E30 Zone

was thinking about purchasing ones of these for a while but don't know a whole lot about them so any help would be appreciated. what are the like on petrol and are they reliable?
thanks.

I get 38mpg out of mine and had no problems as yet, they share the same running gear as a 325 sport ie brakes and suspension etc.

Avod ones with high miles as they tend to get a little smokey due to head gasket failers or valve stem oil seals.

On the plus side if your engine does go in an IS there one of the easier E30 to convert to a bigger engine as it already has good brakes and suspension and i think you can use the same gear box as well

well i want somethin that's nice to drive, not too slow, not too heavy on juice and not a big engine cos i'm in ireland where tax is based on cc, a 325i sport would be around 1000 euro to tax for the year!

can you not get away with buying a 318is keeping it registered as one but putting a sneaky 325 lump under the hood??

too heavy on juice! and if i ever crashed i'd be screwed, also it's be sacrilige to get rid of the m42! they're rare enough as it is!

M42's aint that rare matey there seems to be more M42 engines around than actual IS's plus if you willing to bend the rules slighty the E36 318IS has more or less the same engine.

I do like the M42 though you can drive like a loon and still get good MPG there alot quicker than people give them credit for as well

sorry, i meant original 318is' are rare! mpg is kinda my main concern, but there's no way i want a 316!

I was talking to a chap in another thread about his 316 and he was getting worse MPG than my IS, i felt quite smug about that lol

johnmaloney88 wrote:sorry, i meant original 318is' are rare! mpg is kinda my main concern, but there's no way i want a 316!

How much are you paying over there for a litre of normal unleaded at the mo?
I filled up today and it has gone up to £1.08!!

£1.04 on average here in Leicester

it's gotten really expensive over here now, we used to be way cheaper than the uk, it's around 1.18 a litre

Ouch...you should move to Leicester!

Funny how nothing much has been said about the recent price increase.A year ago it was big news and lots of fuss...I dont understand it.

sihooker wrote:Ouch...you should move to Leicester!

Funny how nothing much has been said about the recent price increase.A year ago it was big news and lots of fuss...I dont understand it.

It's because the price of diesel hasn't risen massively, so the haulage companies and such that use the largest quantity of fuel aren't complaining like they were last year.

As for the iS, they're nippy enough to be entertaining but wont set the world of fire. Be warned: there are a lot of deluded mentalists that think the iS is the pinnacle of motoring excellence...

sihooker wrote:Ouch...you should move to Leicester!

Funny how nothing much has been said about the recent price increase.A year ago it was big news and lots of fuss...I dont understand it.

Think people have just given up these days and realize that you just can’t win these days, The UK is in such a mess now I don’t think people can be arsed anymore, no jobs, all the shops are shutting down, crime on the rise its one big fuck up and the government just keep making it worse!

Revolt anyone??

GrindCulture wrote:Be warned: there are a lot of deluded mentalists that think the iS is the pinnacle of motoring excellence...

Theres also alot of people who hate on the IS for no real reason and give it a hard time but i have to admit somepeople do seem to think the IS is far more than it actully is

one thing i will say is the 318IS is the best E30 if you want some get up and go, good handling but also want cheap running costs

ouch, i love jersey.

87p earlier

GrindCulture wrote:
It's because the price of diesel hasn't risen massively, so the haulage companies and such that use the largest quantity of fuel aren't complaining like they were last year.

That makes sense. The government are such crafty coonts!

pac1982 wrote:

GrindCulture wrote:Be warned: there are a lot of deluded mentalists that think the iS is the pinnacle of motoring excellence...

Theres also alot of people who hate on the IS for no real reason and give it a hard time but i have to admit somepeople do seem to think the IS is far more than it actully is

True, it's a bit of a marmite car it seems, but I like them ('iS' tourings aren't shabby neither )

The IS is a good happy Medium

its got better brakes & suspension than other 4 pots (excluding the King of e30s) and loaded with a few extras such as sports seats, a deeper chin spoiler, Mtech steering wheel & gear knob, it gives better mpg than the 6 pots but does not sound or go like a 6 pot, if only bmw put an 1800cc 24v 6 pot in there

the people who think they are baby m3's are deluded, only thing in common is the fact it has 16 valves, the s14 wasnt even based around the same engine.

just make sure your not paying steep money for rotten turds as IS owners seem to think that rust plays no part in the valuation of the car, IIRC there was someone on here a few weeks ago wanting £1500 for a complete rot box IS, Keep your eyes peeled and you will get a mint one for under a grand, just look out for people who are selling them as just cars, or old bmws/PX's etc. as there not deluded

I paid £500 for mine and i would enter it into a consurs event anyday

I think the 'is is a very good car,and i'd have had one over the 318i if they made it as a more door...

It has a galvanised shell,so should outlast other models if stone chips,etc. are attended to promptly.

sihooker wrote:I think the 'is is a very good car,and i'd have had one over the 318i if they made it as a more door...

It has a galvanised shell,so should outlast other models if stone chips,etc. are attended to promptly.

could they ever come with a factory fitted m-tecII kit or is that just lies?

johnmaloney88 wrote:could they ever come with a factory fitted m-tecII kit or is that just lies?

any car could have had the option of an Mtech kit

or you could fit one yourself

A well looked after IS is well worth getting. Nice amount of grunt in them and they will give a nice return on fule.

If your in Ireland, there isn't really any other E30 that will give better value for your money with everything above board.

136-160bhp potential can't really be beated by a 325i with it's much higher running costs.

I get about 35-45mpg in mine but as it's re-mapped it only seems to do it on good fuel.

My old 316i used get 27!!!

If your looking at one, look for rust and all the usual E30 body and suspension checks as well then for iS problems in particular such as a tappy valvetrain or rattly/whishing timing chain and cracked manifolds.

Head gasket problems are the worst case senario then but even still not the end of the world as it give you a chance for a mini rebuild if the car is gotten cheap

Where in Ireland are you from?

ross_jsy wrote:ouch, i love jersey.

87p earlier

+1! Although 99.5p at roberts etc, you get a 10% bonus card and add 10p to it for every litre!

The iS is a good little car. Top choice for people who want to or have to aviod the 325i's.

Also, they aint rare. Even original ones crop up frequently. Just finding an original one, with no rust or serious problems and for a realistic price is rare...

Just look for a cheap one with no rust, reglardless of engine proplems and worn interiors, and spend the savings on fixing it up. Better than buying a "good'un" only to find a hideous problem down the line.

Dave_M3 wrote:If your in Ireland, there isn't really any other E30 that will give better value for your money with everything above board.

136-160bhp potential can't really be beated by a 325i with it's much higher running costs.

I get about 35-45mpg in mine but as it's re-mapped it only seems to do it on good fuel.

My old 316i used get 27!!!

If your looking at one, look for rust and all the usual E30 body and suspension checks as well then for iS problems in particular such as a tappy valvetrain or rattly/whishing timing chain and cracked manifolds.

Head gasket problems are the worst case senario then but even still not the end of the world as it give you a chance for a mini rebuild if the car is gotten cheap

Where in Ireland are you from?

hi dave ,i'm in mayo, any nice 318is i've seen over here for sale on irish plates is at least 2.5k? are they making that??

I would imagine they would over in Ireland for the tax issues you've already pointed out.

Also a benefit to a 318is over the 325i is the obivous weight difference at the front, makes the car a much better handler in a standard comparison between the two.

I would imagine they would over in Ireland for the tax issues you've already pointed out.

Also a benefit to a 318is over the 325i is the obivous weight difference at the front, makes the car a much better handler in a standard comparison between the two.

SteSE wrote: the obivous weight difference at the front, makes the car a much better handler in a standard comparison between the two.

here we go

stick an m52 in and be done with it

I prefer the weighty front end of the 6's.

I did too until i had a recent drive in a 4pot. My post above wasn't intended to be taken as starting the age old debate.

Alex wrote:here we go

stick an m62 in and be done with it

That's better

Alex wrote:

sihooker wrote:I think the 'is is a very good car,and i'd have had one over the 318i if they made it as a more door...

It has a galvanised shell,so should outlast other models if stone chips,etc. are attended to promptly.

What's so funny??