Car conundrum

[tomstickland]

I've owned my 318iS for 4 years now and taken it from 120K to 320K. I've really enjoyed driving it and have spent a fair bit on parts servicing it and upgrading the suspension and a few other things (Z3 rack, Z3 shifter, 3.9 LSD, £1K spent on suspension parts inc Bilstein kit, poly bushes etc).

Last week I took it off the road because an engine rattle turned out to be that the top bolt holding in the chain guide had worked loose and done some minor damage.

Looking at it, I reckoned that I could fix the engine for around £100 of parts. However, I could take the opportunity to do things properly: remove the engine and rebuild it. The shell is in fair condition for its age (H reg). It needs new wings and bonnet and probably a respray to make it look decent. The only rust is round the sunroof on one side.

I bought a MK3 Golf 1.9 TDi for £450 as a temporary car. This has turned out to be so cheap to run that I reckon I could save £1000 a year in fuel costs.

Mean while I've been pondering what to do.

On one hand I'd love to restore the car because I enjoy driving it and the way it looks. I've invested money in it and could continue to get a return on that.
However, I know that even after restoration it will require continued TLC and minor faults will need fixing. Plus some things like the wiring and bits of seal etc will be showing their age.
I reckon I'd spend £1,500 to £2000 restoring it and its resale value would be about that. I've done a quick estimate of the value of the parts if I broke it and it's somewhere around £1300.

Another option is to just fix the engine and continue to drive it and let the shell gradually deteriorate.

However, I have a feeling that maybe the time has come to move on. I loved the car, but maybe better to leave on a high rather than gradually become bored with it.

I've had a look at E36 coupes and the problem is that at 10-15 years old they will require the same sort of work to get into an acceptable state.

Nothing much newer than that from BMW appeals to me. A much more interesting idea is to keep the Golf as the sensible car and look for something properly extreme as a 2nd car. Something like a Caterham or VX220.

[pac1982]

Please dont buy a VX220 they look like a lego brick

[Alex]

fix it, dont buy any opel belmont shite

lets see if you can get it to 400k

i think it could be the highest mileage car on the zone, 4 Pots win again

[tomstickland]

Some pictures:




Carrousel (Nurburgring) makes car look mega lowered:









See if the zone can change my opinion! I'm teetering.

[Ollie_bwoii]

My Dad had a Vauxhall VX220 non turbo and really didn't get on with it! Unreliable! Swapped it for an Audi TT!

Keep the 318is going!

[pac1982]

Swapped it for an Audi TT!

[Ollie_bwoii]

Swapped it for an Audi TT!

My mum had that my dad had an Audi A4 then!

It was a 225bhp in red, was a very cool car!

[Chris-W]

£1500 in engine restoration is well worth it in terms of retaining and rejuvenating a car that apparently something to you.

[GrindCulture]

I see what you're saying about getting a proper weapon as a second car. Seems a shame to let good car go in bits though. Maybe get shot and find something else? Or M50 it!

[bss325i]

Thats Simon13's old iS isn't it?

[djk]

A heroic chariot, whatever you decide to do. Out of interest, was that the original engine?

[pacerpete]

Wow, it took 200,000 miles for that bolt to come loose ? I must remember to stop using thread lock !

PS the warranty on my head job HAS expired !

[tomstickland]

The bolt was one of mine. I changed the chain, sprockets and guides just after I bought it because it rattled a bit. It still rattled afterwards, so I just got used to it.

I helicoiled all of the cam cover bolts too and threadlocked them. They came loose every other month otherwise.

[tomstickland]

A heroic chariot, whatever you decide to do. Out of interest, was that the original engine?

I think so. The top end was rebuilt by PacerPete just before I bought it. Bottom end is original I believe. I reckon it would have got beyond 300K easily. Sweet engines, just sound like a bag of nails.