Bought one :)

[Pete-M]

T plate BMW 318is Coupé. 61k miles. Dead tidy too!Will add pics when I get 'em.

[Peter C]

Had one, great cars.10/10

[Cavcraft]

Within your budget? If so that must have been a right bargain. 2 doors look a cajillion times better than four doors too.

[pogweasel]

Hurrah!You get the bigger/more modern engine and some nicer insides than in mine (comically large steering wheel as standard).Very nice bits of kit though. I like mine alot, though I don't get to use it as often as I would like.

[Pete-M]

Within budget, yeah £850 all in from the auctions. Cat D listed because of a very minor ding and a paint scuff on the n/s/r 1/4 which I reckon will cost me £150 to put right. Otherwise there isn't a mark on it, dead dead straight and clean. Cloth trim but it's like new in there, all the tools seem to be in it, but the torch is missing - there's a surprise. Genuine BMW floormats etc.No service history other than old MOTs, but they tally with the miles on it, it was on 44k three years ago, and it's got the little BMW dealer sticker on the door jamb to suggest it's been there at least once. It drives like a 30k miler. Got a few M badges on bits, gearknob and steering wheel, but they look like they're factory bits.Only two things irritating me now. The alarm fob needs resynching, and it's got one of those bloody awful Pioneer stereos with fuckin' horses and shit scrolling across the screen.It's shite in the snow though!

[meggersdog]

Had one myself a couple of years ago.Nice cars that would be the 1.9 twin-cam wouldn't it ? Mine was an R plate with rusty rear arches

[Pete-M]

Yeah, it's a 1.9. I don't know the first thing about 'em as I've not driven a decent E36 for about 10 years. I imagine I'm gonna have to throw a belt at it am I?

[pogweasel]

Chain, surely?

[Pete-M]

Is it? Kewl. That saves me getting oily.

[Cavcraft]

Class, which auction if you don't mind me asking?Also regarding the alarm fob is it an actual fob or do you press a button on the key itself?

[pogweasel]

IIRC the intervals for chain replacements are every 70k, but I can't say fo sho as I am in your hood this week rather than at home where the books are...

[Pete-M]

Class, which auction if you don't mind me asking?Also regarding the alarm fob is it an actual fob or do you press a button on the key itself?

Tuebrook. To be honest, there was a load of late plate clean stuff there, this BMW was the only thing where I thought "I'll chuck a cheeky bid at that", and even then only after he mentioned it being listed. It was very quiet there though, I think the snow put a lot of people off, only traders and 'international bidders' there.The fact I spotted the only people I know who were likely to bid on it leaving about 5 cars earlier was the only reason I bid on it. Everyone else was either top dollar trade buyers looking for stuff to steal (55 plate Signum with leather for £3500) or Poles looking for Micras etc (X plate Micra, 120k up it, scruffy, £1200 !! )

[shite_meister]

Its the chain tensioner that is replaced before the chains and they're easy. Nice motor should be reliable and economical.It is becoming unusual to see a clean straight original E36 coupe that hasn't been messed with in any dept, often criticised for being bigger than the E30 although I have both and when parked next to each other theres bugger all in it. Nicely made although I think I prefer the saloon doors with frames as they don't make that rattle that frameless doors make.Is yours the M44 1.9? nice, I'm picking up an E30 318is shortly although the 318is in either shape is highly regarded, I own an E36 M3 at the mo but don't drive it as much as I should. I've often thought about a nice original 325i Coupe with standard 15" alloys, I would attach a pic to illustrate unfortunately it is proving nigh-on impossible to find a pic of one that hasn't been screwed with.

[VWPowered]

ohh i used to have one of those stereo's you should be able to turn off the horses (i'm sure there was a F1 screen thingy too) but it should turn off completely

[Pete-M]

Also regarding the alarm fob is it an actual fob or do you press a button on the key itself?

It's a separate fob. One white and one red button on.

[UglyAmerican]

Fun! Something like 138 bhp. I puttered around in a friend's 318ti (the hatchback that looked like an E36 but was based on the E30). Nippy little thing.

[Minimad5]

If the alarm is factory i could have a look on Autodata for you on how to programme it (A reply from me may take a while - having to use the internet at college as home interwebs is being messed with by virgin - If it aint broke - DONT FIX IT)

[saabhappy]

I wonder who thought up the idea of piccies on the stereo? Who gets to look at them or is even bothered. Naff, naff, naff!

[Pete-M]

I've got Autodata. Unfortunately it doesn't mention this particular alarm. However, I think I've found out how to do it on a BMW forum.

 

The stereo, managed to download the destructions for it and turn the bloody flashy lights off. Also managed to change the button colour to red.

 

White I'm 'ere, have some pics.

 

 

You can see the mullahed rear 1/4 on this. I've since had a fiddle with it and it's a lot better, friendly dentman coming to sort it for me

 

 

Interior shot in the style of ebay.

 

[scruff]

Smart!However, from what I have seen of your vehicular taste, I bet you don't keep it long

[Pete-M]

The plan isn't to keep it long.. 3-4 months will do me, but it's bloody good on fuel and still feels 'tight' so it might hang about a bit longer.As long as I can run it for nothing for a few months, and get back whatever it costs me, I'm happy.

[Hudsonpie]

Looks tidy, nice to see one that aint sporting a Halfords wheel deal and GIANT exhaust

[Pete-M]

It's unmolested other than the bloody silly Pioneer radio.I am tempted to fit front fogs though...

[HillmanImp]

Nice buy. But i would say that as since you changed your avatar to Brick top from Gonzo i feel slightly wary of criticising anything in case i get fed to the pigs.

[shite_meister]

Facelift too*I'm not keen on old cars that have a sunroof as my experience has proved that they are nothing but trouble, I see yours doesn't either.*The lamest facelift ever consisting of slightly different shaped grill trims.

[Pete-M]

According to that little sticker on the strut tower, it was built in March 99. Must be one of the last E36s, Shirley?Mustard mitt, you lot know one hell of a lot more about the thing than I do.

[VWPowered]

wow not a bad ride at all, not normally a beemer fan but thats a nice tidy example by the look of it

[pogweasel]

According to that little sticker on the strut tower, it was built in March 99. Must be one of the last E36s, Shirley?

Interesting. For comparison, mine is one of the earliest dating from april 92.

[r.welfare]

Were the last of these (i.e. after the E46 came in stream the previous year, so anything on an S or T plate) all South African built, or was that just the uber-rare 318iS 1.9 saloon? I seem to recall reading somewhere (the Car Mechanics E36 buyers' guide, probably) that the SA-built E36's rust horribly due to poor anti-corrosion protection.Whatever - this one looks very nice, and seems to me (a private punter who has never been to an auction) a bargain. Good work.

[shite_meister]

According to wikipedia the E46 came out in 1998 but they were still being made in '99, even so I've not heard of many that late.R.Welfare-the 318is four-door was the South African one you were thinking of and yes they rust due to lack of waxoyl.