E30 Zone

hi all,

im looking for my fathers old e30 318is if anyone knows its whereabouts?

it hasnt been on the road since 2011 after doing a quick plate check

looking to buy it back for a birthday present if the current owner is up for it

its lachs silver in colour and i can imagine its not in great nick!

thanks in advance

Vehicle details

Vehicle make
BMW
Date of first registration
18 January 1991
Year of manufacture
1991
Cylinder capacity (cc)
1796cc
COâ‚‚Emissions
Not available
Fuel type
PETROL
Vehicle status
Not taxed
Vehicle colour
SILVER
Vehicle type approval
Not available
Wheelplan
2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weight
Not available


It's probably in China.

Ben

why would you pressume its in china?

Unless it was in exceptional condition and has become somebody's pride and joy, as it's not been taxed or MOTd since 2011, the chances are it's been sent to China to become a toaster, dishwasher etc etc etc

ah, i understand now....scrapped lol! god im slow!

i uynderstand its highly unlikely that its still around, buit its worth a shot! the guy who bought it was going to restore it apparently, see if anything turns up

calj wrote:the guy who bought it was going to restore it apparently, see if anything turns up

Fingers crossed that's a good sign and it's still tucked away somewhere. Good luck

Funny this should come up.. I was thinking about how cool it would be for my E30 to be shown to its original, long term owner.. I think he'd appreciate seeing it back to it's somewhat-best, and would be good to hear some stories about it from when it was in its element.

Sad maybe, but would be interesting.

same i bought mine for £300 back in 2008 was in a barn for 5 years since 2003.. being a poverty spec model doubt anyone will come looking for mine!

It won't have been lachs silver, at least not from new. Only silver available on the 318iS was sterling.

I have a feeling i knew this car for a short period of time.. and yes it was Sterling silver !

i have a feeling i had the engine from it

magpie wrote:i have a feeling i had the engine from it

That's the one Mick, the reg rings a bell”¦

ah sterling silver it was! so its has been scrapped then?

is the shell still alive, i dont mind what condition it is in, iv already restored one

DELIVERY!!

OK OK, I can fill you in... It's in my possession, I'm pretty gobsmacked someone is asking about it after all these years. It's the best car I've ever had and it's one of my biggest regrets. This story doesn't end well...

I bought it around 2007 as an ex road rally car and it was in pretty bad condition. I got a one way train ticket from Colchester and the seller picked up from Bristol Temple Mead station. I paid £350 and drove it all the way back to Loughborough the same night where I was at university at the time. The car had mud/gravel rally tyres fitted to the rear wheels and I span out on a roundabout near to Loughborough on the trip home!

The car drove fantastic and I kept it maintained it to a very high standard mechanically but the bodywork was always poor. I took it on many track days at RAF Marham, Curburough, Haynes Motor Museum and did a few drift days too. After finishing university I ended up using it for a 110 mile round trip commute daily, I then bought a Passat diesel as it was so much cheaper to run. I still used the car as a weekend fun car taking it to many summer shows and track days. The car never let me down and only went through a few ball joints and one clutch.

I ended up selling the car around 2010 to a girl who wanted to start drifting. I had prior to this I bought an E32 735i manual as my next track/drift car. Being freshly graduated on a low income I couldn't keep both and selling it is my biggest car regret of all time... Soon after selling it I actually attended a drift day at Norfolk Arena in the 735i and the 735i was totally unreliable, I got two runs and the clutch slave exploded ending my day. Meanwhile the 318is turned up to the same event and was doing laps all day... That was a pretty big kick in the teeth, I had sold my most reliable and fun car which I loved, I've not had anywhere near the same track time due to unreliable cars...

And we get to the sad bit. The girl came from Thurrock and there is a big drift scene down there and it was sold onto a local BDC driver and the car's demise happened at a "King of the Ring" event at Essex arena. It was involved in a pile up on track and took a huge shunt into the wall. On hearing about this I offered to buy it back sight unseen on the basis of fixing it back up to it's former glory but it was in such a bad way it could only be used as parts.

Both front chassis rails were bent, all panels were bent, metal engine mounts had snapped, gearbox mounts were torn out. It was toast. I stripped it for the engine and interior and not much else was saveable. I was totally gutted. The best bits are going to live on in my E21 316 which I'm fitting both the engine and interior too. The shell still lives on my farm waiting to be scrapped.

Some might sneer over the history of the car and what it's been used for but I had an absolute blast. H220 RDW is sorely missed if you have further questions feel free to ask!

Picture history!

The day I bought it, trip home 2007




Lethal!!






Farm 2007






Loaded up ready for RAF Marham 2007




RAF Marham 2007


Uni 2007






Farm 2007


Parents lawn 2007


Clamped in London 2008!!


Retro Rides 2008




Retro Rides Pub Meet 2008(?)


RAF Marham 2008


RAF Marham 2009


RAF Wimbish drift day 2010


Curburough Sprint Track NASC Spring Nats 2009 or 2010


Haynes Motor Museum track, Retro Rides 2010


As I bought it back after the King of the Ring incident




How it sits now stripped on my farm

It was infact sterling silver. The wings were so rotten that I ended up swapping on some lachs over time

Some of you guys must be thinking of another 318is as this was the original engine as far as I know. It all looked factory fitted. The engine was SUPERB, hence keeping it and going into my E21 (and for sentimental reasons)

If you fancy a challenge then you're welcome to the shell...

Whatever you do, don't show the father those pictures! Birthday ruined

Interesting story though, and funny how small the E30 world is.

Got one for sale,only thing is mines red!

Buy another 318is in Sterling Silver, get a slightly dodgy MOT on the farmyard shell and swap the reg numbers by transfer.

Dad'll never know

iv pmd yoy rob0r