'96 318ti //M series, Denver
 

Hello all, I have been lurking around this board for years looking for little write ups and fixes for our little ti. It has about 170,000 miles. It is in pretty good shape. However, As I have been dutifully informed, this is NOT an //M series. It only has an //M spoiler and an LSD. Halfway to an //M but not totally.

This is my wife’s car and an upcoming move to Australia is necessitating the sale of this great car. At the beginning of the year my wife and I decided that given the state of the economy and rising gas prices that we would hold on to this little car instead of buying a new 1 series. So, after deciding to hold off on getting a new car, I had a LARGE amount of maintenance, both necessary and preventative performed to get to the 250,000 mark without a hitch.

Alas, a research opportunity has come up at the University of Adelaide in South Australia and I can't pass it up, so here is our little baby up for sale.

Factory Options-
-17” Wheels (100% BMW and original to the car) I believe they were added by the dealer. 17X7.5 in the front and 17”x8.5 on the rear.
-Sun Roof
-CD Changer
-Cruise
-Limited Slip Differential
-Spoiler
-5 speed transmission

Aftermarket
-Short Ram Air Intake
-XM Satellite radio

Recent Maintenance-
KYB shocks/struts all four corners
New Radiator
New power steering pump
New drive shaft
New Brakes, Brembo Rotors and Hawk HP pads all four corners
Fresh differential fluid
Fresh transmission fluid
New Tires Kuhmo ASX 235/45/17 rear and 225/45/17 front (You can run 255’s in the rear and they look great)
Fresh oil change I ALWAYS run Mobil 1 Synthetic 10w-30 and am religious about oil changes.

Now realize that this car has 170,xxx miles on it. It is not perfect. It has some dents and dings, the front spoiler has some wear and tear, the clear coat on the rear spoiler is peeling (JUST THE SPOILER). the seats have some fading (The fabric is good though) the floor some spots. The lcd lights on the stereo display are dim, the passenger window switch is sticky and the arm rest is showing wear. Overall, I think this car is as nice as any, especially when considering the car is 12 years old. It still shines up really nice and runs like a champ.

Asking $4250 1st takes it

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=220242448297

(Just listed give it some time!)

Hmmm, I wasnt aware that they made round 5s in 17" or staggered sizes. Also unless you added it afterwards the car doesnt have a LSD, they stopped offering them on non-M cars after 95.

I'd be careful listing that as an "///M" series 318ti. It does not have the sport package which included all the actual M Technik parts.

^ The Z3 came with Style 18 wheels just like the 318ti and they were available in 17". http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...13&hg=36&fg=15 Looks like all sorts of crazy colors too!? :) Am I reading it right that your can get Boston Green, Hellrot,MONTREALBLAU, etc. colored wheels?

Hmm, It also had the side markers, which were stolen, and I had to replace them. And I assure you it has an LSD.

Yeah, I think the wheels were off of a Z3 and the dealer just swapped them over or something like that.

Yea, that is an Active package, not the Sport package. Does have the M-Tech spoiler, a real plus, but definitely not a Sport (///M-technic)

Price is about right too.

Good luck, going to let my Daughter know, she is looking for a Ti.

so you did add it?

the rear wheels off a Z3 don't fit a ti IIRC

+1, it's just an active with the sport rims and spoiler

EDIT: 30yrmbr beat me too it

It is rather bizarre, because it does not have the //M front end, but it DOES have an LSD. I wonder if one or the other was replaced before we purchased it.

The wheels are the ones that came with the car, We used to run 255/40/17's Falken Azenis RT 615's on the rear (That is what I ran on my EVO). We are the second owners and the original owner was a woman (No offense) who would not have known one way or the other what she was driving. She had all of the maintenence done and that was my biggest concern. And most importantly my wife liked the car.

it also doesn't have the sport seats, rear bumper or anything else other than the spoiler to say it's an ///M, it is possible to do an LSD swap so I don't think you're lying or anything there, but it is definitely not an ///M

Well if you didnt add the LSD and the woman who owned it before was not an enthusiast than where did the LSD come from? Im not sure a dealer would do a diff swap just to sell a car. How do you know that is has a LSD because there is no way it came stock unless this car is a 95.

You kids could debate this for days, or... you could kindly ask Mallard to wave his magic wand and give you the VIN report. :-)

wouldn't work since the LSD couldn't have come on the car from the factory so it must have been added on (assuming it's there, which I am not going to argue about)

Ok, so I believie that it is not an //M at this juncture, thank you for setting me straight.

And actually there is a very simple way of figuring out wether there is an LSD. Drive to dirt parking lot, (OR snow) depress the clutch, bring the revs up, release clutch and spin both tires. Drifting on dirt will spin both tires, and believe me, watiching my wife come, ass end out, up the hill to our house in a blizzard and there is no doubt that there is more than 1 tire fire going on.

those are the wheels i had on my car. In fact, I'll be selling my two remaining ones soon. ..

OK, so then you'd know that it didn't come from the factory, as opposed to it having been ordered as an option. Right? Besides... I thought I read here that the LSD was still available as an option some time after '95.

Either way, getting the original info is a more authoritative than the opinions and recollections of all of us. LOL