willswheels
RMS Regular
Now offered for sale is this wonderful example of the BMW E30 318is.
We'll refrain from a monologue about the motorsport pedigree of this model and staunchly avoid the usage of "Baby M3" references and give you the run-down on what's been done to this particualr car to bring it up to this standard.
Firstly, and most importantly with an E30, the body. This car is rust-free. That is no exaggertion or ridiculous claim based on looking under it with a torch for twenty seconds - this is rust free because we spent three and a half weeks cutting out every single area where there was any sign of corrosion, and then fabricating new pieces, welding sections in and replacing panels where necessary. This car was a not a rust-bucket to begin with, but as with every E30, they do have lots of common problem areas and we addressed every one of them, and this extensive examination of the bodyshell is the only way to be able to truthfully declare an E30 as "rust-free".
After this the rolling shell was sent to paint and most of the car was painted. We say most, as this car has been built as a daily driver, and we had no intentions of a concours finish. Thus the bootlid, bonnet, and roof were not painted, but the paint-match and finish are superb and you will not be able to find where the paint was blended in. There are many pictures of this work to show as part of the restoration file. Also, this is not a car dressed with inches of filler. We don't agree with hiding poor bodywork under kilos of putty and so the painting was only done after priming and flatting back many times to acheive a great result.
After these labour intensive areas were completed, we moved on to the interior. The carpet was replaced with one from a lower mileage car, and many other trims were also replaced with great condition original items which means the interior is a lovely place to be. There is a good under-dash panel (so often wrecked). The seats are the original light grey cloth with check pattern (0380 Uberkaro) in tidy condition. There is a patch on the drivers side outer upright bolster, made from the same material as the seat sides, so it matches in well. Folding mechanisms on the front seats work and it has the rare headrest option in the rear.
There is of course a factory fitted black headliner, which is in great shape. The electrics are fully functional, including the power windows, and power sunroof. There is a late 90's era stereo fitted, as well as a working Clifford immobiliser-alarm, which comes with two fobs and is hard to locate in the car, adding to security.
Mecahnically the car has been overhauled, and it drives superbly. The brakes are excellent, and the standard engine still performs well. The mileage of 202,400 reflects the fact that this car has always been a daily driver, and the comprehensive service history shows how well it has been looked after over the years. It has been serviced and any tired component has been replaced, and now it is as enticing to drive as a sporting model E30 should be. It's extremely positive on the road, with standard parts throughout, and wearing original BBS 14" alloy wheels with brand new tyres.
The rest of the bodywork is how it should be - clean, daily driver level condition (again no pretence of concours ambitions; this car was built to be driven). Trims, badges, lights and plastics are all clean, damage free, secured properly, and original. The underside has been treated to underseal and stone-guard, so there should be no need to worry about that for years to come. The car passed the strict Northern Ireland MOT first time, even before it was totally finished, showing just how thoroughly this car has been renovated.
We could describe this car for hours, but rather than that, any prospective buyer is welcome to contact us and book an appointment to view, or discuss further and answer any queries.
The location is Dungannon, County Tyrone. We would prefer this Country Garage supplied car to remain in the province if possible!
The MOT runs until August 2020. The price is £7,495 ovno. Test-drives are completely at our discretion and must be booked in advance. We will consider a PX, of any similar era BMW, including project cars.
We'll refrain from a monologue about the motorsport pedigree of this model and staunchly avoid the usage of "Baby M3" references and give you the run-down on what's been done to this particualr car to bring it up to this standard.
Firstly, and most importantly with an E30, the body. This car is rust-free. That is no exaggertion or ridiculous claim based on looking under it with a torch for twenty seconds - this is rust free because we spent three and a half weeks cutting out every single area where there was any sign of corrosion, and then fabricating new pieces, welding sections in and replacing panels where necessary. This car was a not a rust-bucket to begin with, but as with every E30, they do have lots of common problem areas and we addressed every one of them, and this extensive examination of the bodyshell is the only way to be able to truthfully declare an E30 as "rust-free".
After this the rolling shell was sent to paint and most of the car was painted. We say most, as this car has been built as a daily driver, and we had no intentions of a concours finish. Thus the bootlid, bonnet, and roof were not painted, but the paint-match and finish are superb and you will not be able to find where the paint was blended in. There are many pictures of this work to show as part of the restoration file. Also, this is not a car dressed with inches of filler. We don't agree with hiding poor bodywork under kilos of putty and so the painting was only done after priming and flatting back many times to acheive a great result.
After these labour intensive areas were completed, we moved on to the interior. The carpet was replaced with one from a lower mileage car, and many other trims were also replaced with great condition original items which means the interior is a lovely place to be. There is a good under-dash panel (so often wrecked). The seats are the original light grey cloth with check pattern (0380 Uberkaro) in tidy condition. There is a patch on the drivers side outer upright bolster, made from the same material as the seat sides, so it matches in well. Folding mechanisms on the front seats work and it has the rare headrest option in the rear.
There is of course a factory fitted black headliner, which is in great shape. The electrics are fully functional, including the power windows, and power sunroof. There is a late 90's era stereo fitted, as well as a working Clifford immobiliser-alarm, which comes with two fobs and is hard to locate in the car, adding to security.
Mecahnically the car has been overhauled, and it drives superbly. The brakes are excellent, and the standard engine still performs well. The mileage of 202,400 reflects the fact that this car has always been a daily driver, and the comprehensive service history shows how well it has been looked after over the years. It has been serviced and any tired component has been replaced, and now it is as enticing to drive as a sporting model E30 should be. It's extremely positive on the road, with standard parts throughout, and wearing original BBS 14" alloy wheels with brand new tyres.
The rest of the bodywork is how it should be - clean, daily driver level condition (again no pretence of concours ambitions; this car was built to be driven). Trims, badges, lights and plastics are all clean, damage free, secured properly, and original. The underside has been treated to underseal and stone-guard, so there should be no need to worry about that for years to come. The car passed the strict Northern Ireland MOT first time, even before it was totally finished, showing just how thoroughly this car has been renovated.
We could describe this car for hours, but rather than that, any prospective buyer is welcome to contact us and book an appointment to view, or discuss further and answer any queries.
The location is Dungannon, County Tyrone. We would prefer this Country Garage supplied car to remain in the province if possible!
The MOT runs until August 2020. The price is £7,495 ovno. Test-drives are completely at our discretion and must be booked in advance. We will consider a PX, of any similar era BMW, including project cars.
Last edited:
