Bought myself an E36 328i

[S26VE P]

only 2 pics i have here at work, very clean car, owned just 3 miles from us for 7 years, only used in the summer and garaged over winter. average on the last 7 years mots was just over 1k per year.

cannot see any rust on it, but could ideally have a new roof.

Edited by S26VE P on Tuesday 26th May 14:46

[SidewaysSi]

s m said:

I had the less sought after saloon - only cost a couple of grand- ran it for 7 years and nearly 100k miles ( starting at 130k )



Went all over Europe in it on hols and it was fun to drive plus pretty economical



Had a 2.93 (then a 3.07) LSD, Z3 rack, Eibach adj ARBS, Xbrace, Bilsteins, RTAB limiters, Z3 rear and M3 front strut reinforcers

Like all the E36/E46 saloons I've had, had the folding rear seats which can be handy for carrying wheels, extra stuff

[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3884/15165966117_cde16a6d1d_z_d.jpg[/imago

As 4rephill says, these are (or were ) so cheap for an affordable rwd, DIY-able car - taken over for me from the old Mk2 Escort/Hipo 4 cyl or V6 Sierras
Aircon, heated seats, sunroof, leather...all thrown in for minimal outlay

Good luck with your new car

Looks a lovely car with some good mods. What did you think of the Z3 rack? I want to increase my ateering feel and precision as much as possible so was thinking this rack and a smaller steering wheel-thinking an older original BMW wheel rather than an aftermarket one as I would rather it looked OEM. I really don't like the mass of the airbag at the moment-it robs the steering of some sharpness.

[g3org3y]

OP don't forget the M50 inlet manifold/BBTB mod too.

[Funk]

g3org3y said:

OP don't forget the M50 inlet manifold/BBTB mod too.

I never got round to doing the manifold thing. I've opened the exhaust up though!

[rlg43p]

Me too: just acquired a 328i Coupe with only 31k miles for £1,400. Garaged all its life so not a single speck of rust anywhere. Needs a bit of fettling as it has been stood for 5 years, but when that's done I will post some piccies.

Edited by rlg43p on Wednesday 27th May 15:49

[Vincefox]

On the 328 its also worth doing the cdv delete and removing the restrictor snorkel from the airbox.

[Paul S4]

On a slightly related note....this is the air box from my E36 318iS which I bought last year; a 'mint' example which I shall keep for a long time. I agree with those who say it will become a future classic, as the coupe/convertible looks so cool ( biased of course!)

Just wondering if the extra box that attaches to the side of the filter housing ( ie main air box) is just a resonator and can it be 'deleted' ( albeit with a bung as well !)

[e21Mark]

I have run m52/2.8 engines in e21 over the past few years and think they're a great engine. Especially given how cheaply they can be bought!

The first one, in my old orange 323i, had nothing more than the m50 inlet and a refreshed ECU by End Tuning, yet made a reliable 219.6 bhp. Given that the 323i originally only had about 140bhp, it gave it a useful boost in performance. It also averaged around 45mpg. I have read that the inlet swap reduces low end torque slightly but I never noticed this myself.

This time I am taking things to the next level with Cat fast road cams, 6 branch exhaust manifold, lightened flywheel, Jenvey ITB's and standalone ignition. I would hope to see around 260 - 270bhp and a bit more induction noise thanks to the throttle bodies!





I couple of well chosen engine mods and maybe some weight loss, with aftermarket seats etc and I think you could certainly improve your 328. Looks really nice by the way.

[LanceRS]

Still miss mine. Replaced it with an e46 330 Clubsport (someone ploughed into the back of it) which is a very nice car in it's own way but very different. I had mine for nearly 9 years and over 100k miles, I'd still have it given the choice. A great daily even when totally standard, although I'll agree that the rack could have been quicker.
As for the m50 and other mods, I never really found myself thinking that the car was too slow and was put off by tales of moving the torque further up the range. That would have ruined it for me as my daily driver.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I did mine.

[Vincefox]

e21Mark said:

I have run m52/2.8 engines in e21 over the past few years and think they're a great engine. Especially given how cheaply they can be bought!

The first one, in my old orange 323i, had nothing more than the m50 inlet and a refreshed ECU by End Tuning, yet made a reliable 219.6 bhp. Given that the 323i originally only had about 140bhp, it gave it a useful boost in performance. It also averaged around 45mpg. I have read that the inlet swap reduces low end torque slightly but I never noticed this myself.

This time I am taking things to the next level with Cat fast road cams, 6 branch exhaust manifold, lightened flywheel, Jenvey ITB's and standalone ignition. I would hope to see around 260 - 270bhp and a bit more induction noise thanks to the throttle bodies!





I couple of well chosen engine mods and maybe some weight loss, with aftermarket seats etc and I think you could certainly improve your 328. Looks really nice by the way.

That's going to sound fantastic