325i to 325is conversion

[Benji Molina]

Hello,
So a friend of mine is looking to sell his 325i but I have always wanted a 325is, I am wondering if I put all 325is parts on this car is it then a 325is or does the vin say that it is a 325i? What is there on the car that I cannot change to make it a 325is? The problem is that I care more about the rarity of the car than the performance.

Thank you and sorry for the dumb question
-Ben

[DesktopDave]

It'll always be a 325i according to the VIN. It's a coupe, right? Just change the trunk lid stickers, there isn't a significant difference between the two besides a few bolt-on parts. I think an iS package was just seats, maybe an LSD, thicker roll bars, stiffer struts & firmer springs. F&R spoilers too.

It's not like you're trying to make an M3 out of it, that's all wrong IMHO. But the (E30) M3 is a limited production car with significant differences. Ignore the GM muscle car "matching numbers" disease.

[Benji Molina]

Thanks for the quick response! Yes it is a coupe, it would be an easy comversion, does the vin really differ between 325i's and 325is's? Because I took the vin and ran it through some decoder and it came up as 325i a few times and 325is a few times?
Thank you.
-Ben

[E30_Narek]

Thanks for the quick response! Yes it is a coupe, it would be an easy comversion, does the vin really differ between 325i's and 325is's? Because I took the vin and ran it through some decoder and it came up as 325i a few times and 325is a few times?
Thank you.
-Ben

I don't know how legit those decoder things are but whenever you register the car it will always be registered as a 325i, not an is.

[ELVA164]

The iS has a different VIN code, but it's just a trim package anyway. To be frank, the things are never going to be "collector cars" insomuch as the difference in the VIN is going to make a significant difference in resale. Just upgrade the car, call it an iS, and you're as close as BMW was.

[kway]

I really don't understand the iS fascination I've been seeing around here lately. As said above, it was really just a trim package. Later in production, it wasn't even called or badged "iS" but the package was available with all the same bits. Again reiterating what was said above, just buy any damn e30 and make your own iS.

[RCtheRed]

The only iS I'd even consider rare and a little below the M3 collectibility would be the 320iS.

[reelizmpro]

Before people got swap happy, the 325iS was the most revered non M3 E30. Sure it's just a trim package but that doesn't mean it's not coveted. The difference in the end is that one was built that way by BMW from the factory and the other was homemade by someone who may or may not know all the differences, who may have cut corners, who may have broken all the tweeter clips or installed the premium speakers backwards or drilled the rear spoiler holes slightly too high or too far down. I always felt that it was worth it to wait for an "S" model car. They typically didn't cost that much more anyway. You may not see the big deal now but back in the day, they were highly coveted over the base models. These days we are starting to see more appreciation for the "iS mystique."

I always liked how the front/rear spoilers completely changed the look of the car.

[e30onBBSs]

I love the iS's. When someone asks "is it a 325i?" And you can say no it's an iS is really special to me. Knowing how it came from the factory, how the first owner was that dude with the sport seats and the LSD... That's awesome. If I hadn't got the 323 I would have def's waited for another iS now I know what I know about e30's

[nando]

The iS has a different VIN code, but it's just a trim package anyway. To be frank, the things are never going to be "collector cars" insomuch as the difference in the VIN is going to make a significant difference in resale. Just upgrade the car, call it an iS, and you're as close as BMW was.

how do you know? There are only so many M3s, and continued interest in the E30 platform is bound to draw people who want an M3 but can no longer afford one. a 325is is the next best thing.

the 325is may have just been a trim package, but the fact is original ones are still uncommon. I haven't seen an original 325is in years.

[rcsoundn1]

Get the car you want, unless your friends is really clean and you dont mind making it a fake IS.

[ELVA164]

how do you know? There are only so many M3s, and continued interest in the E30 platform is bound to draw people who want an M3 but can no longer afford one. a 325is is the next best thing.

the 325is may have just been a trim package, but the fact is original ones are still uncommon. I haven't seen an original 325is in years.

I don't know, but it doesn't seem realistic or justifiable to me, though I'm sure it will to the market someday. I mean, you're right insomuch as anything old with four wheels is somehow worth a million dollars these days (which is beyond ridiculous, but retirees with fond memories of crappy British sports cars can have that effect on things...). I guess there's that "collector" subset who would care more about the VIN than the actual car. The way I see it, there's nothing substantial to be gained for what would assumedly be a price premium. You get some speakers and a spoiler or two, and a limited slip diff. There isn't anything on the cars you couldn't order from the factory on a regular one (with the exception of the '87 front spoiler, although you could just buy one and install it). It's not like an Alfa GTV vs. a GTA, or even a 2002 vs. a 2002ti or tii. I get I'm not part of the target demographic for it, but the E30iS is one of the most "all show no go" sports packages on an enthusiast car I can think of, relatively speaking.

Edit: I just realized I used the word "insomuch" in two consecutive posts. Maybe this is why I wasn't popular in high school...

[SickFinga]

I don't know how legit those decoder things are but whenever you register the car it will always be registered as a 325i, not an is.

DMV has a no way of knowing if a car is 325i or 325iS.

The iS has a different VIN code, but it's just a trim package anyway. To be frank, the things are never going to be "collector cars" insomuch as the difference in the VIN is going to make a significant difference in resale. Just upgrade the car, call it an iS, and you're as close as BMW was.

This is wrong. 325i and 325iS are the same model sharing the same VIN sequence. E30 325iS is not even a trim, it's just a package. It's a creation of the BMW of North America marketing department. For BMW AG, 325iS is 325i with more standard equipment.

[ELVA164]

Interesting, mia culpa then. Didn't Europe have a 325i sport?

[SickFinga]

Interesting, mia culpa then. Didn't Europe have a 325i sport?

Germany did not have a 325i Sport. However, UK's BMW importer would market their own trim levels. For example, 325i was available in 3 trim levels. 325i, 325i SE and 325i Sport. All three cars were the same model with just a different standard equipment. 325i was the basic trim. SE had luxuries like power windows, power sunroof, alloy wheels and more. 325i Sport had larger alloy wheels, M Tech II body kit, M Technic sport suspension, LSD.