Indonesian artist made his own BMW E30 Compact out of... VW Golf parts

One man’s meat is another man’s poison. In the diversified world of modified cars, that means what some might label as the weird and wacky may very well get the blood pumping into the appendages of others. We tuners and builders continuously push the boundaries, the end results will always split opinions and this custom BMW 3 Series E30 “hatchback” definitely falls into the category of “love it or hate it.”

Our sister site Autofun came across the build christened “El Matador” at the Indonesia Modification & Lifestyle Expo (IMX) 2022. It belongs to Indonesian celebrity Andre Taulany and was built by Indonesian BMW specialists Privat Auto Garage (PAG).

BMW only ever offered the E30 in 4 body styles; 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, convertible and a wagon. They never made a hatchback body although the later E36 and E46 did come in a short-lived hatchback body dubbed the Compact.

Also Read: BMWs have no resale value? This 37-year old E30 BMW 3 Series costs RM 547k, as much as an M4

A self-professed E30 fanatic, Andre always dreamt of customising his own E30 Compact. We’re not sure why but it could be something in the Bavarian water supply. That would also explain why E30s rust like the planet Mars.

Nonetheless, Andre finally convinced PAG to get onboard in the execution of his custom E30 that adopted some body parts from a German sibling though it might raise calls for pitchforks and executions.

You see, though this E30 Compact started life as a 4-door sedan, PAG pulled the B-pillar further back to accommodate the longer E30 coupe doors for a proportionate look. That was just half the work.

The final, and most important piece in the puzzle, was acquiring that rump in the rear. To achieve this, PAG cut part of the roof and the read end out to fit the hatch lid as well as the rear quarter glass.

Also Read: Video: PDRM looking for BMW E30 driver seen overtaking on double line and causing accident

Now here comes the part that will surely send most BMW diehards into a nauseous spin. The hatchback finish was achieved by fusing the rear hatch from a Volkswagen Golf Mk4 on the rear bodywork of the E30.

Take your time and carry on with the cries for blood, we’re completely with you on this.

Given the fact that a wagon version existed, there’s no reason the rear hatch from the wagon couldn’t be used to maintain a pure and Bavarian bloodline for the E30 Compact.

Not to dismiss the work gone into this E30 but the rear proportions do appear to be a little awkward.

Also Read: Owner Review: Stays true to being 'Sheer Driving Pleasure' - My BMW 318i (E30)​

“The modification cost is just under Rp. 500 million (~RM 153,000). This includes air suspension, rewrapping the interior with classic Porsche seat and door trim motifs as well as the Recaro LX mesh seats that were period correct in the 90s,” said Andre.

While this entire exercise might be focussed on aesthetics, the powerplant wasn’t neglected. The original engine was sent to the scrapheap and replaced with the tout 1.8-litre M42 engine from the E42 IS which we’re used to referring as the E46 Compact.

Completing the E30 Compact exterior would be inspiration from the USDM scene in the shape of a roof box.

“I really love the E30. I fell in love with this car because the first car I bought was the result of the Stinky, the E30,” added Andre.

He went on to share that his household is a sanctuary for the E30.

“I have a variety of BMW E30s, ranging from 4-door, M3, 2-door coupe, cabriolet, to the BMW Mas Boy,” detailed Andre.

For those of us across the Straits of Malacca, the BMW E30 Mas Boy is a BMW 3 Series E30 318i sedan made popular by the ‘Catatan Si Boy show during the 1980s that saw the lead character drive the said model.

Think Magnum PI and his Ferrari 308 GTS but on a regional scale.

As for the yellow that inspired the “El Matador” moniker, Andre shrugged it off towards never having an E30 in that shade before.

“I have various colours of the E30 in my collection, ranging from red, white, and black. I’ve never had yellow before and I really wanted this colour. Besides that, a car like this in yellow will stand out really well,” he added.

Andre went on to explain that the entire project only took 2.5 months to complete.

“This BMW E30 Compact only took 2.5 months since it was commissioned after this competition was announced. I was pessimistic at first but you can see the results, I myself am very satisfied with the work in such a short time” concluded Andre.

Custom vehicles are always going to be hot or cold deals and given that a somewhat rare E30 coupe and E30 wagon wasn’t sacrificed for the birth of this abomination, we can all close and eye and try to appreciate the work that went into it.

Just remember kids, BMW made an E36 and E46 Compact so there’s no need to whip out the angle grinder or acetylene torch to get your own Bavarian compact… the E30 already possesses its own set of problems without you trying to restyle its body.

If used 3 Series is your thing, the selection by Carsome offers better peace of mind.