iS Hunt???

[tommo320i]

There seems to be a few people like me looking for a nice iS, I wander what the bug is???

Maybe when I get one it will be more rewarding than I think

[Karan]

great cars! ive had 2 and drivena few! awesome cars

[SwirlyE30]

Yeh nice cars indeed. Wanna get rid of mine tho! Need a 2.7 touring....

[tommo320i]

well if you decide to break it give me first option on your rims!!!!! as if you would...

[Lordschleife]

yes they're great cars, let you get away with loads, and you can chuck em about in corners like you never could with a 325 & they're nearly as fast if you keep em in the powerband

[Dannyp]

I own 2 318is's which will both shortly be looking for new homes. The first of which is laser blue and I have owned for 7 years and the second is black and was an e-bay bargain which was bought as a donor but was too good to break. Brilliant motors, as I type this I am contemplating keeping hold of one!

[tommo320i]

whats about the right money for a nice one with fsh?.....

[Russ]

Get one from the trader and you can pick them up for less than a grand.

I used to have one, not a bad car, but you soon get bored of the lack of power.

[SwirlyE30]

Yeh i gota agree with russ. Nice cars, pretty nippy, cheap to run (ish) and you can certainly have some fun in them. Although its nothing like say a 2.7...and even they arnt amazingly fast cars.


Im craving more power now lol

[iDreamBeemer]

Can be a good starter for intro to BMs, good standard spec for the most part, M-tec suspension Recaro seats usual spiel... Cheap to insure, available parts body stuff from E30 and engines carried on into E36 with the M42 so not exactly scarce. Nice all rounder really but agree it does need more power, need to keep above 3500 rpm to be in power band which sometimes is a little too thrashy

I am going to play with chip and few things to see if I can't get a little extra poke from mine.

Guess I'm trying to say has a little bit of everything and not everyone has one!

[Russ]

engines carried on into E36 with the M42 so not exactly scarce.

i think only the early e36s had the M42, I'm pretty sure they switched to the M44 after a couple of years.

IIRC, parts were quite expensive

[TheDutch]

Obviously iS's are great! Power of a 323i, economy and insurance costs of a 318i, brakes from a 325i which you don't need as they've the handling of a rubbish M3

So what does that mean? I save over Ԛ£60 a month on fuel + insurance over a 325, and still get to shit myself going sideways at 70mph on my ChengChong Deathmaster tyres that never ever wear out.

I think the only really unique stuff is all engine based, but luckily you don't ever have to do anything except change the chain. Once (if at all.)

So no, not the quickest car in the world, but great in lots of ways. And what else competes with it at the price?

[6potWil6pot]

Think a mkII Golf GTi is more or less its most obvious competition for the price!

[Blackie_No1]

engines carried on into E36 with the M42 so not exactly scarce.

i think only the early e36s had the M42, I'm pretty sure they switched to the M44 after a couple of years.

IIRC, parts were quite expensive

From what im reading in various places, they changed to the m44 after 95.

Also, the m42 seems to be scarce as hell here in n.ireland, the best price i can find for one is Ԛ£500!! Which from what im readin on this site i cud get a 325 engine!!!

[CaesarBob]

Personally i love my iS and it keeps getting better.

Like ppl have said, you can buy a cheap one on the trader for Ԛ£1k but these are often higher mileage cars with little or no history, that said: whatever you buy is a gamble.

If i was looking for another iS i'd try and find a car which had the same owner for a couple of years with regular use and evidence of maintenance. Most parts are regular E30 stuff, but the engine can be the stumbling point and altho the early E36 used the M42 there were still some difference to the E30 variant.

Soemething else to bear in mind is the number of 318iS' originally made for the UK. Generally reckoned to have been about 1100 cars sold new. That was 14-15 years ago, and it's quite possible 40-50% of those have died somewhere along the line or are complete sh*tters.

Good luck on the hunt.

[tomstickland]

Nice all rounder really but agree it does need more power, need to keep above 3500 rpm to be in power band which sometimes is a little too thrashy

I agree about the 3500point. I don't bother doing anything below 3500rpm except trundle along on busy congested roads. All other manoevres require 3500rpm as a minimum. It doesn't matter though because the engine is so sweet.

As to lack of power, I've not found mine lacking. I drove a 900KG 165BHP stripped out hatch for the previous 3 years and that didn't lack go. Straight line acceleration loses its appeal after a while. Going round corners never loses its appeal, hence I've found the IS to be more entertaining than the FWD hatch ever was.

Talking of engines, didn't the E36 get the 1.9 16v which was the M44?

[adamS]

Mine nice example is coming up for sale soon if anybody is interested...

[iDreamBeemer]

Yup, E36 318iS went to 1.9 in 97 not sure about M42 to M44 and if this is the same.

[Simon13]

I own 2 318is's which will both shortly be looking for new homes. The first of which is laser blue and I have owned for 7 years and the second is black and was an e-bay bargain which was bought as a donor but was too good to break. Brilliant motors, as I type this I am contemplating keeping hold of one!

Lazur blue?! i live in crowthorne mate and have always seen a really good nic blue iS on 15 BBS driving around for 4 or more years!

I assume it's u, i've got a lachs sport on 16 inch alpina's if u've seen it. And i used to have a sterling silver 318iS too on 16 alpina's.

Don't rag your iS when it's cold keep them under 3k rev's or your head will crack in no time.

E36 M42 has a different inlet and exhaust manifolds as they tinkered with the torque delivery for the heavier E36.

M44 is a pants mass production version of the E30 M42 which is the best out of the 3 engines by far. Also the E30 is faster than both E36 versions

in 2001 there where 800 318iS on the DVLA's books as still being on our roads, so we've lost a few since then. there's more sports and M3's about than iS's

[Guest]

my chip got rid of all power band issues - it just goes, only big issue i have is exhausts for the damn things!!!

[iDreamBeemer]

Nice, I was thinking of a chip, Do you mind me asking what have you got and what you paid for it?

Any downsides like you are now real thirsty?

[Guest]

i got the viper 2 chip, i paid 30 quid for it on ebay, the cars always seemed thirsty to me! ive never really measured mpg, i think its averaging 25 mpg but i travel on b roads a lot

[Geeman]

I've got the Viper 2 chip, BBTB, K&N induction and a stainless exhaust on mine. (I have a nearly new standard rear-section exhaust if anyone wants one!)

Mine is REALLY good on fuel, has some semi-decent low down torque and screams it's nads off at the top end... it's great.

[Mickhag]

Simon13 you live in crowthorne? Eerie stuff, i also haunt the place - just off new wokingham road as it happens - what about you?

Ross

[Simon13]

Simon13 you live in crowthorne? Eerie stuff, i also haunt the place - just off new wokingham road as it happens - what about you?

Ross

Fincham End Drive mate opposite the gates to Wellington college, where they have built 4 houses on the end

Moving to camberley soon!

[Dan318-is]

camberly? thats like ten minutes from me nice

geeman what brake u running? your mods echo my plans, except i wont to try and advance the camshaft timing

people mayu say mk2 golf GTi or 209 GTI are better but try getting insured on one. and there FWD!!

[tommo320i]

I used to live in camberley, bought my 320 in egham! lol

Chaps, I'm dead chuffed, won my auction on ebay for my new iS, pick it up a week on saturday, thanks to all you guys who posted advice on the other thread, us iS bod should all hook soon.

I may put a thread up on the meets board.

[Dan318-is]

well done mate

n e pics?

[tommo320i]

only the ones on ebay, here's the link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 4568776395

[Dan318-is]

mate!

looks absolutly mint!!

an u got a fire extinguisher im so jealous!

looks like a good purchase, in white too (DR)

Congratulations

[tommo320i]

Thanks buddy, I've not seen it in the flesh yet but it seems well cared for, I've got amate checking it out with me when I go to pick it up and he know his way around an e30 so I'll soon find out if its bad, I'll walk away.

I reckon its got to be value at that money?

What did you mean by "(dr)"?

[Dan318-is]

i ment lol but my keybord has bin attackd my by mug of coffoe as u cn tell by my tiping

ho wmuc u pay fellaa

[tommo320i]

winning bid of Ԛ£970

[Dan318-is]

i got mine for 750 of ebay

no fire extinguisher tho

[Artis]

i bought one for 200 with fire ex and petrol can that gose in the spare wheel