E30 316, new owner

[Duffers89]

Recently purchased a 316 with 104k on the clock, absolutely tons of receipts and history, mint interior (really mint) and only a slight bit of surface rust on the rear valance area. EVERYTHING works perfectly and the car runs like a dream. Cost me pittance (less than £400!) and its just a temporary run around for a few months while the Z4 is in hibernation. Thought I'd join up here for any advice on the old girl, ie checks/maintenance I should do straight away or any easy/cheap mods.



So hi!

[Duke137]

welcome to the zone

[Jim320i]

Welcome to the zone mate, have a look through our 'Wiki pages' as there are some great suggestions on what can be done to different engines etc.

[Brianmoooore]

Welcome to the zone on behalf of the management!
The only thing that you should really check right away is whether the cam belt is seriously overdue for a change or not.
If the belt does let go, a Z4 engine into an E30 shell would be an interesting project!

[Duffers89]

I've often wondered if the lovely straight six would slot into the bay or not ;) think it might be a bit too far for my capabilities mind! I want to keep it fairly standard. Ideally I'd like it slightly lower, give it a good servicing, and while I'm not chasing any performance gains, if there's a realistic and cheap way of getting a better carb on or a free-er flowing exhaust, that.

[Brianmoooore]

Carb? You did say 316 in your OP, not 316i, but I assumed this was an oversight.
The 316 was a 1.8 litre M10 engine (cam chain, not belt), with a carb.
There is a common mod. done to these, which is to replace the Pierburg carb. with a Webber, but this is normally just to get it running right, rather than a performance upgrade.
The M10 is a tough engine, and was used in the past (heavily modified) to power a successful F1 car. In qualifying trim, this engine produced around 1200bhp.

[Duffers89]

Yeah thats correct it is the carbed one. Was thinking Weber but surely this is quite expensive?

[Brianmoooore]

Complete Webber conversion kits go second hand for around £70 or so, but as I've said above, this is normally done to replace a faulty and overcomplicated Pierburg that's causing running, or. more usually, idling problems, rather than to gain power.
Nothing that makes economic sense will turn this slow example of an E30 into anything other than a very slightly slower one, I'm afraid, other than an engine transplant.

[Duffers89]

I dont mind the slowness. Really wouldnt mind making it look a bit better though. Theres no urgency to it but I still love driving it. Just a couple of mm drop would be great.

[Brianmoooore]

Best kit for that is reckoned to be Eighbach or H&R springs, which drop it about 35mm, coupled with Bilstein B4 or Boge turbo dampers. Not cheap, but worth the money. A rear ARB from any touring, any cab, or a 325 saloon wouldn't go amiss, either, along with making sure all the rubber in the suspension is in good order.

P.S: You're a bit hidden away here in the photo gallery. I'll move this to where it'll get a bit more exposure.

[greentouring]

Nice motor, Duffer. I think this'll be a fine interim run-around.

I've had a 316i touring for almost 9 years and it's the most reliable car I've ever owned. It's not a particularly fast car, but it's a good one and suits my needs.

p.s. the only subtle mods on mine or a suspension upgrade, a strut brace and a K&N air filter. Looks totally standard apart from ride height.

[Gert_8]

Welcome to the zone. Cracking car for £400 notes. Got any more images?