in repair costs after the warranty on the E90 vs the E30, also depreciation of the E90 should be a BIG factor. My parents always drove coupes, no minivans or 4 doors for us and we survived hopping in and out of the backseat, kept us limber and nimble, and mom and dad happy as they drove fun sporty (economical) coupes that were paid for and allowed us to survive on lean budgets.
Isn’t it axiomatic that teaching someone to drive stick = new clutch required soon? Expensive proposition in these cars, I’m guessing.
epsilon – it’s not 1972 anymore. I’m 42 and remember wrestling my brother in the back seat of my parent’s Olds wagon on the drive home from Gram’s house every Sunday. Kids can’t just “hop in and out of the backseat” today. This guy has three kids under 10, which means they all need a required-by-law-and-common-sense car or booster seat. As he stated, the E30 can fit the three in back on occasion. Full-time family duty is ludicrous for a 318is, not to mention it lacks all modern safety gear including LATCH anchors, airbags, etc.
esager, keep the van for your family, keep the 318 for your sanity and sell the E90 for your bank account.
I went through this sell/ don’t sell conundrum earlier this year, although it was thankfully not due to any job losses. I had just finished paying off an S-10 that I had purchased new and I still had a little over two years worth of payments left on my wife’s Odyssey. I realized that the S-10 was worth as much as it was ever going to be, so I ended up selling it, paying off the van, and buying a $4000 GMC Sierra. No car payments is a nice feeling and with a little TLC and routine maintenance, any car built in the last 20 years should be considered reliable enough for day to day commuting.
Sell the newer one, get some money in the bank, and live without car payments for awhile. Set aside enough of your profits to be able to go through and fix/ replace as much of the normal wear and tear items on the old BMW as needed, although it sounds like you’ve done a lot of that already.
I’m assuming the minivan is already paid off.
Sell both.
If you can’t sell both, sell the E90 as it’ll net you the largest “nest egg” that, believe you me, you may very well need. That car is desirable now and, this is important, not a money pit nor in need of investment to sell. Get it gone, especially if you lack health coverage of some kind.
If the employment situation doesn’t improve, either get really confident in your ability to fix the E30 on the cheap or start looking for something cheaper to keep up.
Teach your wife to drive a stick and keep the e30.
It won’t depreciate significantly and therefore is probably more economical to run.
PS: AFAIK, all 318is were two-door-cars, not four-door, like in the picture above.
The E30 is paid for, you like it, and seem to be taking care of it. As long as you are willing and able to put up with the occasional unscheduled fix required of any older car there’s no reason you can’t continue to use it as a daily driver. Assuming you can wrench and source parts, which seems to be the case, it’s no worse choice than any other inexpensive used car. I’d say keep it and enjoy it if one of the BMWs really has to go. Your wife can’t drive a manual now, but you can fix that in an afternoon if it ever becomes an issue.
But does one of the BMWs really have to go? Have you considered selling the van instead? Your kids apparently fit in the BMWs just fine, and the van is boring and “inefficient”. Do you really need a van for anything? If not, dump that and keep the Bimmers.
Personally, I’d be inclined to economize on the piano lessons long before I would drive a minivan every day…
Lost income means you must loss bills and get cash to hold you over, the newer Bimmer goes you could always get another one if things change but much harder to find the E30 again, you need less bills and that means your wife and the kids get the minivan and you get the older car that in theory should be cheaper to run. Sorry to hear about your wife hope all works out. BTW when this passed wife gets her choice of wheels when your back to 2 incomes just my 2 cents.
Forget about the toys and do what you know is the best thing for your family — not for you and your family, but for your family.
Your ’91 328 isn’t the only one in the world; when your financial situation improves I’m sure you’ll be able to find another one.
A 19 year old car will likely have significant down time as you replace ball joints, lower control arms and so on. Can you borrow the wife’s minivan when your E30 is down? If so sell the E90 for the extra cash. If you really need two vehicles at all times sell the E30.
Car and toys are great but when the real world bites you try to do the right thing for your family first. For all those who say teach the wife to drive a stick: Do you really want your wife to potentially have to drive your three kids in that older car, no T/C or driver aids when you really need them, in bad weather? Hey I love an E30 as much as the next guy but please spare me the dramatics.
I apologize for the harshness but you did ask.
Geez man, do the right freaking thing and think solely what is best for your family for now and the foreseeable future.
Dream car be damned.
I don’t have kids, but would have absolutely no problem asking my mother, sister, fiancee, or any combination thereof to drive that car under any reasonable circumstances including bad weather. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt that introducing kid(s) to the equation would change my outlook.
If it’s bad enough to keep them off the road in an E30 it’s bad enough to keep them off the road in a 328, Monterey, or any other modern car.
I went from a E30 to a E46. If I could do it over I would have kept the E30. Although the E46 has been trouble-free and great for 85K miles I miss the E30. There is the safety concern but I wouldn’t worry about maintenance or reliability. E30’s are bombproof and would only absorb the same cost as anything else of similar value/age and before someone responds with “Dude a Honda is a way better car” A Honda or other make of similar value to a E30 would suck to drive and I doubt would be cheaper to fix and definitely wouldn’t be fun with high mileage
What’s the safety concern?
Was it safe to drive an E30 BMW in 1991? Yes.
Do we have anything to indicate that this car is rusted/wrecked/neglected in any way that would make it less safe than it was in 1991? No, quite the opposite, it seems to be very well-kept with many new parts.
So it it safe to drive this car today? Of course it is.
Have you seen the video if the mid 90’s Volvo wagon head on with a new compact Renault? It’s ugly, the Volvo folds up like a paper box and it represented the best of the day. The Renault passengers would walk away. I love E30’s and would haul my kids in it, but it a fact newer cars, all cars, are safer now.
I don’t think I’ve seen that video, but I’m not surprised by the results. Newer cars are definitely safer than older cars; or more accurately “less unsafe”.
That does not mean that a 1991 BMW is an unacceptable risk, even for children, or represents a “safety concern”. The fact that better options exist now doesn’t make a car from 1991 any worse in absolute terms than it was 20 years ago. If it was safe enough then, it’s still safe enough now.
I will give the E30 extra points for being equipped to “avoid” an accident.
“but it a fact newer cars, all cars, are safer now” Quote
New cars are safer if you crash. My idea of safety is to not have an accident , and new cars are less good at that.Give a driver anti-lock brakes and stability control and he will probably drive faster in bad conditions.
I have an E30 and love it. However, I would not use it as a regular family vehicle for the safety factor alone given the skill of the average driver I’m faced with out there.
Below is a pic from a BMW body development book on the improved energy absorption comparing the E30 vs E36 vs E46 generations. Any model of car can be bought back later. There are no “take-backs” with serious or fatal injuries. Just my 2 cents.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g225/GeoS_Pics/E30%20M3/74a15471.jpg
So sorry to hear this… from a financial and personal perspective, losing a job is a real kick in the gut.
(1) Sell the 328I. Life has a way of handing out negative surprises in bunches, and you will sleep better knowing you have a lump of cash in the bank and no more car payments.
(2) Since when is “trundling the inefficient minivan everywhere” a showstopper? Either you have a major financial and lifestyle challenge in front of you, or you don’t… so suck it up and make the changes.
(3) You bought the328I on time, instead of paying cash. This suggests you may want to review the rest of your credit and spending profile. One standard piece of advice is for you and your wife to each carry a notebook, and during the next couple of months write down each expendiure however small. After this revealing exercise you will know exactly where you money is going, and can then trim back and shift outlays accordingly. As a general comment, paying down debt is nearly always the best choice, whether a person has just won the lottery or is dealing with a reduced income.
Good luck to you and your family with managing all the stresses and changes to come.
I was all for keeping the E30 until I heard you occasionally had to cart around kids in it. For safety purposes alone, I say get rid of the E30 and keep the E90. Take the skills you’ve gained in refurbishing the E30 and put them into doing your own work on the E90 when the warranty/service plan expires.
I would almost say get rid of both, replace with a used appliance (Camry/Accord/Civic/Corolla/Panther/etc.) and then reward yourself with another BMW once you’re out of the financial doldrums and can pay for it outright, but the E90 will be far superior to any of those appliances in terms of active safety and may just keep a smile on your face enough to ward off the depression that could set in at the loss of a BMW.
Good luck.
I’m in the Seattle area and looking for a decent e30 – if you’re looking to sell it I’d definitely check it out.
The BMWs are wrong for your current situation. Sell both, buy stock in an electric utility with a good dividend, and wait for the next surprise.
I’m sure BMW will still be here when you want another.
Answering your question, a couple of thoughts
1) finding a job is taking longer than ever, mentally budget for this
2) the BMWs will cost you two ways – depreciation and repairs / upkeep. Run the numbers and see how different they are
3) the e30 is not a family car; it’s your toy. The 328 is a more practical vehicle IMHO
4) Yields on liquid investments are very low; what is the rate/cost on your car debt?
If you can sell the old beemer and pay off the remaining loan on the new one, then do that. The new one seems to be a better bet in this case since you will be done with payments, and you still have a couple of years of warranty left. That should cover you in case any major repairs come your way. Plus, who knows in a couple of years your wife might be back working again, kids would be old enough to have part time jobs as well = less financial responsibility on you all.
A little more information would be helpful…
2007 328i — CPO warranty transferable to new owner? $3000 is your payoff? What are your current monthly payments and for how much longer? (Benefit to keeping, it’s still got two years of warranty left. BMW = expensive to fix.)
1991 328is — How much did you buy it for? How much did you sink into it with recent repairs? How much more repairing do you feel it still needs to hit your definition of “safe” and “reliable” (then multiply x 2). Are you wrenching it all yourself? Are you a good wrench?
Mercury Monterey — Year? Paid off? Under warranty? Reliable?
I’m gonna take a stab now anyway with a recommendation…
Lose the ’91. Admit it. It was kind of a pastime. A toy. Hobby. Unless it’s completely 100% squared away mechanically with no rust issues, it’s going to come back and bite you with some terribly expensive brokenness (and even if it’s sorted out now, it still will…eventually). When you least expect it. It’s what old German cars do. I know, I have one. So does my specialty shop. They make a handsome living keeping neat old BMWs, M-Bs, and Porsches going.
Hopefully, you make enough on the ’91 to pay off the $3000 still owed on the still-under-warranty 2007 BMW (and break even with what you paid for it, and invested in recent repairs). It’s something your wife can drive. Which won’t keep you up nights worrying what you’ll do if it breaks.
I would not do anything just yet. See if the wife can get another job first. Hopefully she got some kind of comp to buy a little time. Do you really want to go through all the hassle of selling both Bimmers, then your wife gets a job…. Then you’re kicking yourself in your own ass.
Patience Daniel-Son, patience.
Let me put this in the strongest terms the moderators will let me get away with.
The e90 328i costs you several hundred dollars in cashflow per month for that car payment, and is losing five to ten thousand dollars per year in depreciation.
The e30 318i is paid for and not depreciating any more. It may cost $150 a month ($1800/year) in repairs and downtime.
The older car is not the extravagance. The newer car is. Selling it instead of the new one would be a terrible financial mistake of potentially house-losing proportions.
The order in which to get rid of cars would be E90, then Monterey, then E30. Anyone who gives a different answer is flat wrong.
Who died and named you as the world’s new Suze Orman? (teasing grin)
I suspect that the van wouldn’t sell for much and it’s hands down the most versatile of the bunch. You can get from point A to B and haul a decent sized load (and 3 kids) at the same time. In your situation it would be foolishly selfish to put driving enjoyment above anything else. I’d ditch both the bimmers. Can you make it as a one vehicle family? If so that’ll more than make up for any inefficiency of the minivan, but you retain the versatility. Once the wife gets a new job go out and buy a used appliance (civic/camry/etc) and pay it off ASAP. Then when you have cash to buy a toy splurge on a new bimmer – but not until you can pay cash. Most people I know that have been hurt in this economy have been most hurt by the loans they have on automobiles. Let this be your lesson to not let it happen again.
Since income is definitely down. I say lower expenses. and get a lump of cash in the bank. The e90 328i will cost you hundreds per month, when you can sell it and take the money and put it into the bank. You know what they say about rainy days? you’re in one… get the nest egg together. You’ll also save on insurance as well.
The e30 318i is not going to depreciate any more (well not really). Parts are expensive on those things though, but I guess if you’re doing the work yourself it isn’t too bad. And the e30 is overall a solid car… just gets pricy to fix when things go wrong.
Alternatively sell the e30 as well… get yourself a bulletproof panther. Mercury Grand Marquis
a brief search on craigslist I see a 2002 with 100k miles for $3500. They are cheap to maintain and dirt cheap on parts, and relatively easy to fix if something goes wrong.
Either way the 318i and the MGM would only be worth maybe 2-4k. Probably lower your insurance and ignore comprehensive. only take liability. It’ll save a bit, and quite frankly if damage to the car gets to 2k anyways the insurance agency will total it.
Keep the Mercury Monterey minivan. Families need mini-vans. They haul around kids, help move stuff, and if you have one you will miss it’s convenience when it’s gone. One thing add a transmission cooler to the monterey. It’ll cool the transmission fluid and help prevent premature failure of the transmission. It’s cheap insurance in my mind, and it costs about $50-$70 for a decent one, and is an easy DIY.
A few responses.
Yes, minivan is totally paid for (got it new back in 2005 for $11k off sticker but that’s another story for another time and involves the dealer calling me after a walkout saying, “you win.” But I digress…)
We have quite a bit of money in the bank already (keeping at least 6 months cost of living and then some), but having extra if we sold the E90 would not be a bad thing. And yes, the target market for E90s is huge compared to the small but rabid market for nice E30s. BTW, we paid for 2/3 of the E90 in cash, financed the rest through our credit union at very reasonable interest rates. Payment is $300/mo.
The 318is is definitely my hobby, no disagreement. It is used for a 10 mile commute and the occasional run downtown. As a mechanical engineer with some decent “hands-on” abilities, I am capable of doing most of the maintenance save for pulling the engine (have no infrastructure to support that, though I think I could, given a good helper and proper motivation). Fixing it also is a form of entertainment for me…so long as I have a third car to fall back on should one of my repairs not complete on time.
Finally, when we need the 7 passenger ability of the minivan we really love it – when grandparents visit, toting friends etc. Plus, it’s residual value is terrible – did I mention it’s a Mercury Monterey ??? :) I knew that getting into that vehicle but also knew it was likely to be a very reliable, cheap to own van – and it has been.
Thanks for the comments – it is fun (if a bit surreal) to see my situation on screen up with the usual TTAC names!
Sell everything that is a) European b)not paid-off c)costs more to repair and insure than a 4 cylinder domestic/japanese econobox.
Forget about cars and focus on work, education, health and family (not on this order).
Buy something with 4 cylinders, less than no more than 2.0L preferably of Japanese design with more than 2 and less than 4 years of existence and still under factory warranty.
If you still need to thinker with mechanical stuff, get a 70’s Japanese motorcycle and restore it over the winter inside your garage.
Suggestions:
Lose the roof bars from the E30 , they spoil it.
Can you sell your wife ?
Can your wife start her own business , or study for more qualifications to improve her employment prospects ? The cash raised by the sale of the E90 could help pay for this.
Good luck. Things might look bad , but worse things could happen.
FYI, the 91 e30 does have a drivers side airbag and anti lock brakes.
The repairs are not particularly expensive on the e30. You can find used parts very inexpensively on a few e30 forums. Check prices for e36 and e30s and you will see the appeal of the e30.
There is a strong contingent of people who think the 91 318is is the second best e30 to the M3. I own a 325is so I would beg to differ. You could sell the e30 in a heart beat if it is not rusted, the interior is presentable, and maintenance has been performed. I think the timing chain is an issue with that particular model. By this point in time, most of these cars are crap boxes and the nice ones will be only going up in value moving forward.
Also, the 91 is cars are the easiest to swap in 24 valve 6 cyl. engines!
This ones easy.
Keep the stick shift and tell the wife that she is going to learn a new life skill this weekend.
Two personal rules that I follow:
1) Always buy (or keep) a used car with a manual tranny. About the worst thing that can happen is to need a new clutch ($5-900 job) as opposed to a complete autobox rebuild (more than the damn car is worth).
2) If a car is paid for,its MUCH more valuable (if the basic design is sound) than a payment book car.
Good luck ,friend. I hope you find a good job soon.
I’ve owned the E30, 325is auto, and driven all the other 3s. I own an E34. My E30 blew a headgasket. It was a good car, a fun car, but I ultimately wanted a more comfy car. I don’t think I want an E30 as my only car for a very long time, maybe cause mine was an auto. I also don’t think I want an Auto BMW for a long time or as an only car. Perhaps sell the E90 and get an E46 to supplement the E30, or an E34/E39. They are going for like 3-6k. If the bimmer sells for 23, that is about 15k in the bank, and some very good cars in the drive way. I didn’t mine driving an auto 5 series. I own a stick E34 now, and its a great car, no E30 response wise, but a bit more comfy. If you can fix an E30, you can fix an E34, E36, e39 and E46, like I can. I might also take an E39 or E46 as a good compromise for a E30/E90 combo. I think one of those will be my next car.
Greetings from one Mech Engineer to another! No doubt you of all people will understand the time value of money, the perception of relative safety of differing vehicles and the irreplaceable functional value of our minivans.
Count me in the “lose the e90” camp. It’s more sellable and with depreciation it’s costing you more. Probably has the highest insurance bill too. If you miss a Monday repair deadline with the e30 it won’t kill your wife to go vanless for a couple of days, or she could drop you off at work and you can bum a ride home with a co-worker.
I must also congratulate you on your 10 mile commute, I wish…
Greetings !
The numbers do lead me to selling the E90 in purely financial terms. There are emotional components to this decision as well – try as I might to be a purely rational being, it is just not to be in this case.
Another thing to mention is that I can bicycle commute to work – I did it for years and have all the equipment. Now that day care is back out of the picture, I can pick that up several days a week, which also serves as a backstop against any long (over)running repair.
PS> I do enjoy our minivan (becomes a Man Van when I drive by definition) since it’s not a SUV…we have no need for the putative benefits of SUV archetype. Functionally, it’s amazing. The low load floor allows me to put a bike inside without removing the wheels. Put a new bathroom vanity inside for transport when all seats were out, etc. etc.
Cheers all!
Sell the wife and kids. Oh… wait…
Keep the one that is paid for – sell the other two.
Sell the van (since it’s inefficient) and E90 (until it depreciates more and while you can lure someone with remaining two year warranty, as you don’t want to sell your firstbourn to keep it running on one income, after warranty runs out), get used Mazda3 or 5 or 6 for your wife. Granted it wont be as fun to drive as BMW, but it’s still drives well for a family vehicle and cost a lot less then BMW to maintain. Oh, and keep that E30 318is if you always wanted one as a reward, since you’re now sole provider for the family.
As one engineer to another, you are on track viewing it in financial terms. The E90 most likely costs you more in fuel and insurance than the E30, this on top of the car payment. Selling the E90 will free up at least $300 a month and maybe another $50 in fuel and insurance savings.
Do not get caught up in emotions at this time.
Folks, the minivan is paid for as well. Why on earth get rid of two cars that are paid for?!!? At worst just register the minivan or E30 non-op and park it and sell the E90.
Been there, done that. My advice. Sell both Beemers and get something reliable and still fun like a used Civic or Altima. With a growing family it isn’t just money in short supply, but time. You will find it harder and harder to squeeze in time for those repairs. Do you really want to miss little Billy’s first goal, while you are cursing at a stuck bolt on a front suspension arm?
As was mentioned, when you get older and things get less hectic, you will be able to pick up that same car, or maybe one better, and you will have time to work on it.
You have 3 silly vehicles (no station wagon). Sell all 3, move to Boston, and take up walking.
Sell the car with the payment. Great lesson learned. Don’t buy it if you can scratch the reader for the whole enchilada.
second point on the minivan. You have three kids yes? (i have two). Here is a news flash…ready….you are not cool anyway. Teach momma bear to drive a stick and motor in the van with the fam.
Yes, piano lessons for your kids trumps driving a cool car…
Notice the handle. It left when the kids came…..
Sell the kids, keep the BMWs!
Though seriously, it is obvious from most of the commentary that “the best and brightest” has no idea what they are talking about. A ’91 318is may well be the cheapest to run car BMW has ever made, I have owned two of them. Build quality from when the Germans were the masters of such, a fuel sipping twin-cam four that has no timing belt but does have hydraulic tappets for minimal maintenance. Minimal to non-existant electronics, and nothing on the car that can’t be DIY-fixed with a basic metric toolset. Thanks to the miracle that is the Internet, parts are cheap and easily available. Oh, and utterly brilliant to drive. I have been KICKING myself for selling my second one since the day it went away. And these cars are RARE! If you have a good one, KEEP IT! Sell the E90, it will be a relative money-pit once the warranty ends. Teach the wife to drive a stick. It’s not that hard, she can do it. I’ve taught MANY friends over the years with no detriment to clutch life. Cripes, were does THAT old saw come from anyway?? ’72 Pintos?
If you can’t manage a manual transmission, you should not have a driver’s license.
Being that you live in Seattle (as do I) why not take the bus to work instead of commuting? I should, but haven’t, Metro is one of the better transit systems out there and with connections to Sound Transit, Community Transit, you can get just about anywhere by bus without having to drive all over hither and yon unless you want to.
That said, keep the van and the older e30 as it sounds like it’s relatively cheap to fix as Bimmers go and it also sounds to be fairly solid car and reliable as German cars go and it’s paid for. Don’t know the mileage of the Monteray, but but I would suspect that it’s not much less efficient than either of the Bimmers, especially if it can seat 6 plus luggage, then its mileage is actually better for what it can provide so look at it from that POV and yes, your wife CAN learn to drive a manual without too much clutch damage.
Good luck in this economy and believe you me even if you have a job, cost of living is fast outstripping our paychecks so either way, we’re all screwed.
esager,
As many have proffered, it would seem most logical to first dump the E90 – most outlay, easiest to sell, etc.
As you state you are an ME with some hands-on abilities (god love ya man, can’t tell you how many MEs I know designing missiles/fighterjets/aircraftcarriers that can’t change a freakin’ tire without phone support. really.)
The E30 may cost a bit on an ongoing basis, but between property taxes (may or may not apply don’t recall your state laws) and the insurance angle, I’d say the E30 is the ultimate keeper.
Nothing teaches you that you CAN do it quite like not wanting/not having money to spend. Honestly, if you have an IQ over 110, you are as smart as the avg BMW factory certified tech.
When I was 12 and my ancient XR-75 was spitting its plug, I had 2 options. Scrap it, as the stealership wanted $100 to helicoil the head and the parental units didn’t have it, or, fix it myself by spending $7 on a Clymer manual and $6 on the helicoil kit and putting in the effort.
Between net-based importers, judicious use of used parts, and some of your time and effort, you can keep an E30 on the road indefinately. For really cheap cash.
FWIW, An E30 clutch takes 4 jackstands, a jack or two , and $30 worth of “specialty tools” that you can get at Harbor Freight. After that it’s maybe 6 hours as a rank amateur with some drive and the ability to RTFM. And yeah, about $250 for an OEM clutch/PP/TO assembly.
That is all. No magic, no wizardry. Hell, the centering tool is included in any decent kit.
(BTW, it takes me about 2 hours and I charge $550 as a I’m a guy who does more than the dealer for less… )
Sell all 3 cars , get an E39 Estate with tiptronic. Everybody’s happy.
esager,
your comments greatly clarify the situation. Junk the E90. But if you get as much pleasure out of driving the E30 as I do out of driving my ’99 Accord with the stick shift–and I get a hell of a lot of pleasure out of that car–and if you get additional pleasure out of working on the thing, even if you can bike to work, don’t let it go lightly. I get more pleasure out of my Honda than any other object I own, even my cameras, and I would probably hang onto it (or something equivalent) even if I moved to Manhattan. Keepign the Mercury is a no-brainer, given the low cost of doing so and the utility with carrying the kids and the relatives around–family stuff counts big when it comes to human happiness.
And, yes, maybe teach your wife to drive stick. I’ve taken it upon myself to teach as many kids as possible (as well as a few adults) to drive stick. It’s not hard. You have them start out in a flat place with no traffic. Don’t touch the gas, but lift the clutch repeatedly, until you have a good sense of where it catches, and how quickly it catches. Once you have that skill, you can start shifting gears…