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318Ti

2K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  bpowers 
#1 ·
Well im getting closer to possibly buying what is my first bmw. im looking very seriously into the 318Ti. im a huge autocross fan, but i also need something for daily driving. the car will not be raced, but i have a tendancy to take turns very fast haha. i currently drive a 90 crx Si. i have dropped it very much, around 3.5 in the front and 4 in the back. it handles very well but can be a bit bouncy at times. anyways, how is the 318Ti? i have been looking around for parts and luckily im in houston, and we have a great bmw race and repair shop. i talked to a guy who works there and he has a fyll rebuilt (previously totalled) 318Ti with M3 front suspension, M3 engine, and all M3 interior. The M3 engine swap is something i might consider, but who knows. I will however be dropping it 1.5 -2 inches (i would slam but im tired of it lol ) so i would be interested in good spring kits for it. also how bad is the camber on this type of drop? i get about 4K miles on my front tires before they blow, and this gets old as well. thanks guys
 
#2 ·
Well I have a 98 318ti, and I have to say, I love it! Maintenance costs can be an issue if you cant do it yourself (like me :goodness:) or if you do not have a cheap mechanic. THe car handles AMAZINGLY well on corners. THe pickup time isnt all too bad, the small size really helps. THe engine doesnt sound the greatest when running stock, but stick in an intake (cold or regular) and it makes a deep throaty growling sound. It made a world of difference just by sticking in a K&N intake.

My car has the M package that they put on them, but I really wishthey had putsome preformance stuff. But I have no doubts that if you did that yourself, you would be running one badass car. The best would be when people in faster cars roll up thinkng you are running a reg. 318ti, and then you waste their asses with your M3 swap.

I say go for the deal man, after doing a full checkup by a certified mechanic and making sure everything is running smoothly
 
#3 ·
Ah yes the bastard stepchild of BMW, the good ole ti

I was seriously considering getting one. But the whole 2 doors wasn't looking good for me. Also I couldn't find them for anything less than 7k and there aren't many around here.
 
#4 ·
for auto cross you're getting a great car. The ti has the E30 rear end. WHy is this good? You can direct swap any of the E30 diffs into your ti. So that means you can get 3.91 gearing, or 3.75 (i think it's 3.75) either would be great for auto-x and still let you drive on the highway.
 
#5 ·
yea, the motor is no problem. the m3 engine is really talking to me, but i might be moving to mexico in a year or 2 so after i buy the car, i might be saving for that and not the engine. i will weigh both options of turbo or the m3 motor. i believe i can build a badass turbo motor and make more power for same cost of thr m3 but who knows. i come from the honda world where pushing over 10lbs is not hard or uncommon, or expensive. im good with motors so the mechanic thing is not very bad. im picking this over the porsche 944 because of AC (i dont have it) and parts are probly a little cheaper. im excited but, i will still have a while to go before i buy. im looking to pay 5 - 8K for one, so thats not too much of an issue. well i look forward to hearing more good things about the Ti. Also, do the m coupe deep dish wheels fit this car? i loves those rims. i want some good wheels, and they are hard to find. i might see if i can get a good pair of JDM wheels to fit but who knows. maybe some advans!
 
#6 ·
Cool...another previous Honda owner. :D Let me just say this...back in the day I was also considering getting a ti. After test driving it, I couldn't do it. I don't know what you've got in your rex, but my previous car I built was an EK hatchback. I built several motors for it but the final one I had in it was a b18c1 block, pr3 pistons, b16a2 head, ITR valves, ITR valve springs, ITR retainers, ITR cams, ITR intake manifold, JDM ITR header, and a few other goodies. After driving my car on a daily basis there was no way I would be able to go to a ti.

Oh yeah, and you've got to know your roots....go for the EDM wheels!
 
#7 ·
damn Businessman, I'm from the Acura world, so I know exactly what you are saying...you had to have one powerful little car there...thats someone who knows what they are doing...that my friends, is taking a Japanese car and NOT ricing it out. Thats how you build a reputable car.... :clap2 :clap2 :clap2 :clap2 :clap2
 
#9 ·
I've owned my ti for a year now, and while it isn't a fast/quick car by any stretch of the imagination, it's light, nimble, and a car to really drive. I mentioned before that it reminds me of the 944 I used to own.

Anyway, my thought is that if you're going to do an engine swap, or make other significant changes to the car, if you can live with the ti's power for the time being you'll save some $$ now that you can use to upgrade later and still get a great little car.
 
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