PICKED up another shite motor this morning (BMW E36) UPDATED

[Peter C]

I miss my old E36 318iS, however with a 9 month old boy that I drop off at nursery 5 days a week, I need a car with back doors. I wanted a 6 cylinder E36, found this on EBay and bought it yesterday:

 

 

 

 

It's a 320i 24V with a manual 'box. The dealer I am buying it from is local and has a 100% positive feedback from over 60 sales. He talked me through the car and it sounds sweet.

 

Ok, it has 175k miles on the clock but comes with "substantial FSH". I don't mind because when I sold my 318iS that had almost 300k miles on the clock and ran sweet as a nut. The 6 pot engine is also deemed to be longer lasting than the four.

 

Oh, it's also an SE model with 4 x leccy windows, sunroof, mirrors, trip computer, alloys....

 

I am picking it up this morning. Years ago I bought some adaptor brackets to fit 6x9 speakers into the original mountings on the back shelf and I have set of speakers to fit. They should go well with the Pioneer head unit and 6 disc changer fitted in the boot.

 

I'll let you know how I get on. I really hope it's a good 'un because I can see myself enjoying this car for weeks, maybe even months to come!

 

Peter C

[pogweasel]

Grey J-reg E36's are FOR WINNERS.

Fact.

[Negative Creep]

I love the E36, I really think it's a design classic. Shame so many are M3 replicas owned by wankers. Having said that, the grey plastic bumper models really are grim; the moment you saw your first one you knew BMW would never be as exclusive again

[RedSparrow]

Nice one!

I too am a recent convert to the joys of cheap second-hand beemers.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I've driven an early E36, it was dismally badly built. This looks nice though!

[retrogeezer]

my mate was flogging this for about £700 which I thought seemed quite reasonable....

 

http://www.autoshite.com/forum/viewtopi ... coupe+sale

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Granite silver non Vanos 320i!

 

On board computer and the ugly four spoke steering wheel.

 

Win win win win.

 

Anybody had an H plater? That's serious shite points in my book.

[Peter C]

Ok, went to pick up the Beemer. The car looked just like the dealer described.

 

The bodywork is in decent condition for an 18 year old E36 and the interior is clean. The one owner looked after it well for the past 11 years.

 

All four wheels look like new and are fitted new Avon tyres - result. The spare is a matching alloy with a good matching Avon.

 

The engine started ok, looked dry and ran sweet.

 

Went for a test drive.

 

Engine - good.

Gearbox - good.

Steering - good.

Suspension - good.

Electrics - good.

Brakes - problem!!!

 

When braking, the rear brakes emitted a regular dull thud. We went back to the dealer's garage. He called a local mechanic out, a BMW specialist no less. Matey took the car for a drive and concluded that the thud must be coming from a warped or cracked rear disc. The dealer suggested a discount (of the already low price) and we agreed on £100. I bought the car.

 

Five minutes down the road from the dealer's garage, whilst driving at approx 30MPH, I gently applied the handbrake and heard a click from the rear. Hey presto. I guess one of the pads that previously got stuck released and all evidence of thuds on braking had disappeared. RESULT - £100 saved in the space of 10 minutes!

 

The car drives great. The engine is a honey, the gearbox is sweet and the car drives really well, especially considering the relatively high mileage. The previous owner must have looked after it and not given it too much stick.

 

I got the car home to show the wife. I've had so many cars in the past few years that I don't think she even noticed the Beemer. The only problem is that the heater temp control knob doesn't seem to work and the vents only blow hot. The heater control valve needs TLC.

 

I took it to a friend to have it valeted and this is how it looks now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[r.welfare]

Great purity of line on that early, unadorned model. The only E36 experience I have had is when I test-drove a 316i auto that a colleague wanted to buy - dismal. I'd say a six-cylinder manual would be a much more rewarding experience.

 

Certainly the noise a BMW six makes when you wind it up is magical...probably explains why I only averaged 22mpg in my 528i...

 

Nice trip computer there below the stereo too!

[ashmicro]

That looks really good. Congrats.

[hennabm]

A mate of mine had one of these new. He wanted the bumpers body colour but was told that the plastic used wouldn't let them be painted.

 

Funny that later ones were body coloured

[Minimad5]

Looks very nice and clean, great buy

 

Mate of mine at work has one of these in Black.

Don't see many in Silver or Black around here, mostly Red.

[Volksy]

Anybody had an H plater? That's serious shite points in my book.

I did for a while, a White 325i with Blue Interior, including the dash

 

It was also on 3 spoke wheels.....

[Cavcraft]

Ooh, nice that and good to see (as N.C) said no garish 'M3 lookalike extras. Wheelarches look the part too and reckon you've had a right result there.

[pogweasel]

Garish extras? Do I fail??

Also granite silver. Probably on of the earliest coupes out there. Deeply lovely.

[Peter C]

The car is remarkably sound for an old E36. Like I said, the previous owner had it for over 11 years and obviously looked after it. However, the arches are just starting to go and it has the odd mark here and there - it is 18 years old after all. That said, my W123 230E is over 25 years old and there's barely a pimple on it....

 

I considered buying a 318i but every review and road test I read suggested going for a 6 pot. My E36 318iS Coupe was fun but this is much nicer. The engine is superb, smooth but has that metallic raspy zing to it if you give it a bit mor throttle.

 

I am working on that steering wheel. I will probably fit a three spoke from a Coupe. I can afford to invest £100 in this car!

 

I'll keep you updated.

[Mr Lobster]

That does look nice. Liking that very much. I'd quite like one but I'm really thinking that economical winter wheels might well be useful instead.

[Peter C]

That does look nice. Liking that very much. I'd quite like one but I'm really thinking that economical winter wheels might well be useful instead.

 

According to the trip computer I am getting 35MPG average with 44MPG at a constant 70MPH on a trip to London. That's good enough for me.

[Lord Sterling]

That does look nice. Particularly with the earlier steering wheel. very nice and standard.

 

I had a E36 3-series Coupe in Black for a bit. Nice car to drive around in, I certainly wouldnt hesistate to buy one now, though I want to try the E34 535i in Granite Grey with full black leather interior and BMW cross spoke alloys.