Description
BMW 1988 E30 325i Touring Project - chassis number 001
Unique opportunity to purchase the very first RHD E30 325i Touring that came off the production line.
Manufactured in week 6 ( Mid February ) 1988 as pre-production car this was the first RHD E30 Touring in the UK. Originally registered by BMW Head Office in Bracknell on 24th March 1988 bearing the registration E978 GRX. Full scale RHD touring production did not start until well into the spring of 1988.
The car carries the chassis number ending 001. There is no earlier E30 RHD Touring chassis numbers.
I have also contacted BMW Mobile Tradition who have confirmed that this was the first of its type.
After a fairly brief time with BMW HQ it was then sold into the BMW dealer network where it had a plate change early in its life before it got its current registration E995 CBU.
The only optional extras specified in the original build were an electric sunroof and headlamp wash/ wipe.
The car is a factory manual 325i with Diamond Black ( metallic ) Paint and anthracite cloth trim.
The car came into my ownership in January 2011 with a questionable MOT and in a rather sorry state fitted with 14” “bottle top” alloys and the standard 4 spoke E30 steering wheel.
Over the following few years I carried out fairly extensive works on the car including :
Bodywork
Replacement Sunroof panel
Replacement drivers side front door
Replacement tailgate
Welding to floor at the front ( both sides where they always go ) including throttle pedal mount
Welding to drivers side rear inner wheelarch ( behind filler neck )
Welding to the firewall under the fusebox where the main loom passes into the car
( All welding done to a good standard )
Engine
Cylinder head removed, pressure tested, skimmed, valve guides replaced, new Head gasket
Rocker cover, inlet manifold & throttle body soda / vapour blasted
Radiator, thermostat, water pump, viscous fan coupling, cambelt & tensioner, replaced
Engine mounts replaced with Burton Ford RS mounts
Exhaust
Standard manifold removed, skimmed ( as it had warped causing it to leak ) and refitted with new heatshields
2 piece exhaust front section genuine BMW, aftermarket rear section
Drivetrain
Clutch slave & Master cylinders replaced
Clutch flexi hose replaced with braided hose
Gearbox mounts replaced with OEM
Gear linkage mechanism completely rebuilt
Propshaft centre bearing replaced ( Genuine OEM )
Propshaft front “donut” replaced ( Lemforder )
Suspension
Shock absorbers replaced all round with Bilstein B4’s
Lemforder top-mounts all round.
Eibach pro-kit springs
Lemforder front wishbones
Genuine OEM E36 M3 solid “lollipop” bushes
Powder-coated rear trailing arms with OEM bushes, brake backing plates and wheel bearings replaced.
Lemforder rear beam bushes with void-fillers
Genuine OEM anti-roll bar bushes and D clamps
Fuel system
Hard Fuel lines replaced front to back
In-tank pump replaced
Fuel filler neck replaced
Injectors refurbished by Injectortune
Braking system
Pagid disks and pads all round
Goodridge braided brake hoses with Stainless fittings all round
Handbrake shoes and cables replaced
Wheels
16” Genuine Alpina wheels ( non staggered ) in excellent condition with centre caps & Keys
Avon Tyres
Interior
Dashboard replaced with un-cracked dash.
Headlining replaced in black alcantara
Front seats replaced with period-correct anthracite cloth sports seats ( matching rear seat material )
Period-correct M-Tech 1 steering wheel
Custom gauge pod in place of ashtray with VDO gauges for Oil temperature, Oil Pressure and Battery Voltage
Alpine speakers
Genuine dog guard and load cover
Hard-shell genuine boot liner
Heater valve replaced with good used part
The car was last MOT’d in June 2020 where it passed with no advisories ( as it had the previous 2 times ) but has done very little mileage since and has been on SORN since the MOT expired in June 2021.
During my ownership the car has never been used in the winter or in the rain and has always been dry garaged.
Despite all of the above the car is far from perfect and really needs someone with the time, skills and patience to finish it properly.
The bodywork requires some attention around the rear tubs and rear valance - this has been repaired in the past but really needs sorting properly.
Aside from the panels I have replaced ( sunroof panel, drivers front door and tailgate ) and the rear valance mentioned above as far as I am aware the paintwork is 1988 original and has various cosmetic dings and scratches.
There is an issue with the fuel gauge which does not work properly- the low fuel light works but that is about it, the econometer also does not work properly- these 2 issues may be linked and may be due to an issue with the SI board/ batteries.
The electric sunroof tilts and slides but does not park correctly. The rear wash-wipe is also temperamental. I have the V5 in my name, the original book pack including service history, all the old MOT’s and a folder full of invoices for what I and the previous owners have spent on it.
The chance to buy a car which is literally the first of its type off the production line is something that doesn’t happen very often.
I never thought I’d be writing this ad as I thought this would be the one I’d keep forever, but priorities and commitments have changed and I don’t have the skills or time now to get it finished.
The car starts runs and drives but given the time it has stood will require some recommissioning ( fluids, filters and the cambelt have all done less than 3000 miles but are now 10+ years old for example ) before it can be MOT’d so will need to be transported away.
