new member - possible 318is purchase

[Simy]

Hi

I may be viewing a 1990 318is this weekend, and have read the buying guides etc. but how do I tell the difference between a genuine 318is and a spoilered up 318?

Is there a specific range of VIN numbers for the 318is?
This car has side skirts and no fogs - where these factory options?

Anything obvious I should look out for?

I owned a E36 318is some time ago and fancy a return to something simpler and easier to run than my current car.

Any help appreciated.

[Elecblondie]

For starters check the engine, a twin cam rocker cover will give away that it's the M42 it should be.

[Simy]

Yeah that would be pretty obvious, I'm not thinking straight today...

[jbh]

should also have disk brakes all round where as if its a 318i that's been spoilered up ( or even an m42 dropped in ) it would have drums on the rear. also checked sport interior and black roof lining. im sure if its advertised as a 318is theres a good chance thats what it is but you never know what some ppl do but if its not it will stand out

[Simy]

Heres the ad, I would have no intention of paying anywhere near that asking price.
Does anyone know the car / reg?

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/ww ... egLetter=H

[Elecblondie]

I'd ring up BMW and ask them to identify what the car is from the reg plate.

Everything lines up on the DVLA vehicle enquiry btw.

[Ziggy]

Heres the ad, I would have no intention of paying anywhere near that asking price.

Problem you've got is that they do seem to fetch a lot once they've been taken over t'other side of that wee bit of water...

[wrcarter]

Yea we like iS' over here . There should be a plate in the engine bay ( behind the drivers headlight) with the chassis number on the. Should also say its an iS also.

[Cook318IS]

i would check if they are recaros are not just bmw sports seats. Most people call the bmw sports seats recaros when they aren't! welcome to the zone by the way!

[GrindCulture]

I dunno if those sun visors look the right colour in that pic?

[DHFiS]

But the last 2 letters and 5 numbers from the chassis number into realoem.com and it will tell you the production month and vehicle type

[Daz318is]

Check everything on the log book matchs all the numbers on the car, its alot of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daz

[magpie]

has no fogs,,
but it was an option as was black head lining the ariel is on the wrong side.
here is my seats.

and an m42 lump

mine has f/fogs 13 button on board computer,elec sunny,black h/lining,
total closure bmw alarm & immob 135k
not bad for £350 for the price of the one in the add i'd want 50k full sport leather,
and all the toys.
the extra wires in the engine bay are a battery charger the car was stood up for over 3 yrs.

ignore the date i got it nov 08.i forgot to set the date.

[Cook318IS]

i thought the black head lining was standard on iS's?

[m4xos]

woooohoooo, that is alot of dollar of a 318is, have a look around mate!!

[Bob_S]

buy a 325 they don't have the stupid iS tax on the prices

[Dave_M3]

That's waaaay overpriced even for over here..


In the current market, iS' are making fookall money such as 1000 for ropey ones to 3500 if they are low milage minters or lots of mods.
Even Sports are being priced at more or less the same for people that want to shift them on to be honest.
Other iS with leather and Tec 2 kits are being sold for about €2000-2500.

Somebody down here got a laser blue iS with full M-tec 2 kit, 15" BBS, Anthracite check M3 Evo Sport interior with 130000miles for..... 3500 euro just before the market really took a dive which will put things into perspective

For over 3K now, I would want an iS that had a sought after interior, fogs, iS lip, skirts or Tec 2 kit, LSD, OBC, reasonable milage and a few choice mods like re-map, good suspension etc.


Gone are the days when a Tec 2 iS would fetch 5K no matter what condition and Sports would exchange hands for 5-7K

[magpie]

i thought the black head lining was standard on iS's?

nope even that was an option.

[Bob_S]

i thought the black head lining was standard on iS's?

nope even that was an option.

It depended on what colour you chose as regards to exterior and interior.
The vasy majority came with black headlining, if it's missing from your iS feel deprived.

[magpie]

i thought the black head lining was standard on iS's?

nope even that was an option.

It depended on what colour you chose as regards to exterior and interior.
The vasy majority came with black headlining, if it's missing from your iS feel deprived.

mine has it m8 a black one,did you read the post at all
but i do know of a genuine IS that has white one.