Friday 1st July 2016

Shed of the Week: BMW 325i (E36) Convertible

Well if some sunshine is on the way, what better vehicle for enjoying it than a drop-top 3 Series?

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Apparently, Brexit is responsible for the price of eggs, the extinction of dinosaurs and the inclement weather we've been having recently.

Shed doesn't know about any of that, but if we do ever get some EU-style weather over here then this remarkably un-Barried 325i Convertible could be just the ticket for getting some of King Sol's rays onto one's tonsure.

Hood apparently still functions - result!

Way back in the permanently sunlit uplands of the early 1990s, Shed attended the press launch of the E36 325i Convertible in the south of France. In truth it was meant to be the launch of the first 'modern' M3, the E36 six-cylinder one that could be had in Dakar Yellow. The 325 ragtop had been sort of chucked in there for the journos to use as an alternative means of getting to their next refreshment stop; and yes, if you liked, as a comparison to help them realise how much better the M3 was.

And of course by any measurable criteria the M3 was 'better'. It had more power and more torque and you only needed two gears to drive it quite rapidly more or less everywhere.

What it wasn't so good at was making a whizzy din. The 325 was good for that. Even now, more than a quarter of a century later (oh dear), Shed still remembers the metallic zing of the oh-so-sweet 2.5 bouncing off the rock faces north of Nice. It was a very tidy little handler too.

Finding a 21-year-old 325 Convertible in such unmolested condition and with such a low mileage suggests a car that's been loved by its four owners. The phrase '15 inch alloys' might look ridiculous when it's written down on an ad but these BMW ones are lovely and fit this car perfectly.

When BMW made wheels for normal hands

Sadly it's not a manual, but you can't have everything. At least it's not the sometimes troublesome SMG six-speed 'box that came later.

Here's some better news: the roof works. Well, it goes up and down anyway. If it's doing that electronically, rather than through physical force and a hell of a lot of swearing, then you're laughing - plenty of these Convertibles have lost the ability to doff their own hats. At this end of the market a Convertible with a non-functioning roof is effectively a write-off.

You still had 'ladies cars' back in the 1990s and this is definitely one of them. The vendor's camera seems to have some Vaseline on the lens, but even so you can make out the unusual body colour and matching interior. At the risk of stereotyping you can imagine this car having been ordered by a well-coiffed Cheshire-based lady of leisure or by the owner of a Midlands beauty salon.

Most PHers worthy of the name will know the E36's weak points, but here's a quick run-through of the usual suspects. Water pump (plastic impeller failure). Thermostat housing (plastic). Leaking cam cover gaskets. Rattly cam chain on the six-pots (can be tensioner or guides). Vanos seal trouble. Weeping power steering reservoir. Cutting out (usually air leaks from split pipes). Rough idling or poor starting (often a dirty idle control valve, easily fixable with a dose of throttle body cleaner).

This bit is looking good at least

Suspension generally. Specifically, perishing lower control arm bushes and worn front ARB links at the front and split damper mounts, broken springs and weak or perished trailing arm bushes at the rear.

Brake light switches, power seat actuators, heater control valves, crank position sensors. Less commonly, a loss of oil pressure caused by detached oil pump gear. You shouldn't have the window operation difficulties caused by faulty comfort relays on pre-'94 cars but windows can drop or tilt if the internal slider mechanisms break.

Don't get the impression from this long list that this week's Shed will be a barrel of bother. It's more a reflection of the depth of experience built up over time by many thousands of largely happy 325 owners.

Many will say you may as well save your money for a 328 as it will be almost as economical as the 325 and a fair bit faster. Others will be content with the knowledge that the 325 motor is one of the smoothest you can buy. Unlike another recent choice, picking between a 325 or a 328 is more of a no-lose decision between two rather nice things. Just put your X in the appropriate box.

Here's the ad.

Finished in Metalic Marea Grun Blue. Cloth and half leather matching sports seats. Black Mohair Automatic Power operated Hood. 15" 10 Spoke Light Alloy Sports Wheels. Sony stereo RDS Radio and Cassette Player and four speakers. Leather Sports Steering Wheel. Tinted glass. Electric Windows front and rear & door mirrors.

ABS Cornering Brake Control, Anti Skid & Traction Control. Active Roll Over System.

Twin Exhaust tail pipes. Full remote central locking alarm and immobiliser system complete to Manufacturers specifications.

[tezzer]

Now't wrong with that for the money, cheap summer (?) fun.