E30 Zone

I'm considering looking for a 318is ebay bargin.....how much can you get a clinker for? Do they come up often?

do they come with an LSD? What are the engines like, can they take abuse?

cheers

how much is anything from 100 nicker to 2 grand
No LSD as standard, but you might be lucky. either way it'll prob be a small case diff, they get whiney and loose in old age

engines are fairly peaky compared to a 325, but are very strong and if they've been given regular oil changes it'll sit on the rev limiter all day long. (if you're into that type of thing)

great cars for hounding the small diff's cope fine with the power and age it's only when you put silly power through them they cant cope, look after it and it will see you fit.. there is or was a lovely silver one on PH for 1300 squid looks very proper.

neilofla wrote:No LSD as standard

I thought lsd's where an option on the is?

Aye. not standard, as in not fitted as standard. only fitted as an optional extra.

Bob_S, did sell that iS in your sig to an irish guy? (The reg plate is distinctive) if you did you kept it in great nick, theres pics of it up on an Irish e30 site.

anywayback on track:
dimebag have a gander at http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C43824
maybe this is the same one Bob_S saw but on a different site.

I quite like the look of that, what mpg can you get from a 318? Much hassle fitting a LSD?


cheers

engines are fairly peaky compared to a 325, but are very strong and if they've been given regular oil changes it'll sit on the rev limiter all day long. (if you're into that type of thing)[/quote]
i wouldn't say these engines are strong they were notorious for being fragile years ago although a well kept example should be ok.

Fragile? I thought they were notorious for profile gasket leak, not for going pop?

That looks like Andy P's old car.

about 25mpg ragging it to 35mpg on a run.

an LSD should't be too much trouble to fit, and a medium case diff, from a 325 for example, should go in without much difficulty.

neilofla wrote:Aye. not standard, as in not fitted as standard. only fitted as an optional extra.

Bob_S, did sell that iS in your sig to an irish guy? (The reg plate is distinctive) if you did you kept it in great nick, theres pics of it up on an Irish e30 site.

anywayback on track:
dimebag have a gander at http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C43824
maybe this is the same one Bob_S saw but on a different site.

If the last 3 digits of that car are XNM then its my grandad's old car. That chrome gear stick is what i put on it, if it is his old one that is!

nothing like the sound of a six pot mate

neilofla wrote:Aye. not standard, as in not fitted as standard. only fitted as an optional extra.

Bob_S, did sell that iS in your sig to an irish guy? (The reg plate is distinctive) if you did you kept it in great nick, theres pics of it up on an Irish e30 site.

anywayback on track:
dimebag have a gander at http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C43824
maybe this is the same one Bob_S saw but on a different site.

Yeah I did sell it - regret-ably and it probably is the one you've seen, thanks for your comments

Yeah thats the IS I was on about it looks like a decent one

How can you tell if a small case diff is LSD version?

Thats had a drivers door hasnt it ??
Few of the pics the door looks out of line and a slight different shade .

I think the diffs have the ratio printed on them, or on a tag attached to it, look for an S printed beside the ratio number, indicating its a lsd.

fairly likely theres dirt/corrosion in the way though, so you can check by jacking up both rear wheels at the same time, and turn one wheel forward, if the other wheel turns the same way its an lsd. if it turns the the opposite way its an open diff

I think the small case lsd is rare enough though

I'll keep the answer to your question simple - Yes you should buy one. Great Cars. Mine took plenty of abuse, nothing excessive, but it sat on the red line, many a time quite comfortably even at 215k....

Pal

neilofla wrote:fairly likely theres dirt/corrosion in the way though, so you can check by jacking up both rear wheels at the same time, and turn one wheel forward, if the other wheel turns the same way its an lsd. if it turns the the opposite way its an open diff

not always the best way as an open diff can spin the same way butits a good rule of thumb.

neilofla wrote:I think the small case lsd is rare enough though

na you can find them and get them MUCH cheaper than the larger case difs! looking at about £150 for a small case LSD.

perfect for short blasts poor on the motorway

ric325i wrote:

neilofla wrote:fairly likely theres dirt/corrosion in the way though, so you can check by jacking up both rear wheels at the same time, and turn one wheel forward, if the other wheel turns the same way its an lsd. if it turns the the opposite way its an open diff

not always the best way as an open diff can spin the same way butits a good rule of thumb.

neilofla wrote:I think the small case lsd is rare enough though

na you can find them and get them MUCH cheaper than the larger case difs! looking at about £150 for a small case LSD.

perfect for short blasts poor on the motorway

wrong small case diffs seem to command more as all the 4 pot wrong-uns want them

ric325i wrote:

neilofla wrote:I think the small case lsd is rare enough though

na you can find them and get them MUCH cheaper than the larger case difs! looking at about £150 for a small case LSD.

I wish, more like nearer £300-400 for a small case LSD.

I have bought two sub £400 IS's both were good cars, one was under 100k other was over 200k - hard to tell the difference really.

Great cars, good on fuel - can get close to 40mpg if you keep it serviced. I think they are better than 316/318i for this.