Author Topic: Default opinions on this 91 318is please? (Read 2791 times)

wanganstyle · « **on:** June 05, 2008, 11:47:16 AM »

hey e30 guys. im a e30 noob, so please make fun of me if i sound too stupid.

pictures of the afformentioned 318is:

http://picasaweb.google.com/wanganstyle/Haloo

visual:

recent cheap respray, not mint but good. hood and front driverside headlamp were replaced, bumper was not, front apron shows no damage, AC is working, no leaks (ex for normal minor oil drip from 18 year old car).
sport seats have minor tears, but all structure is nice. rear seats are almost un-used, carpet is clean-able and decent, needs floormats, steering wheel is clean-up-able, shift knob will go in the trash.
sunvisors are de-laminating near mirrors, but im assuming that is normal.
power windows work, sunroof is manual and works as well.

100% oem besides rear aftermarket funny muffler, dosnt sound too loud though.

rear bumper has a crack, should be replaced. easy for me to do, im pretty handy.

rear rotors are warped from looking, but brake pedal feels firm and unpulse. that being said, all 4 rotors and pads shoudl be replaced (imo)

powertrain:

engine is a noisy on startup, it dies down slightly but not that much, perhaps Lifters? is the M42 HLA? otherwise, i would assume timing set?

i took it WOT from 1-2-3, and at 5500 rpm there is a rev cut/jump, kinda like bouncing a rev limiter but not - could this be combination of AFM/Sensors/grumpy, or is this a known symptom due to timing set or something worse? I'd assume a used m42 would not be that expensive, the car could use a clutch anyway.

besides for the 5500 rpm slight cut, the car felt about 120-130 hp and moved nicely. all syncros were good, clutch engaged at about 75% away from the floor, rpm was stable, no torn bushings or other things, temp was reasonable as well (at least with my inline 6/v8 bmw temp reference)

seller is pretty set at 2.25k - which i think is reasonable, but still doing research on possible engine replacement (labor not an issue, i have a very reasonable mechanic)

tinindian · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2008, 02:34:47 PM »

Quote

engine is a noisy on startup, it dies down slightly but not that much, perhaps Lifters? is the M42 HLA? otherwise, i would assume timing set?

It's probably a defective timing chain tensioner (BMW part #11311743187). Easy to replace and should be done to every M42, the original part was a poor design and was replaced with a new part in the later years. It has hydraulic lifters that do not need adjusting. If the tensioner doesn�t help then it could be the timing chain guides that are worn (caused by a poor tensioner) this repair can be costly if you can't do it yourself.

vonkamp · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2008, 04:38:06 PM »

Why would you want to change the engine? If it needs a new engine, I would look for another car. I would look for one with original paint and in better shape.
All these cars with that milage will need (if not done already) , control arms, bushings, shocks, springs and most likely, brakes, rotors, calipers rebuilt. Why ad an engine to the list. IMOHO.

Nice detailed picture gallery btw. Gives a good asessment of the cars condition.

wanganstyle · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2008, 04:46:56 PM »

engine because i autobahn my cars stateside and need everything 100%, also i dont mind making the investment for security at 130mph

vonkamp · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2008, 05:09:35 PM »

^^
Word... :cool:

batsbats · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2008, 11:44:12 AM »

Quote from: wanganstyle;50686

engine because i autobahn my cars stateside and need everything 100%, also i dont mind making the investment for security at 130mph

hahaha I'd expect that answer from a guy with a name like 'wangan'