BMW followers maintain the ’80s E30 in extraordinarily excessive regard. Right this moment’s Good Worth or No Cube 318i has been upgraded with a supercharged S52 straight six, changing its puny 4. Let’s see if that warrants a supercharged price ticket.
I needed to sit out the voting on yesterday’s Ford-powered 1975 Jensen Healey as a result of I’ve a ’74 Jensen undertaking automobile sitting in my storage, an element that may sway my opinion on such issues. Happily, few of you had such qualms, so we had been in a position to get on with the voting. The end result? The Healey’s $7,900 asking worth couldn’t sway sufficient of you to be enraptured by the automobile’s charms, inflicting it to fall in a 67 % No Cube loss.
Since yesterday’s candidate was a automobile that had seen its four-cylinder engine pulled in choice for a six, let’s roll these equivalent cube with this 1991 BMW 318i. It has had its 1.8-liter 4 banished to the cornfield in choice for a 3152cc S52 straight six. That honored mill has additionally been given an RMS supercharger by Vortech, which means its factory-rated 240 horses have a herd of further pals to play with.
Per the photographs within the advert, the S52 set up, whereas showing tighter than a vacation haggis, appears professionally executed. The automobile has 189,000 miles on it, however the vendor claims the engine has solely executed 80K pre-move. The automobile’s customary five-speed Getrag backs up the S52. Loads of further work has gone into the automobile, together with refreshing numerous bearings and bushings, gaskets, and seals. No phrase is given on whether or not the automobile nonetheless rocks its unique 318is LSD differential, but when it does, the S52 may be a bit greater than it will probably deal with over the long run.
One different pretty noticeable bit of labor executed on the automobile is the paint. In keeping with the vendor, the latest respray is the manufacturing facility hue. Additionally, the vendor assures us that the bits of trim seemingly AWOL within the photos are current however want putting in. The ESM wheels proven in a number of photos are NOT included within the sale; the customer should make do with the manufacturing facility BBSs.
Extra make-do will be discovered within the cabin. The automobile has cloth-trimmed upholstery, and whereas most of it appears to be in first rate form, the middle squab on the motive force’s perch appears prefer it has gone ten rounds with Gaseous Clay. The vendor says the material obligatory to repair the seat can be included within the sale.
Different points within the cabin embrace some cracks within the sprint, an out-of-place silver-faced Kenwood stereo, and a carbon fiber steering wheel that’s a bit garish. It additionally must be famous that whereas the local weather controls nonetheless have an A/C button, the automobile now not has the products to make pushing that worthwhile.
Different updates and issues to contemplate: the automobile has an up to date Z3 steering rack, a “Monitor” exhaust, and a few further kibbles and bits that may come alongside for the journey within the sale. The title is famous to be clear, however I’m every kind of curious how, with all of the mods, this Bimmer can get by the smog police. It’s provided in California and wears California plates, however the tag proven on the plate is three years outdated. Until the customer is out-of-state, the automobile’s smog standing will must be made clear to any potential new proprietor.
One other factor to contemplate is the automobile’s $27,000 asking worth. That’s an entire lotta’ schnitzel, and we now have to weigh that substantial asking towards the automobile’s execs and cons.
What’s your tackle this supercharged and S52-ized E30 at that asking? Does $27,000 really feel truthful, given the quantity of labor that’s gone into the automobile and the E30 market on the whole? Or does that make this Bimmer a bummer?
You resolve!
San Francisco Bay Space, California, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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