Synchromesh's £350 BMW 328i saloon
Discussion
Looks like your having a great time with the BMW, think I remember seeing your MR2 at Llandow last year, least I think so as it looks like your BUKC aswell! One question I've got to ask though is considering you've spent 1k on maintenance in 2 months (I appreciate some of it is neccessary for track work) would you not have been better off buying a slightly better example that had a few more track based mods completed? Just a thought, although you did get a seriously good deal I must admit 
Coaster94 said:
Looks like your having a great time with the BMW, think I remember seeing your MR2 at Llandow last year, least I think so as it looks like your BUKC aswell! One question I've got to ask though is considering you've spent 1k on maintenance in 2 months (I appreciate some of it is neccessary for track work) would you not have been better off buying a slightly better example that had a few more track based mods completed? Just a thought, although you did get a seriously good deal I must admit
Yes you would've seen the MR2 at Llandow, in fact you might've seen me slipping out for a few cheeky hoons between races - it would've been rude not to with tarmac like that on the doorstep! Are you doing BUKC this coming season too?I'm not that fussed about what I've spent on it. If you take into account that a) it's now worth a lot more than £350 (maybe £1k on a good day) and b) the car is now set up for a good few months of maintenance free driving, then it doesn't look so bad. I've quite enjoyed the process of getting all the niggles sorted and ending up with something that's mechanically as well as structurally tip-top. I'll admit the paint work is rough in places, and for some people the mileage / lack of history would be an issue, but hopefully this'll be a keeper so it's not such a biggie.
Now I'm just pondering whether to sort out the suspension, and if so whether to go for OEM or aftermarket. For cost reasons, I'm leaning towards the latter. Anyone have any views or advice on this?
Synchromesh said:
Coaster94 said:
Looks like your having a great time with the BMW, think I remember seeing your MR2 at Llandow last year, least I think so as it looks like your BUKC aswell! One question I've got to ask though is considering you've spent 1k on maintenance in 2 months (I appreciate some of it is neccessary for track work) would you not have been better off buying a slightly better example that had a few more track based mods completed? Just a thought, although you did get a seriously good deal I must admit
Yes you would've seen the MR2 at Llandow, in fact you might've seen me slipping out for a few cheeky hoons between races - it would've been rude not to with tarmac like that on the doorstep! Are you doing BUKC this coming season too?I'm not that fussed about what I've spent on it. If you take into account that a) it's now worth a lot more than £350 (maybe £1k on a good day) and b) the car is now set up for a good few months of maintenance free driving, then it doesn't look so bad. I've quite enjoyed the process of getting all the niggles sorted and ending up with something that's mechanically as well as structurally tip-top. I'll admit the paint work is rough in places, and for some people the mileage / lack of history would be an issue, but hopefully this'll be a keeper so it's not such a biggie.
Now I'm just pondering whether to sort out the suspension, and if so whether to go for OEM or aftermarket. For cost reasons, I'm leaning towards the latter. Anyone have any views or advice on this?
As for your new car, I totally understand where your coming from, it's always nice to get to know a car by doing work to it and at least you know it's 'character,' My point was really in regards to your plans for a European jaunt, but now that she's serviced so probably don't need to worry.
Sure i'll catch you in the new year for BUKC to see the car first hand
Coaster94 said:
My point was really in regards to your plans for a European jaunt, but now that she's serviced so probably don't need to worry.
Sure i'll catch you in the new year for BUKC to see the car first hand
No plans at the moment to take the car abroad. We may do Le Mans, but if it all goes ahead the first choice car will be my mate's XJ (as featured in this thread). I definitely need to go back to the 'Ring, but would be tempted to hire one of those Swifts from that Dale bloke who sometimes writes on here - you always have more fun when it's someone else's car! Sure i'll catch you in the new year for BUKC to see the car first hand
Synchromesh said:
No plans at the moment to take the car abroad. We may do Le Mans, but if it all goes ahead the first choice car will be my mate's XJ (as featured in this thread). I definitely need to go back to the 'Ring, but would be tempted to hire one of those Swifts from that Dale bloke who sometimes writes on here - you always have more fun when it's someone else's car!
Hahah, true. just try not too tick of the crashing a rental car off the bucket list in the process. Would love a trip to the 'ring but my financial situation and the fact I own a rather weedy 8v Punto, mean i'll have to wait just that little bit longer!Four months since I last updated!? Well, that's probably because it's been quite for uneventful for KAN recently, but I guess that's a good thing.
The odometer has continued to roll round at the usual rate of about 500 miles a week. Most of that has been on the M4 doing the usual schlep but we've also been to some more exciting places…
The tail end of December saw a track day at a very wet Brunters. Great for getting under the skin of the 328i and practicing some high speed drifty stuff in safety, even if I did manage something I've never done on a track day before by spinning out. Twice.
Then to Curborough, where my friends dubbed the E36 the "Curburgring drift taxi". Admittedly, going very sideways four or even five-up was hilarious. Here's some video evidence, but I apologise in advance for the sound - I think some people were driving an RC car in the paddock...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsn7T9Jsrvk
Around this time I fitted a new head unit. Cash converters yet again came up with the goods and I bagged a Kenwood for £35. Not only is the sound quality miles better, but having Bluetooth means I can stream music straight from my phone.
Early Feb saw a visit to Oulton Park, a track I'd been meaning to drive for a long time. While the wet weather refused to dry up, my talent continued to evaporate. Yet again, I spun twice, although the line about running slicks in the wet comes quite early up in the racing driver's book of excuses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUCgOINRIlw
Packed and ready to track
Driving to Oulton the scenic way
Yes, I just did something very pie-key and posted the watermarked photo
And to last week, where the BUKC took us to Glan-y-Gors for Rounds 5 & 6. But nearly as good as the racing itself were the roads, and our hostel in Betws-y-Coed made a great base to explore them. A 'Top Gear' style race against the train from Betwsy to Ffestiniog meant the A470 needed to be tackled apace (of course, the car won), and the evo triangle demanded to be driven twice (once in each direction, naturally).
On the Pen-y Pass, Snowdonia
So it would appear that my spending early on has paid off, as the last few months have been virtually expense free on the car front. It does, however, feel like time to move it on. I tend to have a six month boredom threshold when it comes to cars, and like the Volvo and MR2 that came before, it's time someone else got to have some fun in this. That and there's a LS400 out there with my name on it. I'm in no real rush (that Lexus hasn't made itself known yet), but I'll be putting up an ad for this in the next few weeks. In the meantime, feel free to PM me if you know anyone who might be interested.
The E36 - at home at Maccys as it is anywhere
The odometer has continued to roll round at the usual rate of about 500 miles a week. Most of that has been on the M4 doing the usual schlep but we've also been to some more exciting places…
The tail end of December saw a track day at a very wet Brunters. Great for getting under the skin of the 328i and practicing some high speed drifty stuff in safety, even if I did manage something I've never done on a track day before by spinning out. Twice.
Then to Curborough, where my friends dubbed the E36 the "Curburgring drift taxi". Admittedly, going very sideways four or even five-up was hilarious. Here's some video evidence, but I apologise in advance for the sound - I think some people were driving an RC car in the paddock...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsn7T9Jsrvk
Around this time I fitted a new head unit. Cash converters yet again came up with the goods and I bagged a Kenwood for £35. Not only is the sound quality miles better, but having Bluetooth means I can stream music straight from my phone.
Early Feb saw a visit to Oulton Park, a track I'd been meaning to drive for a long time. While the wet weather refused to dry up, my talent continued to evaporate. Yet again, I spun twice, although the line about running slicks in the wet comes quite early up in the racing driver's book of excuses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUCgOINRIlw
Packed and ready to track
Driving to Oulton the scenic way
Yes, I just did something very pie-key and posted the watermarked photo
And to last week, where the BUKC took us to Glan-y-Gors for Rounds 5 & 6. But nearly as good as the racing itself were the roads, and our hostel in Betws-y-Coed made a great base to explore them. A 'Top Gear' style race against the train from Betwsy to Ffestiniog meant the A470 needed to be tackled apace (of course, the car won), and the evo triangle demanded to be driven twice (once in each direction, naturally).
On the Pen-y Pass, Snowdonia
So it would appear that my spending early on has paid off, as the last few months have been virtually expense free on the car front. It does, however, feel like time to move it on. I tend to have a six month boredom threshold when it comes to cars, and like the Volvo and MR2 that came before, it's time someone else got to have some fun in this. That and there's a LS400 out there with my name on it. I'm in no real rush (that Lexus hasn't made itself known yet), but I'll be putting up an ad for this in the next few weeks. In the meantime, feel free to PM me if you know anyone who might be interested.
The E36 - at home at Maccys as it is anywhere
Edited by Synchromesh on Thursday 27th March 21:05
Glad you're enjoying it. Mine changed from a wafty cruiser to a bit more focussed and enjoyable when I stuck a Bilstein Power Kit (B8 shocks, Bilstein's springs) on it. Handles like a b
d now.
Nice to see another on Style 30s- they're actually a really good-looking wheel design. The BBS RC041s from the Sport are a good bet- they're really light and are the same width as the Style 30s, so don't detract from handling prowess. Worth a shout, if you can find a ratty set and spruce them up yourself.
M50 manifold is a must on these. It gives a great big gob of power up high, and still makes decent torque down low. Mine with an M50 manifold, DaveF air intake, solid flywheel conversion and straight through manifold back exhaust made 233bhp on the dyno... without a map tying it all together. All for pretty cheap too.
If you can find an LSD, they're generally quite cheap. Mine was £130, locks up well. New clutch plates for them can be had for around £25.
d now.Nice to see another on Style 30s- they're actually a really good-looking wheel design. The BBS RC041s from the Sport are a good bet- they're really light and are the same width as the Style 30s, so don't detract from handling prowess. Worth a shout, if you can find a ratty set and spruce them up yourself.
M50 manifold is a must on these. It gives a great big gob of power up high, and still makes decent torque down low. Mine with an M50 manifold, DaveF air intake, solid flywheel conversion and straight through manifold back exhaust made 233bhp on the dyno... without a map tying it all together. All for pretty cheap too.
If you can find an LSD, they're generally quite cheap. Mine was £130, locks up well. New clutch plates for them can be had for around £25.
As of last Sunday, the 328i has found a new home. Enter stage left PH'er McSam who, having seen the car on AutoTrader and recognised it from this thread, decided to come and view it. It was probably one of the most dignified and sociable transactions, but we both had the same figure in mind and in the end £900 quid came my way, while as well as the car itself, I (literally) threw in 2 extra sets of wheels and 5 months tax. It even had half a tank of petrol still in it, although that was more down to my own poor planning. A condition of the sale was that he keeps up a thread here, so we'll keep our eyes peeled.
So, did the car end up being the bargain I first thought it would be? Excluding fuel and insurance, here's what I spent on it over 7 months and 14,442 miles:
So I guess I did end up spending more on it than I originally planned, but then again I got 6 track days out of it, and money went in to offset the wear and tear that came with them. Overall, I think I got good value from the car, not just in monetary terms but the enjoyment it gave - its soft suspension and torquey, tractable motor made town and motorway driving (the majority of my mileage) a pleasure, but it could still make me smile on a B-road or track day, even if managing the movement of the weight was more of a priority than I'd have liked. For me, the car revolved around the powertrain, and that combination of BMW's famous straight-6, the FR layout and a 50/50 weight distribution lived up to it's reputation. Ultimate driving machine, innit?
To finish off, here are few photos from my last few weeks with the car:
At the PHSS at Silverstone with PH'er Angry Sheep and his lovely E34 520i.
Blyton Park in Lincolnshire two days before it was sold!
Where I spent a lot of time doing this
Talking of soft suspension
Such for sale (N.B. This one didn't go on the AutoTrader ad!)
Waiting at the car wash, yeah
McSam fills up 'his' car
That's all folks! Thread on its replacement coming soon...
So, did the car end up being the bargain I first thought it would be? Excluding fuel and insurance, here's what I spent on it over 7 months and 14,442 miles:
| Item | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| Depreiciation | -550 |
| Maintenance | 1,102 |
| Wheels and tyres | 225 |
| Tax | 248 |
| Upgrades | 63 |
| Total | 1,088 |
| Per month | 155 |
| Per mile | 7.5p |
So I guess I did end up spending more on it than I originally planned, but then again I got 6 track days out of it, and money went in to offset the wear and tear that came with them. Overall, I think I got good value from the car, not just in monetary terms but the enjoyment it gave - its soft suspension and torquey, tractable motor made town and motorway driving (the majority of my mileage) a pleasure, but it could still make me smile on a B-road or track day, even if managing the movement of the weight was more of a priority than I'd have liked. For me, the car revolved around the powertrain, and that combination of BMW's famous straight-6, the FR layout and a 50/50 weight distribution lived up to it's reputation. Ultimate driving machine, innit?
To finish off, here are few photos from my last few weeks with the car:
At the PHSS at Silverstone with PH'er Angry Sheep and his lovely E34 520i.
Blyton Park in Lincolnshire two days before it was sold!
Where I spent a lot of time doing this
Talking of soft suspension
Such for sale (N.B. This one didn't go on the AutoTrader ad!)
Waiting at the car wash, yeah
McSam fills up 'his' car
That's all folks! Thread on its replacement coming soon...
petrolveins said:
DanielJames said:
Ahh glad this went to another PHer.
A PHer FB friend shared this car and I commented on it being a bargain Why I didn't recognised it i'm not sure.
Only shared it so someone would buy it before I made the man maths work! Again nice to see it stay in PH. A PHer FB friend shared this car and I commented on it being a bargain
Why I didn't recognised it i'm not sure. Coaster94 said:
Only one thing to say here, very stochastic!
#weathergateWill you be at BUKC 24hr?
Coaster94 said:
Sad to hear you've sold it, seems like a decent deal for the both of you though. Any ideas what you may replace it with?
It was replaced on the night it was sold! As I said, thread on that coming soon but if you can't wait then have a look in 'My Garage'.Synchromesh said:
Coaster94 said:
Only one thing to say here, very stochastic!
#weathergateWill you be at BUKC 24hr?
Coaster94 said:
Sad to hear you've sold it, seems like a decent deal for the both of you though. Any ideas what you may replace it with?
It was replaced on the night it was sold! As I said, thread on that coming soon but if you can't wait then have a look in 'My Garage'.Coaster94 said:
Doug at his best. On the subject of the 24hr Leeds and Met are joining for 1 team, but I may or may not be racing; i'm supposed to be working in Italy all summer. Quite a shame as I missed Clay too, you continuing next year?
I forgot, are you Leeds or Met? Clay was a great weekend and yes, defo continuing next year esp as I'm running BUKC side for our team.Synchromesh said:
I forgot, are you Leeds or Met? Clay was a great weekend and yes, defo continuing next year esp as I'm running BUKC side for our team.
I'm Leeds mate, all goes to plan i'll be running our society next year so i'll definitely be doing most races; shame they all came within one loan payment this year.Oh, and hat well and truly doffed to your new purchase, outstanding effort.
)
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