So as some of you may have figured out, I traded my 91 Galant VR-4 with McBitchin for his 85 325e. The driving reason was to reduce unexpected costs so I could move back onto RPI campus next year. The VR-4 was a fun car, I just found it and got it at the absolute wrong time.
Anyway, onto the beamer! Over just this first week, this car has already saved me a fair amount of money. It averages 37mpg to date, and has given me no issues (knock wood). Car has 119k on it and full service records! This is my second car with full service records, which is always cool to have.
The car is due for new brake pads and the water pump/timing belt service, which I will likely do myself. Just routine maintenance basically.
A few pics of the car:
I need to finish cleaning the valve cover :lol
Plans for mods? This all depends on how much I feel comfortable spending on the car. I’ll spend if I want to and if money allows it. The point of this car was to not have to spend money every week to keep it running like the VR-4 became.
If money allows it, I would like to get a nice set of wheels and a good suspension setup on the car. As for performance, many people on revlimited.com recommend the conforti chip for the car, its good for 24hp and 28tq and has been proven to be the best bang-for-the-buck mod for the 325e. If this car becomes an all out car, I would consider a boosted m20b25 setup. The motor is a direct bolt in and considered bulletproof well into the 400hp range completely stock.
I tinted the sidemarkers and plan on redding out the amber part of the tails, but I don’t plan on much beyond that for now. Thanks for looking!
My thoughts. I would have recommended an old RWD Volvo with a redblock (2.3L iron block I4). Those are tanks with about 25 moving parts in the entire vehicle. Fix it with a rock found next to the road sort of car.
:lol I love 37 mpg, it saves me SO much compared to the vr-4.
I don’t see this car going anywhere for a while :lol Its a fun ass car and I love driving it.
asshole :lol thanks
I will get there…
Thanks man, it has some color fade from front to back, but its livable.
I will not ruin it I promise. No giant alero grocery cart handle for the beamer.
Its saved me about 100 bucks in just gas. I drive a lot, so vr-4 mileage wasn’t cutting it. This car just needs some routine stuff and it will be perfect, most of which I will do this week.
Alero, bunk ass TL, old VR4, older bmw… yeah i see a trend here too!
really though, this one looks clean, and if its sound its a step back up the slippery slope! lol
GL with it man
It would be if he leaves it the hell alone. Do NOTHING to the motor… its NEVER going to be “fast”. Even with good suspension its not a damn race car. 24hp (even if thats wheel) might get you .2 seconds quicker 1/4 mile. Focus on completing school like a big boy, get a big boy job and get a big boy BMW that wasnt produced the year i was potty trained! :rofl
I see no step downs here, just falling into knowing what I need out of a car. I went from the CL to the VR-4 because I wanted something fun and fast. The car fit the build. Now I realize I need something that is reliable and gets good gas mileage. So onto the bmw. The car is consistently reliable and gets 35+mpg. Could a civic do the same thing? sure it could. But this is working out fine.
rofl