Some seven years ago, we found, restored and modified a 1991 BMW 318is. Soon after finishing the work, we drove the car all over the Eastern Seaboard. The car has run at Daytona (SCCA Track Night in America), VIR (NASA HyperFest) and the Tail of the Dragon.
As we’ve moved on to other pr…
I had a '91 318is that my dad bought new and gifted to me in 1997. I started my track "career" in that car and loved it. The final version had a Turner J-Stock suspension and 15x7" Team Dynamics wheels running Azenis tires, recaro SRDs from a buddy's Lancer GSR Evolution II, an Alpina steering wheel, and the Massive Brakes Wilwood conversion.
As a track car, I ran into a lot of issues with the car. The timing case profile gasket let go twice, which cooked two engines. The trans wore out and would kick you out of 3rd gear when pushing hard. The small case LSD would overheat and lose its ability to lock. Wheel bearings broke several times.
My friends with regular M20 powered 325is models didn't seem to have these issues on track (just broken rocker arms). I eventually swapped in a complete M20 drivetrain from a friend's low-mileage cabrio that got rear-ended. I found the car much more reliable on track after that ... although I did break a rocker arm at Tremblant one weekend. Never had trouble with the trans or diff after the M20 swap.
Even though they're 35 years old or more, E30s in general are still pretty good all around cars.
In reply to stuart in mn :
They really are. Sadly, you don’t see them too often around these parts.
I have spent some time in the 318is over the years and am always impressed with it.
David S. Wallens said:In reply to stuart in mn :
They really are. Sadly, you don’t see them too often around these parts.
I daily drive my 325iX in the winters, it's gotten to the point where virtually every day I get a thumbs up or wave from other drivers. I've even been scolded a few times for driving it in the snow, but I've told them that was what it was built for. 
It is showing a little bit of rust here and there but overall it's still in fine shape, and I intend on driving it until they haul me off to the old folk's home.
In reply to stuart in mn :
This is pretty much what they were designed to do, right?
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Can confirm based on this BMW press photo.
I've had a bunch of them, clearly.
But I can't justify paying what people want now. They were good cars when they were cheap, and now they have lost that allure of being thrashable, disposable and replaceable
stuart in mn said:David S. Wallens said:In reply to stuart in mn :
They really are. Sadly, you don’t see them too often around these parts.
I daily drive my 325iX in the winters, it's gotten to the point where virtually every day I get a thumbs up or wave from other drivers.
I have exactly the same experience as Stuart. Every time I drive it I get thumbs up, from people of all ages.
I think the E30 occupies that sweet spot between a classic experience yet new enough to be civil. Plus they look cool.
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