Shopping for a 318, or another sentra .... talk me into the former.

[paul p (chi-town)]

As you can see from the minimal fleet, i need an economical commuter. But a Geo Metro may not cut it fun factor wise.
In addition to the usual nippon suspects, M4X powered bimmers are very much in the running.

So, what would be the better 318 option. I will eventually get suspension and tires to my liking so what comes on the car is less a concern (i can live w/o MTech, sport, iS etc. for now)
Just the relative merits of e30 vs e36/5 vs e36, besides the obvious .... weight.


Hang up & Drive!
94 BMW 530iT&A 'Helga' ( Shaky, shaky *sigh* ) 160K
92 BMW 325i ‘Rolf’ ( Shooting for 200K *woot* ) 190K
85 Toyo MR2 ‘Jerry’ ( Stored *sad* ) 140K

“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
- Hunter S. Thompson

[Tiger]

Looking at fueleconomy.gov... the E36 318i manual has an interesting people report... 33 to 36 MPG despite the 19/29 MPG EPA rating. The automatic has 10 MPG less fuel economy. The E30 is also just as bad or worse, even with manual... so for the fuel economy stand point of view... definitely the E36 318i.

[paul p (chi-town)]

Heh Tiger...
Did you sneak a look at my spreadsheet?
The later 318ti is the only car that can play with the bi..... uh, little dogs. Matches EPA numbers for my beloved SERs. One reason why plan C or D would be maybe an early miata or another MR2 (less pristine than Jerry of course, road salt ya know). Here is where a base, 1.6L dohc sentra shines; a little more useful, 2500lbs soaking wet with me aboard, a fun little slot car and adjusted EPA 24/34/28. All the 91-94s had the independent rear susp, come in 'invisible' 4 door form and nice ones can be found for <$1K.
I do wonder how the larger 1.9 M42/3s get better mileage that the early 1.8 M40/2. Is the diff between the e30 & e36 mostly aerodynamics? Late e36 and e46 323s get numbers close.
*shrugs*
Still there will be two less spark plugs, quarts of oil, etc. Not to mention the boxy look of the e30s has got it's hooks in me.
Then again e36 are at bottom of depreciation curves, nice bodied e30s now carry a slight premium. Getting to the 'Too much information point'
*sighs*

[Tiger]

Fun factor is important part of the car. With the budget you are setting, you are on the right track for the best bang per buck. It used to be how much HP I got.... but as I got older, that is not important anymore. My excitement these days is how much MPG I can eak out of my old cars... Take a look at my car... 1994 BMW 540i auto... This gets 17/24... and if you compared it to say 1988 E30 318 manual... 15/26. Then what is the point? Smaller car and not as great fuel mileage... Heck, I think E34 525i can get much better than that...

I recently went on vacation and we got a Nissan Rogue SUV... nice size smallish SUV but it gets 24MPG in city! That blows my mind... Pretty quiet in city... a tad road noise on highway... typical japanese car... but overall experience is good. It really changed my thinking about MPG... We have Acura MDX ourselve... big SUV with lots of hauling power but it gets only 17MPG in city

One last thought... I think this car is not your only car you got.... if that is so, put more fun factor on the other car and makes this 'commuter' car more practical with great driving experience and safety factor.

[Ross]

You mentioned <$1k. If this is your target price forget the Bimmers, Paul. Chances are slim to none for finding any that won't require you to double your investment immediately.
Sentra's are a better cheap beater, kinda how they are intended.

[whiskychaser]

Whats a Geo Metro? Is that similar to a Nissan Micro? I hope not. My sister bought a 10 plate Astra CDTI. It did 70 to the gallon from Norwich to Manchester in Summer. I just got back from her house this afternoon and got 24:-( And yes thats UK gallons:-(

[Tiger]

70 MPIG (Imperial Gallon).... WOW! Quite a sipper.

[Paul in NZ]

70 MPIG (Imperial Gallon).... WOW! Quite a sipper.
diesel,my 120d gets 50 mpg on the open road ,but nz is a hilly windy lil place,so i could easily get much much better figures cruising on the flat at 110k per h at 1750 rpm in 6th.Will be interesting to see what the next tank is mostly city 3-4people short trips,but not that much stop go

[paul p (chi-town)]

You mentioned <$1k. If this is your target price forget the Bimmers, Paul. Chances are slim to none for finding any that won't require you to double your investment immediately.
Sentra's are a better cheap beater, kinda how they are intended.
Is that spinning propeller badge really worth $1K all by itself? ;-)
While i can contest the solid engineering of the e30 and e34, with the e36 some parts got ... cheap too. TechTalk in Roundel says so.
The 91-94 SER AND the 300zx made C&Ds years on end.
In an odd way a slight price premium of the b13 chassis Sentra over the later b14 begins to mirror an e30 > e36.
With a little patience one could find a very sound e36 for little more than $1K. It is now at the bottom of depreciation curve. Motivated seller needed of course....

[paul p (chi-town)]

Whats a Geo Metro? (

Geo (automobile) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_(automobile)#Metro)

1/2 the $/mile of any BMW.

Ummmmm, no.

[Ross]

Nah, the badge is worth squat, I know that.
My point was that a decent BM under a G is TOUGH to find. Rusty old Japanese cars not so.
Agreed about E36 prices. Trying to get one that hasn't yet fallen into the hands of some kid will be the tough part.
How was that E30 I directed you to??


Is that spinning propeller badge really worth $1K all by itself? ;-)
While i can contest the solid engineering of the e30 and e34, with the e36 some parts got ... cheap too. TechTalk in Roundel says so.
The 91-94 SER AND the 300zx made C&Ds years on end.
In an odd way a slight price premium of the b13 chassis Sentra over the later b14 begins to mirror an e30 > e36.
With a little patience one could find a very sound e36 for little more than $1K. It is now at the bottom of depreciation curve. Motivated seller needed of course....

[Bimmer Nut Ed]

Paul, what have you settled on? What do you think you're looking for?

[paul p (chi-town)]

Paul, what have you settled on? What do you think you're looking for?
The best whip for the price (duh) .... more to follow, burnin' daylight here.

[paul p (chi-town)]

How was that E30 I directed you to??
Sucka sold 48 hours or so.
I pursue the turds, 3 and counting, two were supposedly mint. The good ones sell before i can even see them in teh metal.
*shakes head*

[Paul in NZ]

Sucka sold 48 hours or so.
I pursue the turds, 3 and counting, two were supposedly mint. The good ones sell before i can even see them in teh metal.
*shakes head*
twas ever thus.....I think most people looking for E30s(or 36s) will instantly know a good one when they see it.

[paul p (chi-town)]

twas ever thus.....I think most people looking for E30s(or 36s) will instantly know a good one when they see it.Or drive it.

[Bimmer Nut Ed]

Then dammit, drive it. Get out there, pound the pavement, and let us know what you're finding or not finding. It's fun to buy cars, and we want to live vicariously through you dude!

[paul p (chi-town)]

It's fun to buy cars, and we want to live vicariously through you dude!Sheesh, i'm not just doing this for your entertainment.
*frowns*

J/K ... Working up a debrief of the 4 cars i've looked at already.

[Jr ///M5]

[QUOTE=paul p (chi-town);337510]Sheesh, i'm not just doing this for your entertainment.
*frowns*

Yes you are!!!!.....=) *ear to ear grin*

[Bimmer Nut Ed]

Sheesh, i'm not just doing this for your entertainment.
*frowns*

J/K ... Working up a debrief of the 4 cars i've looked at already.

If not mine, then who's? Certainly not Jr's.

[paul p (chi-town)]

If not mine, then who's? Certainly not Jr's.
Welp, certain changes in my 'duty station' @ werk are making me think a motorcycle might not be a bad idea.
Whereas i was commuting straight shot from northern chi-town proper to Schaumburg. Now it's to Midway airport pretty much. Messy when u take city traffic into account.
*shakes head*

But if 4 wheel it's for sure a 4-cyl, manual, light and a solid runner.
2 wheels will require a bulletproof vest & 9mm considering the neighborhoods i'll be driving thru.
So i'm still leaning towards a car VS cycle/scootr/bike/CTA.

[paul p (chi-town)]

What are the exact whips on teh shoppng list you ask.
Datsun b13 sentras, m40 e30 318 or e36ti. No interference timing belts please, precluding m20 e30s and hondas, which for different reasons would otherwise rock.
Will consider screaming deal on heavy e36, gen1 mr2 or miata.
Sir Issac Newton and i frown on all other choices.
Do the math...
Cosmetic issues are a plus making it cheaper ......... to a point. Mechanically i want nothing more involved than brakes for months if not a year. Recent clutch is a biggie. Can't buy a project, must truly be a solid runner.

[paul p (chi-town)]

So far i've looked @, & driven 5 cars.

Why was the total POS deathtrap non bimmer the only car with enough air in the tires?!?
All xcept one were private owners. The dealer was the worst. Two tires practically flat.
Teh ultimate driving machine foiled by non ....... drivers.
*sigh*

[paul p (chi-town)]

1 - "Inhalation Hazard": 94 Sentra coupe.
There was a Sentra for CHEAP out by werk. Some important stuff replaced recently. I expected rust, smell and/or accident damage...
I was right on the 1st, but could have lived with it. Could have lived with my contact doing an errand while her father gave me the keys. Did i mention he spoke NO english (good thing my wife knows spanish and can text like a mofo). Could have lived with the obvious interior being torn up. Easily could have lived with wheels and tires that had NO balance weights whatsoever. I have much in the way of spares for these cars.
It was the leaky injector that made this ... deadly.
So bad that the interior was flooded with fumes once the car was rolling. I could have had this car for about the price of the brand new axles it had and retail labor to install them.
But, the GA(y)16 engine is a lowport intake with the 'over' manifold. The injectors need much disassembling to get to.

It was a shame. The car was otherwise very well sorted out. Tracked straight, accelerated smoothly and braked well. Not only new axles, but clutch cable and most likely clutch itself. Get a some fresh sport struts, some SER spec roll bars i happen to have 'lying round' and this would have been a killer commuter.
But it literally was.

Made sure i was FAR away from it before i lit a smoke after this tire kick.

[paul p (chi-town)]

I know some of you don't quite get the Sentra love yet.
Still, the original SE-R made C&D's 10 best,
every
year
it
was
made.

Combine this 'invisible' body


http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/vehicle-pictures/1994/nissan/sentra/92809131990102-480.jpg


With a few parts from this


http://pavlo.interaccess.com/110103jentox03.jpg


And, voilà. Super sleeper and then some.
With some patience and careful shopping one could reliably turbo the sucka for under 1K too.

[Bimmer Nut Ed]

Ya got to be able to find a reasonable e36. But invisible car is OK too.

Maybe when you find something, we can check it out over a draft! Keep us in the loop.

[Jr ///M5]

Here, here, quick Paul....
91 BMW 318is 5-SPEED FOR SALE $1400 OBO! (http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/2175822825.html)

Tires $300, good ones too! muffler $150, real taillights $50....good commuter, great fun, one of BMW's best kept secrets. Easy and cheap to work on.

[Ross]

Here, here, quick Paul....
91 BMW 318is 5-SPEED FOR SALE $1400 OBO! (http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/2175822825.html)

Tires $300, good ones too! muffler $150, real taillights $50....good commuter, great fun, one of BMW's best kept secrets. Easy and cheap to work on.

This one has been available for a while. Something ain't right.

[Ross]

1984 bmw 325e (http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/2180946721.html)

Close by

[paul p (chi-town)]

Thanks for keeping an eye out y'all.
Obviously the search continues .... Ross, i appreciate the e30 love, but i'm feelin for a four banger.
But allow me to continue with some anecdotes.

2 - "Let me bring a friend or two..": 94 318i 4dr black on black cloth and looked quite straight.

With this one i had no idea the tire pressure. Made little diff 'cause there was obviously a blown rear wheel bearing once it was up to speed.
But damn this car was CLEAN.
Started well off enough. A car with obviously some flaw and a kid who was discovering how much u needed to spend to be so slow. *shrugs*
His uncles car or something. It was very clean, low miles, and in general well maintained mechanically.
I did need to drive it, including highway so i asked if the tires had good pressure.
*stunned silence*
Friend #1 who came along, asked why i needed properly inflated tires for a basic test drive.
Did i mention that Friend #1's sister was supposedly bangi .... em, married to mechanic who serviced the car in question? Great, but unfortunately could not say if any particular part had been replaced when, ANY OF THEM. *shakes head*
Earlier he gave me a hard time about writing down the VIN. "Cause i want to ... you know ...... double check the '2 owner' sales pitch.
He jumped in as 'negotiator' between owner and me, and was a bit of an ass doin it.
Friend #2 at least could translate 'Caveat emptor' for them. Owner nodded, Friend #1 was annoyed. That was more than mutual......
But nothing could make up for the low grinding hum from the drivers rear.
On main streets i could sorta pick it out. After multiple attempts at putting air in the tires (gas stations ... wtf, i got quarters), i gambled on surviving a highway run and found the noise to be clearly something way fubar in teh rear suspension at a minimum.
Too bad, cause as said, it was one clean machine. The owner seemed like a nice guy, and at least had made minor mods tastefully. Supersprint exhaust, real Racing Dynamic wheels, etc.

But children, children ... leave the massive dual subwoofer at home. I DO want to see if there's rust under the spare.
If there is one.


OTOH, too slow.
The e36 is way to heavy for the 4 bangers it came with. Even adjusting for weight penalty of seller's 2 additional bodies, i learned something. 3000lbs is way too much metal around me just to get back and forth from werk.
I can deal with an e30, ti, or maybe a z3/coupe but full size e36 is too much.
Gotta remember that the SERs were almost as quick as 325s. YMMV but, 1.6L sentras can keep up with heavy 318s.

It's too bad Car #3, the "Sure Thing" didn't pan out. That was a bummer.....

[paul p (chi-town)]

Aw NUTS!
Missed another one, 4dr e30 318 ..... IN BLACK. Sold in two days.
Grrrr!

At this rate it's gonna be nice enough to just start commuting in teh MR2 soon.