Pablo may only be 19 years old, but the Sydneysider has an automotive obsession. Despite moving to Australia at a young age, his love for automobiles goes back to learning to shift gears in manual cars on the family farm in Spain.
That’s a long time ago, and in fact, he recounts that he probably learned how to drive a manual car before he knew his times tables. This author sees nothing wrong with this statement. It is, as it should be.
Cars are a family affair though, and as young Pablo was growing up, he remembers seeing his dad build a ’57 Chevy hot rod, from the ground up. It’s a car his father would take to shows, and drag race. All that had a significant impact on him as a young boy.
Surprisingly, his restored and modified 1983 BMW E30 323i Coupe isn’t his first from the German marque. He also has an E21 project car that he’s been working on with his dad for more than three years. It’s a work in progress, but it is registered.
Never mind the fact there’s an M54B30 from an X3 jammed into the engine bay. That will be something else, when its done. Now back to the E30, a vehicle Pablo found in the most unusual of places.
While working at his local Maccas (that’s McDonald’s for those outside Australia), he would park in a nearby basement car park, next to a modified BMW E30. It was covered in dust and had been vandalised, with writing all over it and the paint all scratched up.
Generally, the car was in a sorry state. After months of searching, Pablo eventually found the owner, who was willing to part with it. At that time, it had loads of issues, including electrical gremlins, fuel problems and engine dramas.
Most people would either have realised the error in their ways or just walked away, but not Pablo. Instead, he saw something in the old BMW, and managed to get it running reasonably well.
He recalls that he fell in love with it the first time he saw it, despite the mess, and that the black body paint and orange BBS style rims reminded him of the cool JPS Lotus F1 cars of the late 70s and early 80s.
The extended arches and hints of an intercooler poking through the front spoiler were enough to get him hooked. It was one of the meanest E30’s he’d ever seen, and one that is finally dialled in and running like a dream, thanks to some help from Hyperboost.
Like all projects, it’s still a work in progress, and Pablo is the first to admit, it’s not perfect, but it does most things well and reliably, including drag racing, drifting and an array of other track events.
The car is tough to drive but incredibly rewarding. You have to constantly wrestle it, so driving it on the street can be tricky. That’s especially so, thanks to a big Garett 35R T3 turbo, with a Turbosmart 44mm external wastegate and a 3-inch stainless dump pipe.
That’s all strapped to the M20 engine, which has a block is from a 325e, with forged pistons and rods. It’s been mated to a 731 head with upgraded valve springs and an IE 272 camshaft. It’s also equipped with 1000cc injectors to keep the motor fed.
Keeping everything in check is a Link G4 Storm ECU with LS1 coil packs. This has been dyno’d to 416bhp (310kW) at 19psi. Remember, all this is packed into a 1983 BMW E30 323i Coupe, not a performance car built in the last few years.
It’s raw and glorious all at the same time, and if that’s not enough, the steering hubs are from an E46. It has extended lower control arms, an E28 rear cradle with E32 V8 rear trailing arms. It’s also fitted with E28 half shafts and BC coil-overs all round.
The interior is pretty basic and ratty, and is definitely a case of function over form. You will find a Recaro driver’s seat and a AEM 02 gauge mounted inside the vents though.
On the outside, steel custom flares, a Zender body kit, and a small ducktail and roof spoiler complete this one-of-a-kind machine. For now though, Pablo plans to just keep driving and enjoying the car as much as possible.
He’s not done with it yet, and continues to learn how to get more from the car, attending race meets and car shows on his quest to seek out future upgrade options. Pablo has big plans to make his E30 BMW even better.
Cool car, great write-up.