So heres how the story goes...
So heres pretty much how it started out, these are the earliest pics i have. Its no super sporty 325i or anything, but never the less i love it. Its pretty much a standard 318i. Quite high miles at 166k when i bought it, but had f/s/h, and the owner before the bloke i bought it off was an independant bmw specialist b and m workshops, who owned it for about 7 years and used it as their courtesy car, so they kept it well maintained and carried out lots of work on it to keep it in the nice condition its in. So the good condition and f/s/h didnt put me off with the high mileage, it still drives and pulls superb, and everything worked as it should. The paintwork is still lovely and shiny no major bodywork issues except the usual small ammount of rust on the rear arches. The only difference in these pics from when i bought it is the wheels. When i bought it she was sitting on the bmw bottle top wheels which wernt really to my taste, so i bought and put the bbs on.
Since ive had it i have had a couple of oil leaks fixed, replaced a blown speedo bulb and given it a good full service which i done myself with the help of the trustee haynes manual. This included all the standard oil and filter change, new plugs, fuel filter and and i put a pipercross panel air filter on aswell. Ive also put a tech1 wheel and gear knob on aswell, i know some people wouldnt agree to but hey ho.
So i really got the e30 bug.......and then....
Yes, i know not everyones cup of tea, but i couldnt resist a set of alpina reps. I just really like the way they look on e30s. They could do with a bit of a refurb, which is on my to do list.
I always like to get the trustee jam rolls to give her the once over once a week. 10 quid you cant go wrong.
Had the cambelt done, as looking through my service history is was well over due. Thanks to bss325i for that.
Then a few weeks back one of my springs snapped, so after speaking to barry bss325i and getting a bit of advice i decided to upgrade the whole lot. And was probarly a good idea because looking at what came off the motor they was probarly the same bits it came with when it rolled out the factory. So it was new/second hand 51mm struts, new dampers and top mounts, new second hand bilstein b4s done around 100miles, again sourced by barry through one of his contacts, and brand new eibach pro kit springs which lowered it about 35mm.
This also helped with the massive gap between the tyres and front arches with the 17" wheels.
Then the finished product. The pic doesnt really do it justice, but i was over the moon with the result. Just need new centre caps for my wheels as the ones i got with them were a bit worse for wear and missing clips.
I have done a few other little things including super bright headlight bulbs and a new head unit.
The head unit i had i it was pretty old. The same one i had second hand in my first car when i started driving 7 years ago, so i just wanted something a bit more modern. Id recommend this one for anyone who wants to update theres. Nothing fancy but pretty good for the money. My dad himself it, and when i saw it and heard how much he payed for it went and got the same one. Sony xplod mex-bt4000u, brand new for £105. With cd, 2 pre outs, usb, iphone/ipod compatibility, aux in and bluetooth connectivity and handsfree, and a remote, in my opinion you cant go wrong. Just need a decent set of speakers to top it off now.
Theres still a list of things i want to do to it to get it how i want it. Im picking up a full set of sports interor from a IS next weekend which will be going straight in, so i will get some pics up when its in. Then as my discs and pads aint got much life left in them, they are going to be getting replaced and upgraded with new vented discs and bigger better calipers. Also got new number plate lights to fit. Got to the wheel alignment, tracking and balancing done aswell.
And then heres a pic i took from on the scaffold at work which i think is pretty good.
Feel free to let me know what you think, comments or advice, just be nice lol. Cheers for looking and reading.
lol.
hence the money pit comment
