<E30> Buying an E30 325is - Is it a fake?!?!?!

[Christopher Pawlowicz <chrisp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rodney Sparks sez

>The '87 325is that I test drove had about a 4800-5000 rpm redline.  It felt
like it
>pushed well up into this range, as if it had the high-revving motor, but
the tach was
>the low-rev one.  What's the deal?  Did any of the E30 325is's come with
the low-rev
>tach? 

If it is low rev, it is an 'e'
if it is high rev, it is an 'i'

Bmw engines like to rev. They don't run out of oomph near redline.
They will just go and go and go.. until they hit the rev limiter.

So: easiest way to find redline is hit the rev limiter. It takes a bit
of confidence :) but with the engine warmed up.. drive in second gear
or something and hold the throttle to the floor and have a friend watch
the tach. Keep going until the engine starts to sputter (ie hits the
rev limiter) and notice if it is at 5000 or 7000 rpm.

No, the engine won't blow up. Just don't drive with it 'pht phtting' 
for too long. Most people who autoX hit rev limiters on occasion.

> I don't think it's a re-badged 325es, because it had the very supportive
>leather seats, and a little tri-color strip on one of the spokes of the
steering

the 325es had all those goodies..

>  Any marker in the VIN that I could
>readily recognize?  If there are any features I could use to discover the true
>identity of this car, I'll go back and see what's going on.

You could ask your local dealer very nicely if he could look it up for you.

hope this helps

chris pawlowicz
'89 325i
'74 2002

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