Thoughts on new car options...

#1

I’m getting ready to buy an E30 and I’ve been having trouble finding a 325i in my area. What would I be getting myself into if I were to get a 318 and performed a motor swap? What’s different between the modles? Am I just beter off waiting for a good 325i or 325is to come along?

#2

So no thoughts on buying a 318 and doing a motor swap? It seems to me that everyone I’ve seen so far has just stuck with a 325i.

#3

Most likely your better off just buying a 325i. The 318 is a 4 cyl and the 325i is the 6 cyl. You would need to modify or transfer over, the cooling, suspension, transmission, diff, fuel inj, motronic ECU system, exhaust system, etc… I may have missed a few parts/system, but it’s a lot of work.

#4

Where are you located that there are no 325’s?

You looking at 4 doors too? Nothing wrong with a 4 door race car…mine even had the LSD. Easier to install cages too!

Remember many of these cars are not in the classifieds now, but the even cheaper papers (most communities have a "pennysaver" or along those lines).

I got mine by leaving a note on a car that hadn’t moved in a while and indicating I’d buy it.

My 87 325i was $750.00. It needed about $500 to pass inspection. I ebayed off over $800 in parts.

These things are expensive to fix if you have to pay a mechanic and many of the current owners don’t have much of a budget for repairs…so they sit.

Make sure the techs and service writers at the local BMW dealership know you want one. They see cars coming in that are not cost effective to repair and the owner buys a new one. The dealer will give them NOTHING for it.

These cars are usually great as the dealer has maintained them. You might try the salespeople but, the tech is the guy you want to talk to. Make sure they have your phone number and they know that there is some $$ for them if they find one for you.

Ideally the AC doesn’t work, the tires are bad and the interior is trashed…no reason to pay for stuff that is coming out anyways!!

You can find one…just keep looking down side streets and driveways until you see one that appears dead. Then bring it back to life.

Ric

#5

Thanks Ric, those are some good ideas. I have trouble paying $4000 for a car that I’m going to rip apart, and finding good cheap 325’s is difficult around here. Considering I’m less than 2 hours from Atlanta and Charlotte, I know they exist, I just can’t seem to find them.

I’ll check the papers and make buddy-buddy with the local BMW techs. We’ll see if that works.

#6

My car was a trade-in at a local used import lot that specializes in BMW’s. They turned it to me for what they allowed the previous owner. $800.00

256k miles and runs well. It had a bad wheel bearing and a bad trans but after those (I had a spare trans) I still only had very little in it.

A basic tune-up, the spec and safety parts, and it’s been a race winner.

Carter