pros and cons to the E30 310iS M42

[Bimmer_man]

I will be purchasing a 91 318iS here soon and im wanting to know what people have to say about there personal experience with them. What you suggest I do to make it better. What are common issues.

I am not new to E30 my first car and my only car is a 86 325. So I have an understanding of the chassis not so much the engine though.

[future rs]

Drive it. Get used to the powerband. Then think on what you feel needs to be improved.

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[lolcantturn]

You either like it or you don't. The M42 E30 feels much different than a six cylinder E30, and not only because of the power band.

[ak-]

I will be purchasing a 91 318iS here soon and im wanting to know what people have to say about there personal experience with them. What you suggest I do to make it better. What are common issues.

I am not new to E30 my first car and my only car is a 86 325. So I have an understanding of the chassis not so much the engine though.

There aren't any cons really. It's probably mostly opinionated.
It will be faster, quicker, and peppier than your 325e if you want to compare the two.
It will handle stock better since the engine is lighter and closer to the firewall than your 325e.

https://www.m42club.com

[e30jake]

Mess under the intake, profile gasket, regular maintenance

[bmwman91]

Pros: TONS of fun to thrash when it is running.
Cons: See last 4 words of above sentence.

[decay]

What you suggest I do to make it better.

1. Suspension and LSD; for street, clutch-type good, torsen better.
2. Weight reduction. Ditch what you can live without (AC? PS?) and find lighter aftermarket solutions for what you can't (seats, battery). If you take a 318iS and turn it into the car you would have gotten by checking EVERY SINGLE dealer option back in 1990, I will sigh and facepalm.
3. Power mods as addressed in the McHenry article.

[Chriskbmx]

i love my 318is to death. i never realized how quick it is with the 4.10 lsd. it has lots of regular maintance, a straight pipe(which i hate, preivious owner installed) and a chip. i have beat 2nd get turbo rx-7 and pretty much any b-swap civic. so its plenty fun. the chip does alot for you. allows you to shift at 7 so your right back in the powerband.

[e30Chris]

My e30 318is is my favorite car I've owned. I've had Porsches, VW's, Toyotas, Chevy's, you name it, the 318is out does them all. Mine is 100% stock, picked it up from the original owner last year. It's my daily driver and my only driver and I haven't become this enamored with a car yet. It might be low on power, but with the gearing, it doesn't FEEL slow. It's peppy and because it only weighs 2,600 lbs, it feels incredibly nimble and eager to play. Makes a daily commute a joy.

The M42 is a great little engine, and to me the best part is it's mostly maintenance-free operation. Timing chain, hydraulic lifters, simple design, the engine just keeps running as long as you do your basic maintenance. Vacuum leaks are common and search for "mess under the intake" for more on the vacuum and cooling system. On mine, the thermostat was stuck open, and I had to replace that to get it up to operating temp. Timing chain tensioners are known to go, and should be replaced to keep the timing system in check. Easy and cheap to do. Like any e30, stay on top of the fluids in the trans and diff and the car should run well for years and years.

Overall, I can't recommend a 318is enough for a well-balanced, fun, daily. It's no race car, but there's a charm to it that no other car has. As others mentioned, if you want a 6-cylinder with a bunch of options on it, please look for a 325is or something like that. Too many 318is are falling victim to engine swaps and getting hacked up for reasons I still can't understand.

[Simon S]

don't get me started..

[Boltspeedman]

1. Suspension and LSD; for street, clutch-type good, torsen better.
2. Weight reduction. Ditch what you can live without (AC? PS?) and find lighter aftermarket solutions for what you can't (seats, battery). If you take a 318iS and turn it into the car you would have gotten by checking EVERY SINGLE dealer option back in 1990, I will sigh and facepalm.
3. Power mods as addressed in the McHenry article.

As far as weight reduction does removing the PS and AC make a noticeable difference? I'm assuming you've done this..

[Bimmer_man]

Okay so from what I understand from what I have read in here bimmerfest and so on the mess under the intake has to be taken care of. A few people have recommended replacing the injectors and the chip for better running and MPG. And i guess a common mod is a COP conversion which i want to do cause it looks nice I understand there really isnt a performance gain it just more modern and a more better looking in my opinion.

I am happy with all of the responses regarding this. It will be more reliable than my 325 and more peppy.

[kwill22]

To make it better... LSD LSD LSD LSD LSD.

Other than that I have no problems. It's a fun and very easy engine to work on. Also vacuum leaks. Wish it had more torque but that's not what this engine is about. Enjoy it.

[decay]

As far as weight reduction does removing the PS and AC make a noticeable difference? I'm assuming you've done this..

i've done everything i've advised here and then some. :)

[Bimmer_man]

To make it better... LSD LSD LSD LSD LSD.

Other than that I have no problems. It's a fun and very easy engine to work on. Also vacuum leaks. Wish it had more torque but that's not what this engine is about. Enjoy it.

where would you recommend i get the LSD or transplant it from? Iv herd of some who took the diff from the Z3M.