Cars aren’t just four rubber tires and a box of metal. No, cars are far more than that. They’re bringers of joy, the realizations of dreams, and the connection points between us and the people we care about. Cars can mean just as much to us as the people they represent and, in this new video from StanceWorks, you get to see the power of that connection from an E30 3 Series.
This story is actually in two parts, each with their own video. The first part tells the story of an enthusiast named Corey, who was a lover of old BMWs. Not only did he love old BMWs, he drove them (mostly) the way BMWs were meant to be driven—hard. Sometimes a little too hard, even flipping one into a tree. However, Corey’s love for BMWs, and specifically two of his E30s, inspired his friends.
After tragically succumbing to a fatal disease, Corey’s friends at StanceWorks decided to build a new E30 3 Series in the spirit of his own. So an E30 3 Series was bought, one with 270,000 miles on it, and with the typically least desirable ETA engine and automatic transmission. It was slow, a bit ratty, and in dire need of some work. But that’s exactly what they were going for.
In this video, you get to see the transformation of that ratty E30, and watch it go from a worn down beater into something far more special. And it’s even more special than usual because it the sentimental twist of being bought to recreate the spirit of the E30 owned by their dear friend. Which is why they bought an old one with high milage and in need of a ton of work.
This video walks you through much of the work that’s done, including new Euro bumpers, Euro grilles, Euro headlights, new lowering springs, and even a Momo steering wheel. While it’s still far from finished, as a new engine and a manual transmission are going to be swapped in, it’s a drivable project car that completely works and looks really good. E30s aren’t supposed to be perfect show cars, they’re supposed to be affordable, honest, simple sports cars that make their owners happy and that’s exactly what this E30 does perfectly. Many E30s have been bought by people wanting to make expensive, show-car builds out of them but that’s not what this one is, this E30 is a car built to honor someone who truly appreciated E30s. This E30 is a real one.
