My brace of E30's

[Rix313]

I just thought seeing as I don't have any pics to post of my F21 yet (owing to the fact its currently plodding it's way through the BMW factory) that I'd post some pics of my other two BMWs. My BMW obsession started when I was at college doing a motorsport engineering national diploma and we needed a project. One of the lecturers was a BMW fan and found us this super cheap 318iS. It was red, tidy shell (albeit with one to two dodgy panels) but it didn't run.




I will cut a very long story short, as this was 8 years ago. In that time the car was turned into a track car and more recently I have spent proper money and time on it to make it into my pride and joy race car.











It has been built to club level regulations and what I consider a decent spec too. I haven't gone nuts spending £££££ on engines and suspension but I haven't skimped either. A quick run down:
Rebuilt engine with mild delta reground cams, 3 angle valve seats and light weight flywheel with stage 1 clutch
Mapped ECU
K&N panel filter in standard airbox
4.1 LSD with 4 clutch upgrade
WilWood 4 pot front calipers with 280mm discs
Rear brake calipers from touring E30 (2mm large piston)
Braided brake and clutch lines
Brake bias valve in the cabin
Internal and external fire extinguisher and battery cut off
Light weight heater
Carbon Door cards
Templar performance hard coated polycarbonate windows
Fibre glass bonnet and boot lids with Aerocatches
Custom cages 6 point weld in roll cage
Sunroof delete
Cobra Sebring Pro Kevlar seat with aluminium mounts
TRS 6 point harness
Steering wheel with quick release
E46 '067' steering rack
AST single adjustable coil over dampers with solid top mounts
Eibach anti roll bars front and rear
Powerflex purple bushes all round (eccentric front wishbone)
Team dynamics 1.2 wheels offset ET15 for caliper and damper clearance
Wide rear view mirror and steering wheel hook
SPA design dual digital gauges for oil pressure/temp and fuel pressure + battery voltage
Z3 short shifter
Front tow strap
Infinity Exhausts full stainless exhaust system
Electric fan
'25' racing battery with anderson plug
E36 M3 fuel pump
Reconditioned serviced injectors
Front turret reinforcement gussets from E30 cabriolet
SFS performance silicone hoses
Stripped back chassis loom


A few years later whilst innocently looking through the E30 forum classifieds. I saw this lovely example of another 318iS, in red. I whizzed up to Leamington Spa to have a look and ended up driving it home It has the factory fitted black leather, 13button OBC and the BBS cross spoke alloys. The engine is unmolested and it's a dream to drive. It mostly lives in the garage, keeping the race car company but I plan to have it on the road for the summer for sure.








Although it can't really be seen in the pics. There were a few bits on the body work on the road car that I wanted to have sorted. I took it to a friend of mine who owns a paint shop and he worked his magic on the car making it look pristine again. All in time for a BMW enthusiast track day at Castle Combe last summer, which I took both the cars to.








So.... there's my babies. I love them

[MCarsFan]

Great to see - I loved the E30!
Almost impossible to find one unmolested now.

[csg]

Awesome! I love my E30, purchased last year as a daily, ended up selling my garage queen to make this one even more special. OEM M technic 1 parts are in the garage ready to go on and replace those silly US bumpers

city park by colbyscottgregory, on Flickr

[Rix313]

Oooo nice

I'd love a proper M3 but they are big money now, Tech 1 & 2 sports are getting to be big money now too. I have a soft spot for these, I am however not one of these painful muppets who see's the iS as the baby M3

[bmw1racer]

Nice... That E30 318iS brings back memories.

I had a red one from 1991 to 1994... Sadly, it got totaled by a drunk driver.

[swagon]

Nice to see owners of the newest BMWs owning also old BMWs.

Respect your elders.

[ShocknAwe]

Thanks for sharing. I'm developing a huge man crush on the E30. Starting to really consider getting one to take the other side of my garage.

[sa12]

Very nice.

My first car was a Diamond metallic black 320i E30. I loved that car even though it was a money pit. Every time it developed a fault, my Dad used to tell me to just get rid of it but I'd respond by telling him that I couldn't sell it until it was fixed but when I got it fixed, I'd tell him that there was no point in selling it now as it was running sweet!!

[Rix313]

HAHA nice one My dad has an appreciation for older cars (he has a couple of 80's porsches) and my mum had a Dolphin Grey E30 back in the day and has always been a BMW fan. All this means dad doesn't mind his garage being full of these two and all the spares, and mum doesn't mind there being random bits car parts in her garden ha.