New car thread...

Biohazard

Biohazard

Biohazard

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Picked up a new car today, well its old but new to me! BMW 318i SE R reg '98 old boxy shape to replace the even older Audi 80 that was clamped. New car is silver in colour and good nick minus a two or three small rust spots, another on the roof. Will get attended too. 1 year ticket and the tax is up at end of year. Mechanically well looked after it would seem (partial history, but recent is comprehensive), it was the guys joy by the sounds of it. Newer alloys, although I don't know what model they came from. He said they came off a Z4, but couldn't say if they were original to that. :confused: anyways, the wife was lovely and made me a cup of tea. He was a bit of a beemer boy, asked if I had been hunting for one for a while.. didn't want to say, no, not really its just a car. So I just agreed that yes I had been hunting :p

Its a nice ride, planted and quiet. The display is very natural to use I like the positioning of dials, as are controls. Pedal box arrangement is downright odd tbh, to start with anyway. Not sure why they are all so close and shifted towards the accelerator, its annoying if you have man sized feet and boots. The engine lacks anysort of grunt tbh, but still its ok I didn't buy a porker did I? Noticed an odd flat spot in power delivery so i'm going to give it a look over this week.

I know its nothing out of the ordinary but I'll post pics in the morning...

Oh and managed to get it for £500 after a serious haggle sesh. Not bad I recon..
 
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I hate 318's, they are **** but for £500 you really cant argue, seems like a really good buy. Has it got 300k on it or something?

Post a pic of the wheels and I'll tell you what they came off.
 
I've driven a 320 and been in a 325, neither struck me as push-you-in-your seat. You need bigger to be honest but thats not why I bought it, I need to do domestic things like shopping etc and it does seem quite economical so far (160 miles) but I feel like I've robbed the guy slightly but hey ho. He has been trying to sell it for months apparently (steadily dropping price), just market is flooded with similar. Gumtree and ebay is on fire for second hand cars, almost a new one every minute.

No, just over the 100k mark. Maybe 110k i'll check. Insurance comes in at a whopping £590.

Pics will come.

Oh and reverse selection is crap, really. I mean what if I need in there quickly?

How much power has this thing got? I can't seem to find specs anywhere.

edit: Here is the picture from the ad, i'll take my own some point tomorrow.

266126620.jpg
 
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They look like 5 series wheels,My neighbough had a e39 520I SE with those wheels.
 
Biohazard said:
No, just over the 100k mark. Maybe 110k i'll check. Insurance comes in at a whopping £590.




How much power has this thing got?
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Sounds like a good buy.

Around 115 bhp iirc - I had a '92 J reg example that i bought @ 125k & kept until 175k and its still around today.

Yours is nicely run in. :)

For £500, I doubt you'd get anything better.

Just to upset you, my e36 328i cost me £230 to insure last year...... :p:D
 
yeah it felt much slower than the valver, still its so quiet! the valvers so ruuuude :D

in the six months its had:

-O/S/F wishbone and bush
-N/S/f wishbone and bush (ball joints went but he replaced the lot?)
-two 225/55/16's for the rear
-two rear coil springs
-oil filter
-air filter
-plugs
-oil change
-rear brake pipes and flexi's replaced, brakes bled.
-'fuel system cleaner' - could be anything, good or complete waste of time.
-replace N/S headlamp /stone break (the two now look different, have to change older one)
-New BMW battery stanard size- however i've got a much larger two year old BMW 80Ah 640A on charge now to chuck in.

thats all since 01/04/09 and done by a guy he knew at an little independent garage in his town; that mechanic turns out to be now an employee of my aunt (another story) so i'll drop passed with the car see what he has to say. Really not sure why he sold it now, for that after sinking the money in! The last reciept was dated 27/08/2009, I bought it the next day! :o There are some other BMW Eastern reciepts but they are dated 2007 and older. Last mot emmissions were excellent.

Think your right R420, its really comfy for the money! I'm away to glasgow pics will have to wait!
 
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I need to bump this to ask how do you best access the heater blower, from the scuttle or dash?

anyone? its playing up. or point me to good bmw forums?
 
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Tinders said:
They look like 5 series wheels,My neighbough had a e39 520I SE with those wheels.
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E39 wheels wont fit an E36 without work - work people are unlikely to do for a fairly generic set of wheels.

Biohazard said:
Can anyone tell me if front seats and back bench are interchangable between all e36's?
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Like for like, yes - but a touring rear bench wont fit a coupe, for example.

Biohazard said:
I need to bump this to ask how do you best access the heater blower, from the scuttle or dash?
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It's a dash top out job in the E39, I suspect the E36 is the same. It cost me £350 to get mine sorted.
 
right thats great thanks fox! :)

get it sorted tomorrow. apparently its an offense to drive with no heaterblower!

oh also, you might know this.. can you alter toe angle on the rear axle on e36's?
 
[TW]Fox;14782500 said:
I'd be very suprised if thats the case :confused:
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condensation in poor weather? I actually had a bit bother on the M8 tonight lol windows down a touch sorted that. that was from a friend mind you, so it could well be wrong! mind you, he isn't wrong very often at all...

i'll go google :p
 
I purchased my 306 back in November 2007? Heater blower didn't work at all.. even with the vents full open with the temp wound up I got no heat through, it was a cold november aswell, I'll never forget driving round in such a cold car *shudder*
 
Bushes are likely to not help with the bumps certainly. Toe, Camber, can be adjusted on the rear, the same plus caster can be done on the front too.

I've been pulling my coupe apart and the heater blower unit as far as I can see is accessible from underneath the scuttle panel below the windscreen, on the outside of the car. - Checking Haynes I'm right. Accessed via the scuttle panel via the engine bay.
 
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