318is to save or not?

[bmwbreaker]

Hey guys

Bit of a conundrum. I have a H reg 318is that needs a full restoration. Its rotten, the interiors shagged and it will need a fair amount of money pouring in to it.

Now this was a perfectly fine scenario as I was prepared to do this and purchased an accident damaged E30 that looked really good in the photos i.e complete with all the right bits.

The car in question is a H reg 318i Lux. Now my issue is that I have got this car into the workshop and its immaculate, no rust, interior is spotless and its had a paint job to a high level inside and outside.

The only problem with this car is that its been front ended and is recorded as a Cat C on the HPi register.

I'm loathed to kill this 318i because its a really nice example but the provenance of it is that its basically a standard car.

The 318is will possibly be worth more in the future because of what it is but it could provide all the parts I need to repair it and then I have a nice E30 which has already had a lot of money thrown at it back on the road...

So what should I do? Kill the 318is to rebuild this 318i lux and perhaps use the running gear to convert it to a 318is or save both?

Thanks

Phil

[pacerpete]

Make one good one out of the two but make sure it has the is ID ...........

[tomson]

Hey guys

Bit of a conundrum. I have a H reg 318is that needs a full restoration. Its rotten, the interiors shagged and it will need a fair amount of money pouring in to it.

Now this was a perfectly fine scenario as I was prepared to do this and purchased an accident damaged E30 that looked really good in the photos i.e complete with all the right bits.

The car in question is a H reg 318i Lux. Now my issue is that I have got this car into the workshop and its immaculate, no rust, interior is spotless and its had a paint job to a high level inside and outside.

The only problem with this car is that its been front ended and is recorded as a Cat C on the HPi register.

I'm loathed to kill this 318i because its a really nice example but the provenance of it is that its basically a standard car.

The 318is will possibly be worth more in the future because of what it is but it could provide all the parts I need to repair it and then I have a nice E30 which has already had a lot of money thrown at it back on the road...

So what should I do? Kill the 318is to rebuild this 318i lux and perhaps use the running gear to convert it to a 318is or save both?

Thanks

Phil

I think your user name is the best idea

[Split_S]

Im biased as Ive saved a 318iS. Had 2 of them. One was a "parts car" which was in much better shape than the one Im restoring (its almost finished). I sold the parts car iS to a race team for the shell only and kept everything else. I dont think the iS will ever be worth what it will cost you to restore it - I restored mine for the sheer desire to do so. Economically its a fool's game but so are many of the things worth doing in life... Only a e30 M3 would be worth the cost of a restoration and oddly enough I have one of those too...

So - rebuild the 318i, swap in the M42 and the rest of the drivetrain, drill a few holes in the bootlid and swap in the rear spoiler and at very little cost to you you have an iS. Its really quite simple.. The engine is the only difference between the two...

Good luck..

[tomson]

The engine is the only difference between the two...

Good luck..

Pretty much everything on a 318is is different to a 318i saloon, actually.

[pacerpete]

Hey guys

Bit of a conundrum. I have a H reg 318is that needs a full restoration. Its rotten, the interiors shagged and it will need a fair amount of money pouring in to it.

Now this was a perfectly fine scenario as I was prepared to do this and purchased an accident damaged E30 that looked really good in the photos i.e complete with all the right bits.

The car in question is a H reg 318i Lux. Now my issue is that I have got this car into the workshop and its immaculate, no rust, interior is spotless and its had a paint job to a high level inside and outside.

The only problem with this car is that its been front ended and is recorded as a Cat C on the HPi register.

I'm loathed to kill this 318i because its a really nice example but the provenance of it is that its basically a standard car.

The 318is will possibly be worth more in the future because of what it is but it could provide all the parts I need to repair it and then I have a nice E30 which has already had a lot of money thrown at it back on the road...

So what should I do? Kill the 318is to rebuild this 318i lux and perhaps use the running gear to convert it to a 318is or save both?

Thanks

Phil

I think your user name is the best idea

THIS is THE correct answer

[bmwbreaker]

I think your user name is the best idea

THIS is THE correct answer

you pair of rotters!!!

[Split_S]

The engine is the only difference between the two...

Good luck..

Pretty much everything on a 318is is different to a 318i saloon, actually.

Once you swap out the engine (and wiring obviously) and drivetrain the rest is pretty much the same.. Sway bars are thicker front and back..big deal..You'll have your suspension bits if you want to put them on too. Im not sure if there are any differences worth noting there.

Might not be worth the hassle depending on your setup and skill level/enthusiasm...

[tomson]

The engine is the only difference between the two...

Good luck..

Pretty much everything on a 318is is different to a 318i saloon, actually.

Once you swap out the engine (and wiring obviously) and drivetrain the rest is pretty much the same.. Sway bars are thicker front and back..big deal..You'll have your suspension bits if you want to put them on too. Im not sure if there are any differences worth noting there.

Might not be worth the hassle depending on your setup and skill level/enthusiasm...

A Canadian spec car may not be but a UK car has lots of other differences in the interior and suspension/brakes.

[Split_S]

Yes but you will be able to swap everything over.

The shells are the same so its up to you how much of the iS you would swap over.. Not saying it would be easy - just an option to have a clean shell.

Dont listen to me - I took the hard route and restored it to new. Cost about 20,000$ Cdn to do. But I now (almost) have a brand new 1991 318iS in OEM glory..





Just a few more bits to bolt in...

[Speedtouch]

Aren't you forgetting the legendary galvanised bodyshell made from unobtainium that the 318is supposedly has? ;)

[tomson]

Yes but you will be able to swap everything over.

Yes that's right but your previous post said 'the rest is pretty much the same' which is not correct

[tomson]

Aren't you forgetting the legendary galvanised bodyshell made from unobtainium that the 318is supposedly has? ;)

And there's this problem too

[Brianmoooore]

Save the iS, but use one part from the 318i - the complete bodyshell.

[DHFiS]

What colour is the Lux?

[Split_S]

Save the iS, but use one part from the 318i - the complete bodyshell.

Isnt that what I said??

[Andyboy]

You can reshell the iS into your 318i shell, swap over the alloy VIN plate and cut the VIN from the iS shell, riveting it next to the 318i VIN (the scuttle one). You can only do this legally if the 318i is the same age or newer than the iS and you do NOT grind away the 318i VIN - that's ringing as you must have the VIN from the donor shell visible. You can use the 318iS ID on the rebuilt car but you'll need to be upfront about it come resale time.

As for DVLA - tell them as little as possible. Ignorance is bliss etc.

[bmwbreaker]

Thanks for the ideas but I'm dead against transferring the ID over to the donor car. I'm a licensed car breaker by trade and its just not worth the potential aggravation to have something which links me to 'murky' dealings with car identities!

[pianist]

+1 on saving the lux one, do it for yourself and enjoy it