iXcellent: A New FSC Project

With the end of the year upon us, as colder weather settles in, we’re looking ahead and thinking about the future. We are simultaneously filled with hope, apprehension, grief, gratitude, and about a thousand other emotions. This year has taken its toll on all of us in varying degrees, and so we are navigating how to use this time to reflect, plan, and be present.

One of the ways that we best manage our emotions is pouring ourselves into healthy and appropriate distractions. Does a 325iX count as a distraction? Well, we think it does. Say hello to the latest project around the Fuel Supply shop.

We have actually been sitting on this one for a few months now. Toward the start of the year, this E30 popped up and by chance, we were able to snag it thanks to good old Craigslist.

Maybe you’re wondering what exactly had us looking at E30s in the first place. Well, for one, they’re easy. It’s a happy medium between having something that feels old but not too old. Everyone here at FSC owns multiple for fun / project cars, from S30s to 510s to 2002s to old Ford pickups, and the list goes on. You could say that we wanted something that was simple enough, had that classic feel, and still came with the creature comforts we say we don’t need but really enjoy anyway. They’re also versatile. Keep the stock engine? Fine. Throw in an S52/54? Very fine indeed. Cobble together some kind of Frankenstein situation? Cool. No matter what way you slice it, the car is fairly easy to do a plethora of things with.

Plus, they’re just getting harder and harder to find in conditions that we don’t feel queasy about. This especially applies to the iX. Salvage title here, clapped out garbage for $8k there… it’s a struggle. The E30 is obviously a hot ticket ride nowadays, as we’ve all watched it climb to the heights of stardom in our own garages and among the cooler members of our society (think: Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator) with shocking—and a little confusing—speed. But the ultimate fact is that we all love the E30 for the reasons we’ve listed here, and plenty of others.

Now, on to this car. It’s honest, and in great shape for what we were looking for in a project. Falling just short of 249k miles on the clock, it’s no spring chicken but it’s all there. Having cycled through multiple owners, as most E30s do, it has seen its fair share of maintenance and, well, lack thereof.

Inside the car, you’ll see nothing but stock purity. Tan leather, a very mildly cracked dash, and the non-negotiable 5 speed manual. For the mileage, it’s really not bad at all. Oh, and want to know one of our favorite features? Stock heated front seats.

While the engine seems to be perfectly healthy, it’s the other bits that need some attention. Shifter linkage is wobbly and worn, bushings throughout need to be replaced, and a little elbow grease in the engine bay would do it good. We will obviously be going through every wear and tear / maintenance item to replace as needed, because we get the impression that there hasn’t been a whole lot of TLC in this car’s recent past. More of a “get in, drive, repeat, then sell” sort of situation.

Ultimately, we’re not sure exactly what we’d like to do with this little car. Ideas of a more rally-focused build have been tossed around, but nothing concrete yet. For now, we’ll focus on getting everything up to date and making sure it will be a solid driver. As far as winter projects go, it will definitely keep us busy. We’ll bring you more updates as we move forward, and we hope that you have something in your life that can serve as a productive outlet, too.