Car pontification....keep E30 vs E36 vs kit car

tomstickland · 18 December 2006 at 10:49PM

Don't worry; I really enjoy running this sort of "what if" through my head.

I currently run a slightly manky BMW E30 318iS (1990 model) which I love. It's quite tidy for its age. It's done 170K and needs a few minor jobs doing to it. I really enjoy driving it and feel I've still got more to learn with regards to its handling abilities.

I've been saving money this year and have around £6K total, but £3K is in a ISA so I want to leave it alone. I did allocate £3K for a possible car replacement.

I was looking on Ebay last night and found a 80% built up Westfield SE2 with a Vauxhall 2.0 16v XE engine for £2500 or offers. It's got the SVA, just needs a fuel tank, radiator, carbs and dash fitting. Loads of parts with it.
I'm very tempted by the prospect of around 300BHP/tonne for £3K.

The options which I like are:

-keep the 318iS and fit an LSD and rebuild the suspension. Pros: cheap £500 all in), will still be fun. Cons: car is not the best, engine at 170K, noisey gearbox etc. Not that I care really.

-buy a E36 (1991 on 3 series). Something like a 323 or 325. I reckon that they're very capable cars, maybe a bit boring to some and maybe trading refiniment for a reduction in the raw appeal of the E30. A bit heavier too.

-buy a tidier 318iS. For around £1500-2000 you can still buy really tidy examples. However, they're still 16 years old and all I'd get for the extra moneuy would be a cleaner shell. Since I drive it every day, what's the point?

-look at the kit car. I can sort the mechanicals easily and I've had a few moments of power lust. Being sensible though, it'll be cold in the winter, fun until the novely wears off, not so good for mountain bike etc, plus I've only just recovered from buying the flat and spent £350 on a new computer this month. I wonder whether I should wait.

Then again, the week before christmas has to be the best time to buy a kit car. I could buy it, sort it and sell it for at least what it cost me.

I've got a garage I can keep it in.

flang · 18 December 2006 at 11:36PM

I highly recommend the E36 Its such a great looking car which will go on and on forever!!!
Howver i think you should keep the E30! these are getting few and far between!!!
Def stick with BMW!!!

Cumbrian_Male · 19 December 2006 at 12:14AM

Get the E36 and convert the E30 to a track day car. Uprate brakes and suspension and rebuild your engine as a winter project.

If you do all the stripping yourself then you just need an overbore and honing, plus head skim and decoke with valves reseated.

My dad and I rebuilt a 528i lump back in '85 great fun. Only difference between 2.5 and 2.8 was a piston crown, same bore and stroke, so a piston skim or swap got you a quick power hike.

mikey-mike_2 · 19 December 2006 at 12:28AM

the small ads are full of half finished kit cars, be very sure of your motivation before taking the plunge but if you do, good luck with it. I don’t think I could live with one as an only car.

The westfields are close to the top of the kit car tree, the bike engined ones are insane

One other thing, are you sure about it having sva? I thought the sva was an inspection that took place when the car was complete

tomstickland · 19 December 2006 at 12:31AM

Nah, I don't want an E30 track car. I've thought about it a bit more.
I need to keep the E30 as my van/fun car and look into the kit car as a 2nd car. Insurance could be an issue.
However, I could buy the kit car, build it up, wait until it's not cold and then transfer the insurance and use the kit car as my one and only car.

I'm having a big head-heart battle here and I reckon I could get the car for under £2,500. Now has to be the best time to buy; the week before christmas when most people are doing other things.

The ad claims it was SVA'd and it's since been taken off the road. I don't have any problem doing the work myself; I spent 5 years messing around with cars before deciding it was costing too much.

I'm currently 60:40 saying "no" at the moment.
In terms of fun/cost ratio
-I can spend £500 and a few Saturdays turning my E30 into a really good handling car - it's still really good now with wobbley bits on it.
-or spend £3K and then a bit more making another fun car, only with a lot more power to weight in it. That's not the most attractive bit though; it's more sensation I want - lower, air drag, lighter etc

Being sensible, I could sort my garage out, do minor work on the E30, save for another year and then buy about this time next year.
Difficult!

balsingh · 19 December 2006 at 12:34AM

The E36 325i is a truly excellent car. I used ot have the coupe and its every bit as fun as a E30 but has the advantage of the 24v engine which pumps out 192bhp ... great RWD fun!

mikey-mike_2 · 19 December 2006 at 12:47AM

and, from what i remember, the 318 is a gutless slug of a car

tomstickland · 19 December 2006 at 12:52AM

aha, the E30 iS is a 1.8 16v making a mildly underwhelming 135BHP, but the fun is in making the best use of what is available, maintaining momentum at all costs. I've found it a lot more fun than my previous car which had 165BHP in a 890KG shell, but was front wheel drive.

They took the 318 engine, stuffed a 16v head on it and made a lightweight "sports" version. Thinking man's crumpet.

It's faster than the E30 320 by a good margin. On track they found it was a good match for the 325 sport, though straight line performance is not in the same league.

highguyuk · 19 December 2006 at 2:04AM

Just reading these posts, I'm not up on the cars.

But all of them scream, to me anyway, high insurance.

Before going down any road, get quotes and see how much they are going to be!

philhuff · 19 December 2006 at 10:21AM

Any option is pretty reasonsble, apart from spending cash fitting an LSD to a 318 - in my view, that's got to be one of the more pointless additions to a car of that nature.

Guessing what kind of thing would turn you on, either take option B of a 6 cylinder E36, or keep the E30 and buy the Westfield.

tomstickland · 19 December 2006 at 11:15AM

Insurance is £220 TPFT on my 318iS.

It's not a boggo 318! It's the iS, where they fitted a 16v engine that made more power than the 320. I wouldn't call it fast, but it's the same performance as the Golf GTi 8v from the mid 80s ie: fast enough to be entertaining.

http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/318isintro.html

Actually, that's part of the fun TBH. I'm sure the 318 badge confuses people.

I'm decided today. Kit car waits until next year. I'm going to keep the E30, fit suspension kit in Jan and source a 2nd hand LSD.

Car pontification....keep E30 vs E36 vs kit car

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