1987 BMW 3 Series 325e review from North America

Normal wear items like brakes and some suspension bushings. Very good considering the mileage.

I bought this car for almost nothing from a guy that needed to sell it quickly. It ran well stock, but it was my project car and I turned it into a 327i using a euro 320i head and everything else (fuel injection, intake, cam, etc) from a 325i. I was astounded by the condition of the drivetrain even with a quarter million kilometers on the clock. The engine bores still showed the original cross-hatch! No smoke, no clanking noises, nothing! The Getrag 5-speed was flawless and noiseless, even the diff was quiet. The only mechanical fault in the drivetrain was some oil seepage from various gaskets and seals, which is hardly the fault of a high-mileage 20 year old car.

My 2.7i conversion ran great and felt torquier at all revs than a stock 325i, despite still having the 2.93 eta diff. Gas mileage wasn't bad either. I was going to change the diff, the suspension and some other bits, but then a fool in an SUV plowed into it while it was parked in front of my house. Total loss. Even so, these cars hold their value real well if they're in decent shape and the insurance covered my financial losses and then some. Looking for another one to do it all again. E30 forever!