Show Us Your Motors!

OcUK Staff
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@Gibbo Facelift 3.2L saloon even rarer then I take it?

Nope the 3.0 is the rarest I think, more 3.2 were made/sold. Not that it really matters the 3.2 has more low down performance with dual Vanos and more horsepower, last time I drove an EVO was a very long time ago but I don't remember the actual on road difference been that much different between a 3.0 and a 3.2

I was not particular after one or the other was mainly buying on condition or shall we say hopeful condition, most of these cars are now 15k plus with some cars in the 20-35k range, quite optimistic those at the upper end but they do look spotless.

I got this for 10k, honest car, car dealer selling it was his personal car that he got 6/7 years ago with intention on tracking it but he got an E46 M3 which became the track car and the E36 pretty much sat unloved in his unit, he has at least kept it MOT most years and done a small bit of mileage, the owner before that had it for five years and was a family car, given away by the MOT reports saying Child seat obscuring seat belt testing and the foot marks in the rear of the passenger front seat.

Looks good in the photo but it is absolutely a project car for me to work on.

It got me home, did 26mpg all A/B roads, revs to 7000rpm fine and really shifts once its over 5000rpm, something the 3.0 are known for is the strong top-end but it is just because the bottom end is not that good. It has been serviced but mainly oil changes in the past ten years.

I will make a new dedicated thread for the car as I am sure I will have lots of work to share on it and I cannot see it been trouble free, in fact my history of BMW ownership is they tend to turn into money pits. :D

One thing I will say about old cars, COMFORT, this car rides so well and it is oh so small on the road, it is such a tiny car with amazing comfort and a sunroof. :D

It also has ditch finders on the rear that seem to stick to the tarmac like poop to a blanket, it can't get the rear-end to un stick lol, I am sure in the wet they will try to kill me but as time progress the wheels will get refurbed and I will fit a set of matching half decent tyres, don't want anything too good otherwise I think the car will just be to planted and be nice to have some fun sliding it around, brakes are good though. It won't become a track car, intention is to give it the TLC it needs and try to restore it like I did my Clio 172 Cup and then use it, as its only on 115,000 miles it is pretty average miles for the age, you see these cars with close to 300k on the clock supposedly one of the more reliable M3's but time will tell.

Also the engine is supposed to be half a Mclaren F1, is that true or just rumours, whispers and internet rubbish?
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Nov 2010
Posts
23,942
Location
Hertfordshire
Nope the 3.0 is the rarest I think, more 3.2 were made/sold. Not that it really matters the 3.2 has more low down performance with dual Vanos and more horsepower, last time I drove an EVO was a very long time ago but I don't remember the actual on road difference been that much different between a 3.0 and a 3.2

I was not particular after one or the other was mainly buying on condition or shall we say hopeful condition, most of these cars are now 15k plus with some cars in the 20-35k range, quite optimistic those at the upper end but they do look spotless.

I got this for 10k, honest car, car dealer selling it was his personal car that he got 6/7 years ago with intention on tracking it but he got an E46 M3 which became the track car and the E36 pretty much sat unloved in his unit, he has at least kept it MOT most years and done a small bit of mileage, the owner before that had it for five years and was a family car, given away by the MOT reports saying Child seat obscuring seat belt testing and the foot marks in the rear of the passenger front seat.

Looks good in the photo but it is absolutely a project car for me to work on.

It got me home, did 26mpg all A/B roads, revs to 7000rpm fine and really shifts once its over 5000rpm, something the 3.0 are known for is the strong top-end but it is just because the bottom end is not that good. It has been serviced but mainly oil changes in the past ten years.

I will make a new dedicated thread for the car as I am sure I will have lots of work to share on it and I cannot see it been trouble free, in fact my history of BMW ownership is they tend to turn into money pits. :D

One thing I will say about old cars, COMFORT, this car rides so well and it is oh so small on the road, it is such a tiny car with amazing comfort and a sunroof. :D

It also has ditch finders on the rear that seem to stick to the tarmac like poop to a blanket, it can't get the rear-end to un stick lol, I am sure in the wet they will try to kill me but as time progress the wheels will get refurbed and I will fit a set of matching half decent tyres, don't want anything too good otherwise I think the car will just be to planted and be nice to have some fun sliding it around, brakes are good though. It won't become a track car, intention is to give it the TLC it needs and try to restore it like I did my Clio 172 Cup and then use it, as its only on 115,000 miles it is pretty average miles for the age, you see these cars with close to 300k on the clock supposedly one of the more reliable M3's but time will tell.

Also the engine is supposed to be half a Mclaren F1, is that true or just rumours, whispers and internet rubbish?

The 3.2 is what, 30ish hp more? I think the 6 speed manual would be the bigger difference.

I look forward to the project. No doubt you'll go an extra step or two ahead of where you intended.. :D. I fully expect it to start as a comfy saloon and end up being a two seater with harnesses.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Sep 2012
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3,864
Location
Monterrey, Mexico
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Living in the countryside can be fun sometimes.
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Oct 2002
Posts
16,487
Location
Shakespeare’s County
Swapped this for a night yesterday. Defender90 D250, so a lot shorter! Pretty fun car on coil and shorter wheelbase it doesnt roll as much and much keener to rotate and looks good all black. Jump seat means its a kinda 5+1 seater too. I dont think i could put up with the boot space and the powered seats to fold to get in the back would soon get tedious for a family. The V8 must be bonkers.

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Caporegime
Joined
20 Jan 2005
Posts
45,676
Location
Co Durham
I just dont see why people drool over them and think they look gorgeous!!! But same thing with the G wagon, never understood people wanting to spend over £100k on something so ugly.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Feb 2006
Posts
29,318
I wanted to like the short wheelbase Defender, I really did. I took one out for an hour and felt it drove MUCH better than I recall the Defenders of old driving. It was nice and relaxed up to around 60mph when the wind noise started, but a nice place to be and decent to drive with a good cabin. BUT as a second car for me I felt it just to flawed. Back seats are really hard to access due to 2 doors of course and when in place hardly any boot space as can be seen above. The long wheelbase one solves all that of course....but doesn't look as ace.

They were good enough to offer me the car I drove at 10K over list, which I passed on. In hindsight a mistake as they are selling for significantly more over I believe right now. Another Housey investment blunder :(
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Jul 2009
Posts
4,690
Location
The bleak North East arm pit of Britain
I’d personally take the original defender, panel gaps too over the new one. Getting a nice 90 or 110 with a bowler fast road conversion would be my ideal no nonsense do it all car however an ioniq 5 in “N” spec if they ever bring one to market will be what I’d buy.

I just couldn’t do the new shape and given the vast amount of issues I had with a brand new jag that uses much of the same infotainment I would rather stay well clear. One other thing I’ve unfortunately noticed is that they’re all driven by a certain not so favourable demographic (essentially criminals) around where I am or house blonde mouthy girls taking daddy’s car out to sit in McDonald’s car park on an evening where by your then association is of that car and that person… I’d rather have haemorrhoids.

I think a car needs to be considered for the attention it brings you as well as how you feel with it and to an extend that is driven by where you live and those around you. If it attracts the wrong attention you always feel as though you are being watched for the wrong reasons although with some of my past car choices I am a little hypocritical.

Older and more boring now I think.

Oh and hi @Gibbo ! Been a while!
 
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