Dr. Ferdinand

Year: 1988
Make: BMW
Model: M3
Mileage (numbers only please): 204000
Options (Please check ALL which apply): Air Conditioning, Antilock Brakes, Cruise Control, Foglamps, Intermittent Wipers, Leather Seats, Power Brakes, Power Door Locks, Power Steering, Power Windows, Sunroof, Traction Control
Color: Lachssilber (Salmon Silver)
Price (no $ sign please): $41993
Private or Dealer Listing: Private Listing
Location (Region): NorthEast
Body Style: Coupe
Transmission Type: Manual - 5 speed
2 or 4 Wheel Drive?: 2 Wheel Drive
Engine Type: Fuel Injection
Stereo System: AM-FM CD

Up for sale (and very reluctantly so!) is my beautiful 1988 BMW E30 M3 (S14) in Lachssilber Metallic (Salmon Silver). I have accumulated several classic cars and need to thin the heard as I am about to purchase storage space for the ever-expanding collection - sadly this is the sacrificial lamb. In other words - need to take one step backwards to take two forward.

The car is a terrific honest driver that has gone through extensive renovation and rejuvenation over the last 2+ years. The last several months alone I have put in over $8K, and counting the long winter months in which I had her neatly tucked in the garage, during which I have replaced nearly 100 items on the car – anywhere from interior trim to engine/mechanical components. Basically anything that felt worn or weathered was swapped with an honorable replacement. Here is a quick summary:

1988 E30 M3, S14, Lachssilber Metallic on Silver/gray leather interior, 204K miles, with a professional engine-out S14 end-to-end rebuild done by Bullet Performance in California – one of the top S14 experts in the nation. Interior has been recently professionally reupholstered and is a perfect 10/10. Crack free vin-matching dash. Exterior has been resprayed by PO in original Lachssilber, though it is showing some signs of age (e.g. a nick here and there, small rust spot on driver-side rear fender, hairline cracks on rear spoiler, which is typical for these cars).

Mechanically it is spot on and engine pulls hard all the way to redline, with a recent tune up, reseal, and fluid change. All panels with VIN stickers, no missing tools (including coveted spark plug tool). Have a fat ring binder full of original receipts from prior owners (almost all BMW CCA members) dating back to the 1990s, totaling over $50K - including the $10K+ engine-out rebuild original receipts by Bullet Performance in CA. Clean NJ Title, CarFax and AutoCheck with no accident history or other blemish.

The car is an unmolested and entirely stock example (nearly impossible to find these days), except for these 3 small and fully reversible items:

• Nakamichi CD400 CD player – period correct and have original manuals that go with it
• Bilstein shocks (on stock springs and factory ride height)
• Dinan performance chip – have it listed as installed during the engine rebuild by Bullet on the original receipts detailing the entire engine rebuild

Featured in the pictures are a few items that will NOT come with the sale of the car, namely: MTech II 370mm steering wheel, BBS RC 17” wheels, red Hella taillights and Euro headlights. In other words, car will come with all original factory items and the stock 15” factory wheels, which I have just professionally refinished this year and are essentially brand new with fresh new rubber.

Some non-exhaustive and illustrative list of items done in the course of the last year:

• Full tune up including valve adjustment and throttle body sync
• New PCV, ICV hoses, cap, rotor, NGK plugs, air/oil/fuel filters, rubber air intake boot, new motor and gear oil, R134-A refrigerant, sun roof seals
• Brand new clutch (Sachs) with Master/Slave cylinder, with new pins, hoses, arms, springs, lines
• Full interior reupholstery with original BMW OE Leather done by a leading upholstery shop, new original E30 M3 leather shifter, OE pedal covers, parking break leather cover, Coco mats
• R-134A A/C conversion – blows extremely cold to the point I never go above fan speed 1
• Differential overhaul + balanced drive shaft + center support bearing
• New Engine Mounts, subframe bushings, driveshaft flex joint, exhaust hangers
• Front BMW-original windshield (prior was pitted), new battery
• Professionally powder-coated intake manifold, valve and differential covers
• Factory 15” wheels professionally refinished, with new stock-sized tires
• Replaced over 80 interior/exterior plastic/rubber/leather/glass/lights trim (e.g. switches, *****, clips, levers, stalks, covers, seals, lenses, etc.)
• Recent engine re-seal
• Professionally detailed inside and out

If you are looking for a no-stories, all original, great driver quality, S14-equipped E30 M3 that you wouldn’t think twice about driving every chance you get – this is the car for you. Just about all examples you see today are either top of the line collector-quality bubble cars, or gutted track cars, or formerly-track-now-converted-to-street cars, modified to the moon-and-back cars, or sadly – carcasses and basket cases reminiscent of what was once an E30 M3. This however has been a loved car and enjoyed in full factory form with no roll cages, interior strip downs, obnoxious exhaust, stanced suspension, etc. In other words – exactly the way it was intended when built by the wizards at BMW ///M in the heydays of DTM!!! If you followed this car, much like air-cooleds, you have seen how valuations have skyrocketed and continue to rise. I have priced her very fair IMO per her scale on the latest Hagerty's report. (https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/1988-bmw-m3)

The car is garaged in my vacation home in the Poconos (Eastern PA), so likely can show it to serious interest buyers on weekends.

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jskylarwilson

Such a gorgeous car!

wolfgang1

Beautiful car!

Nice ones getting harder and harder to find. You sure you want to part with it?

Throttle Lift

Bump for one of the best I've seen. Love the wheels.

Dan87951

Wow! I never would have guessed this car has over 200k miles. Nice job on keeping it up. My neighbor has an original E30 M3 with only 14k miles. I'm guessing he has a 100k+ car on his hands?

Dr. Ferdinand

Thx for the complements!

Appreciate the kinds words and indeed clean examples are getting harder to find. In my heart I really do not want to part with it but securing extra space is a priority as I have some other classics incoming. I will definitely get back to E30 M3 ownership one day, one of the most rewarding and engaging cars I've had.

Thx, the BBS 17 concaves do bring out the best in her

Thx and I try to do my best when it comes to upkeep, call me **** but I have replaced a lot of parts and trim pieces as I just felt they were 'too worn'.

And your neighbor's car - there definitely have been several low mileage M3s trading in the 6-digit range.

jskylarwilson

More than happy to keep it garaged in Utah for you until you have the space

toddman35

I'm amazed by the interior. GLWS from a fellow bimmer guy!

Modena 1

Pretty car.

I had 4 of them.

Good luck with sale.

wolfgang1

rsabeebe

identical color combo to my e30 M3 - lachssilber over gray - back in the day. i wish i never let that car go. sold mine with 61k miles, only to be totaled by the next owner at summit point. it also had the rare glass sunroof. sounds like you can replace with a lower mileage example down the road, otherwise i'd say keep this one.

RCs or RCJs? they looks great. glws.

dinkman

thats a lot of apples! are they included in the sale if asking price is met?

audipwr1

From a cash on cash perspective the e30 m3 is probably the most appreciated car in this economic cycle

Beautiful

Dr. Ferdinand

Sorry to hear you sold her and she met an unfortunate fate. Haven't seen one with the glass sunroof in person, so certainly rare! The wheels are the 17" BBS RCs.

How 'bout them apples! Sure, I will include a bucket of fresh PA apples with the sale, and 10 gallons of cider I included these photos as they are the most recent (vs some of the others are from late summer).

Thx!

Cheers!

RS4POWER

Class act owner with serious OCD issues. I haven't seen this car up close yet but judging by his Audi I bet the car is in better shape than what the photos can show.

Wish you didn't have to sell her... glws!