89 318iS in Germany

[Beemer_GER]

OK, I am Thorsten, from someplace near Bremen in Germany
I am a member of the German 3-series club

http://www.3er-club.de

I am new here, so this is my ride:



I bought the IS after some VW-Golf driver gave my old 318i (M40) a re-design, hitting it right behind the driver's door and bending the frame.
This was the end to an 8-year relationship with my second E30.

So, I got this 318is at an extortional price.
It seemed to be in exceptional (stock) condition.

Well... I ended up with a lot of parts swapping, welding, and maintenance in the first 6 months. Someone had just known how to sell a rotten car, by spraying it with a mix of sand and underbody coating - and I had fallen for the perfect and unchanged interior and all the polish and cleanliness. Should have known better.

12000km and 16 months later all this is forgotten, the little beemer runs perfectly and corners even better.

If you are interrested:
The specs:

S300A ZENTRALVERRIEGELUNG ELEKTRISCH (central locking)
S314A FRONTSCHEIBENWASCHDUESEN BEHEIZT (heated spray nozzles)
S350A WAERMESCHUTZGLAS GRUEN, RUNDUM (tinted glass)
S400A SCHIEBE-HEBEDACH, MECHANISCH (sunroof)
S428A WARNDREIECK (breakdown triangle)
S481A SPORTSITZE FUER FAHRER/BEIFAHRER (sports seats)
S510A LEUCHTWEITENREGELUNG ABBLENDLICHT (headlamp range adjustment)
S520A NEBELSCHEINWERFER (foglights)
S655A BMW BAVARIA C BUSINESS Radio Bavaria C Business
S680A RADIOANTENNE MANUELL
S690A CASSETTENHALTERUNG (cassette-holder)
L801A DEUTSCHLAND-AUSFUEHRUNG (German specs)

So far I added:
14"BBS rims (BMW)
Alpine radio (the original one was missing anyway)
I also swapped the co-driver-seat because the frame broke

Changes wanted:
25% locked differential
take off the hitch, I have to find a new rear bumper first.

Well, thats all folks :mrgreen:

[Wschnitz]

Is that electronic headlight adjustment? like you can adjust from in the car with a knob? pictar please?

[Dirtboy]

Pretty sure its the headlight level control system:



It's a hydraulic system and you'd be lucky to find one that still works properly.

[Beemer_GER]

It used to be hydraulic,
a previous owner swapped it for an electrical.
I do have a "how to" to put in an electrical from 5series (E34) parts.
It is NOT an automatic system though.

You can get all the parts for the hydraulic system from BMW still.
It is a nasty job to find a leak though. so everybnody swaps for the electric ones.

@dirtboy: What are those metal clamps L/R from your LCS?

[Dirtboy]

@dirtboy: What are those metal clamps L/R from your LCS?

Those are the mounting tabs. The LCS mounts through a cut out in the knee bolster under the dash board. I grabbed the whole hydraulic system from the junk yard while I was still living in Germany. I thought it was pneumatic, but found out later it was hydraulic. Oh well....

[R3VMEISTER]

That's a pretty slick set up, what's the main cause of failure?

[Ray Smoodiver]

That's a pretty slick set up, what's the main cause of failure?

Main cause of failure is usually age.

[Dirtboy]

Main cause of failure is usually age.

Yup. The lines split and the fluid leaked out.