/ /

1991 BMW 318is, E30, Custom Air Ride, 3 Piece HRE Wheels

  • Price: Ask a price!
  • Location: La Vista, Nebraska, United States
  • Condition: Used
  • Make: BMW
  • Model: 3-Series
  • SubModel: 318is
  • Type: Coupe
  • Trim: Base Coupe 2-Door
  • Year: 1991
  • Mileage: 164,000
  • VIN: WBAAF931XMEE65552
  • Color: White
  • Engine size: 1.8L 1796CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated
  • Number of cylinders: 4
  • Power options: Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Windows
  • Fuel: Gasoline
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Drive type: RWD
  • Interior color: Black
  • Safety options: Anti-Lock Brakes, Driver Airbag, Passenger Airbag
  • Options: CD Player, Leather Seats, Sunroof
  • Vehicle Title: Clear

1991 BMW 3-Series 318is Description

This is my 1991 BMW 318is E30. It is alpine white with black factory leather interior with sunroof. Front seats currently are black Sparco Torino 2 seats. Very very clean! Original paint. NEVER been driven here in the Midwest in any rain or snow. It's a 5 speed, knob with a Z4 shifter, reat addition, uper short throw and solid feel! It is the stock M42 engine that has close to 30,000 on a rebuild, t runs like a top! Has a Mark D chip, nd Flowmaster exhaust, one by previous owner. I would feel very confident driving this thing anywhere. The car shows 164,000 miles and was rebuilt at 134,000. I bought the car in 2011 from an E30 enthusiasts in Dallas Fort Worth. I probably haven't put 500 miles on it since then. I'll tell you why. I brought it home and was planning on making a little road course/auto cross car out of it. In the process of figuring out what suspension options to use I came across the HRE wheels this car now runs with! They were built for a 1979 Porsche 911 a friend of mine had on his car. They are 16x7 up front and 16x9.5 out back. He decided to go back to the stock Fuchs and put them up for sale. Even though I didn't have a Porsche for them to go on, had to have them. After spending a small fortune on them, robably could have bought another E30 for what they cost. I was looking at them and the style was perfect for the E30 lines and era.So began the journey. I bough a pair of Adaptec adapters to test fit them. Needless to say, ay too much poke! I looked into hub swaps and five lug E36 set ups but nothing seemed to make a lot of sense. So here's what I did. I pulled the rear hubs off and bought E30 M3 rear hubs with 5x120 bolt pattern. I had them machined down to the exact same length as the stock E30 4x100 hubs. Then clocked, rilled and studded them out to the Porsche bolt pattern (5x130, ee picture). The rear brake disc was drilled as well. So you still retain the stock brake setup. They of course we're replaced with new parts, ncluding new axels, ut still stock sizes. The rear suspension is simple, ir bags replace the stock springs. Very straight forward and simple. NOT hacked up and could always be put back to stock if you ever wanted.Now for the front. In order to do the air ride setup in the front in did have to cut the stock strut housings. You can see in the pictures the I left a 2" portion of the stock strut tube for the new air bag equipment. The double bellow strut style setup acts like a progressive rate spring, bit stiffer. That being said the ride is very comfortable. It feels like an expensive coil-over setup, ot harsh. As far as the five lug setup in the front, still couldn't figure out how to do a 5x130 setup without buying E30 M3 strut housing and if you've ever looked they are hard to come by and if you do find some they cost a small fortune, o I used the two Adaptec adapters. I know it doesn't seem right but while doing the air ride system I had to raise and lower the car more times then I can remember, o I put the adapters on to see what I was going to need to make the front setup work and well I liked the way it looked...as it sits now. In my opinion pretty good. I think the tuck it has now is perfect. As long as the wheel is straight the car drops on the tires, ot one wheel rubs body. The rear wheel lips are rolled but not pulled. Everything clears very nicely. With stock 4 lug strut housings everything could be put back to stock if you ever wanted.The air ride system is a "V2" system (everything was bought from "bag riders"). There is an 8 setting programmable control unit that I custom mounted in the center console in front of the shifter. I sectioned the ashtray to mount the controller and the ashtray lid now opens to reveal an iPhone plug in that will allow the iPhone to charge and play music through the head unit along with Bluetooth hands free. The tank, ontrol computer and compressor are mounted to a tray that I built (kind of like a strut tower brace) that mounts to the shock towers and was powder coated a maroon hammer coat (see pictures of trunk). Air ride system is all one line setup no return lines like the old days. All lines grommeted from the truck, un along the body rails and tied up properly. Not making contact with any moving parts. Very simple and very clean.As I mentioned the wheels are HRE 3 piece wheels and are almost perfect. As I said earlier they are 16x7 up front and 16x9.5 in the back, ice dish! Once I got my hands on them I had them completely cleaned and re-polished. They have been on the car for a couple hundred miles, o I've cleaned them with a microfiber and eagle ones mist and shine. Tires are also brand new BFG KDW2's. 225/45/16 on the back and 205/45/16's on the front.The body had some minor nicks, s would a 25 year old car with original paint. Any of the door dings have all been fixed via paintless dent repair. There is a blemish under the drivers door on the rocker (pictured). The textured black paint in the area looks to me to have been repaired at one time, efore I owned it. Maybe rolled over a parking block and then fixed? This car is very clean! The previous owner also lined most of the car's inside, ncluding the trunk with Dynomat. I had to trim some off of the doors when I first got it, s it was coming out from behind the door panels in plain site.Outer headlights are hella lens' with HID bulbs. High beams are stock. The front grills are the euro grills. They cover the top of the headlights, ubtle but look good. Same with the front spoiler, t's factory and wrapped in 3M carbon fiber material. It was pitted up pretty bad when I brought the car home. I had just started using the 3M material and though I'd give it a try (my company offers this service). I think it looks pretty good. The splitter under said spoiler, also made from aluminum and polished to look how you see it. There's also a euro tag panel out back.Most of the parts pictures that you see are during the build. I don't have any current pictures from the underside. If I get time and nice enough weather, will try and take to my friends shop and use one of his lifts to get some better pictures of the underside. This is my whole problem with this car, don't have time to drive it.I have a wife, wo young boys and a couple of other projects going on as we speak. I don't drive this car and hate to have it just sit in my garage under a cover, hen I could use the money for my other projects. My youngest son is not happy with this decision but it has to go. It's called the BMW that goes up and down!It is fun to drive, ut the only thing this car is missing beside you behind the wheel is a bigger power plant (BMW V8, 10 etc.). I promise this car won't disappoint.I have the stock front leather sport seats, hey are sitting in my basement. They will go with the car. I'm willing to work out a deal without the Sparcos if interested?Sorry for the book, ust trying to be thorough.Please feel free to ask me any questions about the car. I am wanting to be as upfront and honest about this car, s I don't like being scammed either. So ask me anything. I understand it's not easy buying something you can't see, eel or touch in person. If you want to come see it or have someone check it over I am completely okay with that too!One note:I am sorry if I have offended any purists with this build, hat was not my intent. I want everyone to rest easy and know that this car can be completely returned back to stock form if you ever wanted. I envisioned this car this way and made it happen.Please look over the pictures and ask any questions. Feel free to email me for additional pictures.
Please line up your shipping. I will assist with shipping company but not paying for shipping.
Thank you for looking!
More BMW classic cars for sale
1991 BMW 318IS CUSTOM
Year: 1991
Mileage: 113,557
1991 BMW 318is Custom Coupe E30
Year: 1991
Mileage: 128,837
1991 BMW 318iS
Year: 1991
Mileage: 143,000
1991 BMW e30 318is
Year: 1991
Mileage: 201,674
1991 BMW 318is - LS1 -
Year: 1991
Mileage: 77000
BMW 1991 318is E30
Year: 1991
Mileage: 155,460