I bought my first BMW today

[Mark 42]

I bought my first BMW today.

Short version...
Was going to look at a 1976 BMW2002, but ended up buying a 1991 318i
at a BMW related event we went to on the way there.

Long version...
We were supposed to go look at a 1976 BMW2002, but late last night
the seller (who was helping his father sell it) sent an email to tell
me that his mom had contacted him late and let him know that they had
got a contingent offer on the car. The original plan was to go to
Griot's Garage for "Caffeine and Gasoline" to look at the PRO3 BMW
Race Cars that were going to be on display, then go look at the
'76 2002 after that.

We decided to go ahead and do it as planned... go to "Caffeine and Gasoline"
and then still go look at the '76 2002 in case the buyer backed out
for some reason (it looked really nice in the pictures, though he'd
need to come down a little on his price for our budget... and it was
probably worth close to what he was asking).

So, we went to "Caffeine and Gasoline", and talked to some of the
guys that were there from this E30 (R3VLimited) forum. There
were a lot of classics (and other nice cars) in the parking lot,
and because the event had a BMW focus, there were a lot of BMWs.

We saw a nice looking 1991 318i with a for sale sign, and it turned
out to be one of the guys we were talking to (he didn't even mention
that he had a car for sale, IIRC). The clearcoat on the roof and
hood was sunburnt & shot, but the interior looked nice, and it was
in fairly good shape (just a few minor dings).

We took it for a test drive, and it seemed to be mechanically sound,
and from talking to the owner I got the impression it had been cared for
pretty well. It had a few of the normal little issues for a 20 year old
car like a switch or two, a bent electric antenna, and that sort of thing.
But it was almost completely stock, and came with some performance and
replacement parts.

I asked how much he would come down on his price, and the answer made
the car interesting enough to get contact info and give it some thought.
My wife and kids and I walked around and looked some more cars. I said
maybe I should make him an offer and see what happens. He said he would
sell for the amount I offered, so I said I'd buy it. We shook hands,
and he went home to get the paperwork and spare parts and we went to
the bank to get the money.

So, it looks like maybe it was just meant to be (I like to say
coincidence is when God performs a small miracle and chooses to
remain anonymous).

I liked the little red '76 2002... it had a little more "cool factor"
to me because of it's classic age, but really the 318 is more practical.
I probably would have leaned towards something more sporty than a 4-door
economical car - maybe a convertible, or a six cylinder - or a two
door, at least. I even thought about stretching the budget for an M3
that was driveable but needed work. But I probably ended up with the right
car at the right price for me.

I'm happy with the deal we struck, and it is still a fun car to drive.
It'd be fine for autocross, or maybe even rallycross... but I don't
think it's going to handle like our 1988 MR2 does (the MR2 is not
supercharged, so the 318i would probably out accelerate it). I needed
a reliable car with decent MPG, and I think this one is going to fit
the requirements of reality (the MR2 has only 2 seats, which sometimes
is a problem when my wife wants to take the kids to Taekwondo and have me
bring them home).

It's been a long time since I owned an economical and practical car.
But I'll probably do something to at least make it look a bit less
practical (since it needs paint anyways)...

http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/BMW/88_BMW_E30_M3_Gulf-DV_07-BR_011.jpg

I have a lot to learn though. I've worked on cars a lot in the past,
but never a BMW. I'll have to learn how they are put together, as
well as the quirks of the one we bought. There are some switches I need
to figure out about, and the "Inspection" light is on (I assume that's
a translation from German for "Check Engine"?)

So far I like it, and so does my wife. It's not like the MR2, or the
1985 Mustang we had - it handles well and accelerates well, but it
doesn't feel like a slot car or a rocket launch. I have a feeling
it's one of those cars that grows on you (or one that you eventually
just get bored with). I don't think it's a car I'll hate like I did
the Honda Accord we had about 20 years ago. But I don't think I'll
ever like front wheel drive.

I'll keep y'all posted on anything I do to the car to make it less ordinary.

[smyleboyd]

Welcome. Cool story bro. The m42 is a good time;)

[mcruz121]

pics?

[ELIXIR]

First off congrats and quite a mission story! Sounds like your earning your e30 action. These cars are rad! I love all of mine i've had in the last month lol (all four of them... now down to 1) :)

For the M42 engine i'd highly recommend checking the timing belt and verifying there is proper tension from the tensioner. Watch the headgasket and check if its leaking these engines are notorious for this.

As for the "inspection" thats your oil service/inspection indicator. When you reset this it will then change to "oil service" then once it has ran through the bars that are green on your inst cluster display and then reset it will turn to "inspection"

Inpection service includes filters, valve adjustment, oil service, 40 point check basically...

[jasonbk]

m42 doesn't have a timing belt. It has timing chain. Also it has hydraulic valve adjuster.

[Mark 42]

pics?

I took some last night, but light wasn't good. Will work on touching them up
or re-taking them this morning.

But I found some right here on this forum in another message thread...

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=230546

I haven't quite bonded with the car yet. Maybe I just have to get past the
"economy 4-Door in a color anyone would like". Part of me wants a midlife
crisis car, even though it's a bit late for that.

When I see how much Ironjoe did to try and find parts in the original color,
I feel like it might be sacrilege to paint it in Gulf Livery... but I've always
wanted a car in that paint scheme.

My accountant has approved the expenditure of new paint, and is on board
with the Gulf Racing paint scheme.

Of course, that would demand that I get busy on installing the lowering springs
and the new shocks.

I'll be driving it to our friends' house in Gig Harbor (our kids do an Easter egg
hunt every year, even though they're too old now)... maybe that will help me
start the emotional bonding process ;)

I am looking forward to driving it this afternoon though.

[2mAn]

Glad it worked out for you. Like you said, it was meant to be. He normally drives his M3 to an event like that, but he just happened to be driving the 318

[freeride53]

Our cars look almost the same (ds 91 318i/4 with basketweaves and iS lip).
Please keep it the original color, it is truly beautiful when shined up

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131236

[Mark 42]

Looking at that thread... I finally figured out what D.S. stands for.

Duh.
:stupid:

But... my son offered to help pay for paint, as long as it's Gulf Colors.
(Not that I'd really let him):-D

Now I'm torn... but I don't have to do anything right away.

[2mAn]

if you really want the Gulf colors, get a vinyl wrap. that way you will always have the original paint hiding under.

[Mark 42]

That's an interesting idea. Would a light color over a dark one work?

The original color may get a reprieve...
One of the reasons I got the E30 was because the clutch in our 4Runner
is so heavy that it's causing a problem with an injured foot (Hurt myself
kicking my son... :(). The MR2 is much lighter (that might explain why it
has always had slippage), but a two seater doesn't always work for me.

I'm finding the clutch on the E30 may be too much for my foot too.
I won't know until I get stuck in stop and go traffic for the whole
45-60 minutes my commute becomes when afternoon traffic is FUBAR.
My leg is plenty strong enough, and if I can get my foot to heal it may be fine.

The other thing I don't like is the height and angle of the steering
column & wheel. I prefer more of a low F1 style than a high NASCAR
steering ergonomics. Is there a way to lower the steering column
(an aftermarket bracket or anything). The bent wrist position is tiring
on my wrists. I think on a really long trip they are going to ache.
Maybe I'll get used to it.

Anyway, for anyone still reading and waiting for the other shoe to drop...
the reason that could save the paint color... my wife and I were
talking about it, and decided if the ergos are a real big problem for me,
maybe I'll drive it until I can sell the MR2 and 4Runner, and get another
BMW with an automatic and tilt column. I don't really want to drive
a luxury car... I really prefer a stick shift, but in heavy stop and go traffic
for more than just a half hour or so, comfort has its value.

My little MR2, which is smaller and 3 years older than our 318 has a tilt
column - I was really surprised the BMW didn't come with it as standard
equipment.

And finally... the reason that would keep the DS color... my wife
said she likes the 318, and she could save a lot of fuel by driving
it when she doesn't need the Excursion (which is most of the time).

And... she isn't thrilled about driving a car with the Gulf Livery as a
daily driver. She prefers the color it is now. She's fine with driving
the car in Gulf colors from time to time, but not so much if it's
her primary car.

So, if anyone actually read this all the way though, I hope it made
sense... or at least you were able to figure out why a bunch of
seemingly unrelated stuff actually fit together.

It's like those TV commercials for Direct TV, isn't it?

[jasonbk]

try adjusting your seat if you can get some better position..maybe raise height a bit?
I wouldn't change it to gulf colour. Paint seems pretty decent and peeled clear coat can be fixed without whole respray..

[Nsquared97]

Personally I say keep the factory color, I really do have a soft spot for DS. If you are dead set on the gulf livery, I would go with vinyl so you can take it off eventually if you don't like it. I don't know a whole lot about vinyl, but I don't think having dark paint underneath would hurt it.

Also for changing the steering column angle, check here:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=238642

[Mark 42]

Can you just re-shoot the clear coat?
I was thinking about it on the way to work this morning, but figured
if it could be done, Ironjoe would have gone that route already.

I haven't really bonded with the car yet, but I did find the rev limiter
this morning when I was getting on the freeway and accelerating while
dealing with blending into traffic. It's not as far up as on the MR2, so
it hit before I was expecting it. It's not subtle.

I am starting to like the car. Came up with a name for it, based on
the existing stereo... "Fritz".

Going to stop by Car Toys on my way to TKD tonight (it's close to
the dojang). Just going to see what's available and how their prices
are compared to Fry's. I'm guessing their customer service is better.
I don't trust Fry's to do an install.

I had a Blaupunkt I liked in another car I owned - seems appropriate
for a German car. It was priced pretty competitive with the other
common brands.

Is there a preferred location to mount front speakers? (Yeah, I know...)

I need a radio - I rely on traffic reports to give a heads up on problems
that develop after I log off & leave to/from work.

What are thoughts on fixed vs. electric retract antennas?
-------
I did find a thread about changing the angle of the steering column,
and will explore that when I have some time to crawl under the dash.

Since I just got the car on Saturday, I haven't done much mechanical
exploring yet - I'm still trying to figure out what a couple of the switches
are for. I still instinctively go for the wrong position when I want to shift
into reverse. But the column angle change is high on my priority list, so
I'll probably start looking into that first.

[SteveJ]

I would recommend going the factory route on the electricals like the antenna and the stereo, unless you know wiring and are not afraid diving into the car. Yeah, it's a 20 year old car that any stereo installer should be able to do, but I have never met one that I would trust to work on my cars. If you have someone you trust, then good. Check with the community to see who did what installs. Word of mouth.

The retractable antenna was a common fail items on E30's. The shaft would get dirty, corrode, dry up, and the plastic cord down the center would snap. Easy to fix. Not 100% sure if the repair item is still available, though. If you repair or replace it, put a drop or two of light machine oil on the sections every now and then. The premium sound system was ok for it's time. If your car had the basic system, then you would need to add wiring and such so a complete new system would make better sense.

The factory premium speakers were a 4 or 5" round speaker in either kick panel in front of the doors. A separate tweeter was mounted opposite the door mirror. The rear speakers were a 2 way unit mounted on top of the parcel tray. Many owners hacked up the cars to put thumpin sound systems in. Second and third owners are finding how hacked up their cars are now. They would typically cut holes in the metal of the parcel tray or the metal of the back seat vertical panel and mount everything in the trunk. Rather than run all new wiring, they would commonly hack into the existing wiring with questionable results.

An easy upgrade was to just use better drivers in all the factory locations.

"A practical and economical car"...E30's are practical, yes, and they perform pretty damn well right out of the box (especially compared to other cars of that vintage) They are only economical if you take care of them. Regular adjustments and fluid changes. If something breaks or wears out, fix it right with the proper parts. If you try to save a dollar, it may cost you later. There are lots of options for every repair, but have a plan of what you want the car to be before you buy a 'race' part to replace a worn out 'stock' part.

Get it safe & reliable first. Then get out to an autocross or car control clinic to see what it can really do. E30's are such tossable chassis'. the Bently book is really good for the E30. Also, a factory users manual is a must have.

Probably a good choice on an E30 over the 2002. I own both and can tell you many parts for the 02's have gone to stupid pricing. E30's are not far behind, but it's still not $1000 for three grille pieces on an E30.