Christmas and the vacations are all about spending time with family and friends. When you’re in your 30s, spending high quality time with the previous appears a lot tougher than the latter — except your good friend is a trusty automotive and each day driver that’s additionally getting up there in age, like my sluggish however fun-loving BMW 318ti.
Many of you readers are accustomed to the 25-year outdated purple hatchback, however the little man reached a (literal) milestone lately, and I simply needed to get it a present or two to have fun. My 1997 BMW 318ti made it to 200,000 miles, and it’s nonetheless on the unique engine and transmission — a 1.9-liter inline 4 cylinder that made a whopping 138 horsepower when new and a five-speed guide transmission.
Hell, the automotive is on the unique manufacturing unit clutch, which has lived via educating two of my finest mates the way to drive stick. I in all probability shouldn’t be so keen and keen to show mates the way to use a guide transmission in my each day driver, however the 318ti is nearly unimaginable to stall.
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Beside being a pleasant instructor, the 318ti has been my each day for a decade. In all that point, it’s put up with me as a lot I’ve put up with it. Among different shortcomings, these BMW M44-powered automobiles have notoriously fragile cooling methods because of brittle plastics, and like all E36s, the window regulator arms bend and let the glass fall out of its tracks when you take a look at them humorous.
But I wish to suppose that, total, we’ve each come out the opposite aspect of that decade collectively in higher form than we went in. So, as a substitute of a pair of wool socks (an underrated Christmas current) my 318ti acquired an M-Technic bumper and M-Technic mirrors this 12 months.
These initially got here with the BMW M3 of that period (the E36) and the bumper got here with the 318ti Sport. The uncommon 318ti Club Sport had each the mirrors and bumper, together with a restricted slip differential. Mine is a 318ti Sport, but it surely was mysteriously lacking the bumper once I purchased it. Luckily, the tougher to seek out rear M-Technic bumper was there.
The 318ti was kind of a components bin automotive that BMW rapidly coaxed collectively utilizing E36 and E30 elements in an effort to draw younger consumers on the lookout for a less expensive approach to get right into a BMW than the usual 3-series or dearer 5-series. But the reality is I’m not that younger anymore, and neither is the automotive.
Even so, the 318ti is sporting its age nicely because of what I’ve added to maintain it roadworthy after which some. Things like that M3 bumper and mirror set, but in addition a Strömung exhaust, Blaupunkt SQR 46 head unit, Condor shifter, plus shift and e-brake boots, and, after all, gallons upon gallons of Liqui Moly engine oil and Red Line transmission fluid. Oh, and a pair of comfortable seatbelt pads, too.
Other upkeep has been largely changing the blown struts with Konis throughout, changing the worn rubber within the suspension, in addition to the motor and transmission mounts. Funny story: I purchased polyurethane 75D mounts when it got here time to interchange the originals, however I ended up giving them to my mechanic (who drives an E46) as a result of the poly mounts weren’t one of the best match for a each day.
I additionally had the entrance seats reupholstered in Mexico however requested the maestros to re-use the Black Anthracite fabric to maintain it inventory. I’m in all probability forgetting a variety of different components and upkeep, but it surely’s been so lengthy. So a few years, so many vehicle components retailer receipts. My 318ti is much from excellent, however there’s no must rush.
Neither me nor the ‘ti would have made it without Jalopnik, nor without the help of forums and YouTube, uncles, cousins, honest mechanics and, now, the folks at my local body shop. Thank you, all. Here’s to a different 10 years and 200,000 miles on the highway.
Source: jalopnik.com