E30 318i Convertible

[Emm3]

Hello all newbie here, i'm currently on the look out for a 318 convertible and just wanting some info about the car before i go and buy one.
One of my mates used to own this
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g130/ ... os/9-2.jpg
which is what really inspired me, this car was a 325i auto, theres only one thing that put me off his car and that was that it felt very heavy accelaration was slow and it generally felt like a barge which somtimes got annoying. Now i'm on the look out for a 318 conv and my mate is telling me not to get one as the 1.8 will struggle to pull the car?, is that how it is? or does the 1.8 cope well?

[Nelly]

Is it defo a 1.8 your after or would a 2ltr be ok?

My mate Darren is selling his cabby in Calypso Red same as your mates car.

Neil.

p.s. the 1.8 feels the strain under acceleration abit but, fine when your rolling

[Nelly]

Forgot to add that autos are alot more sluggish of the mark due to the torch converter plus the weight of the cabby - all could be sorted with changing the ratio's though

Neil.

[Zayyan]

The 1.8 cab has a 4.27 diff meaning it's more than quick enough around town, though if you're using it for higher speed trips it'll start to annoy you, not least due to the fact the engine is at silly revs on the motorway (and economy also suffers).

Due to having a few other cars at my disposal for longer trips, mine's just used for trips around town for which it's perfectly adequate and not bad on fuel. I can't remember the last time I went over 50mph in it though

[Gouki]

long as its manual, it will quicker, but autos slow as Neil pointed out.

[dobbie82]

I have a 318i for tootling about back and forth to the shops as can't get over 30/40mph due to traffic. have a 2ltr for motorway driving (did have a 320i, currently a.. toyota )

unless you are planning on racing it a 318i should be fine, but if you have luggage or a lot of ICE in the boot an 1.8 m40 is none too happy!

[dobbie82]

p.s Hello + welcome

[shazE30]

If your after a cheap cab jc-bm is the person to talk to!!

[orangecurry]

The 1.8 cab has a 4.27 diff meaning it's more than quick enough around town, though if you're using it for higher speed trips it'll start to annoy you, not least due to the fact the engine is at silly revs on the motorway (and economy also suffers).

what utter rubbish... oh sorry I came over all 'Zayyan' for a moment there....

I had a 1991 318i conv for a year, and got 32 mpg on mostly motorway trips every day commuting. It is significantly lighter than the 6-cyl cars, and feels nicer to chuck around on the twisties.

My current 325i conv has much more grunt, but you are aware of the extra weight, so it isn't quite so nimble

[Zayyan]

The 1.8 cab has a 4.27 diff meaning it's more than quick enough around town, though if you're using it for higher speed trips it'll start to annoy you, not least due to the fact the engine is at silly revs on the motorway (and economy also suffers).

what utter rubbish... oh sorry I came over all 'Zayyan' for a moment there....

Eh?

Re getting 32mpg, it's still not particularly good is it? My 2-door M40 regularly did over 45mpg when driving like a saint, and never under 30.

I'll stand by my comment that 318i cabs are annoying on the motorway. The engine ticking away plus the extra noise due to the cloth roof is enough to mean my cab lives in the garage and only comes out occasionally.

They do have M Tech suspension and a rear ARB I believe making the handling very good fun

[orangecurry]

Zayyan - I meant you are always the one to give a blunt answer!

The original post was trying to choose between a 325 and a 318 conv.

I meant 32mpg (which is the average for all driving not just motorway) from my 318 is better than my 325 (late 20s at best) - the conv is heavier than the saloon/estate(?)/coupe so that's why your 2 door does better... what does 'driving like a saint' mean???

no ticking from mine... well quietly I suppose

all convs have cloth roofs, so that won't help him decide between a 318 and a 325!

And none of them have m-tech suspension as standard.

However the 325 conv has the thickest ARBs made (same as the M3?), whereas the 318 conv does not.

The swings and the roundabouts. I prefer roundabouts.

[Zayyan]

Zayyan - I meant you are always the one to give a blunt answer!

OK I'll accept that

The original post was trying to choose between a 325 and a 318 conv.

I meant 32mpg (which is the average for all driving not just motorway) from my 318 is better than my 325 (late 20s at best)

This I understand, but my point was that due to the diff the economy isn't that much better, and the comment about the hood was that it added to the noise/annoyance on the motorway.

the conv is heavier than the saloon/estate(?)/coupe so that's why your 2 door does better... what does 'driving like a saint' mean???

Of course it's heavier, but even if it's 10% heavier it uses a lot more than 10% more fuel which I can only put down to the drag from the roof.

Driving like a saint is using no more than half throttle, shifting up at 2500rpm and down at 1400

no ticking from mine... well quietly I suppose

Well it's an M40, so it'll start ticking eventually, especially after long motorway trips at 4,000rpm!

And none of them have m-tech suspension as standard.

I'll have to meet you halfway on this one quoting a bit of digging Simon did a while back:

I've done a little digging on the ETK...

All convertible rear shock absorbers are the same regardless of engine, the part number for the M-tech part is the same as the standard part.
The rear spring shows a different part number between the M-tech part and the standard. (obviously for the lower ride height)
Fronts are obviously going to be different for the reason of engine weight.

But...when you look up the front shock absorbers for a cab 318i, it lists the M-tech shocker and the standard shocker with the same part number again.

So, it seems to me, that all cabs have M-tech shock absorbers, but not the M-tech springs, unless otherwise specified, this makes sense also when you look at the option price for M-tech suspension when new...for a cab it was £112, for a normal 2 door 318i for example it would have cost £208.

Hope that helps!

[cliffybabe]

all im gonna say is welcome to the zone , the cabs a good choice i got a 320, which turns out to be a 325 .

But any cab is cool but a manual is the way forward for a nippy 1.8

[bmwe30mtech]

1.8 isnt as bad'er engine as people (like Zayyan) make out, they just sound crap!

I have a 1.8 and its realy quite fast untill you load it with people.

I think they are ok for motorway driving, but constantly hearing the tappy engine at 4k-5k is slightly annoying, but with windows and music up not too bad.

I have driven a 1.8 cab also, and it was realy sluggish and heavy feeling, im told 1.8 is a bit slow due to the extra weight in cabs?

325i cars dont seem to use much more petrol than a 1.8 when it comes to motorway driving. I would say go for the 2.5.

Paul

[Morat]

I don't have a cab but I've had two tourings. One a 318i which didn't tap at all, and my current 325i

I'd still take the 325 because it sounds great and it is quite a bit sharper. I'd imagine that the cabs and tourings aren't that far apart in weight... the 318 was no sports car but went perfectly well until fully laden when you just had to make allowances. The 325 is always nippy. Its not exactly fast but its got enough grunt to put a smile on your face.

You'll really notice the difference with the roof down under a bridge or going through a tunnel. The 6 pot does sound nice

[Emm3]

Hmm interesting, also can you guys tell me the diferences between a normal e30 hardtop and a 318is exterior wise.

[orangecurry]

And none of them have m-tech suspension as standard.

I'll have to meet you halfway on this one quoting a bit of digging Simon did a while back:

I've done a little digging on the ETK...

All convertible rear shock absorbers are the same regardless of engine, the part number for the M-tech part is the same as the standard part.
The rear spring shows a different part number between the M-tech part and the standard. (obviously for the lower ride height)
Fronts are obviously going to be different for the reason of engine weight.

But...when you look up the front shock absorbers for a cab 318i, it lists the M-tech shocker and the standard shocker with the same part number again.

So, it seems to me, that all cabs have M-tech shock absorbers, but not the M-tech springs, unless otherwise specified, this makes sense also when you look at the option price for M-tech suspension when new...for a cab it was £112, for a normal 2 door 318i for example it would have cost £208.

Hope that helps!

meet me halfway?????

well I don't think compromise has ever been done before on the 'zone, but what the hey

I was sure on the springs/ride-height being NOT M-tech, but having the different shocks - interesting

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318is has (as standard) a noticably lower front spoiler, M-tech suspension so slightly lower (25mm), 14" BBS cross-spokes, and '318is' on the boot!