RE: PH Fleet: BMW 328i (E36)

RE: PH Fleet: BMW 328i (E36)

Author
Discussion

Olivera

7,068 posts

238 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
TameRacingDriver said:
jaik said:
I've never quite understood using cars like this as track toys, aren't they a bit dull for that? Or is it purely that they're cheap and plentiful (hence cheap to fix)?

And yes, I'm an E36 328i owner. It's a comfortable, practical, cheap daily with enough ability to be hustled along at a reasonable pace when you want to, but I never take it out just for the sake of going for a drive.
Probably that they are cheap, not slow and RWD.

I had a 328 Sport and I'd generally agree, its a little too refined as a hooning toy.
The E36 328 is an inherently very well balanced car, I'd wager more so than a bike engined MK. Beyond the limit of grip the back end steps out very predictably and can be caught with relative ease. A boot full of throttle and some lock and you can get it to power slide all day, even at 70mph+.

I've (with some friends) have just bought our second 328. First one died after a few days hard use due to HGF. A lot of disposable fun for sub £1000!

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
firman said:
sopaz said:
Snap! (but a 323i)





Just bought it... All seems OK? The heater fan doesn't work though, anyone got any experience with this?
Here is my similar looking one biggrin

Make it 3 biggrin 328i touring, just bought last month. cool




Btw re the fan - do you mean when hot/cold or not at all. If the latter, it may be the 'hedgehog'.

jaik

2,002 posts

212 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Olivera said:
TameRacingDriver said:
jaik said:
I've never quite understood using cars like this as track toys, aren't they a bit dull for that? Or is it purely that they're cheap and plentiful (hence cheap to fix)?

And yes, I'm an E36 328i owner. It's a comfortable, practical, cheap daily with enough ability to be hustled along at a reasonable pace when you want to, but I never take it out just for the sake of going for a drive.
Probably that they are cheap, not slow and RWD.

I had a 328 Sport and I'd generally agree, its a little too refined as a hooning toy.
The E36 328 is an inherently very well balanced car, I'd wager more so than a bike engined MK. Beyond the limit of grip the back end steps out very predictably and can be caught with relative ease. A boot full of throttle and some lock and you can get it to power slide all day, even at 70mph+.

I've (with some friends) have just bought our second 328. First one died after a few days hard use due to HGF. A lot of disposable fun for sub £1000!
I assume the MK reference is about the one in my profile? It's running a Vauxhall Redtop for the record smile Is the 328 better balanced? Probably. I guess it depends what you enjoy about driving. I'm not really bothered about getting every bit of performance out of cars, more just having something shouty and stupid that puts a big inane grin on my face.

You both make fair points, I guess there's not a huge amount else you can get that's as well rounded for the money. I do find if a car's too well balanced you have to go ballistic to enjoy it, but I suppose that makes sense for track use.

Think I'd rather have a Clio 172 though wink

320touring

1,428 posts

198 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Looks epic fun, although reckon you missed a trick not getting a touring- they're just coolersmile

top driving too, wish it wasn't such a long run from Glasgow, so I could gain good knowledge of the 'ring..

Terror Factor

127 posts

169 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
I'm also wondering how it compares to the rx8!


And Dale, would you go back to the mx-5 (turbo) if you could (on a budget of course)?

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Terror Factor said:
I'm also wondering how it compares to the rx8!
Or the 75 V6!

MonkeyRacing

151 posts

206 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
As we're doing Tourings...... here's my 328i :-)

|http://thumbsnap.com/O9ThLa0d[/url]

jaik

2,002 posts

212 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Oh, go on then…


will261058

1,115 posts

191 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Brilliant, look forward to reading more. thumbup

nick1275

1,272 posts

169 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
great car, i love my e36 328, had it 7 years, its worthless really but it only does 3k a year as ive got a works van, so i just cant bear to part with it

rossi1

773 posts

201 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
The E36 makes a great track car, even slightly breathed on they make great fast road/Track cars and you dont even have to strip them ! smile mine looks as OEM as i could make possible but runs coilovers along with upgraded E46 brake/yellow stuff pads, Front and back strut braces and a few other bits and bobs along with nearly every bush upgraded underneath.
Cruises along like a 2 year old car on the road without any knocks or rattles and then is like a completely different car on the track.
And while all the tourings are posting pics i thought i would stick a coupleup of my 328i sport up for the coupe lovers. any excuse wink




Edited by rossi1 on Tuesday 9th October 22:13

JdmRacer

40 posts

149 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Have a one for sale used as a drift car if anyone is interested in buying it
the one thing i love about them is the power the whole way through the rev band with no lag our short spots just power the whole way through smile
seems way more powerful than figures would make you think

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
brutepower said:
..... The 328 coupe also had strengthening around the diff to stop it from pulling out of the car, not sure if the 4 door had this or not but worth finding out.
Care to post a link to prove this alleged strengthening? - this post is the first I've ever heard of it!

(I'm pretty certain the 328i came with the exact same diff mounts, subframe mounts and boot floors as did all the other non - E36 M cars.)

ian_touring

585 posts

204 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Go on then:


I really prefer the touring shape from an aesthetic point of view, but the extra weight would shirly make the 'loon the natural choice? (on track)

pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Lovely M52 engines in those 328i's.

I have had a manaul and auto coupe, and an auto touring.

Silky smooth power delivery, but howls when needed!

Good choice - enjoy it.

And long live the BMW straight-six!

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
bug splattered


Varn

205 posts

200 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
I'll never understand why you didn't get the engine rebuilt in the RX8.

Dale Lomas

218 posts

154 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
Varn said:
I'll never understand why you didn't get the engine rebuilt in the RX8.
With all the money I possess in the world I couldn't have paid for the cheapest, nastiest backyard rebuild. And I certainly don't have €3500 in my pocket for a haywards or rotechniks motor. And even if I did, with a full warrantied motor built by a reputable firm it will have a predicted life measured in tens of hours, not hundreds.

IF you read the article, you'll notice I had to sell the wreck to fund the BMW project.

braddo

10,399 posts

187 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
Dale Lomas said:
With all the money I possess in the world I couldn't have paid for the cheapest, nastiest backyard rebuild. And I certainly don't have €3500 in my pocket for a haywards or rotechniks motor. And even if I did, with a full warrantied motor built by a reputable firm it will have a predicted life measured in tens of hours, not hundreds.

IF you read the article, you'll notice I had to sell the wreck to fund the BMW project.
What sort of times was the RX8 doing around the 'ring, Dale? Just curious how it compared overall to the 328 so far.


stew-S160

8,006 posts

237 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
jaik said:
Olivera said:
TameRacingDriver said:
jaik said:
I've never quite understood using cars like this as track toys, aren't they a bit dull for that? Or is it purely that they're cheap and plentiful (hence cheap to fix)?

And yes, I'm an E36 328i owner. It's a comfortable, practical, cheap daily with enough ability to be hustled along at a reasonable pace when you want to, but I never take it out just for the sake of going for a drive.
Probably that they are cheap, not slow and RWD.

I had a 328 Sport and I'd generally agree, its a little too refined as a hooning toy.
The E36 328 is an inherently very well balanced car, I'd wager more so than a bike engined MK. Beyond the limit of grip the back end steps out very predictably and can be caught with relative ease. A boot full of throttle and some lock and you can get it to power slide all day, even at 70mph+.

I've (with some friends) have just bought our second 328. First one died after a few days hard use due to HGF. A lot of disposable fun for sub £1000!
I assume the MK reference is about the one in my profile? It's running a Vauxhall Redtop for the record smile Is the 328 better balanced? Probably. I guess it depends what you enjoy about driving. I'm not really bothered about getting every bit of performance out of cars, more just having something shouty and stupid that puts a big inane grin on my face.

You both make fair points, I guess there's not a huge amount else you can get that's as well rounded for the money. I do find if a car's too well balanced you have to go ballistic to enjoy it, but I suppose that makes sense for track use.

Think I'd rather have a Clio 172 though wink
I'm going to chip in here because of the last post.
I owned a Clio 172Cup, for 6 weeks, before selling it. Terrible car to drive. I bought an E36 328I sport coupe. The BMW is better balanced. OK, it's not a rabid terrier style like the Clio, but even the 'arm chair' seats are better than the Clio's 'seats', in terms of comfort, and driving position.
So, this is my own personal opinion, and doesn't count for anyone else, I'm glad I got the BMW. I just need to shift a couple hundred KG's from it now.