318is

Buying sight-unseen from New Mexico: 1991 BMW 318is

 

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Old cars: buy the best example that you can afford, right? Unless you’re actively seeking a project, that’s the convention. So, imagine a listing for the car you want, at the price you like, where the only needs listed are “a wash and wax”. I found that car last summer.

I’d been driving a 91 318is as a sort of winter and minor project car up until that point. I bought that thing for $1,500 and slowly worked through it to get it into shape. I swapped in a set of matching M3 seats, replaced the cracked dash, fixed the odometer, installed a headliner, and resealed all of the oil leaks – except for one. The rear main seal leaked oil onto the clutch periodically, and that caused some bothersome slipping. It may have been a worn clutch (I had a spare clutch and flywheel), but either way, I was going to have to pull the transmission, which takes a weekend of concerted effort. Factor in some heinous oil consumption through other avenues – valve stem seals, worn rings – and the car was starting to feel like a money sink. An Indiana and Chicago car for all of its life, rust and urban parking had taken their toll on the bodywork beyond the point where I was willing to hit the car with any sort of money hammer. I figured that it would be cheaper to just sell that car and find one with fewer and less severe needs.

A serious constraint on the purchasing timeline was my goal to take a 6,000 mile trip to Seattle and back with my girlfriend about a month later. I wanted a well-sorted 318is with A/C to take us across the country and back.  Even on my rougher 318is, I was seeing 32mpg highway on premium fuel – decent for a 1991 car with that much character.

The ideal BMW (and an e30)

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I couldn’t italicize the title, so I had to save it for down here: the e34 is the ideal BMW.

Andrew brought his e34 down to Brown County, IN, where we took the cars out for an Italian tune-up or two.  The 3er was, understandably, the nimbler of the two German sausages, but the 5er has a pleasingly deliberate way of moving.  When it came to changing speed, the e34’s smooth, torquey M30 ‘big six’ reacted with aplomb, and reigned supreme in the undulating terrain.  Of course, I had no issue reservations with keeping the e30’s M42 at full boil.  None at all.

 

Thanks to Andrew for the photos!

 

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Sixteen Valve Sunrise: 2.3-16 and 318is

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The M-B 190E 2.3-16 most directly compared to the e30 BMW M3, and rightly so, given the pair’s history of competition in DTM as well as the marketplace.  But, the current market values of these special models has diverged; these days, e30 M3s are priced as high as a new hot hatch, while 2.3-16s can be had for common e30 money.

In light of this shift, the e30 318is presents an interesting alternative to the 2.3-16.  Dual overhead cams, hydraulic lifters, timing chain, forged crank and rods, 10:1 compression, 4 valves per cylinder, and a tubular header from the factory raise the M42 engine in the 318is to the upper echelon occupied by the 2.3-16’s Cosworth-headed lump.  A limited slip differential option further boosts the 318is performance credentials, but with no dog-leg gearbox or ground effects, it lacks the uniqueness integral to the experience of the 2.3-16.

As for driving dynamics, the 2.3-16 is easier to slide, yet slower to react due to its steering box.  The 318is also reacts more quickly to throttle inputs, especially wide-open inputs broken only for shifts at the 6,300 RPM.  Now, the sounds effects of the M42 are plenty satisfying – that is, until you’ve stomped on the 2.3-16.  Wide open throttle in the M-B yields an intoxicating induction growl that is solely to blame for the 50% reduction in fuel economy whenever I drive Taylor’s car.  You’d think the reduced pumping losses at WOT would be on your side…

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Choosing a Car for a Summer Road Trip

Road tripping
Road tripping

GTI

 

With Independence day set to fall on a Thursday, resulting in a 4-day weekend, I sensed the prospect of a substantial road trip as I planned my vacation days earlier this year.  See, with Thursday and Friday allowed as company holiday, I’d be able to invest 3 of my total vacation days for a yield of 9 total days away from work.  Add to that my propensity for 10-12 hour days of driving, and a serious driving vacation was afoot.

Jetta Sportwagen TDI

This spring, the cars available for the trip were my Jetta Sportwagen TDI, my e30 318is, and my MK1 GTI.  The natural choice for unnaturally long stints in a vehicle is something reliable, capacious, comfortable, and frugal.  And in light of my obstinacy, that quickly narrowed down the choice to the e30 and the GTI.

The 318is is remarkably spacious, given its footprint, but mine lacks A/C, deeming it somewhat uncomfortable in cases where it is hot and humid out i.e. the whole summer in the Midwest.  As for reliability, it needs a new rear main seal and given its compression test results, would benefit from some new rings as well.  But, it’s never broken down on me, so it’s reliable, but not mechanically perfect.  Finally, its highway fuel consumption figures of 30-32 mpg on premium fuel are certainly economical.

1991 BMW 318is

The GTI trades comfort and frugality for superior cargo capacity and reliability.  Around town, the GTI is the right amount of car – zippy, nimble, and generally tractable.  Introduce a 70 mph speed limit, and the GTI requires 4,000 RPM to swim with the school of cars on the Interstate.  Most of that extra effort makes it into the cabin in the form of noise, be it from the engine, the tires, or the wind.  And there’s no A/C.  Yes, the car has never stranded me, and yes, its hatchback holds more than enough luggage for a 9-day trip, but it lacks a certain serenity required for sanity in an 80+ hour road trip.

So, having spent the winter installing a new dash, stereo, headliner, seats, and more in my 318is, it made sense to indulge in these new niceties in the form of a long trip.  Then it started to get hot outside, and I realized how oppressively hot the 318is would be in July with the windows up.  With the windows down, it would be cool enough, but at the expense of considerable wind noise.  With my girlfriend planning on accompanying me for the trip, I knew that neither the heat or noise would be acceptable.

Clearly, I needed to sell my 318is, and find one in better shape…