318 or 325 convertible? Help...

[Neil_uk7]

My first post so please be patient with me. I'm after an e30 convertible - but stuck with engine choice. There seem to be more 318 verts around than 325's, and am a little worried about the fuel economy of the latter.

Can anyone give me some advice on the pros/cons of each?

Thanks for reading - Neil

[ImysE30]

The only reason i didn't buy a 325 convertible was because insurance was too much

318 cabby's are good economy wise but don't expect loads of power from them, 325 is more powerful, will use more fuel but probably not as much as you think. Will depend on what you use the car for, city driving/motorway driving?

Oh and welcome btw

[Neil_uk7]

wow - what an active forum. didn't expect such a lightning response. I've driven a 318 vert and it seemed a little slugish - but the car will be used on weekends only and for trips away - the occasional ride to work perhaps. Not too worried about the insurance as it's only £240 fully comp for me and my wife (age 39)

[ImysE30]

I would go for a 325 then, you can achieve around 25mpg

Prices are good at the moment as it's coming to winter, just have a good look around.

Check it for rust everywhere, arches, scuttle panel, footwells etc

Also check the hood for any rips/tears, any splits/holes in the seals and that the mechanism works correctly (even more so if it's an electric roof).

Happy hunting

[Hellbound]

I'm selling my 318 come spring and getting a 325 which will be fettled with. Either that or I'll look into an engine conversion as my car is mint and would be a good candidate for some lunacy treatment.

Get the 325 fella, I would.

[Neil_uk7]

Thanks guys - excellent forum - will definitely keep in touch - all I have to do now is find a decent 325 or 320. They seem as rare as rocking horse sh*t

[poolnoodle]

Definitely go the 325 if you can afford to buy / run. You will forever long for more power if you buy the 318

[ImysE30]

Thanks guys - excellent forum - will definitely keep in touch - all I have to do now is find a decent 325 or 320. They seem as rare as rocking horse sh*t

It's true that a 325 or even a 320 convertible in good condition is harder to find but there are still quite a few good examples out there, keep an eyeout on eBay/Pistonheads/Gumtree and on here

[jaymos]

why do people worry about power when the speed limit is only 70 im not feeling inadequate honest

[FMH]

why do people worry about power when the speed limit is only 70 im not feeling inadequate honest

Well, the time taken to get to "70" is a worry.

[S38B38]

IMO 325 .. nothing else
DONT take 320..
rather 318

the 2.5 is sweet ,, decent power.. but ofcorse will also use most petrol,,

I dont know anything about insrance in U.K.

[daimlerman]

I am currently rebuilding a cabbie...curent state of play;

Bought as a 318i,that's a lightly tuned 2.7 just about ready to go in!
It came with a very low diff ratio,4.45,which would have made it reasonably quick off the mark around the city but noisy and'busy' at motorway speeds.I have fitted a diff with a ratio more suited to my needs.
Remember that these cars are based on the saloon,BMW did stiffen the lower shell considerably and they have extra bracing around the front bulkhead area but even so you must expect that there will be some body flexing,they are more of a cruiser than a sports car.
Do not dismiss hood damage lightly,a cloudy window,for example,means a hood off the frame job to replace properly,so is labour intensive.
These things rust around the rear arches,both inner and outer,remove as much of the boot trim as the vendor will allow to check around the inner arch,especialy at the rear offside.
Other favourite spot is the sides of the scuttle panel,close to the join with the front wings at the base of the windscreen.
On the plus side,BMW parts backup is very,very good,I have only really struggled to find original type seat trim for my project,there is plenty of s/h leather interiors out there.
Enginewise,the 6 cylinder cars are known to mix oil/coolant,and it is rarely 'just a headgasket',so check both coolant and oil for the telltale signs.
Pricewise,projects are well under a £1000,good usable cars about £2000,but expect to have to pay a lot more for a really good one.

[Brianmoooore]

I would concentrate on buying a cab in good order much more than what engine it has!
All cabs have the same uprated suspension over the more lowly saloons, and all are fitted with disc brakes all round.
The small engined cabs are possibly less abused, IIRC, their production went on later, and their was a 'special edition' in the luminous paintwork shown in daimlerman's post above.
Engine changes are relatively easy compared to tidying bodywork - the only extra work needed to convert from a four pot to a six pot is a change of the front springs.

[sunnyr83]

Just curious as to why your intrested in a cabby rather than the other!
But yeah has to be a 2.5. Im driving a 320 at the moment and miss the torque and power of the 2.5, and if its only going to be a weekend car fuel should be ok depending how you drive it. Also im 26 and i insured me and the wife for £126.00 fully comp with 0 no-claims bonus with lancaster insurance on my old 2.5, might be worth looking their site up, good luck and welcome to the site mate.

[/// KAMI]

Ihave a 318 engine and box done 97k full bm history if your interested....

[E30cabalan]

Condition, engine, go 325 you will only want one later and colour
Maritius Blue is quite desirable

[Rav335uk]

I would say it all does depend on what you want from the cab.
Cruiser or something that can play with the others on the road.
Cabs a heavier cars than the saloons.
Mine was a 320i, not bad but sluggish and crap economy, and as Brian pointed out, to change the engine is a weeks job.
I put in a 3.5 into mine and now its the car it should have been, easy to drive round town, 30mph in fifth, and can pull 145+ on the private runways , and mess around with the little boys in their scoobys,type R's etc... and insurance is only £300 F/C and i'm only 39 yrs young

[djk]

Can't see the point in a 318i convertible. The single best thing about my 320i cab was the 6-pot yowl with the roof down - you just don't get that with a 318i. If you're only doing limited miles, fuel economy shouldn't be a concern - I averaged 27mpg over c.3000 miles in the 320i cab over a year, would have thought a 325 would be similar in this respect. Basically go for a 325, and only buy a 320 or 318 if it is exceptionally good and cheap.

Not much point in converting a 318 to stock 325 power IMO - a lot of aggro and expense, not to mention much higher insurance premiums, to end up with something you could have just bought in the first place without all of that. I'd want more bang for my buck if having to put up with 'modified tax' - a 3.5 conversion makes much more sense if going down that route.

[ali-vert]

i have a 318 vert and altough it is a lovely car it is not fast by a long way. but sometimes, when you got the top back, stereo on and you're just cruising, it doesnt matter one bit.

[grantfk10]

i have a 318 vert and altough it is a lovely car it is not fast by a long way. but sometimes, when you got the top back, stereo on and you're just cruising, it doesnt matter one bit.

+1
Cruising with the top down, you don't need loadsa speed, just enjoy the drive.

[Neil_uk7]

Thanks for all the comments guys. Can't really put my finger on why I want a vert - but it has to be. I think the original argument was that since I talked my wife into selling her Vauxhall Meriva with air con - any replacement would have to have air con - or a roof that comes off!

Interesting that there appears to be one or two negative comments on the 320 - is it generally not liked? I'd settle for a 318 now if I had to but the 325 does seem the way to go. I'm getting a little impatient - been looking for a few months and am keen to get one - especially as we're now down to one car (oh the hardship!)

[djk]

Interesting that there appears to be one or two negative comments on the 320 - is it generally not liked?

I suppose it's true that the 320 does get a lot of grief on here - '318 power and 325 economy' is the usual dig it receives. It all depends on what you want. While a 320i offers nothing like the performance of a 325i, they do have their virtues - the m20b20, in good fettle, is the smoothest engine in the range and, while reasonably gutless low in the rev range, they do perk up noticeably and pleasurably past 3500 revs. A good one will be easier to find and cheaper to buy than a 325. It all depends on what you want - for me, the sound and 'feel' of a six is worth a hell of a lot, and performance and economy don't matter much. You haveto decide what your priorities are. Or you can just 'suck it and see' and decide what you want. When I was selling my 320i cab, I took a guy out on a test drive and he was really keen on the car, but he went away to have a think, called me up and said 'No, I really want a 325i' - absolutely fair enough, because you don't know until you try; I'msure you could try one on this basis and see what works for you.

[Simon325i]

My cab only plays out when the weather is nice and as its for cruising with the roof down its not an issue with it being a 318.

Take heed on the comments above, would worry more about the condition than the size of the engine.

Good luck in your search.

[agd931]

IMO, as you are after a cabby, definitely 6 pot, the sound is second to none and it seems to suit the whole car making it feel expensive & refined. As a cruiser with the roof down the low rev lethargy of the 320 for me is not an issue, as above 3500rpm it picks up noticeably. In my view, if the 325 does 25mpg and the 318 30mpg, the benefits of the 325 for me outweigh the fuel difference.

As said above though, overall condition is more important than the engine size.

[Blitz]

I would not want to hear a Tappety M40 in a cabby.

[grantfk10]

I would not want the 20-25 mpg of an M20.

[Rav335uk]

Going throught the underpass from the M45 to the M1 in an open top 6 pot is what you want to hear ,not, as Blitz quoted, a tappety 4 pot.

[Blitz]

Its like buying those diesel convertibles you can get now.

[Topblag]

drive them both at 6000 rpm with the roof down and the stereo off and, if you can afford the fuel bills, you'll find you will make a firm choice at that moment.....

[SeymourCake]

I agree with what everyone is saying about the noise.

It's worth it for that. It's something you can never get bored of.