OK, here's my introduction:
I was introduced into the BMW world when I bought an E36 M3 after graduating from college. My expenses were low, the job market was awesome, and the stock market was flying high. Good times.
I fell in love with BMWs and when it came time to replace my 1995 Neon daily driver, the E30 318i was my first choice because... well you know. It'll get 30MPG, it'll handle great, it'll be solidly built, the M42 is the most high tech engine in the E30 arsenal, etc. I wanted the sedan over the coupe because it is a bit more practical for me as a daily driver. These cars are small enough and don't have fold down rear seats!
I ended up purchasing one on Cape Cod. It needed a bit of work but I went for it. The passenger side door was sagging, broken glove compartment, brake lining lights, loose front end, the wheel would shake violently at higher speeds, etc.
I bought it and got to work replacing most of the bushings in the car. The front end was a complete mess. The control arm bushings were extremely deteriorated. The tie rods were bent up. After replacing all that and more including a sport suspension, it handles better than new.
Despite the fact that it has 188K miles, I've replaced so many parts in the car that I feel it has many many more miles left on it.


I have a bunch of short term fixes I need to do to the car such as fix the blower fan and rear door lock actuator... but my long term goals for the car include some rust removal (small section where the paint chipped off above the front wheel arch and near the license plate lites), have some body parts painted and installed (M-Tech 1 rear spoiler, iS front lip, RyanG splitter, iS sideskirts - all which are in my basement).
The car has left me stranded and made me tow it home twice in the two years I've owned it. The first time it stalled out while pulling out of a toll booth. It turns out that it was the cam sensor connector - it had come apart. The later one was when the fan/alternator belt broke and it was getting too hot to continue driving. I didn't have a replacement belt. Beyond those two minor issues, it's been a very reliable car. It is even a beast in the snow with the massive studded snow tires I have mounded on the stock bottlecaps.
BTW - Yes, those are mudflaps.... and I like them on the car. Without them my car would have probably been a pile of rusted metal in a junkyard somewhere.
