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Engine + Driveline / Heres my Boston green M42 318is :)

« on: December 01, 2010, 05:24:50 PM »

unless you move the suspension points in the car at the same time, you are only limiting the total distance the suspension can travel. in other words, no free lunch.

if you're doing this for cosmetics, do what you will, but lowering a car reduces handling in my experience once you move past a certain point. it's like sawing off a coil on the springs. you lowered it, great, but now you got less suspension. if your car was designed to move the suspension to absorb street conditions, you lessened that ability now.

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M42 Buyer's Guide / BMW E30 318is..good car?

« on: December 01, 2010, 05:08:38 PM »

I have a 2002 330i as well as a 1991 318i. I am a fan of precise driving mechanics. These cars are different.
The 330i is nearly 900 pounds heavier than the 318i. You definitely feel the difference. Positive is that it is like driving around on a granite slab but the ride is still somewhere between sporty and compliant. Negative is that it is less involving.
I’m enjoying the 318i more given the same speeds. What’s cool about the M42B18 and the E30 is that you feel like you are really flying even at semi-moderate speeds. I’ve never driven an e36 M42 or M44, not that I don’t want to. But the extra weight would probably make an impact.
I drove a co-worker's excellent Porsche about a year ago, after I did all my current prep on my 318i. If I were to drive the 911 as hard as I drove my 318i I would be in jail or out of a sweet 911 (or worse.) Going 80 in the 318i is really fun, but I’d have to do 120+ in the 911 to get the same involvement/thrill. I am not talking about feeling scared/racing or going at 10/10ths, rather just feeling like my driving plus the car are working well together, precisely. Freunde am Fahren, indeed.
The 330i I don't drive over 100 mph, it's an automatic and it feels less precise, so even though the engine and suspension are good to go well over 100 mph, I’m used to the awesome feel and turn-in crispness from the 318i. The 330i isn’t vague it’s just muted, less sharp. I have the steering rack from a z3 in my 318i though, made a huge difference. Car is extremely responsive now. It’s killing my power steering pump though.
So summed up: 318i isn’t a good track car, not a good cruiser, but an excellent street car; the motor is just too underpowered to win. The driving dynamics are there, just underpowered. The 330i is an excellent street car too, just heavier and plusher. I like it a lot, but I love my E30. Total cost of ownership is far better on the 318i too. In many ways I think I have two great cars. Adding the 911 I’d have all the cars anyone would need.

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M42 Buyer's Guide / 1991 E30 318is Pricing...

« on: December 01, 2010, 03:56:06 PM »

I paid $3600 for a car with very minor paint issues and 77k original miles in october of 2008 in Portland, OR. it was a 318i (4 door) however -- which I prefer for some reason on E30s. I also also came with a dealer-installed moonroof. Car was pretty much pristine.

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Suspension / vw wheels on a bmw?

« on: March 04, 2009, 02:13:57 PM »

Wheels tend to be slightly smaller (6-ish percent) on VWs of comparable rim size. For instance, with a 16" rim, VW recommends a 205/40/16R wheras with E30s that 16 would be a 205/45/16R. Your speedo will read high.

Also most VWs are FWD, so the wheel offset is either 35 or 38mm at 16". Most E30 fitments would recommend a 20 or even a 15 depending on width of the wheel.

Knock yourself out: http://miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

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M42 Reference / replacement antenna

« on: January 12, 2009, 03:43:22 PM »

Hi guys I have a 1991 318i (4 door) and I'm trying to find out if the car's non- power antenna is original. I was under the impression that all BMWs are power antennas. What would be required to make it a power antenna? mine has no mounting points in the body work, just the hole and the antenna lead.

Thanks very much!

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