• Location: Oslo, Norway
• Car: 1990 BMW 318 iS, Diamond Black metallic with black interior
• Tag: AA 45456
• Production date: 1989 (probably)
• VIN: WBAAF91000AD15185
• Model: 318iS
• Engine: M42 B18
• Mileage: 258000 kms (12/11/2005), it was 257500 when I bought it
• Data (as standard):
  • 1125 kg
  • 136 hp@6000 rpm
  • 172 Nm@4600 rpm
  • 0-100 km/h@9.9s
  • vMax@202 km/h

After driving FWD cars as A to B -cars and winter transport for the last few years I grew a bit tired of going straight ahead in the corners, and started looking for a RWD car. The budget was set at 'below NOK 40000'. The contenders were few, as there aren't very many RWD cars around that also are reasonably cheap and with decent space for luggage and passengers. So I ended up with BMW E30. A 318 iS, to be exact. Why the 318 iS? Because it has a lovely 4 cylinder, 16V rev-happy engine, low(ish) weight and a chassis oriented towards 'sport'. It's often referred to as 'the poor man's M3'.

So, after looking at 4 cars for sale, I ended up with this one - not a bad one either, even though it's done more than a quarter of a million kilometers and has a bit of rust in the rear fenders. I even got a bunch of parts with it!

Looking forward to some ice track racing this winter...:-)

Previous service/modifications history:

Second (Norwegian) owner did this on 21.06.2002 (at 200439 kms, service performed at Arne Gulbrandsen):

• Inspection II performed
• Annual control performed
• 4-wheel adjustment performed
• Brakes, front, replaced
• Linkage rear, replaced
• Cross bar bushing, replaced
• Top mountings rear dampers, replaced

This was done between 04/2005 and 10/2005 by previous owner:

• Original BMW black leather sports seats
• The small computer
• 17" BBS RX rims (summer), 15" BBS OEM (winter)
• Lowered 60/60
• New lower control arms
• New pads and rotors front and rear
• Servo installed
• Misc. M-accessories
• Bosch ellipsoid headlights
• Fog lights
• Clear indicator lenses
• Smoked side repeater lamps

Current service/modifications history:

• Reset the service indicator lights, pins 7 and 19 (06/11/2005)
  
• Tune-up: Changed oil (to Castrol GTX 5 Lightec 10w40), oil filter (Mahle) and sparkplugs (NGK) (10/11/2005)
• Changed the antenna that someone snapped off (10/11/2005)
• Changed the airfilter to a K&N 57i kit, which was a pain in the butt... The instructions said to remove the 4 studs from the AFM, which probably had been easy had it not been for the Locktite used. So 2 snapped, and drilling and threading was required. And the bracket supplied didn't fit at all! Oh well, it made a nice sound when it was finished, though (10/11/2005)
• Installed a Brodit Pro Clip purpose made mount for my mobile phone (10/11/2005)
• Sealed the antenna mount and the left rear light cluster with silicone to see if would stop the water from entering the boot...we'll see... (12/11/2005)
• Previous owner installed new ellipsoid headlights, and must have done something wrong, because they're impossible to adjust. Fixed with a cable tie...;-) (15/11/2005)
• Changed the lock for the trunk, couldn't turn the key in the old one  (15/11/2005)
• Protected the K&N kit from the engine heat with some insulating mats  (15/11/2005)
• Red warning light in the dash erroneously indicates worn brake pads, shorting the sensors didn't work so the bulb had to go (21/11/2005)
• Adjusted right wiper (a bit high when resting) (21/11/2005)
• Some silicone around the left rear lights and the lower part of the antenna seems to (finally) have cured the water in the trunk -problem! (27/11/2005)
• Changed the timing chain tensioner, hopefully fixes the rattling I sometimes hear (22/01/2006)
• Changed the handbrake shoes (08/06/2006)

Modifications pending:

• Nothing (at the moment!)

Pictures of the car here.