1991 318is with S-14 What's it Worth ?????

[danse30m3]

Need hep in the valuation of my - s14 equipped e30


I need some well informed help and thought this forum would be a great source

I'm looking to insure this car for a fixed amount and could use some help in coming up with a realistic value for it.

Please forgive the long winded introduction / story. I wanted to create this one time. You can scroll down down to a list of what's been done and pictures if you'd like to skip.

Thanks in advance for inputs.

323is M-Tech

I purchased this 1991 318is in the summer of 2009 with 120k miles on it from an enthusiast in PA as the 3rd owner. The seller described is an all original, always garage kept car. The condition of the car; exterior, interior, and undercarriage all supported this claim with each a 9.5 or better. The original exhaust showed only minor surface rust. The only other rust on the car was a small section in the rear battery box. The only modification to the car was new Bilstein HD shocks on all four corners and an aftermarket CD player installed in the dash. I kept the car as a fair weather driver until earl spring of 2011 and then sold it to a friend. My interest at the time was to get a classic 4 door that could better accommodate my family; wife and growing sons. I ended up with a mint 1983 733i 5 speed with 75k miles on it. The new owner promptly blew the original m42. I helped him swap in a used replacement motor (against my advice) which lasted less than a year. The car then sat in a state of disrepair for the few years in storage. The 2nd motor having been removed by a shop and determined to be beyond repair. I had the right of first refusal should my friend ever decide to sell the car. Finally the opportunity presented itself for me to buy it back when my friend relocated from MA to CA for his job. I bought the car back in Jan of 2013 with the intention of installing a rebuilt m42 to bring the car back to original condition.
About a month after I bought the car my nephew who is serious BMW enthusiast sent me a picture of 320is sold only in Italy and Portugal. Essentially a 318 e30 with the distinction of having de-stroked s-14 bringing it to 1990 cc’s identical in all other respects. It was designed to be a sportier and more affordable version of the 325, allowing it to be sold in Italy while at a lower tax rate. The 325 was taxed heavily in these countries due to the 2.5 liter engine. This model from BMW also had some minor exterior cosmetic differences compared to the basic 325 but retained the lighter weight 4 lug suspension components. Having owned both the 318is as well as an e30m3 the idea of a putting an s-14 into the lightweight 318 chassis appealed to me.
I began looking around for an s-14 motor and found that a former race buddy had one sitting in his garage complete with; Intake, accessories, harness, ECU and header. The only things missing that I’d need to install it were the AFM / Air Filter Box, Transmission, shifter and driveshaft. I learned that it had relatively low mileage and had been taken from a wrecked M3. In addition the upper end of the motor had been gone through by VSR1. It also had an exhaust cam installed with an aftermarket chip. I bought the motor sight unseen.
Once I had the motor I decided that I would do it right in making sure everything was done to produce a truly unique and pristine car. Since the car had new shocks and the rear suspension was in perfect condition I decided to leave it alone and just refresh the front since it would be supporting a higher output motor.

• Engine disassembled down to the long block.
• Block re-painted using Hirsch tow part engine epoxy.
• Header, water manifold, and external oil pan were ceramic coated
• All other brackets and components were powder coated or painted
• Wiring harness was restored
• Throttle bodies and linkage restored by VSR1
• New connecting rod bearings and oil pump installed by VSR1
• Alternator, and AC compressor rebuilt / restored
• New OEM bushings installed; Alternator, AC Compressor, Power Steering Pump
• New OEM water pump installed
• Horizontal and Vertical oil pan baffles installed
• All new hoses and clamps
• New injectors
• New OEM fuel pressure regulator
• New OEM oil cooler and lines
• Rebuilt Power Steering Pump with New OEM lines
• New aluminum radiator
• New OEM expansion tank
• Front sub frame reinforcement kit installed and powder coated
• New OEM tie rods & boots
• New OEM aluminum control arms
• New OEM solid rubber control arms
• New Ireland Engineering sway bar kit includes:
-Front Adjustable Solid 22mm bar.
-Front Adjustable endlinks (includes new OEM u-bracket and Aurora Heim-joints).
-Front Urethane Pivot bushings with new U-clamps (not the flimsy factory piece) and reinforcement plates.
-Rear Solid 19mm bar.
-Rear adjustable endlinks with sliders, Aurora bearings, and weld on reinforcement plates.
-Rear Solid Billet Aluminum sway bar mounts with trunk reinforcement plates
• New OEM / EVO lightweight flywheel
• New Sachs clutch kit, OEM throw out bearing
• New OEM e30m3 shifter assembly and bushings
• New OEM e30m3 motor and transmission mounts
• New OEM e30m3 transmission cross member
• Used e30m3 transmission, cleaned and repainted
• New OEM backup light switch
• New OEM transmission mounted / flywheel position sensors
• New Guibo
• Rebuilt and balanced e3om3 driveshaft
• Heat shields painted with high temp paint
• 4.10 Limited slip differential
• New VSR1 center section
• Stromung Exhaust
• New brake rotors and pads
• New Stainless steel Brake Lines
• New AC lines, dryer, evaporator and expansion valve r134a compliant
• Original e30m3 Instrument Cluster with 2500 miles
• Analog Clock
• New Llyods floor mats
• M-tech steering wheel
• Rear battery box restored, rear valance modified, front and rear valance refinished by VSR1
• All fresh Red-Line synthetic fluids
• 5 Ronal Turbo R10 15x7 wheels with new BF Goodrich 225x15 Rival Tires (4 on car plus spare)


Everything functions as it should; AC, clock, all gauges including oil temp in instrument cluster. The interior and exterior have been professionally detailed. The engine bay, undercarriage, interior, exterior paint and trim, suspension and every other conceivable aspect of this car are all in excellent condition. It runs, drives and handles beautifully, looks fantastic and needs absolutely nothing.
























































How much is this car worth??

[M-technik-3]

I know a clean rebuilt s14 from VSR is in the 10K+ range so recouping your money out of this specialty car is going to be difficult. Honestly the market is so all over the place in pricing these days, it's kinda of tough to put a number against it.

Vinyl to me detracts from it but that's easily remedied.

For Insurance Valuation I would say 14-18K I would also have the speed spun to an accurate figure ,since NH reports mileage when you inspect a vehicle correct?

I would also change your thread title to say Insurance Quote Value? I missed the blurb about it and thought you were looking to sell.

[dillon7]

Ignore because I was a moron and didn't read the whole post.

[bmwman91]

He wants to estimate its value for insurance purposes, not to sell it.

I bought a custom built M42 from Metric Mechanic and am in a similar boat as you. State Farm won't do an agreed-value policy for the engine. So basically, you will have to figure out what you think the setup is worth and then go to a company like Hagerty and your monthly insurance premium will be based on the value you want to insure. You'll probably need the invoice for the engine so that they know you aren't trying to run a scam. So, the value you should use for insurance is going to be somewhere around what you paid for the engine and other labor. I think that you can use a place like State Farm for damage and liability insurance, and Hagerty for just the engine.

[flyboyx]

its really nice for sure. i would say that for insurance purposes, 16-18k would be a fair estimate. as far as selling, that would be difficult. there would potentially be a lot of interest but then e30 aficionados generally don't have or are unwilling to spend that kind of money on these cars. it only takes one buyer but i would guess 12-13k would be reasonable price to expect a sale within in 60 days or so.

[Mistawall]

totally irrelevant but man that car is clean i envy you

[Bmwdayz]

Also irrelevant but don't get insurance on it just sell it to me! Awesome car Man!

[lukeADE335i]

Nice one - no idea what it's worth, but I'd love to see a "323is" badge on the back. Just a subtle nod the engine lurking up front :)

[broach328]

I would imagine 12-15k range for resale. A 318is that clean with an m42 would probably be like in the 7k range and rebuilding an s14 all the way like that would be upwards of 6-7 thousand I would imagine? Anyways, gorgeous car but I am sort of curious you made the choice to retain stock dampers and springs?

[ME30W]

Love the wheels. Just picked up a set myself! Can't wait to mount them up when spring rolls around

[nando]

get a professional appraisal. internet forum opinions don't mean shit to your insurance company. it'll cost around $100 - well worth it.

[DEV0 E30]

get a professional appraisal. internet forum opinions don't mean shit to your insurance company. it'll cost around $100 - well worth it.

This.

Personally I'd aim for even over the $15k mark, talk with the appraiser and see if $20k is possible.

Beautiful car!

[Javier h]

Stunning

Really beautiful man. I know how much I would pay for it (given the current values of M3 E30 etc) but I agree, you need something arguably more legal in case anything happens for insurance purposes. The car screams BMW.

[SteadyAim.]

The little engine that could

[Shangsta]

I agree with the others about getting it appraised. That is a beautiful car