The E30 generation BMW 3-series is zippy, reliable, simple to maintain, and cheap to buy -- which is why it has become the beater of choice for many folks. Prices were good for years, but the nice examples have started to appreciate and you'll have a hard time finding V8 swapped examples like this for cheap in the future...so get it now. Find this 1984 BMW 325e offered for $7000 in Portland, OR via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
Not too many years ago, you could pick up a clean BMW E30 for reasonable money. It is a completely different market for these cars in 2018. Nice condition plastic bumper cars are very difficult to find under ten grand. Today's feature is a interesting euro import that could be a really nice car with a little handiwork and ingenuity. It is equipped with the low revving diesel-esque 2.7 "eta" inline 6 engine. All is not lost because the hot-rod solution is to fit an "i" engine cylinder head onto the "eta" block to create a 2.7 stroker. The "i" cylinder heads are plentiful and not overly pricey. Without proof of it being done, you should change out the timing belt and water pump on on these engines right away so this would not be a ton more extra work. Find this 1985 BMW 325e for sale in West Haven, CT for $4,000 via craigslist. 
The E30 generation BMW 3-series sold in large numbers (2.5 million according to the interweb) from 1982 through 1994 in coupe, sedan, estate, & convertible trim...but you don't often find "showroom condition" examples of the 325 for any price. Find this 1987 BMW 325e offered for $5900 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The E30 generation BMW was a significant improvement over the E21 that it replaced, but more in the evolutionary sense than revolutionary. It was still powered by inline-4 and inline-6 M-series engines, used rack-and-pinion with MacPherson struts up front, and semi-trailing arms out back...but each part was just a little bit better in the new car. Today's 325e has taken another leap forward. Find this 1984 BMW 340i with M62 V8 swap offered for $5,499 in Fountain Hills, AZ via craigslist.
The E30 generation BMW 3-series have all but disappeared from modern traffic, you will see the occasional beater or fan boy stanced version cruising around. Few and far between are the original condition E30s with a manual gearbox that look as good as this next one. Find this 1986 BMW 325e E30 offered for $9,000 near Boston, MA via craigslist. Tip from Carter.
Top Gear USA (starring racer Tanner Foust, car nerd Rutledge Wood, and inexplicably annoying Adam Ferrara) was in its fifth season last summer but nothing was ever filmed/released this summer. It is probably a good bet that the show has been canned, but nothing official so far....which is a shame because it was a good show, far more watchable than the terrible car-related nonsense that is produced by Velocity and other channels. If you are (were?) a fan of Top Gear USA, this next car will be of interest because it appears to be the car built by Tanner Foust for a 2011 challenge. Find this 1986 BMW 325e from Top Gear USA Series 2 Episode 1 here on eBay
offered for $3,200 buy-it-now located in Athens, GA.
Roadkill is a DT special feature where we post cars that are seen on
the side of the road by our readers and staff. Just be sure to include
contact info for the seller if you submit some roadkill. Today's roadkill comes from Sean S who writes: Remember when there was no internet but we still loved finding cars? AutoTrader, Hemmings, the Recycler or the corner on Sunday that everyone selling would park their cars. I wonder if we could do a old school throwback before eBay and CL? Too bad this little e30 is a Autotragic, I bet it could be had for $2,000.
The E30 generation BMW 3-series is popular choice for budget car buyers who want something that looks classy, drives decent, and doesn't cost an arm and leg. It won't offer the same amenities or speed as newer iterations of BMW's compact sedan, but swap in a V8 from a 5 Series and you are halfway there. Find this 1986 BMW 325e E30 with M60 V8 swap offered for $6,500 in Mamaroneck, NY via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
Owning a BMW E30 is not without their its pitfalls; most have been trashed
by teenagers (since values sunk to happy meal change in the 2000s) and
they never had Japanese levels of reliability, you will likely have a
regular list of little jobs that need attention. But they do combine a
light and nimble chassis with free revving inline-6 engines that don't
mind some abuse. Even the efficiency designed 325E model can be rewarding to drive when equipped with a clutch pedal and it might be the perfect slow car to drive fast. Find this 1987 BMW 325E offered here on craigslist for $2,200 in Boise, ID. Tip from Chris.
The BMW 325e was an E30 variant created to offer greater fuel economy from the small six cylinder engine, the e was an abbreviation for the greek letter eta, or "engineering speak" for efficiency. The eta version was slower than a standard 325, but its low compression engine offers supple off idle torque and is well suited for turbocharging. Find this 1987 BMW 325e E30 5spd offered via Rhode Island craigslist for $2995. Seller submission from Jeffrey A.
We love finding V8 swapped rides for the Daily Turismo because they usually can be purchased for less than the price of the swap components with the labor thrown in for free. This 1987 BMW E30 325 sedan is no exception, with a Ford V8 & T-5 manaul trans, and is for sale asking $5k in Altanta, GA via craigslist.