Buying a E36 BMW

EnzoSmithers · 16 Oct 2012 at 11:09

Morning all,

I have for a long time hankered after having a 'fun' car for the weekends, and have always wanted a project to tinker with, learn some basic mechanical knowledge and skills and basically play with. I have also had a bit of a thing for german engineering so to me the E36 would be a good starting point.

It will be used at the weekends only so fuel economy is not an issue. I would love a 328i i think, insurance will be too much if i get anything bigger/faster.

This will be a budget car to start with, base car is going to be limited to approx £1k to start with, so I am not expecting to get a showroom car or low miles here.

What should I be watching for, what is replaceable and what is not financially viable?

Body/shell or running gear? (i suspect with my budget only either or will be in good condition, if at all!)

Lastly, does anyone have any advice or think im crazy? alternatives etc

much appreciated,

Cheers, Rob

Scania · 16 Oct 2012 at 11:20

I paid sub £1k for my old 328i auto, it was well specced, drove well (ditchffinders spoilt that a little, but it was fun!) it was crumbly around the arches though and I had to spend on getting the cooling system sorted out.

Buy on condition. Don't disregard the 325 or 323i , arguably, the 323 drives nicer than the 328 imo!

Better to get a tidy 323/325 than a scruffy 328 imo
Budget for redemial work, it'll need something!!

InvaderGIR · 16 Oct 2012 at 11:24

The 328i is the largest engined E36 bar the M3s (3.0 and 3.2) anyway so you're already looking at the most costly non-M car to buy and insure.

Rear arches bubble up and rust quite...uh...nicely?

Cooling system is a weak point on the 6 pots, thermostat, water pump (if plastic impeller) and viscous fan unit often fail.

If you want a Sport, you'll be needing more than £1k for a worth while one, but you should be able to pick up an SE for £1k easily enough.

Personally I'd want to get one with Dual Zone Climate, leather/half leather, decent alloys, minimal owners.

Mileage isn't too big a deal provided it has been serviced well and there is documented proof of the services etc.

If you find one with a decent shell it'll potentially need a suspension refresh (if stock/factory), bushes etc. You'll want to look at the diff mounts/boot floor when looking at them in case of any rippling or tearing.

I paid over £1k or so for mine and it lasted 4 months before the engine blew and knackered. I didn't really look at the car properly when viewing and obviously then regretted it, the car wasn't serviced properly etc. (which I was told it had been prior to sale...worked that one out when I stripped the car for parts).

paradigm · 16 Oct 2012 at 11:34

I'd have a 325i over a 328i, and certainly at a lower budget.

Granted it will have to be an earlier car (the 325i was replaced by the 328i), but they make the same power and are a more reliable engine. They are however less economical.

rodenal · 16 Oct 2012 at 11:57

I'd pick up a 328i tbh if only because it'll be slightly newer, they're ten a penny for the £1k mark and so long as you don't go in with ambitions of finding a sport you should get a decent enough car. In saying that if it was between a very good 325 and just an ok 328 I'd have the older car.

I had my pick of cars when I bought mine, was a low owner car with masses of history and options - as usual the bodywork let it down a bit, particularly the boot and I was never done working on small bits and pieces but it's an older car so you're never going to get away from that. They're dead easy to work on too with parts generally being very reasonable.

InvaderGIR · 16 Oct 2012 at 11:59

Get yourself on www.e36coupe.com and you'll find a huge amount of information and very helpful people, also a lot of cars for sale on PH are available on the forums for slightly less. :cool:

paradigm · 16 Oct 2012 at 12:37

Mine was lovely, really miss it

Morba · 16 Oct 2012 at 13:37

Paradigm that was lovely, makes me remember my 323i 'loon. Loved that car

Matt82 · 16 Oct 2012 at 13:40

there will be loads of work involved in getting it to drive like a nice car

i think you should decide what you want to acheive from this and then decide if it falls in your budget

ive been doing a "restoration" on a E36 M3. So far ive done the cooling system and the suspension.

most recently was the MAF, a simple to fit £200+ part, which has completely transformed my car.

once youve cleared enough hurdles that transform the car in various ways, youll have a nice car, but itll be dear so just be sure its what you want

if youre only spending £1000 there is no point knocking about in a knackered e36, you may as well buy a cheaper knackered car and keep some money in your pocket

shoes · 16 Oct 2012 at 13:52

Suspension - This WILL be knackered and will cost the value of the car to replace. I got some ebay specials (JOM) coilovers and they're fine tbh. Not amazing, but fine.
Bushes - as above but significantly cheaper if you can do the work yourself.
Windows - these will irritate the hell out of you
Make sure you get the climate control and if you can the 18 button OBC - more buttons = better

The non-airbag dash is nicer but obviously less safe.
If you're going for a 328i then spend the extra and get the sport, the non-sport ones looks like 318s, personally that makes me a sad panda.

The cooling system is a doddle, I have done thermostat and water pump on both of mine, it's an hour job to do both if you have a few spanners. beware - you'll need a 32mm to get the viscous fan off. it's the ONLY thing I have ever used this spanner for. Thermostat is about £7 from your local factors, water pump about £40.

Matt82 · 16 Oct 2012 at 14:09

£7 stat. I laugh in the face of a £7 stat.

Buy yourself a cheap M3 and say hello to £50-£60 stats!

From memory the water pump was £80.

Viscous fan jobbie was c.£100 too.

easy to fix/fit but, yeah, avoid the M3 unless youre happy to really go to town on it.

add to that bodywork. chance are thats dead too. another ££££ quite easily.

EnzoSmithers · 16 Oct 2012 at 16:10

thanks for all the posts guys, some really great information here. I definitely want a 328is, I agree theirs no point buying a non sport as I will just want to source a Mtech kit for it then which i might as well pay for the car with it present in the first place.

I prefer the face lift so that rules out the pre 97 325i.

I have a friend who is luckly BMW mad, and his family have owned 7 E36s in all the various guises they come in, who is willing to help teach me all the things I will need to do such as change bushes, coolant system etc. He has done pretty much everything apart from a direct engine replacement, so I feel confident knowing I have this knowledge behind me.

It will not be my daily drive so can sit in a half broken state for a week and not cause any problems.

Again thanks for all the info, will update when I have made a purchase

Rob

InvaderGIR · 16 Oct 2012 at 16:15

328i came out in 1994 and replaced the 325i at that time.

There was then also a facelift in/around 1997 where things like ASC+T were introduced and things like the LSD were dropped (if a car has ASC+T it won't have an LSD).

shoes · 16 Oct 2012 at 16:18

Good point. I own both an LSD 328i and an ASC 328i.

Definitely, definitely get the LSD version (pre '96 I believe).

Matt82 · 16 Oct 2012 at 16:52

Was their asc any good?

rodenal · 16 Oct 2012 at 17:14

Define good.....will it stop you getting out of shape if driving a little bit too enthusiastically? Yes, Does it help exit corners and find that bit of grip like a lsd does?....no

InvaderGIR · 16 Oct 2012 at 18:20

Matt82 said:
Was their asc any good?

Depends what you want from it really, I had it on my 318iS (Muffin's car before I had it) and I could still be an utter hamfisted knuckledragger on any corner I liked with ASC+T on. It would assist in getting it back to shape though...just by killing power gently. With it off the car would go sideways quite easily too, although most of my sideways action in the car was on freezing tarmac in work's car park (just turned of ASC+T when pulling away produced much

from me).

I had one hairy moment at a junction when it was gently starting to snow, booted it with full lock on, pointed the car at a central reservation and put on full oppo whilst still on the power. Took a little while for the traction/stability control to realise the car was out of shape and bring it in line....but I had a few long (felt like ages) seconds with my arse facing a Focus and my nose facing a barrier with oppo on pointing the way I wanted to go. Not my finest moment of motoring, but kind of amusing at the time.

My 328i SE didn't have it or an LSD but was harder to get out of shape than the 318iS WITH ASC+T on....go figure. :/

shoes · 16 Oct 2012 at 19:40

Matt82 said:
Was their asc any good?

When mine worked, yes, it was excellent. It induced more yawns than an evening of back to back re-runs of songs of praise.

Matt82 · 16 Oct 2012 at 19:52

well that sounds like a good thing. to be able to totally disengage your brain and just drive it must be a great thing (from time to time when you just dont want have to think about it)

Clarkey · 16 Oct 2012 at 19:56

For a fun weekend car I'd go for the M3 definitely. As good as a 328 is, out the box it isn't a fun kind of car, even a sport. Don't get be wrong, I love mine but it's taken constant wallet drain and grimy hands to get it there, and I still pine for an M power motor every day.