BMW 318is saloon
Discussion
I caught a train to London yesterday in order to view this 1998 BMW E36. What had caught my eye was its being a 318is as I'd only ever seen those in 2 door coupe. As well as being rare spec' is was also very low mileage at about 43K I think? I'll have to confirm that but it's very low all the same. I checked out the MOT history and there were some years the car appears to have only gone to the MOT station and then home again. You can see from the interiors condition that there have been very few bums on those seats and even the head lining remains in place!
The engine fired right up and there's a very pleasant exhaust note. I really like the M42 / M44 engine. My old E21 had one mated to a dogleg 5 speed and LSD and it would pound around Brands Hatch all day long without any issue. My only concern was how little this E46 had actually been driven in recent years. There was a 2 or 3 year period where it had done just 2 miles! 2 miles and here I was with a 254 mile journey home ahead of me. I have RAC cover though, so I headed off to find the nearest petrol station as the yellow 'low fuel' light was glaring at me and the needle was about as low as they get. No problem, Siri was guiding me to a petrol station just a mile or so away, or so I thought. In fact, it took me to a random back street and wasted precious fuel. I asked a postman and he told me to head for the north circular. My fear there was that I would run out of fuel amid a busy road and cause chaos. I needn't have worried though, as I spotted a garage and was able to cut across 4 lanes onto the forecourt. Relief!
With £80 of super unleaded in the tank and the needle showing nigh on full I headed home. I figured I should be gentle for the first 50 miles or so and sat at 65 - 75 mph. I would have put the radio on but I need the code so I just listened out for untoward noises. Thankfully there weren't any and the further I got from London the beter the car started to feel. I'm sure fresh fuel will have helped and by the time I passed Bristol the engine was an absolute peach! The gearbox and shift were lovely and quiet, as was the diff. There was literally nothing to concern me and my speed crept up a little. The M42 / M44 felt happiest cruising at about 4 - 4.5K rpm which was about 80 - 85mph and soon enough the signs were telling me to go left and join the A30. I used to love that exit in my E30 M3 with race suspension and track tyres. The 318is was almost as much fun, as the budget rubber did its best to hang on! An hour or so later I was taking the diversion off the A30 and through the lanes past Perranporth where the E36 felt great. Soon enough I was home and parking the E36 next to my Caddy daily.
Tomorrow I plan on giving the car a thorough inspection but meanwhile here's a few photos.
The orignal and unused spare.
The engine fired right up and there's a very pleasant exhaust note. I really like the M42 / M44 engine. My old E21 had one mated to a dogleg 5 speed and LSD and it would pound around Brands Hatch all day long without any issue. My only concern was how little this E46 had actually been driven in recent years. There was a 2 or 3 year period where it had done just 2 miles! 2 miles and here I was with a 254 mile journey home ahead of me. I have RAC cover though, so I headed off to find the nearest petrol station as the yellow 'low fuel' light was glaring at me and the needle was about as low as they get. No problem, Siri was guiding me to a petrol station just a mile or so away, or so I thought. In fact, it took me to a random back street and wasted precious fuel. I asked a postman and he told me to head for the north circular. My fear there was that I would run out of fuel amid a busy road and cause chaos. I needn't have worried though, as I spotted a garage and was able to cut across 4 lanes onto the forecourt. Relief!
With £80 of super unleaded in the tank and the needle showing nigh on full I headed home. I figured I should be gentle for the first 50 miles or so and sat at 65 - 75 mph. I would have put the radio on but I need the code so I just listened out for untoward noises. Thankfully there weren't any and the further I got from London the beter the car started to feel. I'm sure fresh fuel will have helped and by the time I passed Bristol the engine was an absolute peach! The gearbox and shift were lovely and quiet, as was the diff. There was literally nothing to concern me and my speed crept up a little. The M42 / M44 felt happiest cruising at about 4 - 4.5K rpm which was about 80 - 85mph and soon enough the signs were telling me to go left and join the A30. I used to love that exit in my E30 M3 with race suspension and track tyres. The 318is was almost as much fun, as the budget rubber did its best to hang on! An hour or so later I was taking the diversion off the A30 and through the lanes past Perranporth where the E36 felt great. Soon enough I was home and parking the E36 next to my Caddy daily.
Tomorrow I plan on giving the car a thorough inspection but meanwhile here's a few photos.
The orignal and unused spare.
Edited by Mark-insert old BMW on Sunday 23 June 23:06
Thanks chaps.
I rang BMW UK yesterday, to see if they had anything on their system relating to the cars history. The only thing they could tell me was that it was serviced by Group 1 BMW in Kentish Town on the 15th October 2003. They did get my local dealer in Falmouth, to search out the radio code though, but they won't hand it over till I produce my V5 and driving licence! I did try and persuade the girl that nobody was stealing 26 year old radio cassette players but she wasn't having any of it, so I will have to wait for the V5 to arrive.
I rang BMW UK yesterday, to see if they had anything on their system relating to the cars history. The only thing they could tell me was that it was serviced by Group 1 BMW in Kentish Town on the 15th October 2003. They did get my local dealer in Falmouth, to search out the radio code though, but they won't hand it over till I produce my V5 and driving licence! I did try and persuade the girl that nobody was stealing 26 year old radio cassette players but she wasn't having any of it, so I will have to wait for the V5 to arrive.
I wish I lived near Bruno. He knows his way around an M42/44 so I may just message him.
Just been out for a drive whilst the sun is shining and it's such a lovely car. I'm guessing the low mileage helps but it just feels so planted through the turns and the engine is a peach. I'd like a bit more induction noise though.
Just been out for a drive whilst the sun is shining and it's such a lovely car. I'm guessing the low mileage helps but it just feels so planted through the turns and the engine is a peach. I'd like a bit more induction noise though.
I haven’t seen one of these for many years. I purchased a batch of cars from a dealer when I had my own garage and there was a blue one of this model amongst them. I think it had been described as a 318i but upon seeing it the wheel design stood out as one I hadn’t seen before. I was aware of the iS coupe but had never seen a saloon .The one I had sold quickly without the new owner quite realising what they had. I don’t recall having seen another…….. until now.
sprouting said:
What's happened to the compact?
Unfortunately I've been pretty unwell in recent months and I had to sell. If honest, I regretted letting it go but it went to another PH'er and hopefully he's enjoying it as much as I did. I gave the E36 another thorough look over yesterday and I'm still very happy with it. I'll take some more detailed pics later, of the bodywork I want to address. I'm not looking for a garage queen though. I just want to address any rust and enjoy driving the thing.
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