My BMW 318iS

Alfasudcrazy

I am having great fun using my new scanner so enjoy while it lasts.
Here is my dream car – well it was my dream car for a long time and like all dream cars I never really thought I would ever really own one.
I always just wanted a 318iS – not one of the bigger engines – mainly because I am not really into speed so the engine size was not that important. At the same time I knew I did not want a 316 as that engine sounded like a fiesta. :rolleyes:
I had a habit of calling to our local BMW dealer at night looking at the juicy new BMW’s in stock and one night in 1998 I spotted MY beemer.
Metallic black with all the M kit bits – next day I called to take a test drive in it. :cool:



It was £27,000 a sum I had not a hope of affording – but I thought by buying it straight and then selling my vectra 1.7TD privately I might be just able to swing it.
So with the help of my friendly credit union and me reverting back to my days in car sales I eventually managed to drive off in the beemer without running the risk of me appearing in Stubbs gazette. :rolleyes:



This car was far above any of my previous expectations of what would be my first beemer. I had been thinking perhaps a three or four year old one imported from the UK. To actually have managed a new one was just a dream. This was a 1.9 16V (140bph) car so it was no slouch – but not exactly in the burning rubber category. It had the suede / fabric M tech seats, sunroof, side skirts and those lovely alloys on lowered suspension. .
I resisted the temptation to put a spoiler on it as I think they look gaudy.



It was not an expensive car to run and always averaged 35mpg. Being only a 1.9 it was also cheap to tax and the insurance was hefty but manageable.
Biggest problem was the attention it got from jealous louts – it was scratched a few times and required trips to the paint shop. Nothing ever went wrong with it except for the odd blown bulb and was almost Toyota like in that respect. The quality was just 100% perfect and it never rattled or had bits fall off.
Even the paint used never chip ( thick / absorbent paint?):cool:



I had this car for almost 5 years and I traded it for the 530D at the start of 2003.
I really liked this car but wanted something different. It was the true successor to my Golf Gti and would recommend it to anyone. Unfortunately a lot of them are now falling into the hands of the modding brigade. I would rate this car at 10/10 on all aspects. A definite future classic.

qz

Very nice, but how many cars do you have?!

Gatster

Good thread mate, nice progession through the ranks of decent cars!

bucks

Looking at one myself at the moment, plan on upgrading from the 316i, have to pay a bit more to St. Raphael first though :rolleyes:

unkel

You guys don't get it! AC has just been playing with his scanner, i.e. he is scanning in analogue pictures from the car he owned before his last car. Doing this is obviously bringing back the memories and 'cause he has the pictures in digital format now, I'm sure he thought he might as well share with us

BTW, AC, how come you got rid of the 530d so quickly? Don't tell me it was love at first sight of the Alfa GT

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

with the help of my friendly credit union

St Raphaels wrote:

Cheque's in the post

Alfasudcrazy

unkel wrote:

BTW, AC, how come you got rid of the 530d so quickly? Don't tell me it was love at first sight of the Alfa GT

Well I kinda got the jitters about that car. It was a great car and never gave trouble but as the new model was out I was afraid I would get stuck with a 3.0 diesel car that no one wanted.
Many attempts to sell the car privately failed and paying all that annual road tax was really doing my head in. It not being an auto and only having cloth seats was a big hindrance to selling it. If it was a m spec version I would have had no problem. - :mad:
As you know I have several cars so I can't allow one car to use up all my car budget (ie:wages)
The GT is a lot cheaper to tax and anyway its more 'me' - a lot of people said the 530D was not my kind of car and I tend to agree with them. :rolleyes:

I think I made the right decision as my 530D has been in the dealer since August 2004 :eek: (see link) ( I traded it in prior to delivery of my GT - long story)

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=158387

unkel

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

I think I made the right decision as my 530D has been in the dealer since August 2004 :eek:

The E39 530d is very over-priced second hand in Ireland imho. No dead cows and no auto sure don't help selling it. Be glad it wasn't a Merc as selling would have been impossible

Strangely enough, the E39 prices haven't taken a sudden fall upon arrival of the E60

lomb

poverty spec used luxury cars dont sell well. leather, an auto and climate control and metallic paint are a neccesity imho.