The BMW E30 was the replacement for the BMW E21. Small, fairly light and offered in a number of body options and engine options the E30 was a big hit.

The E30 was the first model that saw the introduction of the BMW M3. Built mainly as a homologation special to satisfy the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and Group A Touring rules they were produced in limited numbers

A capable car with a stiff chassis , RWD and excellent handling, they are now very collectible and prices have rocketed in recent years.

The custom E30 M3 Convertible replica you see before you started life as a 325i. The owner decided that he wanted to build his dream car and has spent the last 8 years making it a reality.

He added a fiberglass E30 M3 arch kit and the rear arches were widened further to accommodate the 10inch wide wheels.

He has replaced the 325i engine with an E36 M3 Evo engine and so it goes as well as it looks. It has a full leather interior, a sound install and a full respray. It also has a glass window hard top roof as well as the fold away cloth roof.

There is a comprehensive file of receipts and paperwork for this vehicle, from every receipt for the custom build totally north of 30K! to the original hand books, sound system manuals and even the documents to support the alarms warranty etc. Everything has been documented and kept. 

The cars MOT is valid until 14th of December 2022.

The car benefits from a full M leather interior and sport steering wheel and the rear seats even have ISOFIX. A double din modern stereo has been added and everything is finished in a cream leather.

The seats are in great condition with no rips, tears or marks and the car has electric windows.

The custom bodykit has been added and the work looks to have been to a decent standard with the kit looking like a factory addition. The optional glass window hard top will come with the car and is finished in gloss black. 

The convertible cloth roof was replaced not long ago and is in like new condition. The car currently sits on 8.5 inch front and 10 inch rear BBS RS replica wheels with tyres that run a slight stretch.

The car runs M3 badging throughout, even on the sill plates. Underneath the car is also fitted with neon underglow lights. The paint is in good condition with a decent depth of shine.

The car has had an engine swap with the 325i engine being replaced with an E36 M3 Evo engine. This engine was also rebuilt and checked before being put into the vehicle and there are receipts present to prove this work.

As you can see from the under bonnet shots the engine bay is nice and the car is running a custom filter and also a strut brace for extra stiffness and improved handling.

The car is fitted with an aftermarket exhaust system and has a lovely sound to it.

As with any custom car, especially a modified custom car beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The vision the current owner had in his head when he set out has been achieved and it genuinely is a reluctant sale.

The car has been put together with lots of care and attention and the wealth of history and paperwork to back up all of the custom work and modifications is endless.

The addition of the newer E36 M3 engine means that the car not only has more power than a genuine original M3 but also slightly more reliability from its newer technology.

Genuine E30 M3 Prices have been and continue to be on the up and in some cases have soared beyond reach for a lot of people. What you have here then is a chance to get into a Custom E30 M3 Replica that has all of the toys, bells and whistles and more of an original but at a more achievable outlay.

E30 M3 Styling/looks, wind in your hair due to it being a convertible and Genuine E36 M3 power under your right foot, what’s not to like.

Engine

It has an E36 M3 Evo S50B32 which was fully rebuilt as per following:
- Head machined
- Valves re-seated
- New valve guides
- New valve seals
- New King Racing bottom end bearings
- New ARP bottom end bolts and connecting rods
- New connecting rod bearings
- New timing chain and guides and tensioner
- New oil pump upgraded with Vac Motorsports kit
- New gaskets all around
- MLS Cometic head gasket and new head bolts
- New water pump
- New viscous fan (very rare to find this setup in an E30 due to the space)
- New oil cooler radiator
- New belt and tensioner
- New cams and crank sensors
- New crank seals, front and back
- New NPR piston rings
- M3 Evo radiator with new bracket setup to clear viscous fan
- New engine and gearbox Revshift mounts
- M3 Evo fuel pump and custom fuel filter support
- New exhaust, including manifold from Fritz’s Bits
- Vanos fully rebuilt, S62 Vanos hub diaphragm spring sets and Beisan Vanos seals
- The ECU has an Alpha N mapping
- The battery has been relocated to the rear

Gearbox and drive train

- 6-speed original M3 Evo gearbox
- New double plate clutch and flywheel
- New slave cylinder
- New braided hoses
- New custom prop shaft
- New centre bearing
- Custom bracket and reinforcement for gearbox
- Z3 2.8 LSD differential 4.1 ratio
- New drive shafts

Front reinforcement

- New top strut tower bar
- 5mm ear plates on sub-frame for engine mounts
- Extra M12 bolt mounts for sub-frame (so 6-bolt point mount not 4)
- E36 M3 Evo bottom strut brace, including custom plates to front arms
- Custom reinforcement on front chassis, including clearances for viscous fan, water radiator support and oil cooler support
- Custom support bracket for engine oil pan protection, including 5mm steel plate under the whole area of oil pan


Rear reinforcement

- New reinforcement between the chassis
- New custom differential bracket mounts, including extra one on right hand side
- 5mm plate bottom reinforcement from rear sub-frame to differential
- 5mm triangle plate in the trailer arms opening
- 20mm back stud from shock mount to main arm body


Suspension

- New HSD front coil overs
- Fully adjustable top mounts
- HSD adjustable rear shocks with new top mounts and 40mm lower H&R springs
- New E36 M3 front arms with new hubs and bearings
- New front sway bar, bushes, linkages
- New front arms Powerflex bushes
- E36 M3 Evo purple tag steering rack
- New Powerflex rear trailer arms, sub-frame and differential (2) bushes
- New trailer arm bolts
- New differential to sub-frame mount bolts
- New rear sway bar including bushes, brackets and linkages


Brakes

- New braided hoses, front and rear
- New hand brake cable
- E46 M3 Brembo brakes, front and rear
- Custom rear Brembo calliper brackets
- Custom X5 rear brake discs
- New hard pipe brake lines
- New brake booster cylinder seals


Wheels

- 17” deep dish, 8.5 J at the front and 10 J at the rear
- Front tyres 215/40 ZR17 with a little bit of a stretch
- Rear tyres 235/40 ZR17 with a little bit of a stretch
- The wheels are fully balanced, with new wheel alignment


Interior

- Full custom leather interior
- Fully dressed dashboard, no stitches, including glovebox, under steering column panel
- Custom centre console
- D1 spec gauges (boost, oil temperature, fuel pressure)
-Double din radio with SatNav from Sony
- Sony Xplode amplifier for rear speakers
- Rear Isofix ports on rear seats
- Clifford 650 alarm with proximity sensor, GPS tracking and cut off over the phone
- New weather rubber seals and chrome trims


Exterior

- The exterior was painted 3 years ago with House of Colour Cobalt blue, topped up with blue pearl (of course, it was fully primed, 3 coats of silver candy metallic, followed by the blue paint)
- The hard top was refurbed, with new headliner and prepped and painted with black metallic paint
- New original set of rear tail lights- New M3 original fog lights
- It comes with a brand new soft top as well and new weather strips all around
- It has blue courtesy lights
⁃ The whole house underbody has been cleaned, degreased and de rusted where necessary, new epoxy primers, new rubberised underbody paint, whole chassis and cavity was wash, blowed and waxed, including seals