Newbie in need of some advice..

[Cypriotgeeza]

Hello everyone...im new to this site but not new to Bmw E30's lol

Due to my dad owning two of these beauties I'v always wanted to own one for myself!

The whole point of this thread is I am EXTREMELY indecisive as to which one I want... I like the tech 1 due to the old school-ness and the rear lights and the chrome bumpers.. (chrome and black WHAT a combination !!)
But i also like the tech 2 with the bodykit and so I really dont know what to go for..

Was just wondering if anyone could give me any advice as to which is the better car? e.g does the power differ in the 3.20i- tech 1--3.20i-tech 2?

My dad's two :
3.20i:



3.18 (currently owns):

also my uncle had this one in cyprus
3.25i:


Thanx to everyone who replies and helps me in this dillema lol

[blingsta]

hello mate and welcome to the zone.

everyone on here will have different opinions , but i would deffo say the tech 2 !! looks far more tastier if kept clean

[Cypriotgeeza]

Thanx mate
i really dont know what to go for lol

[320ise]

personally at the min a would get a mint tech 1 as to be fair tech 2's are the nicer car imo but the values of the tech 2 are more than tech 1 at the min for a like for like car. and in time the tech 1 will be as worth as much as the 2 as they have got to be rarer by now and in the future i would say a very rare breed indeed! i think there were more tech 2 sports made as tech 1 were only in production for 1 year. the best sport i ever had was a 86 tech 1 with no pas, sold it for a tech 2 wich was the better allrounder having pas etc but a drive down the twistys the tech 1 felt more like an i.s to me anyway sorry to barble on but just my 2p lol.

[gooner1]

Hi mate, Tech 1 imo, black and chrome, unbeatable.

[320ise]

oh and just to add the best car or e30 ive ever had was an i.s (had 2 the second one was like no e30 i'd ever driven!) 4pot scum rules!

[Cypriotgeeza]

personally at the min a would get a mint tech 1 as to be fair tech 2's are the nicer car imo but the values of the tech 2 are more than tech 1 at the min for a like for like car. and in time the tech 1 will be as worth as much as the 2 as they have got to be rarer by now and in the future i would say a very rare breed indeed! i think there were more tech 2 sports made as tech 1 were only in production for 1 year. the best sport i ever had was a 86 tech 1 with no pas, sold it for a tech 2 wich was the better allrounder having pas etc but a drive down the twistys the tech 1 felt more like an i.s to me anyway sorry to barble on but just my 2p lol.

^
dont be sorry mate! i appreciate it! thats wat im asking for in this thread people with past experiences giving me some helpful advice

thanx

[RM2186]

Tech 1 Sport everytime for me..... I guess I might be a bit biased though.

[Cypriotgeeza]

Hi mate, Tech 1 imo, black and chrome, unbeatable.

Exactly what i was thinking mate!

[Cypriotgeeza]

oh and just to add the best car or e30 ive ever had was an i.s (had 2 the second one was like no e30 i'd ever driven!) 4pot scum rules!

Whats the difference in the i.s version?

[ImysE30]

Tech 1 sport in black with shiny new chrome trim

[Cypriotgeeza]

Tech 1 sport in black with shiny new chrome trim

I wanntt itttt lol

[320ise]

318is is the best allround e30 and that is a fact! people do not like it/put it down becuase its not a 6 cylinder model the i.s is a 1.8 m42 16v chain driven 136bhp lump that loves to rev and really gets going at 3-5 to 4k in the revs (when the valves kick in) i does not sound as nice as the 6pot or drive as smooth and does not have the torque of the 6pot but sh1t there fun cars with an i.s you really have to drive like you stole it it revs from the factory to 6250 rpm i think. the i.s has the same suspension set up as the sport but on the twistys an i,s is a better car imo more fun lighter (due to the lighter engine) and alot more chuckable and nimble.

best thing to do is look at this below and if it ticks the boxes get an i.s

cheap fuel economy mine did 80 miles to £10 or about 39mpg (motorway) sports 325i does 25-30mpg best...

cheaper insurance the i.s depending on age will be cheaper than a 325i

shocking people when they think its just another 318i not knowing its an S

tech 1's are bad for rotting as are tech 2's and the i.s for that matter! but there is no kit hiding the rot and what you see is what u have actually got where as a tech 2 or 1 could be full of rot and holes behind rear bumber and sills etc where the kit has been holding crap for 20 years,

both have same suspension and interior recaro style seats.

if you were going for a tech 1 or 2 you could get a mint i.s or for the same money a tatty in need of tlc sport.

its all about your budget and what you want from the car there all good just some are better at some th8ings than others put get any e30 and throw money into suspension engine etc and they will all do whatever you want them to anyway lol!

[Cypriotgeeza]

thanx alot for the advice..i've always heard things about the 1.8 being more fun as its a rev happy engine..jus always thought the 6cylinders where the more powerful fun cars..

DEFINANTLY going to look into this..

[320ise]

the 6pots are more powerfull and a nicer sounding engine but a 318is will be faster in a strait line than a 320i 6pot, and kill it round bends for fun! 0 - 50 mph an i.s is nearly neck an neck with a 325i but when a i.s hits 52ish in 2nd its time for third gear and the sport will keep going in 2nd to the 60mph and after 60 its pretty much over for the i.s as the 325i then shows its true colours! but if you like driving fast in a strait line like a good 6pot noise with the occasional twisty driving id get a 325i for the power feel, if all you want to do is go round twistys its gotta be the i.s its nearly as good as a 325i and in some repects better!

these posts may sound like i am dissing the 325i am not though lol there awesome and also very good round corners as we know! the i.s is a lot more forgiving imo if you make mistakes in a 325i it can kill you very easy! e30's should come with goverment health stickers! esp if the rear sub frame bushes need doing lol.

just remember whatever you get dont forget RWD KILLS AND IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH (RULES ALSO)

[320ise]

Oh and unless its cheap and very tidy i would not bother with a 320i as they do the same as a 318i (non is) for half the fuel and the same 0 - 60 etc only bonus is with a 320i is a very smooth drive and a stunning exhaust howl.

[Cypriotgeeza]

so an 3.18is is approx 136bhp standard..whats a 3.20i approx hp?

[scootlife]

129.... IIRC ?

[Cypriotgeeza]

How has the 1.8 is got more bhp than a 2litre engine...like what modifications does it have?

[320ise]

the 1.8 is a very revvy 16v engine and the 2.0 6pot is a 12v the 24v m50 2.0 only makes 150bhp the i.s is the only motor i think in e30 range that nearly always even now makes good power figures and somtimes over the 136bhp it came out of the factory with!

[madaboutthe30]

Hey cypriot geeza, welcome to the zone, what part of cyprus you from then?

All e30s are cracking cars but the 2 sought after e30s which everyone goes for is the 318is and the 325.

The 320 is a lovely car, but the 325i offers similar fuel consumption but with more performance. Comparing the 320 and the 318is, the 320 is a heavier car due to the have it has 2 more cylinders.

Which is the better out of 325i and 318is? There isnt one. It all varies on your situation. If you want good performance, with good fuel consumption and low insurance premiumns, then go for a 318is. If you want good sound and powerfull performance, but dont mind bad fuel consumption and possibly higher insurance premiums, then go for a 325i.

Out of tec 1 and tec 2, if I was on the market, I would buy a tec 1. This is because they are rarer, and I like to be different!

George

[m4xos]

tech 2 all the way! chrome =

[Cypriotgeeza]

Thanx for the welcome and advice.. both my parents are from the north side of cyprus i was born here lol

I really am getting more and more interested in this 3.18is as i before i started this thread i didnt know the difference between this and a standard 3.18...

im just wondering if the engine is easily moddable in terms of squeezing more power out of it...or maybe a 3.20i would be a better base to get more power/torque?

[Morat]

Neither engine is a great point to start for tuning, simply because whatever you do to them would release more power if it was done to a larger engine. The only redeeming feature for the 2.0 from a tuning point of view is that if you were thinking of a major engine rebuild with custom pistons you could bore it out to the spec you want - but that is going to be serious £££!

[320ise]

if an i.s or a 320i is not enough power for you then the 325i has to be the clear choice.

[E30Gheko]

If you want an E30 which is going to put a smile on your face very time you get in it, I would say just forget about 320's. There not sh1te there is just more fun to be had in other models.

[madaboutthe30]

I agree with Gheko. In terms of the 318is you could do a few basic mods to change the performance such as performance exhaust, air filter, change the fly wheel to a lighter one............

Some of these could see you 150 onwards, varies on how healthy your engine is for starters.

The 318is feels more lively as oppose to the 320i

[Cypriotgeeza]

i really am appreciating the good advice im getting! I am def considering a 3.18is due to what im being told.. sounds like its perfect for what i want...

but due to these cars being so popular does that mean its rare? and how much would a good example set me back?

[madaboutthe30]

No 318is arent rare yet. In terms of price, could be anything 1k onwards, depends on your budget and how usefull you are with a screw driver

[Felix79]

Personally I think a 318 or 318is is a really great way to get aquented with e30 ownership for yourself.

They give good mpg and and still good fun to drive and cruise well. I did something like 18,000 mile in a year in my 1st e30 which was a 2 door 318i with the m10 engine. Manual steering and on 14" bottle tops. Absolutly loved it to bits and would have kept it but it had to be scrapped.

I got a 2 door 320i after and I was disapointed all the time with it and the fuel consumption was horffic and the perfomance and response compaired to my 318i was lacking How ever the sound from a 6 pot made up for the mulitude of sins.

I only owned a 325i for a brief peroid of time and it was a cab but it was by far the best fun i had since owning the 318i. I got rid of it for 2 main reasons ,1 because my back ment I needed a little more movment in the chair and that I had fallen in love with Alpina's and managed to get myself a nice C2 2.5 pre-facelift.

[E30Gheko]

how much would a good example set me back?

I think it largely depends on who you are buying it from. I approached an old geezer sitting in the supermarket car park the other day in his 318is and asked if he would consider selling it! - He sounded very keen to let me have it for £500. Think I'll be buying that one but I haven't had a proper look at the car yet.

You should be able to pick one up for anywhere between £400 & £2000 depending on condition etc. A good one could be had for around £1500.

I've yet to drive a 318is but I currently own a 318i and it's actually great fun to drive too. Shame it's a rotten turd though..

[Cypriotgeeza]

haha yea my dads 3.18 is rotting away and he jus lets it..i think its a crime but ill make up for it when i 'finally' own my own

going to start looking around for these i.s models

[325isporttech1]

If you want oldskool aggressive looks and a more hardcore driving experience-a good tech1
if you want slightly softer looks and more luxury-tech2

If you get an 1.8 i.s you will always wish you had got a nice sport,they are both genuine and well deserved classic bmw's, the i.s looks bland and unspecial to me .im biassed to the tech1 because i have one and it goes like a rocket that puts a smile on your face everytime you drive it.

[Cypriotgeeza]

If you want oldskool aggressive looks and a more hardcore driving experience-a good tech1
if you want slightly softer looks and more luxury-tech2

If you get an 1.8 i.s you will always wish you had got a nice sport,they are both genuine and well deserved classic bmw's, the i.s looks bland and unspecial to me .im biassed to the tech1 because i have one and it goes like a rocket that
puts a smile on your face everytime you drive it.

that is EXACTLY what i am looking for mate...jus being in my dads E30 puts a smile on my face lol

do they do a 3.20 sport? or do you mean a 3.25 sport?

[325isporttech1]

hi mate i mean a 325i tech1 sport! the only 320 worth having is the I.S which has got an e30 m3 engine and are left hand drive and very expensive. Mine is a 87 325i sport tech1 which you can insure on the classic insurance- im 24 and pay £302 a year fully comp with lancaster insurance well worth a check