Good morning! Today’s search takes us to two places not generally known for interesting used cars in good condition: Detroit and Minneapolis. But lo and behold, I found a car worth writing about in each city, and even better, they both appear to be rust-free.
I didn’t think I was going to get you all to vote for a Plymouth Sundance with a bad head gasket yesterday, and I was right: it got beat by that scruffy old green Nova by more than two-to-one. And I suppose the fact that the price of the Sundance has been dropped $200 since yesterday can’t sway you? Well, it was worth a try.
I’d much rather have the Nova for a keeper, that’s for sure, but it would need a lot of work before I was happy with it. As things stand right now, I think I’d have more fun with the Sundance. Head gaskets aren’t that hard to replace, and it would be fun to take it to a Radwood event or something, and then sell it for a profit before this ’80s-90s car nostalgia wave dies off.
I grew up just outside Chicago, and I lived for many years in northern Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. I got used to cars having rust, even newer models. Three or four good winters, sometimes less, and you’d start to see bubbles at the bottom of the doors. Two years later, there’s a soft spot in a rocker panel, and a hole behind each rear wheel. I sent two cars to the junkyard for terminal rust, a 1979 VW Scirocco and a 1984 Honda Accord, and both were only eleven years old and so badly rusted out you couldn’t even jack them up.
It’s the reason I stick to the southern and western parts of the country a lot of the time when choosing cars to feature: I hate rust. Moving to California in 2005 was an eye-opener in a lot of ways, but not least of which was seeing all the rust-free thirty or forty year old cars just driving around like it was no big deal. No one would bat an eye at our two choices today out west, but where they are, they’re rare and special, just because of their condition. Let’s check them out.
1985 BMW 318i – $3,750
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Westland, MI
Odometer reading: 130,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The BMW E30-chassis 3 Series needs no introduction, of course. It’s a tough, simple, fun-to-drive car that went from yuppie transport to cheap thrills, and now is a bona-fide classic. Values for desirable versions of the E30 have gone through the roof, and they’ve brought the lesser models like this along for the ride. Years ago, you could have bought a four-door automatic 318i for next to nothing. Not any more.
This car dates back to a time when BMW sedans were not only simple and well-built, but also logically named. The 318i is a 3 Series, with a 1.8 liter fuel-injected engine. That engine, BMW’s M10 four-cylinder, dates all the way back to 1962, and was the heart and soul of the legendary 2002 series. It makes for a lively and fun car – if it’s connected to the proper transmission. This one is not. Someone back in 1985 either couldn’t or didn’t want to drive a manual, so they ordered this car with a three-speed automatic. The seller says it runs and drives well, but I bet it’s pretty dull. Swapping in a manual is probably not too difficult, if you can get your hands on all the necessary parts.
Looking at this interior compared to modern BMWs shows just how much the company’s focus has changed over the years. This car is simple, driver-focused, and comfortable inside, not tacky and covered in technological bullshit that has nothing to do with driving a car. I mean, it has power windows and niceties like that, but it also has nice clear analog gauges, a good high seating position, and sturdy materials. It’s in very good condition inside as well.
It looks like it used to be silver outside, but someone has repainted it in this bright M&M orange. It’s an unusual choice, but I like it. I do wish they had done it right, and painted the door sills as well, though. I’m less enthusiastic about the tacked-on rear spoiler and the black wheels. I like these old BMW “bottle cap” wheels, but I’d rather see them in their original silver.
1992 Infiniti M30 Convertible – $2,800
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter overhead cam V6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Fridley, MN
Odometer reading: 117,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
When Nissan launched its upscale Infiniti brand in 1989, it used the same tactic that its rival Toyota was using with its Lexus brand: Develop a big flagship V8 sedan, and import a Japanese model Americans had never seen as a lower-priced alternate. In Nissan’s case, that was the Leopard, a two-door coupe with rear-wheel-drive. The Leopard didn’t change its spots too much when it became the Infiniti M30; the interior was Americanized a bit, but the basic car is pretty much the same. Starting in 1991, some M30s were sent to ASC to become convertibles, an option Japan never got. Personally I’d rather have the coupe version, but it seems like all I ever see for sale are the convertibles.
The M30 is powered by the same VG30E V6 that served so well in countless Maximas, Pathfinders, and 300ZXs. It was available only with a four-speed automatic, though a manual M30 would have been really cool, and I seem to recall Infiniti catching some flak for not offering one. The seller says it runs and drives really well, and it has only 117,000 miles on it, so it has a lot of life left.
Inside, it looks OK, but not great. The steering wheel rim, center armrest, and passenger’s seat are all pretty rough, suspiciously so for the mileage, actually. I don’t know if it has just led a hard life, or if there’s something hinky with the odometer, but it’s worth asking some questions. The seat and the armrest I could live with, but that steering wheel looks awful.
The outside looks good, and the paint is nice and shiny, but it does have a ding in the left front fender. I don’t see any signs of rust, though, which may mean it wasn’t driven in the winter. The convertible top is in good shape, always a nice thing to see, but the ad doesn’t show any photos with the top down. Is that just because it’s winter? Or because it doesn’t work? The usual rules apply: Don’t buy until you push all the buttons.
Drive either one of these cars in Los Angeles or Portland, and no one would bat an eye. But in Minneapolis and Detroit, they’re something special, and decent bargains. On the one hand, you have a car with a deep aftermarket and huge ecosystem around it to make it a lot more fun than it is now, and on the other hand you have a comfortable and reliable cruiser that just needs a little sprucing up inside. Which way are you going to go?
Their both pretty decent, but the Infinity has a convertible top so it got my vote.
Not to mention that sweet V6. Definitely going to have more power than a lil’ 1.8L in the BMW.
If I’m getting a cheap car to cruise around in, it might as well be a convertible.
I like the convertible Infinity… seems comfy and long legged. Yes, it needs to visit an upholstery shop or at least a good detailer.
Voted M30, no question, I had an 1991 E30 318is, (the best 4-banger E30 you could get in the states) as my first car and It was nice for the time but I don’t miss it.
Y’all are trying to make the M30 into a performance car. Its not one. What it needs are some Nice Longchamps, a small wood-rimmed Nardi wheel, lowering springs, and laced-doillie upper seat and head rest covers.
If it were a coupe you could add a chandelier dome light and proud parcel shelf speakers to the list.
If the rockers will hold a magnet on that BMW, I’d still pick the Infinity since no choice walks.
I wouldn’t be particularly suspicious about the Infiniti’s mileage based on the condition of the leather. The tan leather seats in my ’95 Miata with 78k (and a paper trail to verify it) when I bought it in 2020 were waaay worse than this and the leather steering wheel was almost as bad. 90s Japanese leather does not like to be exposed to the elements. I was lucky to find a supplier for new skins for the rare low-back buckets in my 95M… I’m betting the buyer for this Infiniti might not be as lucky. I’d still pick it over the worst E30, however.
Agreed. I can smell that interior from here, and can confirm that 33 years of sunlight could easily do that to a Nissan steering wheel.
In the early 90s I drove a friend’s E30 318i and it was one of the biggest driving disappointments of my life having put them on a pedestal in my teenage years. I had a pretty basic Golf Mk 2 at the time so not exactly spoilt but even taking into account it was about 6 years old by then the 318i was dog slow, had a clunky gear change, the unassisted steering was way too low-geared and it was basically not fun. So I like the idea of wallowing around in 6 cylinder M30 luxury and I’ll buy a furry steering wheel cover.
The Infiniti would be right at home in the parking lot of an Old Country Buffet. I’m not surprised it only has 100k miles on it. What a boring, boring, boooooriiiiiing snoozer of a car.
The Infiniti doesn’t invite you to try and make it something that is not. Trying to make that BMW interesting would probably more that double the asking price. Possibly triple. And then you still have a humdrum 318i.
Also because convertible.
Driving that BMW would be no fun at all. It’s not the right car to be an automatic.
The JDM SL-wannabe is perfectly suited to an automatic, and I’ve got a thing for early Infinitis, back when Nissan was a good company.
that M30 was a marvel, even when it was new. It’s way more rare than the 318, and E30s, as good as the are, are far overhyped by people who have never seen, nor driven one.
It’s like shooting on film or recording on magnetic tape. The mojo isn’t automatic, and there’s so much hackery out there, that you can’t trust ANY of them. Not that they aren’t fun cars with great aftermarket support.
The M30, on the other hand, has probably been coddled and not abused, and you rarely ever saw them in the early ’90s, let alone in the interregnum between then and now.
I would have gone for the Sundance, too. X-body Novas are … fine, if you’re a Boomer. They’re automotive classic rock. How many times can you hear fucking “Start Me Up” in a lifetime? That’s what a Nova is. Tired, tired, tired shit. And not interesting. Be interesting. If you want an interesting X-Body, get a Citation.
“Start Me Up” is a great analogy. The Nova is definitely shitty late ’70s Stones.
I remember when Microsoft used that song for an ad. I still can’t hear it without thinking of a crappy old version of Windows.
The coolest thing about the M30 was the nifty sonar suspension and an early example of a car with multiple (2!) suspension modes. Not sure the rest of it was a marvel, though. This was a generic cruiser in the U.S., never getting the DOHC, turbo, or manual gearbox options available in Japan. The Acura Legend made it look very outdated, which probably explains why Nissan sent many of them to ASC for a chop job.
I distinctly remember C/D rapturously describing the operation of its power top. A marvel in the bubble-economy luxury sense and they also said “this is how it used to be” So kind of a backhanded compliment
Can’t look at that M30 without thinking of the movie “Three Kings.”
No Lexus convertible. Infiniti only!
You finally did it, Tucker. You got me to vote for an old BMW.
I don’t love the E30’s half-assed paint job (did they run out of paint before the front valance?), the blackout wheels or the grey-scale roundel, but the meh powertrain suggests the bad decisions are merely cosmetic. Plus, the color’s fantastic — easy to find in a snowed-in Meijer parking lot! — and it’s as basic as BMWs get.
I was all set to vote for the Infiniti, but the interior was surprisingly off-putting and the seller calling it an “Infinity” was bothersome. Also, as handsome as the M30 is with the top down, it looks clunky as heck with the top up.
So we’ll take the 318i, do something with that valance, pick up some nice wheels, and never get lost in a parking deck ever again.
Voted for the Infiniti because convertible. Still, for the price, the BMW could be fun as well.
Between that gutless 1.8 and the godawful 3-speed sapping what’s left of the power, I can’t imagine enjoying that 318. Add on the shitty paint job that’s likely covering problems, and that’s just a bad buy.
I’ll take the obscure convertible with more power if I MUST have an auto.
I had to look it up but couldn’t find a reliable source. I’m guessing at least 11 seconds to 60.
But the M30 is a heavy 3,600 pounds… a cool 1,000 more than the BMW. 0-60 in 9.7 seconds.
That V6 with an extra cog is going to have more on-demand power than a 3 speed 4-banger. Weight be damned, we’re cruising traffic, not trying to carry momentum.
This is true. And on the highway the M will be fine, while the E30 will be just plain annoying.
I would think the interior wear might be related to its convertible nature, and exposed to more sun over its lifetime than a hardtop would have been.
The automatic in the BMW is a killer.
BMW seems to have fallen victim to more than a couple bad decisions in presentation. Makes me wonder how many others aren’t as obvious. Really like the Infiniti, and all things equal (ie: if the BMW were normal), I’d probably still tilt that way. It needs some love inside, but the mechanicals are dead simple and it would be pretty easy to live with.
Everything wrong with the M30 is just a few grand of JDM accessories from being perfect. New Seats, racing wheel, some new carpet, and a reskin of the console in some fun fabric. Slam it on some Rays or Volks, and you’ve got a USDM that’ll make the JDM crowd drool….
The stupid paint and rear spoiler are only the visible ill-conceived decisions that hampered this BMW. I can only figure what lurks beneath the skin. Being it a small engine and a slush, it doesn’t provide the excitement that would justify overlooking an undiscernible streak of unreliable previous owners.
As a boulevard tourer, the Infinity will fit its purpose vastly better.
Convertible. Always convertible.
The E30 for me. Big fan of the color and it’s got plenty of aftermarket to fix the lack of horsepowers & gears.
Long ago I was looking for a project car, and was thinking a Nissan 300ZX with that VG30 motor (shared with the above Infiniti) would be a good choice. A friend of mine who already had a Z talked me out of the idea — due to Nissan’s lack of factory parts support for out-of-production models, it’s apparently quite difficult to find mission-critical things. Her story of searching junkyards for a few months to find a replacement ECU convinced me to get my Toyota MR2 instead.
Neither of these cars will give you a lot of thrills, so I’ll go with cheaper and comfier today. If the BMW didn’t have the sloppy respray and unfortunate wheels I would have gone with it and put myself in full 80’s yuppie cosplay to look the part.
I don’t know why, but I’ve had a particular affinity for all the first gen Infinitis, even the M30. I always liked them better than the Acuras of the same era, so I’d go for this ‘vert in a heartbeat!
I read the descriptions of both, but I didn’t need to. Orange is by far the best color for any car. We need to pass legislation requiring manufacturers to offer orange as a color option for all vehicles sold in the US. That the orange vehicle in question is an ’80s BMW is even better. This vehicle should win 105% of all votes cast today.
The world needs more bright coloured vehicles. I voted the 318 partly on that, and partly that it’s just a nice car (though, agreed, the auto takes fun out of it).
There’s a metallic yellow/gold car in the parking lot in the office – it really pops amongst the sea of grey/black/white. I love it.
I also like bright colored vehicles in general, although orange is my favorite so this BMW definitely caught my attention.
One of my cars is a bright orange classic VW Beetle. It stands out in just about any parking lot. The downside is that, if I were ever to be pulled over for speeding, I would have a hard time convincing the officer that the culprit was some other guy in a bright orange VW Beetle. Not that I’m overly concerned about getting a speeding ticket in a 50 hp car, of course.
I second your call for universal orange car options! My personal favorite is Infiniti’s orange metallic from the mid aughts, the one used in many FX35 ads.
I feel like the orange on this car is incomplete without Jagermeister decals.
I appear to be in the small minority of people that actually likes how this car looks in orange. I’ll be even more controversial and say I also like the black wheels. The car should have come from the factory this way.