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I purchased this 1991 318is in the summer of 2009 with 120k miles on it from an enthusiast in PA as the 3rd owner. The seller described is an all original, always garage kept car. The condition of the car; exterior, interior, and undercarriage all supported this claim with each a 9.5 or better. The original exhaust showed only minor surface rust. The only other rust on the car was a small section in the rear battery box. The only modification to the car was new Bilstein HD shocks on all four corners and an aftermarket CD player installed in the dash. I kept the car as a fair weather driver until earl spring of 2011 and then sold it to a friend. My interest at the time was to get a classic 4 door that could better accommodate my family; wife and growing sons. I ended up with a mint 1983 733i 5 speed with 75k miles on it. The new owner promptly blew the original m42. I helped him swap in a used replacement motor (against my advice) which lasted less than a year. The car then sat in a state of disrepair for the few years in storage. The 2nd motor having been removed by a shop and determined to be beyond repair. I had the right of first refusal should my friend ever decide to sell the car. Finally the opportunity presented itself for me to buy it back when my friend relocated from MA to CA for his job. I bought the car back in Jan of 2013 with the intention of installing a rebuilt m42 to bring the car back to original condition.
About a month after I bought the car my nephew who is serious BMW enthusiast sent me a picture of 320is sold only in Italy and Portugal. Essentially a 318 e30 with the distinction of having de-stroked s-14 bringing it to 1990 cc’s identical in all other respects. It was designed to be a sportier and more affordable version of the 325, allowing it to be sold in Italy while at a lower tax rate. The 325 was taxed heavily in these countries due to the 2.5 liter engine. This model from BMW also had some minor exterior cosmetic differences compared to the basic 325 but retained the lighter weight 4 lug suspension components. Having owned both the 318is as well as an e30m3 the idea of a putting an s-14 into the lightweight 318 chassis appealed to me.
I began looking around for an s-14 motor and found that a former race buddy had one sitting in his garage complete with; Intake, accessories, harness, ECU and header. The only things missing that I’d need to install it were the AFM / Air Filter Box, Transmission, shifter and driveshaft. I learned that it had relatively low mileage and had been taken from a wrecked M3. In addition the upper end of the motor had been gone through by VSR1. It also had an exhaust cam installed with an aftermarket chip. I bought the motor sight unseen.
Once I had the motor I decided that I would do it right in making sure everything was done to produce a truly unique and pristine car. Since the car had new shocks and the rear suspension was in perfect condition I decided to leave it alone and just refresh the front since it would be supporting a higher output motor.
• Engine disassembled down to the long block.
• Block re-painted using Hirsch tow part engine epoxy.
• Header, water manifold, and external oil pan were ceramic coated
• All other brackets and components were powder coated or painted
• Wiring harness was restored
• Throttle bodies and linkage restored by VSR1
• New connecting rod bearings and oil pump installed by VSR1
• Alternator, and AC compressor rebuilt / restored
• New OEM bushings installed; Alternator, AC Compressor, Power Steering Pump
• New OEM water pump installed
• Horizontal and Vertical oil pan baffles installed
• All new hoses and clamps
• New injectors
• New OEM fuel pressure regulator
• New OEM oil cooler and lines
• Rebuilt Power Steering Pump with New OEM lines
• New aluminum radiator
• New OEM expansion tank
• Front sub frame reinforcement kit installed and powder coated
• New OEM tie rods & boots
• New OEM aluminum control arms
• New OEM solid rubber control arms
• New Ireland Engineering sway bar kit includes:
-Front Adjustable Solid 22mm bar.
-Front Adjustable endlinks (includes new OEM u-bracket and Aurora Heim-joints).
-Front Urethane Pivot bushings with new U-clamps (not the flimsy factory piece) and reinforcement plates.
-Rear Solid 19mm bar.
-Rear adjustable endlinks with sliders, Aurora bearings, and weld on reinforcement plates.
-Rear Solid Billet Aluminum sway bar mounts with trunk reinforcement plates
• New OEM / EVO lightweight flywheel
• New Sachs clutch kit, OEM throw out bearing
• New OEM e30m3 shifter assembly and bushings
• New OEM e30m3 motor and transmission mounts
• New OEM e30m3 transmission cross member
• Used e30m3 transmission, cleaned and repainted
• New OEM backup light switch
• New OEM transmission mounted / flywheel position sensors
• New Guibo
• Rebuilt and balanced e3om3 driveshaft
• Heat shields painted with high temp paint
• 4.10 Limited slip differential
• New VSR1 center section
• Stromung Exhaust
• New brake rotors and pads
• New Stainless steel Brake Lines
• New AC lines, dryer, evaporator and expansion valve r134a compliant
• Original e30m3 Instrument Cluster with 2500 miles
• Analog Clock
• New Llyods floor mats
• M-tech steering wheel
• Rear battery box restored, rear valance modified, front and rear valance refinished by VSR1
• All fresh Red-Line synthetic fluids
• 5 Ronal Turbo R10 15x7 wheels with new BF Goodrich 225x15 Rival Tires (4 on car plus spare)
Everything functions as it should; AC, clock, all gauges including oil temp in instrument cluster. The interior and exterior have been professionally detailed. The engine bay, undercarriage, interior, exterior paint and trim, suspension and every other conceivable aspect of this car are all in excellent condition. It runs, drives and handles beautifully, looks fantastic and is a blast to drive.
About a month after I bought the car my nephew who is serious BMW enthusiast sent me a picture of 320is sold only in Italy and Portugal. Essentially a 318 e30 with the distinction of having de-stroked s-14 bringing it to 1990 cc’s identical in all other respects. It was designed to be a sportier and more affordable version of the 325, allowing it to be sold in Italy while at a lower tax rate. The 325 was taxed heavily in these countries due to the 2.5 liter engine. This model from BMW also had some minor exterior cosmetic differences compared to the basic 325 but retained the lighter weight 4 lug suspension components. Having owned both the 318is as well as an e30m3 the idea of a putting an s-14 into the lightweight 318 chassis appealed to me.
I began looking around for an s-14 motor and found that a former race buddy had one sitting in his garage complete with; Intake, accessories, harness, ECU and header. The only things missing that I’d need to install it were the AFM / Air Filter Box, Transmission, shifter and driveshaft. I learned that it had relatively low mileage and had been taken from a wrecked M3. In addition the upper end of the motor had been gone through by VSR1. It also had an exhaust cam installed with an aftermarket chip. I bought the motor sight unseen.
Once I had the motor I decided that I would do it right in making sure everything was done to produce a truly unique and pristine car. Since the car had new shocks and the rear suspension was in perfect condition I decided to leave it alone and just refresh the front since it would be supporting a higher output motor.
• Engine disassembled down to the long block.
• Block re-painted using Hirsch tow part engine epoxy.
• Header, water manifold, and external oil pan were ceramic coated
• All other brackets and components were powder coated or painted
• Wiring harness was restored
• Throttle bodies and linkage restored by VSR1
• New connecting rod bearings and oil pump installed by VSR1
• Alternator, and AC compressor rebuilt / restored
• New OEM bushings installed; Alternator, AC Compressor, Power Steering Pump
• New OEM water pump installed
• Horizontal and Vertical oil pan baffles installed
• All new hoses and clamps
• New injectors
• New OEM fuel pressure regulator
• New OEM oil cooler and lines
• Rebuilt Power Steering Pump with New OEM lines
• New aluminum radiator
• New OEM expansion tank
• Front sub frame reinforcement kit installed and powder coated
• New OEM tie rods & boots
• New OEM aluminum control arms
• New OEM solid rubber control arms
• New Ireland Engineering sway bar kit includes:
-Front Adjustable Solid 22mm bar.
-Front Adjustable endlinks (includes new OEM u-bracket and Aurora Heim-joints).
-Front Urethane Pivot bushings with new U-clamps (not the flimsy factory piece) and reinforcement plates.
-Rear Solid 19mm bar.
-Rear adjustable endlinks with sliders, Aurora bearings, and weld on reinforcement plates.
-Rear Solid Billet Aluminum sway bar mounts with trunk reinforcement plates
• New OEM / EVO lightweight flywheel
• New Sachs clutch kit, OEM throw out bearing
• New OEM e30m3 shifter assembly and bushings
• New OEM e30m3 motor and transmission mounts
• New OEM e30m3 transmission cross member
• Used e30m3 transmission, cleaned and repainted
• New OEM backup light switch
• New OEM transmission mounted / flywheel position sensors
• New Guibo
• Rebuilt and balanced e3om3 driveshaft
• Heat shields painted with high temp paint
• 4.10 Limited slip differential
• New VSR1 center section
• Stromung Exhaust
• New brake rotors and pads
• New Stainless steel Brake Lines
• New AC lines, dryer, evaporator and expansion valve r134a compliant
• Original e30m3 Instrument Cluster with 2500 miles
• Analog Clock
• New Llyods floor mats
• M-tech steering wheel
• Rear battery box restored, rear valance modified, front and rear valance refinished by VSR1
• All fresh Red-Line synthetic fluids
• 5 Ronal Turbo R10 15x7 wheels with new BF Goodrich 225x15 Rival Tires (4 on car plus spare)
Everything functions as it should; AC, clock, all gauges including oil temp in instrument cluster. The interior and exterior have been professionally detailed. The engine bay, undercarriage, interior, exterior paint and trim, suspension and every other conceivable aspect of this car are all in excellent condition. It runs, drives and handles beautifully, looks fantastic and is a blast to drive.
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