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M40 vs M42 optical differences? (318i vs 318iS)
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:29 pm
by d-anie-l
hello all.
my first post
i am on the look out for a 318iS as my new daily drive and hopefully track toy. I am hopefully going to look at one this weekend and have a couple question. Having never looked at one i am wondering what the chances of it being a tarded up 318i are? i have done my reading and think i know the difference but cant actually find any pictures of a m40b18 to compare to a m42b18 engine.
what is going to give the car away as a 318i? i was actually just going to look at vin to see if it reads af93.
thanks
daniel
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:47 pm
by stevetigger
Here is a bog standard 318i
Here is a 318is
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:51 pm
by keggy
318I is 8v Is is 16v
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:56 pm
by d-anie-l
thanks!
will be hard to confuse those two!
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:13 pm
by Motorhole
Also note how much further back the M42 is in the 318is
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:17 pm
by stevetigger
Motorhole wrote:Also note how much further back the M42 is in the 318is
About the same, Different angled photo's and one has a strut bar which makes the engine look further back!
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:26 pm
by Motorhole
Oh yeah, whoops! I thought that strut bar was the bottom of the screen. Silly me
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:07 am
by Demlotcrew
stevetigger wrote:Motorhole wrote:Also note how much further back the M42 is in the 318is
About the same, Different angled photo's and one has a strut bar which makes the engine look further back!
Not even close! The M42 sits much further back into the bulkhead!
Looks like someone fitted a Auto box to that one in the pic.
Andrew
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:19 am
by stevetigger
So an Inch is much further back now??
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:22 am
by Demlotcrew
stevetigger wrote:So an Inch is much further back now??
Bit more than an inch!
When BMW are trying to create a car thats got 50/50 weight distribution an inch here and there makes all the difference.
Andrew
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:30 am
by Chris-W
stevetigger wrote:So an Inch is much further back now??
Try taking the gearbox off both and you'll appreciate the extra inch!!
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:31 am
by Chris-W
BTW - front vin plate reads '318is' as well, in case it's an engine swap.
Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:38 pm
by Gwynleym10
before you go get the registration number and check it on the MyRAC part of the RAC website