Just got my first 318ti last night, I've been more of an e30 guy prior to this but I figured it was time to change when I saw the 318ti I bought. I have a few things I need to fix over the next few weeks to months but overall I like it ... 1998 and manual transmission. Plan on making extensive usage out of the search feature here...I can already tell I'm going to be elbow deep in reading.
Awesome! Post some pics! I too am fairly new to the Ti, but not new to BMW. These cars are a lot of fun, and easy to work on for the most part. Good luck with your build