318ti.org forum - MA 1997 Black 318ti 5spd M-Sport

1997 318ti hatchback w/M-sport package
5-speed manual
Black (Diamondschwartz)
~170k miles
VIN: WBACG7327VAS99435, clean title in hand
$4,500 car + spare parts etc.
$6,500 car + spare parts + new-in-box DASC kit (see below for DASC details)

Features:

M-sport package
Power windows, power door locks, heated power mirrors
Sunroof with tilt/vent function
Air conditioning
Aftermarket Bluetooth/USB stereo head with lighting that matches the rest of the instruments
Cloth OE floor mats in great shape
Supersprint stainless steel exhaust
UUC short shifter
Powerflex urethane rear bushings
New-in-box Downing Atlanta supercharger kit (DASC) for an additional price
See the "extra parts" section below for more

Here's a pretty detailed overview, and photos are up on Flickr. I have a detailed service history I can send, too.

The good:

It's a well maintained driver-level example with ~170k miles. I'm the fourth owner.
The factory M-sport package includes an M3-style front bumper cover and side skirts, M-style shift knob, and grey (Millpoint) cloth center inserts on the sport seats and door panels.
It revs freely and shifts well. Second is getting a touch notchy for a couple minutes before the transmission warms up, but only in cold (<~40 degree F) weather.
Four matching Continental ContiSportContact tires with plenty of tread.
I usually see ~23 mpg in town, ~33 mpg on the highway.
Air conditioning blows cold, heat works great. The windows raise and lower without complaint. As far as I know, everything works.
There are no warning lights on the dash, and no active codes set.

Interior is 8.5/10.

Carpet, front passenger, and rear seats are in close to new condition.
Driver's seat has some wear on the stitching and cloth, with no tears in the leather, but there are some small surface cracks.
The headliner's been recovered and doesn't sag. The cloth is a little thicker than OE, but the color matches. The cloth on the sunroof panel is loose, but doesn't cause a problem with operation.
It has the original package shelf in the trunk. It has window tint on the front and rear windows.

Exterior is 7/10.

The previous owner (1999-2007) had a quality respray done after one of his employees keyed the car after an altercation.
No accidents that I can discern, and no evidence of body work/replacement panels, other than the aforementioned respray.
It's been in a southern climate (Tennessee) or garaged during the winter for the majority of its life. The previous owner drove it in Michigan winters for a small handful of years.
The front windshield has been replaced and looks basically new.
The front end has the typical stone chips for its age.
There are three chips on the trailing (cowl) end of the hood. Two are where the wiper arms rubbed against the hood (one is still rubbing slightly), the other is ~dime-sized where a toolbox fell from an overhead storage shelf.
I had the front bumper cover resprayed in 2008, and promptly curbed the underside while making a K-turn on a tight street. The cracking in the paint is mostly underneath, but there is some visible on the side.
It's never left me stranded, except the time I left a six year old battery in it. Except for the small amount of pending maintenance listed below, I'd happily get behind the wheel for a long trip without worrying.
Two ignition keys, plus a factory "spare" key that operates the door locks

New-in-box DASC kit
The kit is new-in-box, never used. I bought it when Jim found enough parts in his warehouse to make the last handful of kits, but life got in the way of installing it. I opened the shipping box to verify the bill of materials. The kit's complete, and for the OBD-II M44, and has the unused CARB sticker. It's a bolt-on kit, and is supposedly good for just over 200bhp. Ideally, I'd sell the package (car and DASC kit) to a single buyer. The price listed at the top is for the car only.

The not-so-good:

There's a small rust bubble at the trailing corner of the right rear fender. It seems well encapsulated, and hasn't grown or changed during my ownership.
The glove box has the typical E36 BMW squeak/rattle. I'm usually the type to fix this kind of thing, but it's intermittent and I've learned to not notice it. There are tutorials online on how to reinforce/fix it.
The rubber gasketing around the rear (tip-in) windows is cracked on the passenger side, and about 25% of it is missing on the driver's side. "They all do that" on this model. It doesn't seem to affect the noise level in the cabin.
It might still be weeping engine oil. I've re-sealed nearly the entire engine, but I don't think the front timing cover has been done. I think that's the only suspect left.
The steering wheel squeaks slightly and intermittently. The last time this happened, lubing the lower steering bearing fixed it for a few years.
The wheels on it are 17" E46 M3 (Style 67) replicas. One has a small amount of curb rash on it, another has more curb rash and has been refinished. Matching the hypersilver finish on these wheels is difficult, and the color match is not good. If you want them to match, the easiest way is to have all four refinished, or find one or two similar wheels to replace the rashed ones.
The idle is a slightly lumpy. Over the years, I've replaced nearly all the vacuum hoses and intake gasketing, and replaced the spark plugs when I replaced the valve cover gasket. Might be time for a set of wires or a coil. It doesn't affect driveability.
One of the front fog lights is fairly scoured (the other has been replaced).
There are a few scratches in the tint, but nothing serious. There are remnants of a resident parking permit on the left rear window. I haven't had a car with tint before, and didn't think about how hard it would be to remove.
A previous owner rolled the fenders slightly to fit the 17" wheels. The tires were rubbing very occasionally, which I fixed with a slightly smaller tire (215/45 vs. 215/55, I think).
The donut spare is the original. It's been a while since I checked it, but it probably doesn't hold pressure for long any more.

Needs:

The brake hoses are original, and ought to be replaced because of their age.
The boot on one outer tie rod end is split, and other is close to splitting.
There's an occasional clunk from the front end when changing direction abruptly during low speed (parking lot) maneuvers. I haven't been able to track it down, neither has a shop. It showed up after I replaced the sway bar end link, so I don't think it's anything serious.

Extra parts:

Set of stock 16" wheels, no tires
Set of new/sealed Lemforder rubber brake hoses.
Noah car cover in near-new shape
Original factory manual (the glove box manual, not the service manual). I don't have the original Monroney sticker, but do have the original lease statement.
Bentley E36 service manual
Original (factory) stereo head
Various fluids and small parts, mostly light bulbs, fasteners, small bits of trim, o-rings and gaskets, etc.
Tools: Deltran battery tender, Motive brake bleeder, oil filter housing socket, jack adapter for the factory jack points in the side skirts
Old dual mass flywheel. The Valeo single mass conversion kit I had installed is fantastic, and I wouldn't go back. Clutch action is reasonably light (much lighter than factory) and the car shifts smoothly. The old dual mass is probably reusable, but I only kept it because I was hesitant about whether I'd like the single mass conversion.