EDIT: Not sure what the etiquette is here (Delete post?) but the car has been sold.
Selling my '91 318is. Located near Chicago. It's a bit of a "long story" car, so pull up a chair. It's very solid with (dull as hell) factory paint and factory VIN stickers on the hood, doors, fenders and trunk lid. I bought this car in 2002 as a project car from Zionsville Autosport. It was an electrical fire damaged car brought up from the South. The wiring harness had shorted out in the dash, melted the dashboard, the windshield, etc. I spliced a wiring harness from a parts car together with what was in the car, replaced the dashboard, the gauge cluster, windshield, etc cleaned the interior and got the car going. I used it as a DD strictly in good weather. Over the years, I found myself using it less and less and our comfy daily driver Subarus & Hondas more and more. It's basically been sitting for a decade at this point. Runs and drives, but brakes rusty and marginal, struts etc pretty shot, tires are a dry rotted mess, needs a cooling system overhaul due to age. It would probably also smart to replace the airbag as it went though the fire. No carpets, headliner has damage from the fire, It's got a sketchy as hell carfax history due to the fire (junk title issued in texas) but I have a clean Illinois title for it. Lots of photos: PHOTOS It's hard to find a car this rust free in the midwest. I have highlighted a couple of small areas of highly localized rust in the photos (couple of spots on passenger side floorboard where I think something corrosive dripped from the fire and one quarter sized spot under the battery box area.) I'd like around $3500 for the car. I believe it has about 170k miles on it. 100% stock except for a larger, uprated rear sway bar, which was an OEM part off another BMW E30. (318iC?) Rear diff is open, not LSD. 
Bump. Be sure to check out the photo link buried in the wall of text above. Would also appreciate feedback on my price even if you're not interested in the car. It doesn't seem too crazy to me for a sort of driveable but needs work non-rustbucket 318iS in the Midwest, but maybe I'm wrong? I'll make a $100 donation to GRM if it sells through the forum. I don't want to deal with Craigslist folks and this car doesn't seem like BAT material. :-)
That's a really cool car. I didn't see this ad first time around - but I love these mini m3s.
I'm probably not your buyer, but I think it's a cool car!
In terms of demographic, you're in a bit of a weird spot.
It would be a great basis for a nice driver, but the lack of interior carpets is a bummer. Sourcing new carpets will be a pain for the buyer. And there's the unknown of the wiring harness - if an issue comes up later on, tracking it down could be interesting.
It is also probably not the right car to start a track car build. Almost too nice for that. The car to me feels in-between.
Which buyer are you looking for? I know it's kinda like "once they buy it it's theirs to do as they wish" but maybe you could find small easy ways to grease the wheels toward one type of buyer or the other?
Thanks for the feedback, Robbie. I hear you on the "in between" aspect of the car...it would be a fair amount of effort/expense to get it to really nice driver status (the dull paint, for one) and the salvage title history means it will never be a top tier collector type car. It is also a little too nice to be a disposable track rat. I don't really have a targeted buyer, I thought that maybe GRM folk would maybe be less put off by the title history and needed work than some other buyers. The paint does buff out OK, but seems to fade pretty quickly. I could do tires, brakes, struts and make it little bit more of a turnkey car, but I'm thinking that people who want a car like this might like to make their own choices on brand of struts, wheel and tire packages, brake upgrades, etc..
ACC makes an aftermarket carpet that's available from multiple sources, so that shouldn't be difficult to resolve for the new owner. Actual selling prices vary so shop around.
Boris3
New Reader
12/5/20 9:29 a.m.
Nice to see this. Some potential here, I'd try posting on R3V and Bimmerforums, and the Spec e30 public FB page to see what shakes out. My guess on color is Brillantrot since it tends to fade to that shade of pinkish in the pics....or at least mine has. The absence of rusted rockers is a plus. I'd get the car up on a lift and take some underside pics. No carpet may actually be a good thing since you can see the floor pans (drivers side pic would help). The passenger side rust on the trans tunnel looks like it's through and through if you'd poke at it, here again the underside pics would help. Get some inside pictures of both side trunk wells and the spare tire well, and pull the battery to get the best picture on the passenger side. These are notorious rust spots.
Although e30 prices have been getting crazy of late, the fire history, salvage title, and the 318is (with sunroof rather than slicktop) make a purchase for a restoration less likely than a purchase for a potentially functional daily beater or a track rat / race car build. Don't rule out someone buying for the latter if the underside and other pics show rust free. Part way there already with gutting the car and the m42 if in good shape can be a blast to wring out. There are bits that the buyer could part out to fund a m20 based or e36 engine swapped build. For example, the sport seats can bring money, as can the basket weaves with center caps, the m42 and rest of drivetrain a few hundred or more if the small case 4.10 is an LSD and all can be used by someone in an e28 swap.
As it sits, $3500 is likely high but make it "or best offer" and see what you get. Or do a track build yourself!!
Im kinda interested, PM sent with my email.
Im in texas would this car make the drive back in winter?
echoechoecho said:
Im kinda interested, PM sent with my email.
Im in texas would this car make the drive back in winter?
You're in texas now?
Also if you're in the chicago area picking this up and need a place to stay or need to put a wrench on something let me know!
In reply to echoechoecho :
I don't want to squash the fun of a fly and drive but just as counter point, Chicgao to TX (city unknown) is probably 1000 miles-ish. Since this is a fully running car (at least enough to get on a trailer) it will probably cost 50 -60 cents per mile to have shipped on an open trailer. So, $500-$600-ish brings it right to your Texas front door.
1000 miles is about 18 hours of driving or a full day. Add in fly and buy times and there is no way to do this w/o an overnight stay.
$100 flight, $100 hotel, $100 fuel and the saving to take two days and go get it yourself is $200-ish
echoecho- I can't see how PMs work in this forum. (Pointers, anyone? I'm just not seeing it) This car had a junk title issued in Texas for the dash fire, so I'm not 100% sure you'd be able to title it there. The junk title was issued in 12/2001, so maybe the records aren't still around, but that's a big risk. The VIN could be flagged. With the current condition of the tires and brakes, I'm reluctant to do much more than drive it around the block, I would strongly advise against any sort of highway driving. It really should be trailered.
I added photos of the trunk wells (pulled the battery tray), the spare tire well and the driver's side floorboard. Under car photos aren't going to happen during Corona, but if I'm still trying to sell it once this is all over, I'll take it to a shop and take some photos.
In reply to flat4_5spd :
PMs here just sends an email to the address you signed up with. Check your spam folder too.
The system has trouble with Yahoo addresses for both sending and receiving. If you have a yahoo address your best off just writing your email address in the posting.
Where are the interior pics?
In reply to Justjim75 :
Did you follow the photos link in the 1st post? When you scroll to the bottom, there's a button to "Load 20 more photos" which should show the rest. There are photos of the seats, dash, center console.
In reply to flat4_5spd :
I didn't see that, thanks
My work won't has blocked the pictures for some reason so I can't see any interior shots but I don't think 3500 is far off in the current market. If you spent a weekend to buff the car and toss some carpet in it I'd be surprised if you didn't get 4-4500. E30s have shot up in value lately. Brilliantrot has an amazing ability to come back from hazing like that with a little elbow grease.
E30 prices are a bit nutso these days, so I agree $3,500 in Chicago isn't unreasonable (as long as the buyer doesn't do too much math on the cost of refreshing everything made of rubber). Definitely buff out the paint and make it look new. I'd also polish the black plastic trim and rattle-can the grill as well.
Sport seats are a nice bonus and appear to be in good shape. Non-airbag steering wheels (sport wheels) are <$100 on ebay and are easy to swap, you usually need an extra spacer./washer. You didn't mention if it has an LSD or not...this was an option on coupes, and would add some value as well.
The fact it hasn't been resprayed or patched up yet is desirable to some buyers.
FYI: there are floorpans available in the US now. When I fixed my floors (PO had attempted to patch it) floorpans weren't available in the US (only shipped from Europe).
GLWS, these cars are a lot of fun.
Price drop to $3000, the registration expires in Feb and I'd like it gone before I have to spend to renew it. email contact info added to the first post, PMs on this forum don't work for me.
In reply to flat4_5spd :
Want is STRONG!!! Shaking the couch cushions.
