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Watch This Decaying BMW E30 Barn Find Get Detailed To Perfection

This BMW 3 Series has been sitting in a decrepit building for the past 14 years. Now it's finally getting the attention it deserves.

red e30 bmw 3 series abandoned in garage with debris on top of hood

Brian Silvestro Brian Silvestro

By: Brian Silvestro

Feb 3, 2024 at 12:00pm ET

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This E30-generation BMW 3 Series coupe was left abandoned by its previous owner in the garage of a Pennsylvania house. It sat untouched for 14 years as the house slowly began to cave in on itself, leading to a buildup of debris on the outside of the car and infestation inside. Thankfully the car was saved from demise thanks to the folks at WD Detailing, who recovered the car and detailed it to perfection.

Before WD Detailing could bring this E30 to its home base and get to cleaning, the team had to extract the car — something easier said than done considering how long it's been sitting. After getting the garage door out of the way the team decides to pull the car out with a rope attached to one of the car's rear control arms. But because the arm is so rusty, it simply snaps, leaving the rear left wheel facing the wrong direction.

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What follows is a few painful hours of slow, careful extraction to get the BMW into WD Detailing's trailer. But once it's back at the warehouse, the cleaning can finally begin. And there's a lot of cleaning to do. The paint is in rough shape, having lost a good deal of its clear coat. There's a significant amount of home ceiling insulation sitting on the hood, and the interior is coated in rat urine and feces. 

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A good detail cures most of this E30's cosmetic problems. Cleaning supplies and high-pressure water clear the dust and mold from the exterior, while plenty of degreaser and scrubbing get the carpets looking healthy(ish). The seat cushions exhibit the most drastic change, going from a gross yellow-ish color to a near-factory light beige. It's all very satisfying to watch.

Sadly this E30's fate was sealed long before it received this world-class detailing. According to the WD Detailing folks, the car going to be parted out rather than revived and put back on the road. While we're sad to see a classic car bite the dust, we're glad that its parts are able to keep others on the road.

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