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Other no mileage listed, but has a euro plate(maybe an enthusiust?)(or a dousche) for $4200
They peaked my interest. How realistic is it that these cars will last a bit. I can do pretty much anything myself working on it, and being an enthusiust car there is plenty of info out there.
I see they require premium, anyone know how they run on lesser grades?
What are some bigger repairs to look out for like a timing chain?
What are some common repairs/problems to look for?
I have a 2000 3.8 5-speed camaro with 120k. I put new clutch/shocks/brakes and some other things. I have $3k total invested in this car. The 4 doors of the BMWs caught my eye. Also I like having an enthusiust car, makes parts and "fixes" a lot simpler. So considering a change.
Same time I want something about as dependable as my camaro. There is a stigma of older euro cars costing a fortune. But I have also heard E36s are easy to work on and not that expensive. Just looking for more opinions.
Wife has her baby, a '95 318is nearing 200k. About the biggest complaint we've had has been the windows. A lot of people on the bimmer forums acknowledge this design flaw. She's redone her front end, had to replace a rear main seal and a cam sensor most of them coming after 125k on the odometer. Other than that the thing has been a bullet. Absolutely love the little thing. There are tons of aftermarket parts and most are relatively reasonable. I'd say if you're interested, get it. They're great.
The E36 model is reasonably reliable, considering their age, and the good thing is that the aftermarket and enthusiast community have come up with solutions to most, if not all potential trouble issues.
Like any old car, the value depend entirely on the condition of the vehicle, but if it's in good nick, it's not a bad vehicle, and stand up well to every day driving as well as a "Sunday sweetheart", I'd run it on the fuel grade it asks for though, to prevent issues down the road.
All that said though, if it was me I'd look for an E30 instead.
I remember when they came out while I was in high school. I thought it was just about the most attractive sedan out there, simple but elegant. I remember when Car and Driver got a 325i in 1992 and put 30000 miles on it in 6 months with almost no problem.
I'd still like to get one, but following the market I have noticed good examples for sale have dried up pretty quickly over the past 5 years.
Overall I think they were pretty durable cars from everything I know.
The E36 M3 that I drove was great... good on the street and weekend track sessions. Although is was reasonably reliable it (like most BMW's) still cost more to maintain and repair (think double for anything you did to your Chevy).
Compared to the E46, the electrical issues are fewer in an E36 as it is a simpler vehicle, but there can be more mechanical issues with the E36s than the E46s. The E30 was much simpler, and more durable, I agree, but if you are mechanically inclined an E36 might not be too much of a hassle for you, especially since the mechanical failures to which they are prone are well documented in the enthusiast community.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Probably the units that were going to do this have already done so, but a few E36 cars had structural problems where the rear floorboards cracked up - I have not seen this in person so my description is necessarily vague - but it's a hard condition to recover from.
Up to 95 you are looking at an OBD-I car, OBD-II after that.
I'm not sure what "loaded" means on the one car you describe as such, but if that means AT, BMW have never built that good an AT, they tend to be relatively fragile, and expensive to repair/rebuild - while the manuals are as usual with BMW excellent, crisp shifting, rugged and reliable. Beyond that IMHO a 3-series particularly with AT does not make any sense anyway.
Get a 95+ e36. They have the OBD-II and with the right tools and software and knowledge of code #s, you can diagnose problems off the bat. They are also harder to steal because they use a more complex security system that your average thief can't bypass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Mitch
Probably the units that were going to do this have already done so, but a few E36 cars had structural problems where the rear floorboards cracked up - I have not seen this in person so my description is necessarily vague - but it's a hard condition to recover from.
Up to 95 you are looking at an OBD-I car, OBD-II after that.
I'm not sure what "loaded" means on the one car you describe as such, but if that means AT, BMW have never built that good an AT, they tend to be relatively fragile, and expensive to repair/rebuild - while the manuals are as usual with BMW excellent, crisp shifting, rugged and reliable. Beyond that IMHO a 3-series particularly with AT does not make any sense anyway.
Weren't they using GM transmissions or was that later with the E46?
The E36 did use a GM transmission. After 1996, some of the automatics were ZF units, which continues as BMW uses both GM and ZF automatics.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
They are both 5-speeds. I probalby wouldnt even look at them if they were autos.
Fully loaded is... leather, power everything, sunroof, etc... Didn't think of it much but I guess BmWs get that stuff standard, or at least I hope since they were like $40k new.
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