RE: Wanted E30 Purchasing Advice

["Fadeev, Alex" <Alex.Fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I would like to know if there is a conclusive method to 
> determine if a 325 is in fact an iS. I looked at one
> "325iS", but it had no power options, cloth seats, no rear
> spoiler and a very shallow front spoiler and no OBC.

Yep, that was a fake E30 'is'.
	Most of the differences between E30 'i' and 'is' models are cosmetic
and thus easy to spot:
- - sport leather seats (not Recaro's despite popular belief)
- - useless little trunk lip/spoiler
- - useless deeper front plastic 'chin' clipped to the button of the apron
- - 14x6.5" basket weave wheels (vs. 14x6 'i' bottle cap wheels)
	Things like OBC, LSD, electrical sunroof, premium audio package
(what else?) where available as options on 'i' cars and where "thrown in"
during the later production years. 'is' cars also had a bit (1"?) shorter
springs and sportier shocks. Don't get too emotional about those as the
mileage on the car will necessitate replacing the shocks anyway.

> Are there any codes in the VIN relating to a 325iS? Or
> should I just be looking for the things that were 
> missing on the car I looked at?

	The exact car model (i vs. is) is indeed encoded in the VIN. You can
learn about VIN decoding and a lot of other useful things about BMWs from
the FAQ: http://cbsgi1.bu.edu/bmw/new_bmw.html
	It is simple enough to spot the difference between 'i' and 'is' that
checking the model by the VIN is optional. You could run a vehicle history
check with the VIN from places like http://www.carfax.com/
 
> If I do find a true 325iS what things should I look out for 
> specifically? I have been reading this list for a few weeks
> and realize the timing chain is something that should have
> been replaced at regular intervals. Are there any other
> things to look out for?

Randy, 
	Take your car to your mechanic and pay him/her $60-150 for a
thorough pre-purchase inspection. It will pay for itself as there is always
something wrong with a 9-10 year old car. Having it documented makes price
bargaining a lot simpler. If you do not have a mechanic, take it to a
dealer. 
	The cars you are looking at have timing belts (not chains) that
require religious changing every 60K miles/4 years. Read more about them in
the FAQ!

good luck,
alex

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