More Focus: Matt's E30 BMW on TH Lines

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Sam Dobbins | 0 Comments

For BMW drivers, more specifically of the E30 type, there's no better way to kick off the summer than attending the Pacific Northwest's E30 Picnic. Famed as the largest gathering of the classic 80s (and early 90s) generation 3 series, it's safe to say that if you're on North America and own an E30, it's the place to be! Being native to the PNW, I've had the pleasure of attending a few of the annual gatherings over the years, and it's safe to say that the E30 Picnic is a pretty impressive montage of the better-endowed Mk2 VW counterpart.

So when my pop and I arrived at the Picnic in June of 2010, it was no surprise that my deep love of 80s European Coupés and Schmidt TH Lines drew me directly to the silver 325i you see here.

Without hesitation, the staggered 16" TH Lines are what first drew me to the car, being one of my all-time favorite wheels. Matched with a hearty amount of rubber and a well-executed, aggressive-but-still-daily-able fitment, the TH's created an impression unmatched by anything else in the grass fields of the Lemay Car Museum.

But a tasteful set of rollers wasn't the only detail Matt had paid in the process of refining the 4th E30 on his tally. While this isn't his first E30, the 325i motor was originally built for his first E30, an 84' 325e. Following his fathers guide into the realm of Bavarian motoring, it wasn't long before the itch to turn wrenches set in, and it was off to the races!

With an assemblage of mechanical improvements including a Cat Cams 273° camshaft and Ireland Engineering exhaust added to the overhaul of the 2.5-litre inline sixer, to say this wasn't going to be your standard rebuild would be a gross understatement.

MSD Ignition, M50 injectors, and uprated plug wires helped in the hardware department, while Megasquirt was employed as a more adjustable alternative to the original ECU, keeping the software department up to speed with its hardware compeer.

As with anyone sensible enough to outfit an 80s Euro Coupé with TH Lines, the addition of a Recaro interior was nothing short of expected. Borrowed from an Acura Integra Type R, the red-stitched Recaro SRDs followed suit with the red accents found throughout the bay and motor, and as if it were meant to be, the masterpiece you see here came to shape!

While it may have been nearly two years ago that I briefly met Matt and his father, Matt's E30 (and this shoot) was just featured in the December 2011 issue of Performance BMW Magazine—so if you'd like more information on the specs of the car or the full story behind it, hurry to your local bookseller or visit their site at www.performancebmwmag.com to download the iPhone App and read the issue!