E36 328i Coupe. What to look for?
Discussion
Having sold my 325d E91 i'm looking at having something more interesting as a toy.
My dad used to have an E36 328i that i loved, so thinking about having one in the garage as a present to myself.
I'm not sure what to look for though. Ideally i'd like a coupe, and i think that engine suits an auto 'box.
Anything else to look out for? Rust on the arches i know about, but not much else!
My dad used to have an E36 328i that i loved, so thinking about having one in the garage as a present to myself.
I'm not sure what to look for though. Ideally i'd like a coupe, and i think that engine suits an auto 'box.
Anything else to look out for? Rust on the arches i know about, but not much else!
^As above.
- Rust: arches, sills & bootlids.
- Cooling system: plastic impeller waterpump prone to failure. Thermostat also a common issue. Budget for a refresh.
- Check MoTs for mention of rusty brake pipes. Replacement is a bit of a bugger and can be relatively expensive.
- Engine mounts can go.
- Genuine Sports will have Sport written on the V5.
- Nikasil engines pre March 1998. If the car has already done a decent mileage on a Nikasil engine, I suspect it'll be fine (didn't stop me buying mine).
- 18 button OBC, climate and leather worthy options.
- PDC and cruise control are rare
- Auto is nice enough but feels slow compared to the manual. Expect poor(ish) economy in town with the auto.
- Don't discount Tourings. I was after a Coupe originally but found a decent Touring. Surprisingly practical but with all 328 benefits.
Good luck
- Rust: arches, sills & bootlids.
- Cooling system: plastic impeller waterpump prone to failure. Thermostat also a common issue. Budget for a refresh.
- Check MoTs for mention of rusty brake pipes. Replacement is a bit of a bugger and can be relatively expensive.
- Engine mounts can go.
- Genuine Sports will have Sport written on the V5.
- Nikasil engines pre March 1998. If the car has already done a decent mileage on a Nikasil engine, I suspect it'll be fine (didn't stop me buying mine).
- 18 button OBC, climate and leather worthy options.
- PDC and cruise control are rare
- Auto is nice enough but feels slow compared to the manual. Expect poor(ish) economy in town with the auto.
- Don't discount Tourings. I was after a Coupe originally but found a decent Touring. Surprisingly practical but with all 328 benefits.
Good luck
Edited by g3org3y on Thursday 29th September 13:41
I'd love a brand new E36, classic shape and in the right colour, standard wheels and no mods (amber indicators are a must) its a real looker.
Always wanted a 318is in my youth, seemed the most accesible of the breed. Would one be dissapointing now? (last dozen or so cars have been medium power (250-350 bhp) and comfortable modern cruiser types.
Apologies for thread hijack, but nice to know someone else would like one
Always wanted a 318is in my youth, seemed the most accesible of the breed. Would one be dissapointing now? (last dozen or so cars have been medium power (250-350 bhp) and comfortable modern cruiser types.
Apologies for thread hijack, but nice to know someone else would like one
Slightly OT, but this is my 1998 318iS...in Titan Silver.
It had 92K on it when I bought it ( to replace an E36 328 Cab auto that I bought from my uncle who stopped driving)
It now has about 125 K on it, and I have done 4 Track Days at Croft, and a trip to Monaco a couple of years ago for the Historic F1 Weekend. On that long trip it averaged a true 33 mpg at 'around' the French NSL (!!)
I prefer the 318iS to the 328 for several reasons.
Although it has about 150BHP ( a Miltek cat back S/S exhaust /AMD remap), the 318 handles much better due to the 4 cylinder engine being shorter so the weight is more balanced. Mine has a set of Eibach ARBs which made a huge difference on the track, and, as can be seen in the pic, 17" BMW alloys.
The 318 coupe feels a lot lighter- ( to be fair I am comparing a coupe 318 with the heavier 328 auto cab !)
I took the spoiler off....because I prefer it without...it looks so much neater now IMO ..!
An E36 does not have many electronic gizmos ( apart from the ABS/Traction control), and is more 'direct' to drive compared with modern cars. This makes it very responsive, although ideally it could do with a quicker steering rack. Mine was M-tech spec from the factory build sheet so already had the stiffer suspension. Mine was also lowered by the previous owner.... ( a bit too much if I am being honest !), although this does improve the handling.
In fact the only thing I would consider changing would be a higher diff as it would lower the revs at motorway speeds, and give better mpg, but of course that would blunt the track day performance.
I intend to keep this one as it has very little rust and I try not to use it in the winter salt. Hopefully the value will stay the same even go up with time !
Paul S4 said:
....I prefer the 318iS to the 328 for several reasons.
Although it has about 150BHP ( a Miltek cat back S/S exhaust /AMD remap), the 318 handles much better due to the 4 cylinder engine being shorter so the weight is more balanced. Mine has a set of Eibach ARBs which made a huge difference on the track, and, as can be seen in the pic, 17" BMW alloys.
The 318 coupe feels a lot lighter- ( to be fair I am comparing a coupe 318 with the heavier 328 auto cab !).......
On the flip side, the handling of the 328i is hardly a disaster (it might under-steer slightly more than the 318iS but you soon get used to that and learn to counteract it), and the additional power and outright performance advantage of the 328i more than makes up for any handling deficiencies (and it's not that hard to add another 40~50bhp to a 328i to spice things up even further). Although it has about 150BHP ( a Miltek cat back S/S exhaust /AMD remap), the 318 handles much better due to the 4 cylinder engine being shorter so the weight is more balanced. Mine has a set of Eibach ARBs which made a huge difference on the track, and, as can be seen in the pic, 17" BMW alloys.
The 318 coupe feels a lot lighter- ( to be fair I am comparing a coupe 318 with the heavier 328 auto cab !).......
Added to that, the 2.8 straight six makes a better noise than the 16v 4 pot, and you don't have to work the car anything like as hard as the 318iS to get the performance out of it (the 328i can actually seem a bit lazy due to it using its torque for performance more than its horsepower).
Don't get Me wrong, the 318iS is a fine car in it's own right, but it's handling advantage just isn't enough to counteract the additional power and performance of the 328i for most people.
Horses for courses. Having had a 325 I find my current 328 is more of a lazy cruiser than a sports saloon. The 325 has similarly peaky performance to the 318 and comes,alive at high revs. The 318is is around 150kg lighter than a 328 which must translate into greater agility and responsiveness in corners. Coupled with the fact that the 1.8 can be wrung out without quickly getting into highly illegal speeds and I can see the appeal.
Having owned both a 325 and 328, for me the 328 is the one to have as a daily driver. Can feel lazy but is deceptively quick. You can drive it rapidly with less effort owing to the torque.
The M50 2.5 in the 325 is however more charismatic and thrives on revs. Sounds better too.
M52 2.8 vs M50 2.5
Both great engines, whatever floats your boat.
Sorry, no experience of 4 cyl E36s so can't comment on the handling difference.
The M50 2.5 in the 325 is however more charismatic and thrives on revs. Sounds better too.
M52 2.8 vs M50 2.5
Both great engines, whatever floats your boat.
Sorry, no experience of 4 cyl E36s so can't comment on the handling difference.
Edited by g3org3y on Sunday 2nd October 20:46
Interesting graphs - cheers!
The M50 motor sounds much nicer than the M52 though, is more free-revving and the step up in performance over 4000rpm makes it feel more exciting to drive. For sure the M52 is more effortless, especially for overtaking, but feels like more of a luxury barge-type engine than the M50.
I've fitted the M50 manifold to my 328 this weekend which will hopefully open up the top end making ot rev as freely as the M50.
My 325i sadly has to go and is up for sale. I'll miss it.....
The M50 motor sounds much nicer than the M52 though, is more free-revving and the step up in performance over 4000rpm makes it feel more exciting to drive. For sure the M52 is more effortless, especially for overtaking, but feels like more of a luxury barge-type engine than the M50.
I've fitted the M50 manifold to my 328 this weekend which will hopefully open up the top end making ot rev as freely as the M50.
My 325i sadly has to go and is up for sale. I'll miss it.....
4rephill said:
On the flip side, the handling of the 328i is hardly a disaster (it might under-steer slightly more than the 318iS but you soon get used to that and learn to counteract it), and the additional power and outright performance advantage of the 328i more than makes up for any handling deficiencies (and it's not that hard to add another 40~50bhp to a 328i to spice things up even further).
Added to that, the 2.8 straight six makes a better noise than the 16v 4 pot, and you don't have to work the car anything like as hard as the 318iS to get the performance out of it (the 328i can actually seem a bit lazy due to it using its torque for performance more than its horsepower).
Don't get Me wrong, the 318iS is a fine car in it's own right, but it's handling advantage just isn't enough to counteract the additional power and performance of the 328i for most people.
Having driven a 328i Auto Touring recently, I concluded that it's a much better car than the four cylinder stuff. I've had a 318Ti for about ten years and whilst it's a lively thing, a 328i would just eat it for breakfast - no way would I choose the 1.8 over a 2.8. The alloy blocked M52 and battery in the boot means the front end weight difference isn't that great. The M44 bare engine weighs 100 kilos, the M52 118 kilos. The M52 plastic manifold is lighter, and a battery weighs around 15 kg. Really, there's bugger all in it.Added to that, the 2.8 straight six makes a better noise than the 16v 4 pot, and you don't have to work the car anything like as hard as the 318iS to get the performance out of it (the 328i can actually seem a bit lazy due to it using its torque for performance more than its horsepower).
Don't get Me wrong, the 318iS is a fine car in it's own right, but it's handling advantage just isn't enough to counteract the additional power and performance of the 328i for most people.
BGarside said:
Interesting graphs - cheers!
The M50 motor sounds much nicer than the M52 though, is more free-revving and the step up in performance over 4000rpm makes it feel more exciting to drive. For sure the M52 is more effortless, especially for overtaking, but feels like more of a luxury barge-type engine than the M50.
I've fitted the M50 manifold to my 328 this weekend which will hopefully open up the top end making ot rev as freely as the M50.
My 325i sadly has to go and is up for sale. I'll miss it.....
Did you get the Nikasil issue sorted in the end? I need to stick a M50 on mine too. The M50 motor sounds much nicer than the M52 though, is more free-revving and the step up in performance over 4000rpm makes it feel more exciting to drive. For sure the M52 is more effortless, especially for overtaking, but feels like more of a luxury barge-type engine than the M50.
I've fitted the M50 manifold to my 328 this weekend which will hopefully open up the top end making ot rev as freely as the M50.
My 325i sadly has to go and is up for sale. I'll miss it.....
PTF said:
Having sold my 325d E91 i'm looking at having something more interesting as a toy.
My dad used to have an E36 328i that i loved, so thinking about having one in the garage as a present to myself.
I'm not sure what to look for though. Ideally i'd like a coupe, and i think that engine suits an auto 'box.
Anything else to look out for? Rust on the arches i know about, but not much else!
Coupe is the way to go, good luck finding a tidy unmolested manual though!My dad used to have an E36 328i that i loved, so thinking about having one in the garage as a present to myself.
I'm not sure what to look for though. Ideally i'd like a coupe, and i think that engine suits an auto 'box.
Anything else to look out for? Rust on the arches i know about, but not much else!
Heres whats been required (some multiple times) to rescue and run my 99 328 sport AVUS over the last 6 years...
1. Engine mounts
2. Suspension top mounts
3. New shocks / struts all round
4. New springs all round
5. Rear trailing arm bushes
6. Control arm rear bushes
7. Control arm ball joints
8. Front anti roll bar bushes
9. 2x calipers
10. 2x brake discs / pads
11. Idler pulley
12. Belts
13. Power steering pump
14. VANOS
15. Wheel bearing
16. Rear brake lines both sides
17. NS jacking point repairs and re-under seal
18. Steering wheel clock spring
And I'm sure Ive missed out a few others. I've still got the following to do before I can even think about restoring all the usual rusty bodywork you expect on a 17 yo with 188k on the clock:
1. Rear subframe bushes
2. Passenger window motor / regulator
3. OS jacking point / sill tidy up (nowhere near as bad as the NS was)
The irony is though that it has still worked out cheaper repairing it over 6 years than going down the finance / lease / HP route on a new or newish car (around £1000 - £1500 p/a).
If you pick one up then at some point in the future you WILL be attending to the majority of the items ive listed, especially the suspension components.
Edited by eztiger328 on Thursday 17th November 15:38
There is also an element of luck. I had my 328 sport for 8 years and over 110k miles (172k in total). Mostly it only had routine servicing.
The bushes didn't disintegrate, the water pump didn't explode and the only real rust was the boot lid and rear arches.
I did put 2 radiators in it though, changed the tired shocks, a calliper, the crap plastic thermostat housing and the cam sensor that it had leaked on. Oh and the rear brake lines. I didn't think that was too bad for the age and mileage.
The bushes didn't disintegrate, the water pump didn't explode and the only real rust was the boot lid and rear arches.
I did put 2 radiators in it though, changed the tired shocks, a calliper, the crap plastic thermostat housing and the cam sensor that it had leaked on. Oh and the rear brake lines. I didn't think that was too bad for the age and mileage.
LanceRS said:
There is also an element of luck. I had my 328 sport for 8 years and over 110k miles (172k in total). Mostly it only had routine servicing.
The bushes didn't disintegrate, the water pump didn't explode and the only real rust was the boot lid and rear arches.
I did put 2 radiators in it though, changed the tired shocks, a calliper, the crap plastic thermostat housing and the cam sensor that it had leaked on. Oh and the rear brake lines. I didn't think that was too bad for the age and mileage.
True, prior to my 328 I had a 50k 93 320 coupe which i ran for 5 years and apart from the water pump, RTAB's , rear top mounts and a viscous fan coupling not much else went wrong.The bushes didn't disintegrate, the water pump didn't explode and the only real rust was the boot lid and rear arches.
I did put 2 radiators in it though, changed the tired shocks, a calliper, the crap plastic thermostat housing and the cam sensor that it had leaked on. Oh and the rear brake lines. I didn't think that was too bad for the age and mileage.
I do suspect that worn front shocks were the reason it was written off though, (my fault rear ender where the lights and kidney grills attempted to do the job of the bumper!)
I suppose my 328 is a 'worst case' example
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