M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
FAQ / REFERENCE => M42 Buyer's Guide => Topic started by: pakman84 on August 28, 2009, 01:31:06 PM
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Looking for this info from an E30....Also, the vehicle will have a 5 speed....Why is there a weight difference? The sport seats????
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The iS is heavier because it has a galvernised chassis, not because it has different seats.
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what does this difference in the chassis produce (other than the weight difference?)
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Less prone to rust from what I can gather not sure what else.
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why didn't they galvanize the rest of the body bits while they were at it? all my wheel wells are rotting out :(
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why didn't they galvanize the rest of the body bits while they were at it? all my wheel wells are rotting out :(
seriously, my chassis is fine but the entire rest of the underside has rust to hell and back...
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The iS is heavier because it has a galvernised chassis, not because it has different seats.
lol wut
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i was trying to put that together too :)
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The iS is heavier because it has a galvernised chassis, not because it has different seats.
Uh no.
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my 91 325is w/sunroof weighed in at 3560. stock without driver and low on fuel.
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What is the curb weight of a 318i vs.318is?
Curb weight:
2657 lbs (318i)
2602 lbs (318is)
2867 lbs (318iC)
http://www.strictlyeta.net/technical/specifications2.html
The iS is heavier because it has a galvernised chassis, not because it has different seats.
So you're saying BMW only galvanized 2 door E30s, not 4 doors? What?
my 91 325is w/sunroof weighed in at 3560. stock without driver and low on fuel.
You're about 800lb off.
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Whys the convertible heavier?
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chassis bracing for the vert bumped the weight up a bit.
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Not just the extra chassis bracing, but nearly all convertibles are heavier, because the framing in the tops is very heavy. and if you have an electric top, (which a 318 generally doesn't) its even heavier yet with two motors to run it. However you can put the top down and lower the center of gravity a bit.
I believe the "i" is heavier than the "is" because its a 4 door and the extra door jamb, window motors etc add a little bit of weight.
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I've heard that the facelift e30s are heavier that the earlier models too. Can't be the airbag adding all that weight though...is it more sound deadening? I'd figure that the sedan is slightly heavier from the rear door hardware, but it can't be that much. I've been tempted by the 'vert, but that 300+ pound penalty keeps me away.
I thought the e36 was the first galvanized 3-series BMW? My e34 is galvanized & I'll bet the e38s are too.
I've seen enough of the newer cars rotting away but it's better than nothing.
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my 91 325is w/sunroof weighed in at 3560. stock without driver and low on fuel.
im calling complete BULLSHIT! the 325is only weighs like 200 lbs more then the 318...
Curb weight:
2657 lbs (318i)
2602 lbs (318is)
2867 lbs (318iC)
http://www.strictlyeta.net/technical/specifications2.html
So you're saying BMW only galvanized 2 door E30s, not 4 doors? What?
You're about 800lb off.
im glad to see someone who really knows what there talking about...
and to whoever said that the 318i is lighter PLEASE go do some research... if the 318is had the same suspension as the 318i 4 door it would weigh almost 150-200 more lbs less
mine weighs 2602 wit ha full tank :D
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im calling complete BULLSHIT! the 325is only weighs like 200 lbs more then the 318...
im glad to see someone who really knows what there talking about...
and to whoever said that the 318i is lighter PLEASE go do some research... if the 318is had the same suspension as the 318i 4 door it would weigh almost 150-200 more lbs less
mine weighs 2602 wit ha full tank :D
I thought they had the same suspension? Anyway, I'm sure the four door weighs a bit more, but the rear door hardware isn't all that heavy. I based my choice on availability. The convenience of the sedan isn't all that much greater than the coupe FWIW. The doors are pretty short.
Still, little doors make for an athletic little car. I'm usually surprised that other cars are so large. The 318i has changed my mind about what is important in cars.
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^^^ true but yes the IS has bigger sway bars and sumwhat stiffer suspension from what ive read..
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I wonder if there was a sport option for the sedans? I'd say from the number I've seen with steelies, no. Mine's getting an upgrade!
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dave im pretty sure the IS(all flavors) had mtech susension bits.
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yea they have the Mtech stuff thats why the beafier suspension brings the weight up
still a very light car either way though
and SO much fun on the back roads!
i beat an STI on the backroad here
i would have to say i kno the road a little better though ;)
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Unless the original buyer specifically ordered the Mtech springs and rear stabilizer bar (14.5mm compared to 12mm) the 4-door and 2-door 318i/iS came with the same suspension setups. The only difference in the springs was if the car had A/C, Sport package, or sport package with A/C. The same 2 sets of springs were used for both 4 and 2 door models. Check the ETK if you want to see for yourself.
BTW are those curb weights definately from the US market cars? The european e30s were all lighter because they didn't have some heavy metal "reinforcement" bars behind the bumpers.
The 318iS also had a few things like the rear spoiler, the front skirt, and the limited slip diff (for Canadian models for sure, i think it was option in the US). Anyway, there were different standard options for cars sold throughout north america so i would only use those numbers as rough estimates. Maybe the 318is weight listed there has a sunroof and the 318i didn't, who knows.
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I added maybe 30 pounds to the rear with a medium case LSD. Much better, more useful. Hopefully it'll last longer...according to my records it's the third one in my car.
I'm going to be adding some Bilstien Sports too, but the alloys should cut the weight down. Maybe I'll break even.
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yea they have the Mtech stuff thats why the beafier suspension brings the weight up
still a very light car either way though
and SO much fun on the back roads!
i beat an STI on the backroad here
i would have to say i kno the road a little better though ;)
...sure you did....... :cool:
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Unless the original buyer specifically ordered the Mtech springs and rear stabilizer bar (14.5mm compared to 12mm) the 4-door and 2-door 318i/iS came with the same suspension setups. The only difference in the springs was if the car had A/C, Sport package, or sport package with A/C. The same 2 sets of springs were used for both 4 and 2 door models. Check the ETK if you want to see for yourself.
BTW are those curb weights definately from the US market cars? The european e30s were all lighter because they didn't have some heavy metal "reinforcement" bars behind the bumpers.
The 318iS also had a few things like the rear spoiler, the front skirt, and the limited slip diff (for Canadian models for sure, i think it was option in the US). Anyway, there were different standard options for cars sold throughout north america so i would only use those numbers as rough estimates. Maybe the 318is weight listed there has a sunroof and the 318i didn't, who knows.
my sway bar is 14.5 mm
and im pretty sure ALL american 318is had a 4.10 LSD
mine has AC (not for long)
your right about them having different options but i also work at a european car shop and if we work on a 318is compared to a 318i the suspension numbers are different and all the 318is that i have worked on have bigger suspension stuff than the 318i maybe its an american thing? IDK but all the IS's ive worked on had the 14.5 mm sway bar and stuff...
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...sure you did....... :cool:
if you saw this road and you were from out of state u would unserstand the only place he was ahead of me was at the very begining of the road where it has a nice little straight away
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my sway bar is 14.5 mm
and im pretty sure ALL american 318is had a 4.10 LSD
mine has AC (not for long)
your right about them having different options but i also work at a european car shop and if we work on a 318is compared to a 318i the suspension numbers are different and all the 318is that i have worked on have bigger suspension stuff than the 318i maybe its an american thing? IDK but all the IS's ive worked on had the 14.5 mm sway bar and stuff...
IDK if the e30 iS carried a standard LSD, maybe it was part of a package. We unfortunate sedan owners had to check an option for the locker. I've found Bilstein struts on two 87-88 325is...maybe that's the deal? They're typically yellow with massive strut pistons, like twice as thick as the Sachs/Boge units on the base models. These are BMW OEM options and have no Bilstein identification, I suspect they're an M-Tech upgrade.
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IDK if the e30 iS carried a standard LSD, maybe it was part of a package. We unfortunate sedan owners had to check an option for the locker. I've found Bilstein struts on two 87-88 325is...maybe that's the deal? They're typically yellow with massive strut pistons, like twice as thick as the Sachs/Boge units on the base models. These are BMW OEM options and have no Bilstein identification, I suspect they're an M-Tech upgrade.
AHH okay well mine has had bilstiens and from what ive read all the america IS's had the LSD i could be wrong though... anyways im gonna be changing my suspension either way haha
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I got worked by an E46 M3, and I'm not afraid to admit it either! At least he didn't blow me off like most cars do :p
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^^^ worked by him in what?? lol
and i cant wait untill i can work an E46 M3 :D
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I pwned a school bus yesterday. Him and his punk friends won't mess with me again. ;)
I must have the low-power M42, because I can't keep up with seniors leaving church parking lots in their Cadillacs (go figure). But I can go around corners like Michelle Mouton (on a bad day). :D Everyone in the neighborhood knows my car on sight because it's usually sliding sideways 'round corners.
Reminds me of some good advice from my old BMW dealer Dieter: "You must blow dee carrbon out uff de zylinders." He had the best dealership in Pittsburgh...and the only one. Nobody knew what a Bimmer was in 1974. In 1978 he took me for a spin in an M1...I think he hit 90mph once or twice in Oakland (our congested uptown), and Pittsburgh has no straight roads. One of my favorite childhood memories...
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I pwned a school bus yesterday. Him and his punk friends won't mess with me again. ;)
I must have the low-power M42, because I can't keep up with seniors leaving church parking lots in their Cadillacs (go figure). But I can go around corners like Michelle Mouton (on a bad day). :D Everyone in the neighborhood knows my car on sight because it's usually sliding sideways 'round corners.
Reminds me of some good advice from my old BMW dealer Dieter: "You must blow dee carrbon out uff de zylinders." He had the best dealership in Pittsburgh...and the only one. Nobody knew what a Bimmer was in 1974. In 1978 he took me for a spin in an M1...I think he hit 90mph once or twice in Oakland (our congested uptown), and Pittsburgh has no straight roads. One of my favorite childhood memories...
lmao nice one on the school bus!! haha
and you can make you M42 scream :D just get a 93 octane mark-d chip intake
full exhaust
then port and polish
high compression pistons
then hone out your intake and exhaust ports ;)
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lmao nice one on the school bus!! haha
and you can make you M42 scream :D just get a 93 octane mark-d chip intake
full exhaust
then port and polish
high compression pistons
then hone out your intake and exhaust ports ;)
plus a set of hot cams. might as well throw in some 24lb injectors. walbro fuel pump and adjustable fuel presure regulator while your at it. if your gonna do it dont half ass it :D
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I'll put that on my list. Who knows, with a little work I can probably snag me some Oldsmobiles...or even pick off a few of the soccer moms in their minivans/utes/xovers.
Seriously, you'd be surprised what you can do in a minivan...our '06 Mazda MPV is no slouch...my wife positively dusted me flat & level before she let up at about 65 or so on a local highway. At 3300+ pounds I'd have caught her on the curves. Still, 200hp/200 ft-lb & five speeds in a minivan!
I've occasionally had indecent thoughts about some 17" rims & tighter springs...maybe a little exhaust work...
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^^^ worked by him in what?? lol
and i cant wait untill i can work an E46 M3 :D
I was in the 318, but it wouldn't have mattered which of my cars I was in. The Z4 would have had the best shot. The 530i would probably have done better than the 318 did, but not by much. It's a little sluggish off the line. Top end is a lot better in that car.
I was just out having fun and he pulled up next to me so I let the M42 work in all its glory.... :D
Some day... some day... (dreaming of turbos and chips and aluminum flywheels and all that other fancy stuff I cant afford...)
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I'll put that on my list. Who knows, with a little work I can probably snag me some Oldsmobiles...or even pick off a few of the soccer moms in their minivans/utes/xovers.
Seriously, you'd be surprised what you can do in a minivan...our '06 Mazda MPV is no slouch...my wife positively dusted me flat & level before she let up at about 65 or so on a local highway. At 3300+ pounds I'd have caught her on the curves. Still, 200hp/200 ft-lb & five speeds in a minivan!
I've occasionally had indecent thoughts about some 17" rims & tighter springs...maybe a little exhaust work...
lol well mine just has an empty exhaust chip 373 and the intake and exhaust ports a little bigger and it runs very well for an M42 IMHO
I was in the 318, but it wouldn't have mattered which of my cars I was in. The Z4 would have had the best shot. The 530i would probably have done better than the 318 did, but not by much. It's a little sluggish off the line. Top end is a lot better in that car.
I was just out having fun and he pulled up next to me so I let the M42 work in all its glory.... :D
Some day... some day... (dreaming of turbos and chips and aluminum flywheels and all that other fancy stuff I cant afford...)
lol well im doin an M52B28 swap with goodies
and in the E30 with only 240 WHP my friends can beat an M3 until about 140 or so
so when i have 220 WHP i should be able to keep up pretty nice :D
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my sway bar is 14.5 mm
and im pretty sure ALL american 318is had a 4.10 LSD
mine has AC (not for long)
your right about them having different options but i also work at a european car shop and if we work on a 318is compared to a 318i the suspension numbers are different and all the 318is that i have worked on have bigger suspension stuff than the 318i maybe its an american thing? IDK but all the IS's ive worked on had the 14.5 mm sway bar and stuff...
my car, purchased from the original owner, has a/c, sunroof, 12 mm rear sway bar and open 4.10 diff. (LSD waiting for me to get around to install)
purchased from Century BMW, Los Angeles in march 1991
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I was in the 318, but it wouldn't have mattered which of my cars I was in. The Z4 would have had the best shot. The 530i would probably have done better than the 318 did, but not by much. It's a little sluggish off the line. Top end is a lot better in that car.
I was just out having fun and he pulled up next to me so I let the M42 work in all its glory.... :D
Some day... some day... (dreaming of turbos and chips and aluminum flywheels and all that other fancy stuff I cant afford...)
I passed a Technoviolet E36 M3 on an onramp a while back and pissed him off (not because I did anything illegal or dangerous, just because of the *audacity*) so he blew by me at something close to 90MPH and rounded the bend straight into a speed trap.
Karma can be wonderful sometimes. :cool:
-D
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and im pretty sure ALL american 318is had a 4.10 LSD
Both my cars have open diffs.
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Both my cars have open diffs.
well both of my 318is's had a 4.10 LSD
the one i have now HAD a 4.10 LSD but now it has a 3.73 LSD
but im glad i dont have an open diff :P
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Curb weight:
2657 lbs (318i)
2602 lbs (318is)
2867 lbs (318iC)
From my knowledge the 318i had a slightly heavier engine weight, amusing we are talking about the 318i M10. I'm not sure about anywhere else, but I have yet to find a 318i M42 here in Alberta, Canada. Though its more probable this thread refers to the m42 not m10 versions, so Kindly disregard this if so.
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Reminds me of some good advice from my old BMW dealer Dieter: "You must blow dee carrbon out uff de zylinders." He had the best dealership in Pittsburgh...and the only one. Nobody knew what a Bimmer was in 1974. In 1978 he took me for a spin in an M1...I think he hit 90mph once or twice in Oakland (our congested uptown), and Pittsburgh has no straight roads. One of my favorite childhood memories...
I love driving in pittsburgh. My fiancee is from wexford, whenever we're down there i love winding through all the hilly roads
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My 1991 318is weighed 2530 without me in it. Full weight. Spare tire, all fluids etc...
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I love driving in pittsburgh. My fiancee is from wexford, whenever we're down there i love winding through all the hilly roads
It's a great place to be for driving. I'm way down south but I used to work up north near Wexford. Avoiding the gray brigade is tough though, Allegheny County has among the oldest people - average age per capita. No problem...take the long way home, as I always say (...to my wife, when she complains about some baffling "short cut").
Most liveable city, so I hear. If the Marcellus Shale pans out it'll be even better.
My 1991 318is weighed 2530 without me in it. Full weight. Spare tire, all fluids etc...
I'm going to have to hit a truck scale one of these days. I've always been curious about how much she weighs all up.
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My 1991 318is weighed in at 2550 lbs with full tank of gas, all standard gear on board but no driver. This was measured on a scale at a landscaping yard that specializes in rock. I think it was pretty accurate. No sunroof on my car.
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I weigh 2584 with a full tank of gas, spare tire and tools, and a little Gator-aid bottle :P
I was weighed at Roebling Road were they have there own scale.
I will get the front left and right and back left and right once I get my car from the show >_<
Till then sporting in a e36 328I with a whinning supercharger HAHA. I love the look of peoples faces as the red light when they see hear me pull up.
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are the 4 doors longer then the 2 doors?
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are the 4 doors longer then the 2 doors?
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_(E30))says no.
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Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_(E30))says no.
interesting.
so glad i have my 4 door :D
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That's a question that just came up recently. I was dickering over an iX fender set from a coupe...but neither I nor the seller knew for sure if the coupe & sedan are different lengths...I did get a ski bag & map light mirror out of the deal...those will fit for sure. :D
Anyone know positively one way or the other?
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That's a question that just came up recently. I was dickering over an iX fender set from a coupe...but neither I nor the seller knew for sure if the coupe & sedan are different lengths...I did get a ski bag & map light mirror out of the deal...those will fit for sure. :D
Anyone know positively one way or the other?
RealOEM (http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partxref.do?part=41351968489&showus=on&showeur=on) shows the front fenders are the same on Coupe and Sedan.
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Were 4 doors wider than 2 doors?
;)
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I had my 91 318iS weighed at a certified scale and with a full tank of gas it was 2650.
Does have a manual sunroof.
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Here's a list of curb weights of both E30 318 and 325. All weight when unloaded. 100% stock.
318i- 2657 lbs
318iS- 2602 lbs
318iC- 2867 lbs
325i- 2811 lbs
325iS- 2844 lbs
325iC- 2987 lbs
325iX- 2954 lbs