Is the E36 bmw a future classic... - Non M Model
Discussion
I worked for years in the BMW dealer network, initially when the e21 came out, then all through the e30's lifespan and into the early days of the e36. Because of that my parents drove BMWs as did a lot of my friends. I came out of the motor industry to go back into the property industry and bought a new 328i Touring in 1997. High spec and a very good car. One day in 2002 I saw a high mileage, over 200k, two owner e30 325i Touring for sale in Autotrader magazine. I bought it for £800 from the dealer. I sold it in 2007 at the Festival of Speed Auction for £3,500. Various BMW forums said at the time I'd get maybe £1500 for it.
Recently I've bought a e36 318i Touring, one of the last with M3 steering wheel, 16" alloys, sun roof, air, full leather, rear parking sensors. Again a two owner car and with a high mileage but I'm going to get rid of the engine and put a big 6cylinder in it. This is a keeper and despite being in very good condition, interior is immaculate, im not writing anything off the value by putting the bigger engine in. I think that the e36 will be the last of the classic 3 series for quite a while. It's a relatively simple car still. The e46 has gone just a little bit further with electronics and as for body corrosion they will all rot away before Xmas, as JC would say if he was doing a tv programme on the e46.
I did see the other week that the e36 is now officially in the BMW classic stable and parts for it come through BMW Classic as its 25 years old.
Recently I've bought a e36 318i Touring, one of the last with M3 steering wheel, 16" alloys, sun roof, air, full leather, rear parking sensors. Again a two owner car and with a high mileage but I'm going to get rid of the engine and put a big 6cylinder in it. This is a keeper and despite being in very good condition, interior is immaculate, im not writing anything off the value by putting the bigger engine in. I think that the e36 will be the last of the classic 3 series for quite a while. It's a relatively simple car still. The e46 has gone just a little bit further with electronics and as for body corrosion they will all rot away before Xmas, as JC would say if he was doing a tv programme on the e46.
I did see the other week that the e36 is now officially in the BMW classic stable and parts for it come through BMW Classic as its 25 years old.
Can definitely see the E36 being a future classic, especially in 328i or 318is format - lovely cars but unmolested ones are getting harder to find.
Previous poster says E46s rust, but he needs to look at the E46 Compact - for some reason they don't! Head to the E46 325ti appreciation thread - only thing they didn't get was the 330 engine.
Previous poster says E46s rust, but he needs to look at the E46 Compact - for some reason they don't! Head to the E46 325ti appreciation thread - only thing they didn't get was the 330 engine.
MitchT said:
The chances of finding a rot-free one is remote in the extreme, and even if you do it doesn't mean the rot won't appear. Better to find a car that's potentially brilliant and deal with the rot so comprehensively that it can't come back.
Ad far as indicators are concerned, I'd keep the ambers at the front unless you're prepared to change all the clusters. When I see one with clear lenses at the front and ambers at the rear it looks like a bodge job.
Mine has been garaged all its life and so is most certainly rot free. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what to do to keep it that way as I'm unable to keep it garaged?Ad far as indicators are concerned, I'd keep the ambers at the front unless you're prepared to change all the clusters. When I see one with clear lenses at the front and ambers at the rear it looks like a bodge job.
Is some rustproofing required and if so how best to carry this out?
There are companies that specialise in cavity wax and undersealing.
What I do (with varying degrees of dedication / success).
- buy & use a chassis washer (basically an upside down patio pressure washer attachment on castors) and blast the mud and other crap off the chassis on a regular basis, followed by some waxy protectant sort of stuff that apparently coats the chassis
- get your hands in the wheelarches and get all the crap out that you can, followed by a good pressure wash
- handfuls of greased smeared inside the wheelarches, keeps the moisture and crud out (and stops any rust getting any worse).
My e36 cab is pretty good and the arches seem sound although I haven't been religious with the cleaning. There is a nasty blister under the fuel filler which will need a body shop's attention soon.
What I do (with varying degrees of dedication / success).
- buy & use a chassis washer (basically an upside down patio pressure washer attachment on castors) and blast the mud and other crap off the chassis on a regular basis, followed by some waxy protectant sort of stuff that apparently coats the chassis
- get your hands in the wheelarches and get all the crap out that you can, followed by a good pressure wash
- handfuls of greased smeared inside the wheelarches, keeps the moisture and crud out (and stops any rust getting any worse).
My e36 cab is pretty good and the arches seem sound although I haven't been religious with the cleaning. There is a nasty blister under the fuel filler which will need a body shop's attention soon.
I think the big areas are the rear arches and the jacking points/sills
Grease, tar, underseal etc on a clean and dry rear arch should give you as much protection as you can get.
On the sills, make sure the jacking point covers are still there, and an injection or cavity spray of a sealer would be a good idea.
There's also a few bits under the car, maybe get everything clean and paint on some waxoyl over any seams. The right angle at the front of the fuel tank (where the floor stops and becomes the rear bench) can get a bit crusty for example.
Grease, tar, underseal etc on a clean and dry rear arch should give you as much protection as you can get.
On the sills, make sure the jacking point covers are still there, and an injection or cavity spray of a sealer would be a good idea.
There's also a few bits under the car, maybe get everything clean and paint on some waxoyl over any seams. The right angle at the front of the fuel tank (where the floor stops and becomes the rear bench) can get a bit crusty for example.
D1on said:
As above,
Are these a future classic in your opinion? If so what variant...
Depends what you mean by "classic"?Are these a future classic in your opinion? If so what variant...
For example, if you saw an E21 or a 2002 BMW would you consider it a classic, regardless of the engine or trim spec?
Age has a way of making many cars "classics", because they simply become rare.
The E36 in general will fall into this category, although probably needs another 10-20 years to really fill the brief.
Convertible and coupe models are likely to be more sought after in years to come, so a 328 coupe is likely going to be far more desirable than a 318 saloon.
And there will likely be a following, E30's are almost proper classic status these days, mostly because many of the cheap ratty ones no longer exist, so the number of them on the road has seriously diminished. Leaving largely tidier ones left. This raises the price and once something starts gaining value it is certainly more desirable and thusly a classic.
Leins said:
Another one for the reckoning, the rare 318iS Saloon. Any owners on here?
Bought my 325i Coupe with 63k miles on it last year, and so far am enjoying driving it - have put 7k miles on this year. My only issue is the engine lacks grunt unless revved over 4000rpm so the car might be getting a 2.8 transplant in the future...I can't see them making classic status for a while, although numbers on the roads have definitely dropped noticeably.
As well as the usual rear arch lip rot spots I'd recommend pulling out the front wheelarch liners and cleaning / waxing behind them. There's a moisture trap behind the wheels where the arch meets the sill and mine were full of crud and starting to corrode...
BGarside said:
the car is usefully narrower than most, which is great for parking and driving on roads narrowed by parked cars...
Spot on, i am constantly suprised how small the E36 is when parked next to modern stuff, it looks so compact and neat. Also it doesn't conform to the latest trend to make everything look like an Audi/Toyota clone, it is distinctive in looks. Even in a packed multistorey you can spot an E36 a mile off.Sounds like i'm slowly talking myself out of selling it...
pat_y said:
BGarside said:
the car is usefully narrower than most, which is great for parking and driving on roads narrowed by parked cars...
Spot on, i am constantly suprised how small the E36 is when parked next to modern stuff, it looks so compact and neat. Also it doesn't conform to the latest trend to make everything look like an Audi/Toyota clone, it is distinctive in looks. Even in a packed multistorey you can spot an E36 a mile off.Sounds like i'm slowly talking myself out of selling it...
I also like that my car isn't grey, silver or black like pretty much 99% of moderns, which makes it easier to spot in car parks. Then again, it's so much lower than most modern stuff that it's often hidden from view 
Seriously, the compact size, the well-balanced handling, comfy ride, large boot, folding rear seats, reasonable economy on a run, lovely 6-cylinder engine noises, accessible engine for servicing, relative simplicity, understated classy looks are all strong points of the E36 design.
Being EFI, I can also convert to LPG if fuel prices get too high in the future. Older cars running Bosch K/KE-Jet are not so easy.
As the number of non-chavved / non-drift cars on the road dwindle then good original examples seem to attract more attention.
Only downsides for me are the brakes are not brilliant by current standards and the gearbox (mine has a Getrag) is a tad notchy. Also lacks the grunt of a turbodiesel at lower revs, but a 2.8 transplant will hopefully remedy that.
Seriously, the compact size, the well-balanced handling, comfy ride, large boot, folding rear seats, reasonable economy on a run, lovely 6-cylinder engine noises, accessible engine for servicing, relative simplicity, understated classy looks are all strong points of the E36 design.
Being EFI, I can also convert to LPG if fuel prices get too high in the future. Older cars running Bosch K/KE-Jet are not so easy.
As the number of non-chavved / non-drift cars on the road dwindle then good original examples seem to attract more attention.
Only downsides for me are the brakes are not brilliant by current standards and the gearbox (mine has a Getrag) is a tad notchy. Also lacks the grunt of a turbodiesel at lower revs, but a 2.8 transplant will hopefully remedy that.
BGarside said:
Seriously, the compact size, the well-balanced handling, comfy ride, large boot, folding rear seats, reasonable economy on a run, lovely 6-cylinder engine noises, accessible engine for servicing, relative simplicity, understated classy looks are all strong points of the E36 design.
I know the Touring isn't known for its serious load lugging abilities but I've been impressed with it during my ownership. With the rear seats down I've managed to fit 8 wheels (16 inch alloys with tyres) in the back. This week during an Ikea trip I managed to get in a (king size) bed frame, the mattress (rolled up), a chest of drawers and a three door wardrobe.[quote=g3org3y
I know the Touring isn't known for its serious load lugging abilities but I've been impressed with it during my ownership. With the rear seats down I've managed to fit 8 wheels (16 inch alloys with tyres) in the back. This week during an Ikea trip I managed to get in a (king size) bed frame, the mattress (rolled up), a chest of drawers and a three door wardrobe.
[/quote]
I need a touring - something to get my bike in. Not many about though from what I can see.
I was surprised how much stuff I managed to cram in the boot of my coupe without folding the seat down though, including a lawnmower, large suitcases and lots of boxes of other crap. Also for a cycling trip up to Scotland with a mate, easily fitted all our stuff in for the week plus food and crates of beers and bike stuff. It's kind of shallow but goes a long way back (maybe why the rear seats are so cramped).
I know the Touring isn't known for its serious load lugging abilities but I've been impressed with it during my ownership. With the rear seats down I've managed to fit 8 wheels (16 inch alloys with tyres) in the back. This week during an Ikea trip I managed to get in a (king size) bed frame, the mattress (rolled up), a chest of drawers and a three door wardrobe.
[/quote]
I need a touring - something to get my bike in. Not many about though from what I can see.
I was surprised how much stuff I managed to cram in the boot of my coupe without folding the seat down though, including a lawnmower, large suitcases and lots of boxes of other crap. Also for a cycling trip up to Scotland with a mate, easily fitted all our stuff in for the week plus food and crates of beers and bike stuff. It's kind of shallow but goes a long way back (maybe why the rear seats are so cramped
).pat_y said:
Spot on, i am constantly suprised how small the E36 is when parked next to modern stuff, it looks so compact and neat. Also it doesn't conform to the latest trend to make everything look like an Audi/Toyota clone, it is distinctive in looks. Even in a packed multistorey you can spot an E36 a mile off.
Sounds like i'm slowly talking myself out of selling it...
Indeed, even tho new m3/4 is larger even the 92 dwarfs a 36Sounds like i'm slowly talking myself out of selling it...
SidewaysSi said:
Finer steering and more exploitable balance on the road. With a engine slight tweak, not much in it performance wise. And they are a fair bit lighter too which for me makes a big difference. A 328 running 15" wheels is probably the finer driver's car.
I value chassis ability and balance over pure straight line performance so it's an easy decision for me. Furthermore, at current prices, there's little argument which is the more appealing car.
As an aside I can't remember ever seeing a road test from a performance orientated mag/journo really raving about the E36 M3. It's more M330/M330 CSI IMO. A more hardcore coupe of the same era e.g. Integra DC2 is infinitely more exciting to drive than an M3.
Even tweaked it's still down 40-50bhp to an average 3.0 & a lot more to a v heathy 3.2 (all dyno proven not mag figures) granted they are lighter & I too prefer 15s on road.any 36 is numb steering vs many other cars tho no matter what you do.I value chassis ability and balance over pure straight line performance so it's an easy decision for me. Furthermore, at current prices, there's little argument which is the more appealing car.
As an aside I can't remember ever seeing a road test from a performance orientated mag/journo really raving about the E36 M3. It's more M330/M330 CSI IMO. A more hardcore coupe of the same era e.g. Integra DC2 is infinitely more exciting to drive than an M3.
Agreed ref m330 a stock m3 is indeed, but such a great car with just a few tweaks tho esp binning the awful compromised suspension, ditching some weight & giving front some camber.
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