1991 BMW 318i sedan M42 DOHC 5-speed

1991 BMW 3-Series

Great old car, I know I'll regret selling it...but I just don't drive it enough.There aren't a lot of cleanfaceliftE30 sedans running around these days, with the very attractive world market front fascia andplastic bumpers.The delightfulM42 was only installed in E30 sedans for a single year, sold as a bargain special by BMW in 1991. Only available with a manual transmission, this is the sedan counterpart to the E30 318iS coupe. Just like that car, this is a modern classic. Easy on the eyes, robust, economical and perfectlysuited to daily driving.
My example has had no major accidents although there a few little bumps & scrapes have accumulated over the decades. Rear passenger quarter was repainted prior to my ownership, job was done very nicely and blends in well. There's a bit of resulting clearcoat peeling on the c-pillar. Otherwise the car still has its original single-stage BMW Brilliant Red lacquer. It polished out very nicely this summer.
I know the mileage isrelatively high, but that just shows how tough this little car is. The car has never sat still for long and ithas run flawlessly for me over the last decade. I've added a few little upgrades to improve an already-great little car. I've been pretty retentive...I have loads of records from the PO dating back to the 90s along with a complete maintenance spreadsheet including all repairs and (almost) every fill-up the car has ever had. I've always used synthetic oil & lubes in the car, and the results speak for themselves. I have several Blackstone Labs used oil reports to confirm the motor's condition.
Here's the list of updates:
Engine is still the original M42 1.8 liter. It's a gem of a motor in the lightweight E30 chassis...loves to rev, tucked way back in the engine bay for excellent weight distribution. I've added a coil-on-plug kit, NGK dual-electrode plugs, replaced all the vac lines with silicone rubber, and rebuilt the entire cooling system over the years. New thermostat, coolant manifold, radiator expansion tank, many new o-rings & seals, fan clutch, and heater core.
Recent battery, I believe it's even still under warranty.Add yourself an M20 single-mass flywheel and it'll be even better.
Suspension:
Full set of five 14x6.5" BMW "bottlecaps". Originally the car had 14" steel wheels with plastic hubcaps. Three tires are like-new, one is a little old, the spare is heavily worn due to the M3 offset front bushings.
Medium case 3.73 open differential, significantly improved fuel mileage & highway driving. Original was a 4.11 open, I replaced it when I got the car...PO had run it dry.
Stainless steel brake hoses installed too. I still have to drop the fuel tank to get the last two installed. Very recent Ate 'blue' DOT4 fluid too.
Recent Lemforder front control arms & outer tie rods. New sway bar links too.
Offset E30 M3 front bushings to improve handling & turn-in. They're a little hard on tires though, so I'm also including a new set of OEM Lemfoerder centered front C.A. bushings.
Interior:
Dashboard is nearly perfect, one near-invisible crack on the right side. Glove box latch is still good too. OEM flashlight is installed but appears to have a dead battery.
Aftermarket Blaupunkt CD/USB/MP3/BT head unit. Red control back-lighting matches the interior pretty nicely. Great sound.
OEM BMW front sport seats in natur (tan) leather from an '86 325iS coupe. No tears in the leather but the driver's side might need a stitch or two in the left bolster.
OEM BMW rear headrests, center armrest & ski bag/trunk pass-though from an '84 325e sedan. Rear seats are a slightly different shade of tan (Pearl?) than the front pair.
Rear BMW Premium Sound speakers. I have the front mid-ranges as well, but not the tweeters or their special corner housings.
I added a three-spoke BMW sport steering wheel, but the leather has cracked. Please note my crappy vinyl tape repair at the top. I can include an stock 4-spoke vinyl wheel, but the original airbag wheel is long gone. You won't miss it, the airbag was really big. It put the wheel too close to the driver.
Genuine leather shifter knob & E36 leather handbrake grip. What else can I say? I like leather!
I also mounted an E36 center console for the cupholders. It's definitely not perfect but neither is the original E30 center console. Both will be included with the car regardless.
Mechanical:
I've upgraded the headlights to BMW's US-spec Hella ellipsoid capsule units. IIRC I'm running Sylvania SilverStar Ultra halogens. I prefer the NA/halogen light pattern over LEDs or HIDs and the Euro smilies are overpriced IMHO.
Functional cruise control added. It was never available from the factory as an option for this car.
Power sunroof upgrade, could use a little adjustment.
Extras:I have a pair of new front control arm "lollipops"and bushings (solid centered OEM rubber), a pair of good used cam gears, spare coil packs, oil filters, lots of little misc. stuff.
Rust is just starting into the jacking points in the rocker panels (driver's front & passenger rear)but it hasn't gotten too deep in my opinion. There is no damage to the frame rails, this is only cosmetic. If the car doesn't sell I'm comfortablewith fixing it. There is very slight rust in the battery box and some rear passenger quarter bodywork from before my ownership. Otherwise it's a pretty darn clean little car, very solid and ready to go. Car was originally from Florida, came to me via Tennessee. I've tried very hard to keep this car in near-stock condition, but even I have to admit this little sedan would also be an ideal candidate for a motor swap...the E30 is such an entertaining car to drive. It'll be a winner with virtually any motor.
Car is sold as-is, where-is but I'm willing to assist with loading or delivery.Thanks for checking out my ad, have a great day!
The only significant problem with the car as it sits is the rear brake lines. They are pretty crusty and need to be replaced. I've replaced the line and outer hose on the driver's side suspension with new CuNiFe line, but Idisturbedthe rear brake splitter enough to cause a leak. Until I get thatfixed this car will need to be transported. The winning bidder is welcome to jury-rig a new hose for transporting the car. On occasion I have disconnected & plugged the rear output as an emergency repair but I am not willing to perform that action due to safety concerns.
I can take thecar to my mechanic for new lines, please PM me if you'd like to discuss repair options. Please keep in mind this is thePITA line up above therear subframe. If the weather warms up a bit I'll finishthat up and update this listing before it ends. PM any questions you might have.
I've uploaded tons of pics along with amaintenancespreadsheet here:https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_syjsuHyiY45dLVPnq46wZJ3GMbOCTzvI really don't want to sell the car...but it's time to move on.Thanks for reading my ad. Please feel free to ask any questions & have a great day!

• Make: BMW
• Model: 3-Series
• Type: Sedan
• Year: 1991
• Mileage: 293000
• VIN: WBAAJ9312MEJ02299
• Color: Red
• Engine size: M42B18
• Number of cylinders: 4
• Power options: Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Windows
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: Manual
• Drive type: RWD
• Interior color: Tan
• Safety options: Anti-Lock Brakes
• Options: CD Player, Leather Seats, Sunroof
• Vehicle Title: Clear
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