BMW E30 Bush Find to Hill Climb

Author: Charlotte Vowden

We’ve all experienced the wonder of coming across a car that’s been neglected. There’s something fascinating, if a little macabre, about a rusting hulk. Trapped in a tangle of shrubbery or dissolving on someone’s front lawn, you wonder: Why was this vehicle abandoned? Is there something sinister locked in the boot? Their driving days in the rear view, these cars are nearly always a lost, forgotten cause. Battered by the elements and likely looted for parts, it takes a special kind of person to rescue them from their fate. Skilled of course, but a dreamer too, who can realise an ambitious plan.

Jake Walton, 24, is one such person; his is an inspiring tale of bringing a bush-find BMW E30 back to life. “It was my first decent car,” he told me in the paddock during the Hagerty Hill Climb event at Shelsley Walsh, “I say decent, but it didn’t even work.” Jake purchased the BMW E30 five years ago, “it was all rotten at the front,” but he managed to save it from the thicket before Mother Nature could do her worst to the bodywork. “I’m not repainting it,” insisted Jake, “it’s original to factory.” Calypso Red, and “full of stone chips,” the imperfections pay tribute to more than 150,000 miles of motoring. “I’m not afraid of driving it,” Jake was keen to make known.

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The BMW E30’s innards, however, needed some TLC. “I found out the engine was done for,” a discovery that most people would dread, “so I upgraded it,” he said. For Jake, it wasn’t a reason to panic, it was simply a matter of fact. He is, I discovered, a mechanic by trade. “For me being a mechanic is more than being a mechanic, it’s about the cars, the passion for the cars, my life revolves around it now. [It] almost eats me up. I can’t talk about anything else other than cars, which is not a bad thing when you’re somewhere like this.”

The “this” Jake was referring to, was the oldest motorsport venue in the world. Established in 1905, Shelsley Walsh has remained true to its original 1000 yard layout; which Jake had tackled in his BMW E30 three times. Upgraded to run on a 2.8-litre M52B28 – a popular performance engine – which is complimented by an M50 manifold, “The Bimmy” as Jake calls it, has got the torque and top end power to make an impressive run what ya brung time on the hill. Describing the experience as a “pure 40 second adrenalin rush,” Jake didn’t hold back.

Documenting his day on YouTube, Jake captured the heady mix of nerves and excitement that accompanied each run on camera. “My heart was absolutely pounding… I was just trying to compose myself… then I went a bit mental.” A tentative first dash was followed by a more, shall we say, enthusiastic second. On the S bend, “I went in a bit hot,” he confessed. Rescuing The Bimmy from a bush only to plough it into a wall or a ditch would be a disaster. “This is my absolute baby,” he said, “I use it as my main car.”

Heart, soul and oodles of expertise have given the BMW E30 a new chapter. And a racier one at that. To enhance the BMW’s capabilities, Jake has fitted a six-speed Getrag 420G gearbox, BC racing coilovers and an E36 purple tag steering rack – amongst many other things. The Bimmy’s shoes, a rare set of Dunlop LeMans T-E, “I only know of two other sets in the UK,” are matched with Nankang NS-2R semi-slick tyres; a superb choice for track days and spirited driving, and to make sure he can buckle up and hold on tight in style, Jake has furnished the cabin with a Recaro drivers seat and wooden Nardi steering wheel – the latter is a timeless touch of class.

“I’m really happy with it,” Jake beamed, “it’s a good package all round.” His secret to success? “It’s not about what everyone else thinks, it’s about what you want to do. Do whatever makes you happy.” After previously attending the Hagerty Hill Climb as a spectator, Jake was determined “The Bimmy” would be part of this year’s action. “I wanted to take this car up that thill and I’ve made it happen, so I’m pretty chuffed.”

Watch the full interview with Jake below.