Seeking e30 advice

[jox43w]

hi im new here

im intrested in buying an e30 316 as its the only one i can get insured on with 6 points

i know its going to be far from quick but do they have any poke at all? and do they drive smooth? and are he reliable?

the only info i can find was from parkers but they only give the bhp iv seen some listed with 90bhp but others with 100bhp?

obviolsy if im buying one i will want the 100bhp model but how can you tell which model is which? is there sme kind of facelift model?

does anybody have the full spec of the 316 ie bhp/tourque and the 0-60 time?

im not that fussed that it wont be quick as i love the shape and styling of the e30 enough to make up for that what i am concernd with is that it might sound really tapperty and rattly and gereraly sound crap. is this the case with the 1.6 engine?

cheers

[jcjdavis1]

Hi maybe with 6 points you do not want one that is quick off the mark I had a 316i that was quiet and was an ok car.You will get a lot of negative comments re a 316i but it does the job.

[jox43w]

what kind of negative comments mate? my plan was to put and mtech kit on it aplina alloys and new interior. i hope this place isnt like passionford where i was at last where if you havent got a cossie people dont want to know you

[pnd]

A GOOD 316 Is a nice car to drive and goes well enough the trouble is there aren't many good ones about. You want one with a fat stack of preferably recent bills and regular oil changes (a must if you don't want top end rattle) as for alpina alloys and mtec kit they will cost money that might be better spent on servicing and will weigh more so slowing the car further, also 17" wheels don't improve these cars. If yopu want to maximise performance get a two door(lighter) get it running right add a k+n panel filter and it should go ok.

[touringandy]

unfortunately those were the figures of an e30 18 yrs ago i think ,alot of horses
may of ran away like shergar went missingm, i have a near mint 318 i touring fully serviced all its life
it aint a quik car thats for sure ! but you will get alot of feed back on this one put it in e30 chat youll get more response telling you wat you can do to get it moving quiker but like always be prepared for neg feed back not every1 can afford a 325 like its says its e30 zone not for only 1 model i get stick on m,y 318i but ilove me motor thats wat its about you will get poss ann neg feed back on this

[bigmattpowell]

A lot of them are tappety and rattley unfortunately, but if you find one that's been loved then it's all good! Just have to listen to it really. If you're looking, see if the owner will let you whip the rocker cover off and have a butchers at the cam to see if it's scored/worn and see the condition of the head (nice golden colour, no black gunk). I think there's a fair few 316i's being driven by very sensible old giffers who have spared no expense on servicing and never ragged them, just have to wait for one of them to die

[jcjdavis1]

Hi As pnd says,good car. I am sorry I sold mine,it was quite and drove like a dream was well looked after, but I got the bug for bigger and as in life not always better.

[320Touring]

moved to e30 chat.

also, the 90bhp car would be the 316 (NOi) from 82-87, and the 102bhp was the 316i from late 87-1994

[jox43w]

thanks for the replys guys some usefull info there.

how much should i expect to pay for a good one? i have around £700-800 to spend.

[ed325i]

I would pay up to £600 for a clean one.
If the top end is abit tappety you have some spare money left over to rebuild the top end.
They are a good engine but alot of people use cheap halfords oil in them so alot are tappety.

[Scruffymurphy]

I had a '92 316i touring for a while. Not the quickest but a good everyday car. It's not hard to get a replacement M40 engine if things go wrong. There's loads around. You can always drop a 318 M40 in and who's to know. Best of luck with it.

[pnd]

as for price remember agood one is worth paying extra for in the long run it will be cheaper, but you are in the right range for a decent one. Oh and look for rust on arches sunroof(inside) battery tray and behind the number plate lights.

[Raj_p]

my mate had an 316 e30, had a few bits changed on the engine (cam, tappets) and just the usual service and it was a great car.

Try going for a coupe, just look for the usual rust, and try to find one with a few extras. you can always add on if you like.

as for performance, they are good town drivers, to help them breathe better you can always stick a panel filter and an exhuast on it. that should help a little.

Good luck Bud.

Raj

[Gene_Genie]

Hi

For what my advice is worth, look at all the above points (All good advice) but also consider that a Carbeurettor (NEVER been able to spell that correctly) is a pain-in-the-backside invention that belongs on old Triumph Motorbikes, not on BMW's. Ok, some may disagree but the Motronic fuel injection is a massively better system than ANY Carb and will always perform better and more efficiently. The Extra 10 HP is academic really, it's the smooth efficiency that is the noticeable difference and as the others say, the 316i is not a fast car but niether really are any of them until you get up to the 325i 's and even they are not Lightning fast - i wouldn't get hung up on 'Fast' with E30's. They can be 'Quick' and on the right road, at the right revs, they can leave other cars for dead if driven correctly but in an all out drag race, they are not really all that. (This is NOT an intro to the 'What do you know, mine leaves V8's at the lights' argument, it's just an obvservation based on years of owning VERY fast cars).

It is true that some here have tuned thiers to go VERY FAST and those are the exception to this rule, but as a rule, std one's are just 'Healthy and Quick' so a 316i isn't losing out really, just a more 'Normal' drive and as has been said, with 6 points you don't want FAST.

Best of luck

[Stiggler]

The M40 engine does get a lot of stick but it's not sluggish. E30 owners rise above such trivia as statistics. We revel in the sheer class of the thing and the joy of owing a genuine classic. (Dambusters theme starts)

[Gene_Genie]

The M40 engine does get a lot of stick but it's not sluggish. E30 owners rise above such trivia as statistics. We revel in the sheer class of the thing and the joy of owing a genuine classic. (Dambusters theme starts)

..and that's another bloody good way of putting it. Sorry if my post seems a little down the car - i love the e30 and it is fast / quick for what it is, but it is an absolute classic icon.

(Dambusters is PERFECT ! )

Laughing my arse off.

[snoops]

check your insurance, wont they let you get a 318i? 316i's arent f1 cars but they do move and get you from A to B and are quite cheap torun.

[maxfield]

There is about £20 difference between 318/316 as a first car for me..