cheap euro car!

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a1c_allen
Hey guys I have a rare opportunity and I want to capitalize on in! I’m in the air force and recently got stationed in Germany! Right now I’m in Iraq, but will be home with some cash in two months! I need to pick up a car, in the states I was in to autocross and that is something that they do at the old airfield in bitburg where I live, I want something lite with a little bit of power and rear wheel drive if I can help it! Right now I think I’m leaning towards a bmw e30. 318is (with the twin cam M42 if I can help it) or there’s a guy that wants to sell me his 16v 190e, so the question is what should I get? What would you get or look for out here. Thanks

PS my base is about 1hr from Nurburgring
 
The 16v 190e is the Mercedes equivalent of the BMW M3. I'd say that > a regular E30 318is anytime.

Of course the BMW is likely to be more involving.
 
The BMW is likely to be slightly better to drive, and the Mercedes is about a million times more special. The choice between them is ultra clear, it's just a matter of what your priorities are.

I'd have the Merc, if only for the extra practicality.
 
Thanks! Right now he wants $2500 for the 190e but it needs brake work and he said he needed to 'check out' the rear end. Thats a really good deal but hes not PCSing to his next base till the spring. If I have can stand to wait that long I will, the car is damn clean! but e30's are everywhere here so i could find a good deal on a good one within around a month after i get back im sure!
 
What engine is the 190e? If it's the 2.3 or 2.5 (the Cosworth ones) then those are the M3 rivals and therefore probably better than the 318is you're looking at, if it's any other 190 then it won't be a patch on a good 318is for fun.

There's a programme in the UK called Wheeler Dealers who did a great job on a 190E Cosworth. When your mate says "the back end needs sorting" does he mean the variable ride height rear suspension? If so, apparently the best thing to do and what the WD guys did was to replace the adjustable system with normal shocks as it improves the handling even further, and requires less maintenance.
 
Thanks homeforsummer! that build was really cool, and made me want the 190 pretty bad! and yes it is the cosworth 2.3! its black on black and looks awsome! they are really growing on me! But he is hanging on to it till feb. So if i can wait, ill pick it up for sure, expecily becuse its an 86' so it will be 25yrs old by the time i come back to the states and i can bring it with me and regester as a classic and avoid picky federal laws. If i find a clean 318is before feb. I still might pick it up but if not I will drive the hell out of that 190e and try for around a 10min lap at nurburgring!
 
Mmm. 190 cosworth. If I could somehow find one here I'd take it in a heartbeat. I've seen one ever and I wasn't sure if it was just a badge job or not.
 
I'd tilt towards late E30's. 190E is bigger car, and since it was a special version in it's hey day, the parts will be expensive and hard to find. in addition, you should drive both it and E30's, that's the best way to find out which one suits you.
 
Yea, I really want to! but I want to know if there is anything I'm over looking, or even other cars I should check out? Im just starting to get into the euro car culture and I'm still a newbe and dont even know all of my options, if you know of a rad car I should atleast look into let me know. Thanks again
 
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190 > E30 any time.
Friend has E30 with M20B25,i expected a lot more from that car,it just disappointed me.
 
Well, E36 325i is always an option. with DOHC design and even without the vanos it produces plenty of power for a chassis that light. and I can vouch for the excellent driveability.
 
Leonidae
I'd tilt towards late E30's. 190E is bigger car, and since it was a special version in it's hey day, the parts will be expensive and hard to find. in addition, you should drive both it and E30's, that's the best way to find out which one suits you.
Click to expand...

+1. drive both... then decide.

I've heard that the Cosworth engines are pricey to fix if the previous owner wasn't careful... since the cylinder heads are bespoke and not shared with other Mercs, that could be a problem if the car isn't in tip-top shape.
 
Thanks for the help guys! I think my plan right now is to keep a close eye out for a clean E30, and also I'd love the chance to take a E36 325i for a spin! If i still never find a BMW that suites me, after a drive, Ill pick up the cosworth Merc! I would almost feel bad.... becuse I will drive the heck out of any car I get. So with that being said maybe the BMW would be a better choice. I love autocross (hitting cones!) and Im not scared to toss the car around eather! The extra weight combined with the guilt i would feel if i ran the cosy in to the ground. Makes the lighter E30 a good choice I think!
So finally any last cars I should keep my eye out for, even if just to drive? GTI? what year? Any Audi's any thing? it doesnt have to be FR, i just want something fun!
 
If you feel like getting into a fight with every bump and camber on the road, you could try to find a Ford Focus RS... :lol:

Generally, though, if you autocross, you'll want a car that's as new as possible, as simple as possible and as cheap as possible... but something with a decent amount of poke. Your typical 2 liter hatchback should do... but it'll all depend on how long you're going to keep it... how deeply you're going to modify the car... and whether or not you'll also use it for daily duty.
 
If you can, take the BMW E30 M3, it is a classic and people tend to pay huge amounts of money for it.
The ideal trackcar. Lots of people take that model to the Nurburgring, Zandvoort, Spa.
A original model is very rare these days 👍
 
Hey mate if your going to get an E30 go for a 6cyl version!

I just bought a e30 320i and its the best car ive ever owned, even better than my old e36 318is

6 cylinders is the way mate
 
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