Alright, let’s talk about this E30 M3 project. It wasn’t exactly planned, you know? Stumbled across this ’89 model, looked a bit tired, but the bones felt right. The price wasn’t crazy, so I figured, why not? Always wanted one of these legends.
First Look and Reality Check
Got it back to my garage. First thing, just walked around it. Paint was okay-ish in spots, faded in others. Some bubbling near the rear arches, typical stuff. Interior? Well, the driver’s seat had seen better decades, let’s just say. Dash had a crack or two, nothing surprising for these cars.
The real fun started when I turned the key. It coughed, sputtered, eventually fired up, but it wasn’t happy. Sounded rough, idled like it was confused. Definitely needed some love under the hood. So, the journey began right there.
Getting Stuck In
First things first, I decided to tackle the engine’s rough running. Pulled the plugs – looked old. Checked the ignition leads, distributor cap, rotor arm. Some looked original, or close to it. Parts hunting wasn’t too bad initially, found a decent supplier for service items.
- Swapped out the spark plugs.
- Put in new ignition leads.
- Replaced the distributor cap and rotor.
- Changed the oil and filter – basic stuff, but essential.
- Cleaned the air flow meter connections. Sometimes it’s the simple things.
It ran better after that, smoother idle, but still not quite right. Seemed hesitant when I blipped the throttle. Dug a bit deeper. Checked for vacuum leaks, sprayed some carb cleaner around the intake hoses, listened for changes in engine note. Found a couple of cracked hoses, tiny little things, but they make a difference. Replaced those.
Suspension and Brakes – The Necessary Evils
While waiting for some engine bits, I moved onto the suspension. The car felt kinda floaty, not sharp like an M3 should. Got it up on the lift. Shocks looked ancient. Bushings were definitely perished, especially the control arm bushings and rear trailing arm bushings. This was going to be a bigger job.
This part took time. Pressing out old bushings and pressing in new ones without the fancy dealer tools… well, it involves some creative thinking and a decent bench vise. Went for slightly upgraded bushings, nothing too harsh, just wanted to tighten things up. Replaced the shocks and springs too, went for a setup close to original spec but new. Oh, and the brakes – new discs and pads all around, flushed the old fluid. You don’t mess around with stopping power.
Body and Interior Touch-ups
Didn’t go for a full respray yet. Addressed the rust spots on the arches first. Ground them back, treated the metal, used a bit of filler, primed, and got some matching paint mixed up. Not a concours finish, but it stopped the rot and looks decent from a few feet away. Polished the rest of the paint, brought back some shine.
Inside, sourced a better condition used driver’s seat. Gave the whole interior a deep clean. Fixed the dash cracks using one of those repair kits – surprisingly effective if you take your time. Found a period-correct radio to replace the nasty aftermarket one someone had jammed in there.
The Result (For Now)
After all that fiddling, bleeding knuckles, and waiting for parts, it finally started feeling like a proper M3 again. The engine pulls cleanly now, that S14 buzz is addictive. The handling is sharp, direct. It’s not perfect, mind you. There are still little things I want to sort. Maybe tackle the paint properly next year.
But driving it? Yeah, that makes all the work worthwhile. It’s raw, connected. You feel everything. It’s a reminder of why these cars are special. It wasn’t easy, took longer than I thought, but getting my hands dirty and bringing this ’89 back to life has been incredibly rewarding. Definitely a keeper.
