325e - limited slip?

I'm looking at a very attractively-priced (~$1k), seemingly cosmetically and mechanically good condition (only very slight rust) 2-door '84 325e tomorrow to have for an autocross and HPDE car. Looks to be a bone-stock car driven by an older gentleman as a commuter only. 125k miles in 26 years isn't much. Yeah, yeah, it's an e and not an i, for what I can get it for and the condition it's in I can live with that, and the e's torque may actually be better for autocross, and for a first-timer at HPDE lower speed at Watkins Glen may not be a bad thing.

After doing some searching and reading my initial excitement at seeing the sports interior was tempered by the fact that all first-year 325e's had that interior - still nice to have but I was hoping that signaled limited slip was fitted. Anyone know of an easy way to check on a 325e to see if the car was equipped with the LSD? I can do the standard different-surface test to confirm, but I'm curious to see if I can check without that just by looking at a sticker or parts. Anyone?

Crawl under and look at the diff. Find the shiny (ok, probably dull and pitted) tag on the back of the diff with the serial number. It should be a long (~10 digit) number. If it is preceded by an S, then it is a limited slip.

Tommy Suddard wrote: Crawl under and look at the diff. Find the shiny (ok, probably dull and pitted) tag on the back of the diff with the serial number. It should be a long (~10 digit) number. If it is preceded by an S, then it is a limited slip.

And that's why I love this forum - I ask a question and I get THE answer in 12 minutes! Thanks Tommy!

Also, take along a flat head screwdriver to scrape the diff tag.

The diff should be of little concern, swapping in an lsd is a matter of four nuts, 16 bolts and the speed sensor plug. Used diffs are plentiful and cheap, $100 - $250 should buy an lsd in the ratio of your choice. All but the earliest e28 diffs will also work after you swap the cover and output flanges.

Hotlinked pics, just 'cause:

I don't know if you know this, but the spoiler on the rear is a sport piece, too.

NICE

Is that steering wheel stock? It's looks nice.

David

Tommy Suddard wrote: I don't know if you know this, but the spoiler on the rear is a sport piece, too.

Yes, I actually knew that. The steering wheel is stock too. From the pics looks like a nice, unmolested first year eta. Found a link to a 1984 RodentTrack or MotorTrend article by Jim Hall that describes the '84 eta as coming standard with the sport package stuff from the 318i apart from the LSD.

Seller says he took it in trade from his uncle for some work done and just wants to convert it into cash fast, had a clutch and timing belt last year before being put up for the winter. If it looks and drives as good as I expect it'll be residing in my driveway by the weekend.

eta's autocross real nice with a 3.73 lsd in 'em.

Just to bring this full circle, I saw the car tonight. Man, what a beater! The interior was half disassembled with many missing small plastic bits, there was waaaay more rust than was disclosed when I asked or showed in the pics, the motor was in bad shape with a tick that wasn't just a simple valve adjustment, the brakes needed 3-4 pumps to work every time, miles were unknown with a broken odometer, and there was something seriously wrong in the passenger rear wheel area making a nasty scraping on deceleration only. Even with all that, however, a quick test drive convinced me of the inherent goodness of the E30 and I'll be hunting for a good example.