Educate Me - Just Bought A 325iX...

[Digitalwave]

You might be thinking of someone else, I never owned a bronzit E30.

[Ben Carufel]

My automatic 325i ran a 16.2 with 22lb rims on it. I wouldn't say the iX would eat it alive, especially when you find the .2 sec. differences between that and the 325i 5 speed to be insignificant.

TJ, the girlfriend (Kellie) just IM'd me a pic of your Bronzit E30 tonight and said how much she likes the bumpers.

I'm getting plastic bumpers for the iX as soon as I find a pair, mark my words.

[Ben Carufel]

What? You mean not every guy who posts on the internet is short, bald and overweight? My apologies. :p

Anyway, the car is fun. I enjoy it and Ben enjoys it and that's all that matters. We've both got faster, better handling, nicer cars, the E30 is just a unique daily driver.

Q5Quint, there will definitely be pictures, but they'll most likely have to wait until Tuesday at the earliest. We'll post them ASAP though!

I am so baller, I have a person to make my posts for me.

[kellie]

If I weigh 50 lbs more than you, you're pulling some Ashley Olson shit, or you're a 4'8 Asian.

-Charlie

What? You mean not every guy who posts on the internet is short, bald and overweight? My apologies. :p

Anyway, the car is fun. I enjoy it and Ben enjoys it and that's all that matters. We've both got faster, better handling, nicer cars, the E30 is just a unique daily driver.

Q5Quint, there will definitely be pictures, but they'll most likely have to wait until Tuesday at the earliest. We'll post them ASAP though!

[Digitalwave]

Welcome to the IX club!

My 2 door 89 5 speed ix has 269k miles official... the odometer broke a month or two ago and I am shooting for 300 before I rebuild the bottom end. Its the highest milage e30 I have worked with... and it hasnt given me any special problems. Just more fluids to check. Im looking to do wheel bearings next... but they wont be any different than on my old 89is that had 240k miles.

I havent straight up raced beside a 5 speed rwd e30... but the ix will eat a automatic is alive. Online the 1/4 mile time is
1988 BMW 325is 7.5 15.7
1988 BMW 325iX 7.9 15.9

I think the ix has a slower 0-60 time because of an extra shift (3.93 diff ratio vs 3.73) but in the long run it is only .2 seconds slower in a quarter mile. I dont think that .2 seconds qualifies as slow and worthless, though the awd does really shine through on surfaces other than dry tarmac, and is 'omfg unbelievable" in the shallow packed snow we get here in the appalachians.

8-)show me some pics!

My automatic 325i ran a 16.2 with 22lb rims on it. I wouldn't say the iX would eat it alive, especially when you find the .2 sec. differences between that and the 325i 5 speed to be insignificant.

[Charlie]

It weighs, what, 50 lbs. more? Big deal. I bet you weigh 50 lbs. more than I do, so with a full tank of gas, I doubt the car would weigh in much higher than a RWD E30. I prefer AWD. You don't have to see the point, it's just something I enjoy. The car is a lot of fun to drive, I'm already attached to it! It passed smog this morning, and Monday, it'll be paid for and officially Ben's. I can't wait so I can steal it from him. :D

The weight is up front on an already nose heavy car. That's a bad thing.

If I weigh 50 lbs more than you, you're pulling some Ashley Olson shit, or you're a 4'8 Asian.

-Charlie

[kellie]

RWD doesn't toss on a bunch of extra weight up front and give you more shit to break though. I don't see the point of AWD in a place that never snows.

-Charlie

It weighs, what, 50 lbs. more? Big deal. I bet you weigh 50 lbs. more than I do, so with a full tank of gas, I doubt the car would weigh in much higher than a RWD E30. I prefer AWD. You don't have to see the point, it's just something I enjoy. The car is a lot of fun to drive, I'm already attached to it! It passed smog this morning, and Monday, it'll be paid for and officially Ben's. I can't wait so I can steal it from him. :D

[Q5Quint]

Welcome to the IX club!

My 2 door 89 5 speed ix has 269k miles official... the odometer broke a month or two ago and I am shooting for 300 before I rebuild the bottom end. Its the highest milage e30 I have worked with... and it hasnt given me any special problems. Just more fluids to check. Im looking to do wheel bearings next... but they wont be any different than on my old 89is that had 240k miles.

I havent straight up raced beside a 5 speed rwd e30... but the ix will eat a automatic is alive. Online the 1/4 mile time is
1988 BMW 325is 7.5 15.7
1988 BMW 325iX 7.9 15.9

I think the ix has a slower 0-60 time because of an extra shift (3.93 diff ratio vs 3.73) but in the long run it is only .2 seconds slower in a quarter mile. I dont think that .2 seconds qualifies as slow and worthless, though the awd does really shine through on surfaces other than dry tarmac, and is 'omfg unbelievable" in the shallow packed snow we get here in the appalachians.

8-)show me some pics!

[shiftbmw]

Is more than 200 horsepower really necessary?

Yes.

[Charlie]

Does anyone really need RWD? I mean, why bother with all of that extra weight when FWD is perfectly fine for snow AND nice weather. Does anyone need to modify their car? Is more than 200 horsepower really necessary? Do you need to eat Fig Newtons? Well...okay...maybe. Anyway, Ben and I never said either of us NEEDED AWD in SoCal, but I can tell you why I wanted him to get it. I grew up in Colorado, in the mountains. Where it snows. I'm a huge Subaru nut, and I have been since I can remember. I've owned 6 of them in 4 years, and I recently sold my daily driver '86 Subie. I was actually planning on getting another Subaru as a beater, but this car came along and struck my fancy. I don't need AWD, but I prefer it. It's just what I'm used to.

RWD doesn't toss on a bunch of extra weight up front and give you more shit to break though. I don't see the point of AWD in a place that never snows.

-Charlie

[AdironRider]

I loved my ix and it sounds like a steal for 2000. Given that you have free labor and free transfer case/tranny I would feel very confident. Doesnt really seem like a great idea for pure performance, but Id be using it differently.

[kellie]

Am I the only one that seems puzzled by the need for an AWD car in F'n SoCal?

-Charlie

Does anyone really need RWD? I mean, why bother with all of that extra weight when FWD is perfectly fine for snow AND nice weather. Does anyone need to modify their car? Is more than 200 horsepower really necessary? Do you need to eat Fig Newtons? Well...okay...maybe. Anyway, Ben and I never said either of us NEEDED AWD in SoCal, but I can tell you why I wanted him to get it. I grew up in Colorado, in the mountains. Where it snows. I'm a huge Subaru nut, and I have been since I can remember. I've owned 6 of them in 4 years, and I recently sold my daily driver '86 Subie. I was actually planning on getting another Subaru as a beater, but this car came along and struck my fancy. I don't need AWD, but I prefer it. It's just what I'm used to.

[Jand3rson]

Am I the only one that seems puzzled by the need for an AWD car in F'n SoCal?

-Charlie

I'm with ya on that one. One of these days, I want to get an iX, but just for the snow months.

[Charlie]

Am I the only one that seems puzzled by the need for an AWD car in F'n SoCal?

-Charlie

[kellie]

This is my first post, but as Ben's girlfriend, the official maintainer of our cars, and the future owner of this car, I feel inclined to update you on what I found today.

The underside of the car is pretty greasy, it's definitely got several leaks. The oil pan gasket is definitely leaking, it looks like the shift shaft seal might be, as well as something at the back of the transfer case..? I'm not sure what normally leaks back there, but I want to pressure wash the bottom of the car so I can find exactly where it's coming from. The tranny was whining pretty loud last night, it was the first thing that I noticed when we test drove it, so I checked the fluid and it was REALLY LOW. With fresh rear diff. and tranny fluid, the noise quieted down significantly, so I don't think there was any serious damage. If so, between Ben and the guys at work, I think we're more than covered. One of my coworkers has a spare transfer case and transmission for an iX that he offered to give me, so I'm not terribly concerned.

As far as the engine goes, everything looks great. It runs well, idles smoothly, but it's got a bit of an issue starting. I'm going to adjust the valves, change the plugs, air filter and fuel filter, and hopefully that'll take care of the majority of it. Aside from that, it's just little things that it needs. Door brake, shift boot (already on order), glove box latch, brake switch, oil level sending unit (have one ready to install). By the time I'm done with this car, it will be perfect. Ben has gotten me hooked.

Thanks for all of the info, everyone. I look forward to learning as much as possible about this car. By the way, Hawk, I'm from Colorado too. :up: I moved to Cali a few years ago, but I still miss Colorado. I go back a few times a year.