Any 318Ti Guru's here??

[2002Targa]

Greets all, 

I just bought a 97 Ti to try and save my real car from the Alaska winters.  It's a project car (ignition busted and motor seized after a theft, but with 82k orig/mi). 

It's going to be a 100mi/day commuter car, so I'm looking at getting the best MPG possible.  Current thoughts are keeping it factory with a stock "refresh/rebuild", or complete stripping the interior and any other excess weight and going to megasquirt for ECU management and ditching all the emission crap up front.

Thanks,

TK

 

[John_in_VA]

Stock vs. stripped is your call, but they have a good forum at http://www.318ti.org/

Good luck!

[2002Targa]

Thanks John, I posted there also.  After browsing around there for a while, it just doesn't seem as "together" as the forum here.  

['76mintgrün'02]

Any 318Ti Guru's here??

 

I think TobyB has a Ti.

(He's a guru too)

 

[TobyB]

Negatory on the guruatory.

 

Do have a 95 ti, but that's M42-  you'll have

an M44 ti, which will be better for economy AND power.

 

I doubt you'd beat the stock MAF system for economy by 

enough to offset your time and expenditure to make it worthwhile.

 

A ti is already pretty basic, at least by BMW standards.  In your shoes,

I'd make sure I had a LSD, chains, good snow tires, and drive it stock.

Then, as you find things you don't really need (the rear seat, the passenger seat, and so forth)

take them out.  There's not a TON of weight to save- or rather, the weight you can take

out is there to save your sanity.  The floor padding is adequate for relatively

quiet motoring, but not E39 heavy, the seats are comfortable but not X5 heavy, and 

so on.

 

Go for it- with a LSD, it's a good snow car.

 

t

 

[jscaptura1]

I have had 2 ti's and my current one is a 99 AutoX car.  Both have had M44's.  My, first, a 97 Automatic was driven for 4 winters in Upstate NY snow.  I had an open diff with DSC, and studded Cooper Snow tires.  I had little to no problems with snow or slippery roads.  Of course if the snow was too deep, then it became a problem, but not because of traction.  So with the combination of the DSC and snow tires, it did fine.  +1 on Toby B's comments about the stock MAF, you will not do much better, if at all, on MPG than the stock setup.  On my 99, I have the airbox "fogged" (DIY on 318ti.org), the computer flashed by Barrie at Midnight tuning(really do recommend this, info also on 318ti.org). I also have the center resonator removed, plus all of the suspension goodies I could get.  P245/40 x 17 Bridgestone's, and while highway driving, I can still get 35+ MPG with the stock ignition and MAF.  www.318ti.org can be inconsistent at times, but just like the FAQ, the search is your friend.  Almost every scenario for a ti is covered there one way or another.  Hope your car is a 5 speed, hated the auto on my first one, LOVE the 5 speed (with LSD) on the current one.  My favorite car to drive next to the 1600!  Keep us posted and feel free to ask any questions at any time.  I will keep an eye out on the org as well. Good luck!

PS: I would keep the rear seats in for added weight over the rear wheels if you are concerned about traction.

 

Joe

[M3M3]

great little cars.  E36 parts forward of the B-pillar, E30 parts aft of the B-pillar.

[irdave]

I had an Alaska Blue TiS ('96 maybe ?)while I was stationed in Fairbanks.  Open diff, no DSC, studs all the way around in winter- thing was a tank, even with the open diff.  Knowing what I know now, I'd sort an LSD for it, but still.

 

For a 100 miles per day car, I'd leave about everything stock- quiet and reliable are your friends.  Only thing I did to mine was a Sparco steering wheel and the z3 shifter.  Oh, and I put PIAA bulbs in the headlights- amazing difference.  Car was very capable as it was.  Valentine 1 radar detector.

 

I think Steven Schlossman is a big-wig at BMWCCA now, he was all over the list-serve back in the day...  He had a 2.5 swapped Ti...  He would be a great resource.

Edited October 29, 2018 by irdave

[M3M3]

14 minutes ago, irdave said:

I think Steven Schlossman is a big-wig at BMWCCA now, he was all over the list-serve back in the day...  He had a 2.5 swapped Ti...  He would be a great resource.

yup. steven works at cca hq now.   he had a 2.8 swap he bought in miami, fl from a mechanic at South Motors down there.  swap was done with all new bmw parts since the mechanic had access to the whole catalogue.  sweet car.  i knew it when the mechanic had it and when steve lived around here.  I bought my 97 M3 new from the same Miami dealership.

[irdave]

1 hour ago, mlytle said:

yup. steven works at cca hq now.   he had a 2.8 swap he bought in miami, fl from a mechanic at South Motors down there.  swap was done with all new bmw parts since the mechanic had access to the whole catalogue.  sweet car.  i knew it when the mechanic had it and when steve lived around here.  I bought my 97 M3 new from the same Miami dealership.

 

That's right.  Man, that was a long time ago.

[AustrianVespaGuy]

14 hours ago, 2002Targa said:

going to megasquirt for ECU management and ditching all the emission crap up front.

+10, do, love it, PM me for MS help!

[FunElan]

Steve has a couple TIs. Nice guy. Congrats on your purchase! These cars are becoming rarer and are almost at "cult status."

 

I'm on my 2nd TI. The 318ti.org is a good site but action can be limited. There's a fairly active Facebook group where people share consistently. My TI is totally stock, just broke 100k (I bought at 63k) and I still get good mileage. Coming back from O'fest in Pittsburgh, I averaged 32-33 mpg. 

[2002Targa]

Thanks all. Looking forward to the project!!!

[iinca]

I had a sweet clean Chamonix 95ti that I added a supercharger to..... it was still as slow as Molasses lol.

 

 It was flashed and it had all kinds of Euro parts that those ti fanatics loved...Nice OE alloys...

 

fun but no barrel of monkeys.

 

I was on that 318ti website and YES it was not nearly as active as the FAQ. The FAQ moves!!! Parts fly!!! love it

 

If I drove winters I'd put my brother's mother in law in the boot...get some studded Hakkapelettas

 

 

[TobyB]

Quote

I'd put my brother's mother in law in the boot...get some studded Hakkapelettas

Is she into that sort of thing???

 

t