Another BMW convert

[BenA]

Hi,
Thought I'd introduce myself as I joined up here the other day.

I'm Ben, 21, a student from Southampton and I've just bought myself an E30 318i as a runaround as my Pug 205 GTi is broken (as usual).
Unfortunately, I've become quite hooked on the car in the short space of time I've owned it, and now I want to get a 'nice' one in the new year.

After owning and driving a 205 GTI of some description for the past 3 or so years owning a Beemer is like a breath of fresh air. I was surprised by how refined my new car feels, even though it's 16 years old. 205s aren't the best built cars ever, and this thing feels solid as a rock compared.
I'm also impressed at how comfortable it is, and how easily it clocks up the miles. My 135 mile journey to uni is now a lot easier!
Last but not least is the fact that rear wheel drive is SO much better than FWD. Lift off oversteer is pretty simple in a 205, but power oversteer in a Beemer is just so much more satisfying. (Sorry if I sound like some kind of tarmac terrorising idiot by the way )

The car is standard at the moment, and it'll be staying that way until I eventually get myself a nice 3 door in black or grey in the new year.

Anyway, I've not had a chance to clean the 318 as yet so I haven't taken any decent photos, but here's one I took on my phone the other night for a starter:


There's a couple more from the eBay ad where I found it here: http://ben.loaded.net/gallery/view_albu ... me=bmw318i

Also, a couple of my 205 GTI. I took it to the Nurburgring over the summer - brilliant fun! Excuse the gash wheels. They're off a 306 XSi and I only bought them due to the F1 tyres on there!





More here: http://ben.loaded.net/gallery/view_albu ... mName=h930
It's pretty specced up. Just the standard 1.9 GTI engine, Mi16 gearbox, 309 GTI wishbones/driveshafts, Bilstein Sprintline suspension with Eibach progressive springs, resprayed plus a few other bits and bobs. I'm still umming and arring about keeping it or selling it though!

So that's me! Hopefully I'm welcome here

[thebigone]

welcome to the zone being a studie

[Gortour]

Welcome Ben.

Another Southerner. Keep an eye for meets, they happen in Portsmouth at Portdown Hill, and in Dorset too, ususally Poole area.

Hopefully meet up sometime
Gordon

[jcjdavis1]

Hi and welcome BenA,its been a while since I was down your way, used to live in Brighton.

[Pal318is]

Welcome to the Zone Ben

Glad to see you've been won over by your 318i, any e30 is a good one imho!

Nice to see another red one too

Any thought's on what sort of 'nice' one you want??

Pal

[Jon_Bmw]

Welcome, just up the road from you, sometimes. Are you at solent or southampton uni?

Keep the 205 as a track weapon. Can i ask you you put an mi16 gearbox in it, isn't the 1.9 one slightly lower ratio?
But if you do lots of motorway miles the mi16 one is better i suppose. Drop an mi16 engine in it and it would terrorise m3's on here.

I know what you mean about the level of refinement, you no longer have to worry about interior trim panels hitting you whilst driving when you are in the bmw. Are 205's glued together with wood glue(i like them really as track slags)

I vote keep the 205

[BenA]

I'd be tempted to keep the 205 if I did something engine wise. I was thinking of going S16 or 2.0 Mi16 rather than the conventional 1.9, and then bolting on the GTi-6 inlet manifold to improve flow into the head. Apparently it makes a lot of difference.
Mi16 'box is a good compromise between a 1.6 and a 1.9 GTi gearbox. It's quite short like the 1.6 box, but fifth is longer, so better more motorway driving. It's not exactly ideal though! When I'm at 4500rpm in fifth in the Pug I'm doing 80mph, whereas in the Beemer I'm doing 100 at 4500. Much better for longer distances.

Yeah 205s are stuck together with a combination of chewing gum and blu tac. Unfortunately it's all well over 10 years old now so doesn't quite stay together so well these days. However, it's such good fun to drive. Down a twisty lane it's up there with a lot of much more exotic machinery! They handle brilliantly, especially with some upgrades and a decent set of boots!

I'm at Southampton Solent University by the way. Doing Journalism - in the final year now.

As for a 'nicer' BMW, I'd like a 3 door really as I much prefer the looks. I'm also not a huge fan of red even though my 205 is that colour . I'd prefer a darker coloured one ideally. Maybe a 318is or a 320? We'll see what happens in the new year anyway. I'll probably end up snowed under with work!

[Jon_Bmw]

Well if you ever get round to doing that conversion, give us a shout, quite tempted to steal the engine out of my brothers 405 mi16 and put it in a 205. Shame the car is too nice for that. He did some research into it, using the iron block(2.0) and a 1.9 crank i believe you get 2049cc and some extra torque which is more than needed. With throttle bodies and a harsh cam, it should push 180+ bhp theoritically, which would give a nice 210bhp+ per tonne.

I understand your gearbox choice a bit better know

Back to the bm's though...go for a nice 318is in diamond black, i don't think they did them in dolphin grey. 2 dr and a nice revvy engine to remind you of your pug. Final years at uni are never a good thing, good job i got the second year and a placement before that hoo haa.

[316eyes]

Welcome to the zone, but shame on you for posting pics of a Pug on here.

[Gortour]

Welcome to the zone, but shame on you for posting pics of a Pug on here.

Well said. Ditch the French wrongness and put the money towards your 318is.

(Would say the 205gti does have really sharp gokart like handling though. The one I once drove did anyway)

[NH325CAB]

Hi Ben!

And its nice to find a nother Southampton zoner! Not many of us about!


I used a own a couple of 205 cabs,..... nothing compared to the bm though!

[cliffybabe]

Welcome to the zone mate

Glad to see ur coming over fromt he dark side of pug land

[BenA]

Cheers for all the comments people. I still love my Pug even if it is an unreliable heap of junk. Undecided as yet if it's going to stay or not.

Gave the car a quick once over with G10 last night to get some shine back into the paint. It was almost totally matt when I got it, but now there's some life coming back. It's still got lots of marks on it though, guess I'll have to whip the G3 out and give it the proper treatment, before polishing and waxing. Anyway, at least it no longer looks pink

[Barnz]

Welcome to the fold bud, nice to see another E30 convert. Know what it's like running cars while at Uni though, I had an M535 E28 and that didn't bode well..... always wondered where that student loan went ????

[bimmaman]

I've had a couple of 205gti's... Loved em... Till I saw the light! (Or should I say, joined the dark side )

Did you do the work on the 205 yourself? I used to take mine to PugPerformance in Hampshire... They know their stuff, but customer service is appalling

Welcome to the Zone mate... and to Right Wheel Drive

[Gortour]

Ben, and all of you within distance, you'll be made welcome at the Dorset meet on 3rd December.
More the merrier, and the more E30s the better. Hope to see you there.

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... 016#513016