1995 318ti compact.

[Davey]

Well here it is for now, already stripped the interior and covered the rust with some paint, should be getting a new wing soon and trying too find a good arch donor.

Goes like a little rocket, I really wasn't expecting it.

Only really a temporary option until i've sorted the alfa but we shall see.

[Davey]

well the pictures don't work...
edit: now they do.

[MiataMark]

Saw that one on eBay, the wing looked a bit nasty but good value.

For modifications have a look at the Compact Cup forums, lots of build threads. Admittedly for race prep but some of it is transferable
www.bmwracedays.co.uk/forum/

Quite fancy building a 318ti Clubsport, stripped but with carpet, cage, take out rear seat, but still usable for shopping, taking dogs out etc. A supercharger on the standard M44 engine would be good as well.

BMW built a single M version, using Z3M components.

[Mark]

I've always liked Compacts. Something about the underdog I reckon? So much potential.

I saw an awesome orange M3 GTS inspired Compact a few weeks ago. M3 front end, orange paint, carbon roof and 326bhp under the bonnet. It was awesome and cost less £6k to build.

[foxye28]

i have always wondered what one of these would drive like with an e46 M3 engine and tranny swap ( or are they e36 based rear ends I'm not sure?) would be fun with that shorter wheelbase id imagine, a bit less stable and more alive

[Mark]

Rear end is e30 semi-trailing arms. They got a lot of stick for not having the later e36 set-up but they work well enough, especially when improved with better bushes etc.

[macp]

Used to have a 318Ti its definitely the one to have especially with the proper sports seats like you have in yours.

[Davey]

Back seats out, found 50 poker chips, 15 golf tees and 20kg of soil (These aren't for effect, true amounts!). Then i emptied the contents of my sadly very unwell fathers car into the back of it, note the mess.

Driven it about, got it messy, removed the front anti roll bar, painted all the rust satin black...
Added hazard tape!


Spotlight hole air intakes i think are next on the list, cheap little gain.
May take a coil or so off the front but its got sport suspension from standard so handles alright, the back end is far to lively to say it has an open diff.
That may soon change.

[Davey]

Daily slag is slag like.
Number plate fell off so re attached.


"Custom" Stainless exhaust, section stolen from a scrap mercedes back box.


Its quite big and quite loud but its a very very nice noise.

[homeforsummer]

Always liked these. Test drove four of them a few years back (couple 316i and a couple 318ti) and they drove great. Best by far was a 318ti Sport, original owner must have ticked all the boxes as it had every option under the sun, including full leather sports seats. Then bought an MX5 which got nicked. In retrospect the BMW might've been a bit more secure...

Never seen one that rusty though, you must have paid peanuts for it!

[Mark]

Mar 13, 2013 18:47:00 GMT Davey said:

Number plate fell off so re attached.

Really? Are you sure you didn't help it? ;D

Removing 20kgs of soil is probably the cheapest performance mod out there!

[joejoelowlow]

what's the benefit removing the anti roll bar?

Nice plans otherwise

[MiataMark]

Mar 4, 2013 14:31:42 GMT foxye28 said:

I have always wondered what one of these would drive like with an e46 M3 engine and tranny swap ( or are they e36 based rear ends I'm not sure?) would be fun with that shorter wheelbase id imagine, a bit less stable and more alive

Shorter wheelbase compared to E46, but same wheelbase as the E36, (and the E46 wheelbase is only ~1" more than the E36 anyway).

[rld14]

Rear ends on these are E30 based.

I've swapped (US spec, think basically a tuned 3.2L M52) M3 drivetrains into them before, but they do use small case doffs and the skinny rear half shafts....

[MiataMark]

BMW built a single M3 Compact, 3.2 Evo engine and Z3M rear suspension/axle

www.bmwblog.com/2010/02/06/did-bmw-ever-build-an-one-off-e36-m3-3-2-compact/

[Davey]

Mar 17, 2013 7:14:18 GMT Mark said:

Mar 13, 2013 18:47:00 GMT Davey said:

Number plate fell off so re attached.

Really? Are you sure you didn't help it? ;D

Removing 20kgs of soil is probably the cheapest performance mod out there!

No occifer i swear...
My "fantastic." Exhaust fell off so i have ordered a ebay mild steel jobby. Cost almost as much as the bloody car but hey ho.
The rust isn't bad the only areas are the arches none else where it looks bad i know haha.

[rld14]

Yup, you can use Z3M rear ends... But there's one problem with that.

You have to find a Z3M rear end!

[Robinxr4i]

There have been plenty of S50 powered E36 compact that just run with E36compact/E30 diff and rear end, okay yes "ideally" you'd want the stronger diff and the multilink suspension. But in the interests of going really fast for cheap I'd live with it!

Excellent choice BTW love the compact.

[joem83]

Cheapest power upgrade on these is a 328 swap, apparently only takes a weekend as all the loom is pretty much plug and play.

[Davey]

Little bit more fiddling has been happening.
My ghetto as sin exhaust fell off so i went on ebay and bought the cheapest cat back i could find.
Video of the said exhaust.



Then i did something un-heard of i cleaned it!