Mr.Jimbo's new 318iS
Discussion
I think it was just the picture to be honest, they all line up ok from what I can see in the car, and it has FBMWSH upto 86k 
the interior and engine/gearbox certainly in my opinion attest to the mileage
edit: oh and the fuel filler has stopped sodding working now.
the interior and engine/gearbox certainly in my opinion attest to the mileage
edit: oh and the fuel filler has stopped sodding working now.
Edited by Mr.Jimbo on Thursday 13th August 20:11
This will sound like a boring update, but nonetheless...
Finally managed to get all the filler off that some numpty had attached the ///M badge with, which involved a very sharp wood chisel, a fair amount of light swearing, and some sharp intakes of breath... Then we used a bit of 1200 wet and dry to get rid of the rest, and its come out alright...
really pleased with the boot now, it looks much cleaner, was surprised that one badge could make it look so cheap!
Pictures
Don't know if you can see what I mean, but I think the whole rear end looks a lot tidier than it did with the chav power M badge!
Got away with a little bit of colour mismacth, presumably where the filler actually coloure dthe paint slightly, ore or two little scratches where the filler lifted the paint
...
Will update when my bits from eBay get here, the only other thing I did was to wire the stereo to the hazard light switch, so that it dims as it should when the lights are on. Little things but it annoyed me (and I checked, it doesn't flash with the hazard lights 
) Also bought a full complement of door locks, as I think mine are past it, and they were cheap
Finally managed to get all the filler off that some numpty had attached the ///M badge with, which involved a very sharp wood chisel, a fair amount of light swearing, and some sharp intakes of breath... Then we used a bit of 1200 wet and dry to get rid of the rest, and its come out alright...
really pleased with the boot now, it looks much cleaner, was surprised that one badge could make it look so cheap!
Pictures
Don't know if you can see what I mean, but I think the whole rear end looks a lot tidier than it did with the chav power M badge!
Got away with a little bit of colour mismacth, presumably where the filler actually coloure dthe paint slightly, ore or two little scratches where the filler lifted the paint
...Will update when my bits from eBay get here, the only other thing I did was to wire the stereo to the hazard light switch, so that it dims as it should when the lights are on. Little things but it annoyed me
(and I checked, it doesn't flash with the hazard lights ) Also bought a full complement of door locks, as I think mine are past it, and they were cheap Edited by Mr.Jimbo on Sunday 16th August 21:44
Edited by Mr.Jimbo on Sunday 16th August 21:45
Welcome to the club
I have the E36 rack in mine and it feels brilliant compared to stock.
Im also looking out for some 15 bbs. they are quite hard to come by but keep looking!!!!
I am interested to hear how the handling changes after lowering it and polybushing it.
Looks lovely to me but then i am biased
Watch for phantom puddles in the boot too, happens quite alot. Im on the zone with same S/N if you are at all bothered.
I have the E36 rack in mine and it feels brilliant compared to stock.
Im also looking out for some 15 bbs. they are quite hard to come by but keep looking!!!!
I am interested to hear how the handling changes after lowering it and polybushing it.
Looks lovely to me but then i am biased
Watch for phantom puddles in the boot too, happens quite alot. Im on the zone with same S/N if you are at all bothered.
Edited by simple101 on Monday 17th August 16:48
I'm JWaller360 on the Zone
Only lowered at the moment, though that has stopped it wallowing, and it does feel quite planted now, its just a bit jarring over big bumbs now. Front is lower, back seems about the same, but I can't really compare to anything at the moment I like the stance now that the front splitter is back on! I can't afford polybushes at the moment! Perhaps when the student loan comes in, I think I'll get the '36 rack, polybushes and hopefully a Z3 shifter, and mayyybe a LSD if I can live on soup long enough!
Only lowered at the moment, though that has stopped it wallowing, and it does feel quite planted now, its just a bit jarring over big bumbs now. Front is lower, back seems about the same, but I can't really compare to anything at the moment
I like the stance now that the front splitter is back on! I can't afford polybushes at the moment! Perhaps when the student loan comes in, I think I'll get the '36 rack, polybushes and hopefully a Z3 shifter, and mayyybe a LSD if I can live on soup long enough!Edited by Mr.Jimbo on Monday 17th August 17:37
Right! Another update. Got all my bits from eBay, and a couple of other little things from e30zone etc... German Plates & surrounds, Suede gear & handbrake gaiter (bought to replace the accordion effort on the handbrake - looks loads better) and clear front indicator lenses. All fitted, really pleased I also got rid of the pinstripes down the sides, as they were a bit tatty, and annoying me, made the car look a bit "fussy". Pleased with the overall cleaner look it's got now
I Got bored this evening, so went for a bit of a drive about, and took some pictures...
Finally, one last cheeky one
James
I also got rid of the pinstripes down the sides, as they were a bit tatty, and annoying me, made the car look a bit "fussy". Pleased with the overall cleaner look it's got now I Got bored this evening, so went for a bit of a drive about, and took some pictures...
Finally, one last cheeky one
James
Right - I'm going to try and keep this updated, so here goes.
Car has looked like this uptill recently, been busy with final year of uni etc etc:
The fuel cap was rusty on the leading edge, so I rubbed it back to bare metal, can't find any Alpineweiss II paint anywhere, and always forget to ask at BMW. I had Matt black and hammerite though, and it was a tidy fix to stop the rust. I like it, everyone who sees it seems to, some people on here weren't keen though Can always repaint it the proper white later.
I'd changed both master and slave clutch cylinders, replaced the coolant pipes under the inlet manifold (known to crack) with custom silicon ones and got rid of the throttle heater plate. All through the cold winter didn't have any troubles with it, and it probably stops the inlet charge being heated up too, which can only be good.
So thats how it stayed, I did the wheel bearings at Christmas, as they were noisy as buggery (fronts only), I love new parts:
Then it stayed the same, until I got hold of a Tec-1 spoiler (originally fitted to pre-facelift 325 sports), an absolute bargain at £40:
old vs. new!
Made up with it, looks so much better. The heckspoiler (the one before) just wasn't 'spoilery' enough for me.
Now then, all was well until I got in the car one day and the steering was making a terrible racket. Turns out the end seals on the power steering rack had gone, and all the ATF was leaving the rack via a split gaiter. I fed her on a diet of ATF for a while (alarming how much it drank in town) as I was finishing my last year of uni, and organised an E36 rack to swap in. I got one for a handsome price, and read up loads about the conversion, made up an adaptor to interface the E30/E36 steering joints and got the necessary bits off a doner E36 in the scrappers.
Got the necessary linkage out the E36, and found this bottle of rose in the engine bay. Strange place Derby.
Couldn't have picked a nicer day for it, have to thank my mate Jack who came and helped me get the steering linkage off, what a star.
Made up the spacer to convert E30/E36 steering UJs:
(different PCD, one is 50mm, the other 45mm, this allows you to bolt them together)
Assembled all the bits, and started on dismantling the car when I got home to a decent garage and proper tea/coffee making facilities. Then and only then, I found out that iS' have the same steering linkage as the E36, so the coupling bolts straight up, marvelous, bit of time wasted there then. Ultimately though, it means less faffing, so I'm not bothered.
Set to work:
old vs. new (crap picture) E30 on top:
Primary difference between racks, inlet and outlet are orientated differently (E36 on top this time):
and after a day or two of swearing and aching arms, she still looks like this:
Issue is getting the PAS pipes to fit, apparently you can bend the existing ones to fit, but I'm struggling. I don't have a vice here yet, so bending them is tricky. Looking at getting custom hoses made up.
Better get my arse in gear, as we're off to LeMans on the 8th of june, and off round europe after that, taking in the BMW factory/museum/sightseeing in Munich, 3 days at the ring, then a couple of days in Amsterdam, to finish off what should be a pretty mint roadtrip. 2500 miles and I'm hoping the old girl will do us proud!
Jobs to do at the moment include finishing the rack swap, refurbing the wheels, and sort out at least some barmy stickerage for the LeMans trip, the winning idea at the moment is:
Hope you've enjoyed that, as always, comments welcome
James
Edit: forgot to add these photos; needless to say I had a LOT of fun over the winter:
One of the many times I had to rescue my mate in his VW syncro, it had an appetite for coolant hoses!
The real fun stuff:
My first RWD winter...
+
=
Car has looked like this uptill recently, been busy with final year of uni etc etc:
The fuel cap was rusty on the leading edge, so I rubbed it back to bare metal, can't find any Alpineweiss II paint anywhere, and always forget to ask at BMW. I had Matt black and hammerite though, and it was a tidy fix to stop the rust. I like it, everyone who sees it seems to, some people on here weren't keen though
Can always repaint it the proper white later.I'd changed both master and slave clutch cylinders, replaced the coolant pipes under the inlet manifold (known to crack) with custom silicon ones and got rid of the throttle heater plate. All through the cold winter didn't have any troubles with it, and it probably stops the inlet charge being heated up too, which can only be good.
So thats how it stayed, I did the wheel bearings at Christmas, as they were noisy as buggery (fronts only), I love new parts:
Then it stayed the same, until I got hold of a Tec-1 spoiler (originally fitted to pre-facelift 325 sports), an absolute bargain at £40:
old vs. new!
Made up with it, looks so much better. The heckspoiler (the one before) just wasn't 'spoilery' enough for me.
Now then, all was well until I got in the car one day and the steering was making a terrible racket. Turns out the end seals on the power steering rack had gone, and all the ATF was leaving the rack via a split gaiter. I fed her on a diet of ATF for a while (alarming how much it drank in town) as I was finishing my last year of uni, and organised an E36 rack to swap in. I got one for a handsome price, and read up loads about the conversion, made up an adaptor to interface the E30/E36 steering joints and got the necessary bits off a doner E36 in the scrappers.
Got the necessary linkage out the E36, and found this bottle of rose in the engine bay. Strange place Derby.
Couldn't have picked a nicer day for it, have to thank my mate Jack who came and helped me get the steering linkage off, what a star. Made up the spacer to convert E30/E36 steering UJs:
(different PCD, one is 50mm, the other 45mm, this allows you to bolt them together)Assembled all the bits, and started on dismantling the car when I got home to a decent garage and proper tea/coffee making facilities. Then and only then, I found out that iS' have the same steering linkage as the E36, so the coupling bolts straight up, marvelous, bit of time wasted there then. Ultimately though, it means less faffing, so I'm not bothered.
Set to work:
old vs. new (crap picture) E30 on top:
Primary difference between racks, inlet and outlet are orientated differently (E36 on top this time):
and after a day or two of swearing and aching arms, she still looks like this:
Issue is getting the PAS pipes to fit, apparently you can bend the existing ones to fit, but I'm struggling. I don't have a vice here yet, so bending them is tricky. Looking at getting custom hoses made up.
Better get my arse in gear, as we're off to LeMans on the 8th of june, and off round europe after that, taking in the BMW factory/museum/sightseeing in Munich, 3 days at the ring, then a couple of days in Amsterdam, to finish off what should be a pretty mint roadtrip. 2500 miles and I'm hoping the old girl will do us proud!
Jobs to do at the moment include finishing the rack swap, refurbing the wheels, and sort out at least some barmy stickerage for the LeMans trip, the winning idea at the moment is:
Hope you've enjoyed that, as always, comments welcome
James
Edit: forgot to add these photos; needless to say I had a LOT of fun over the winter:
One of the many times I had to rescue my mate in his VW syncro, it had an appetite for coolant hoses!
The real fun stuff:
My first RWD winter...
+=Edited by Mr.Jimbo on Monday 31st May 01:49
Great write up and very nice looking car. Now, i liked it with the m badge and i like it without the m badge, think both look good but if it's so unacceptable to have the m badge on a 318is then why is it acceptable to have the m stripes and m power on the number plate surround? Don't get me wrong, I'd have the same surround if i owned your car, it suits it but just puzzled by why the badge is chav but m power and m stripes wrote on another part of the car aren't?
I got the surrounds as they're dealer surrounds, and these were the only ones I could find, with the M badge, I removed the M badge as it wasn't where bmw would have put it, and I think it looked out of place really. Fair point though, I really like the M stripes on the steering wheel
Thanks
Really really annoyed with the new rack at the moment, think custom power steering hoses are going to be £££, haven't been motivated to touch it today, just frustrated.
Going to have a look tomorrow with Dad and see what he reckons, can't wait to try the E36 rack (don't think I mentioned the reason for swap, standard E30 rack is 4.1 turns lock to lock which feels slow, E36 improves this to 3.2, and makes it feel sportier (apparently - I haven't been able to try it yet!)
Really really annoyed with the new rack at the moment, think custom power steering hoses are going to be £££, haven't been motivated to touch it today, just frustrated.
Going to have a look tomorrow with Dad and see what he reckons, can't wait to try the E36 rack (don't think I mentioned the reason for swap, standard E30 rack is 4.1 turns lock to lock which feels slow, E36 improves this to 3.2, and makes it feel sportier (apparently - I haven't been able to try it yet!)
Why not just unhook the PAS? Plenty of non powered e30s about, and granted the e36 is a shorter ration so will be slightly harder to turn at low speeds but I'm sure you're a big boy now and can handle it!!!!
A lot of the 205 guys remove (the marginally slower) manual racks from their cars and put in (slightly faster) power racks that they run unassisted, gives better steering feel apparently. I'm running an assisted powered rack ATM so can't comment on the feel myself, but it's a common mod and doesn't seem to concern people at all.
Much easier than fiddling with all those hoses, plus you'll lose the weight and free up some horses that would have been lost in the power steering pump.
Just a thought.
A lot of the 205 guys remove (the marginally slower) manual racks from their cars and put in (slightly faster) power racks that they run unassisted, gives better steering feel apparently. I'm running an assisted powered rack ATM so can't comment on the feel myself, but it's a common mod and doesn't seem to concern people at all.
Much easier than fiddling with all those hoses, plus you'll lose the weight and free up some horses that would have been lost in the power steering pump.
Just a thought.
The only up-side of that is that by the time I sold it, it was a fairly decent motor Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff