1991 BMW 318i

Sedan

1.8L 1796CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Manual

WBAAJ9317MEJ03383

Clear

GAS

1991 BMW 318I Parts/Project car 5-Speed, ABS, Please read the description and look at all the pictures, including the ones on Photobucket, before bidding. Thank you! Up for your consideration is my beloved 1991 318I. Unfortunately, the car is no longer driveable, and is being sold for parts or as a project. It has been sitting for six years. During that time, it was started regularly until about three years ago. The options it originally came with were 5-speed transmission, ABS brakes, airbag, sunroof, power lock, alarm, and car phone system. It has a 4 cylinder M40 engine. I still have the original order forms and a giant stack of paperwork detailing all the repairs it got over the years. This was an amazing car. It was the last year of E30 production, and had some refinements and options not seen in earlier years. See more pictures, taken from different angles and lighting conditions, in the gallery at http://s1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag37/ascars/318/. Body: It has the usual rust that you find in a car that has spent its life in New England. There are bad spots on the sunroof, on the forward sides of the rear wheel wells, and under the rear bumper. As can be seen in the pictures, the car has had some accident damage to the front driver’s fender, front bumper (was partly ripped off), the driver’s side door, the left rear taillight area. Interior/electrical: everything is present, but there has been some mouse damage. It is heaviest on the carpeting, which is very stained from them in some areas. I don’t know if this would come out with a good shampooing or not. The power windows work, all except the passenger front, which seems stuck: you can hear the motor trying to move, and the glass moves a little, but won’t go down. Dash and exterior lights work, dealer-installed car phone system turns on and looks like it would work if it still had service. The keyless entry and alarm system seems to be partially functional. Makes the usual beeps and chirps, and some (not all) of the electric door locks work. A while back, the driver’s side door would not unlock electronically, so I took out the actuator- that’s why the door panel is removed. - The stereo works. It is the original factory system, and the speakers sound good. The power antenna does not go up, and the radio volume knob behaves a bit erratically. -The heater blower blows its fuse when turned on. Brakes: there’s a broken line somewhere- pedal goes to the floor. -the hood release mechanism is broken- I think the cable is snapped or rusted somewhere -the shocks seem good to me, using the bump test. I had them replaced in 2001 with either Boge or Bilstein, I can’t remember which, but they were high-quality ones. The car wasn’t driven all that many miles since then, compared to how many it drove in its first decade. AC: Does not work. Power steering: one of the hoses broke when I started it up the first time after it sat, and I immediately removed the belt so the pump wouldn’t be running dry. I never had a problem with the system before, and suspect that the rack itself is usable, maybe the pump too. Transmission: because car has no brakes, I couldn’t test completely. However, I did put the car into gear and was able to go forward and reverse slowly for a few feet. We never had any issues with this transmission; it was always one of the best parts of the car. Engine: It starts and runs, but does so quite roughly. I think that part of this has to do with the fact that many of the rubber vacuum hoses are pretty cracked and loose. I tried to tape them up , which helped a bit, but there definitely are some significant vacuum leaks. Of course, the roughness could be from various other issues, as well. When idling, the engine seems to slow way down and nearly stall every 4 of 5 seconds, before speeding up again. Muffler is shot. There is no battery included in this sale, but I have one that can be used to start the car if you come to see it. I really hope that a BMW enthusiast will be able to get some use out of the car. Please contact me with questions, or to arrange to come look at the car. I would prefer cash on pickup, but would be willing to accept paypal also. Car will need to be towed away or flatbedded, and will have to be removed within two weeks of auction’s end.