best 328i Sport for under £4000

best 328i Sport for under £4000

Author
Discussion

Apache

Original Poster:

39,731 posts

285 months

Thursday 28th February 2008
quotequote all
Ok, a little help here chaps, Apache jnr is looking for a replacement for his old coupe and needs to find a suitable, Halfords free example, anyone seen any?

pdavison

1,637 posts

278 months

Thursday 28th February 2008
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I know of an absolute gem of an example that's for sale at the moment.

Drop me a PM and I'd be happy to pass on your details.

driftdaddy

269 posts

214 months

Thursday 28th February 2008
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have a look on www.bmwowner.com/forum  the old e36coupe.com where you'll find great examples that have been looked after by enthusiasts and be sure to get an alusil lined block !!! not the dreaded nikasil

rossi-328i-sport

773 posts

203 months

Friday 29th February 2008
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^^Yawn^^

rallycross

12,836 posts

238 months

Saturday 1st March 2008
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my Montreal blue 328 sport is for sale on autotrader, it might fit the bill of your sub £4k good genuine 328 sport?

98-R sport manual
on autotrader at £3650,
93k miles, which is quite low they all seem to be 100k plus (my last one was 161k!)
Full leather, aircon, recent mot, taxed, HPI clear.
Bodywork very nice, (has some stone chipping and a couple of car park dings) the alloys were re-furbed last year. Nice and clean inside only fault being glovebox hinges broken. view surrey.


Apache

Original Poster:

39,731 posts

285 months

Sunday 2nd March 2008
quotequote all
Cheers chaps. This nikasil thing, shouldn't the engine of a 10 year old car with around 100k on it blown up by now if it was going to?

Apache

Original Poster:

39,731 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd March 2008
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so, post 97 and we're safe?

Apache

Original Poster:

39,731 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd March 2008
quotequote all
bugger, how can I check if the engine has been sorted?

Apache

Original Poster:

39,731 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd March 2008
quotequote all
cheers matey

blade7

11,311 posts

217 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
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When I was looking for one I insisted on having the later block with liners and passed up 2 really nice cars with the nikasil blocks. There are problem free nikasil cars out there and provided you get a leak down test done and the car is around £1k under market value, it may be worth taking a chance.

JamesK

2,124 posts

280 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
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Why the hell drop £1k off of a cars value on the off chance that a problem might or might not happen. Internet paranoia is shocking with problems like these. People would have you believe that a vast majority of nikasil engines popped or are overdue popping. Fantasy.

rossi-328i-sport

773 posts

203 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
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All i know is i have a 328i sport,nikasil,82000,Change oil very regularly with the best i can get,very strong engine,No knocks or rattles,purrs like a kitten,doesnt burn oil and goes like a train,Take the chance if you find a total minter!,i find it talked about to much,Yeah there are cases of it still happening but then iv heard of others over 150000 miles still going strong!,if it goes pop stick a 3.0 in it.If mine goes bang il eat my words but then itl give me a oppotunity to put a 3.2 in it.

rossi-328i-sport

773 posts

203 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
All i know is i have a 328i sport,nikasil,82000,Change oil very regularly with the best i can get,very strong engine,No knocks or rattles,purrs like a kitten,doesnt burn oil and goes like a train,Take the chance if you find a total minter!,i find it talked about to much,Yeah there are cases of it still happening but then iv heard of others over 150000 miles still going strong!,You could buy a non nikasil and have problem up on problem with other things on the car going wrong,You just dont know what the future holds with any car you buy and what problems you have and its no good saying that your nikasil lump will go bang because its not inevitable!if it goes pop stick a 3.0 in it.If mine goes bang il eat my words but then itl give me a oppotunity to put a 3.2 in it.

Waynester

6,356 posts

251 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
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I spoke to BMW Uk about this and they said that if a car that has not haved it's block changed by now would be ok today, in there opinion - there would be no probs at all!

They said 'an awful lot is said about this on internet forums, and to really not worry'

My car has a full main dealer s/h, and has had the engine checked!
No problems whatsoever!
The cause in the 1st place the sulphorous fuel is no longer present or an issue.

Problem is with forums like this is that any -ve stuff goes around like wild fire, and everyone panics and assumes the worst!

Nonsense, be aware, do your checks and all will be well.

b19rak

369 posts

218 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
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Apache, you have a PM.

Shropshiremike

23,277 posts

204 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
It comes down to where in the UK those nicasil cars were fuelled during the years of high-sulphur petrol. Very hard to find out stuff like that now .....that is why some are fine, whereas in others the seeds have been sown

Pearcy

184 posts

201 months

Wednesday 5th March 2008
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Shropshiremike said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
It comes down to where in the UK those nicasil cars were fuelled during the years of high-sulphur petrol. Very hard to find out stuff like that now .....that is why some are fine, whereas in others the seeds have been sown
True (which is why I spent time tracking down a 11/98 build 328i Touring (inc M sport interior/body kit) to ensure I got a steel liner block)

Waynester

6,356 posts

251 months

Wednesday 5th March 2008
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Had mine checked 'flow tested' at BMW Stevenage, and all is FINE!
And my car was bought, serviced & resided in the south all it's life. (That doesn't assume it never visited oop north).

Admittedly there are issues still with 'some' cars, and some people will be unlucky, but clearly it is not ALL.

Do your checks thoroughly and all should be well.

(The guy who did mine said "forum hysteria" ) Hmmm..

Edited by Waynester on Wednesday 5th March 06:55

Waynester

6,356 posts

251 months

Wednesday 5th March 2008
quotequote all
I get it plenty...

Fact is, no-one can guarantee anything. Clearly some cars are unaffected, and you state lots are.

I have done everything possible in my power to ensure all is well with the car i have bought. It has reached it's 82,000 miles without a murmur.
I am not willing to condemn and just lump it into all the other cars that have failed!

Also, these cars can cost between 2-3k. Which for the amount of car you get is amazing value. I have not had to endure the depreciation.

And as i understand it, if it wasn't for the poor batch high sulphur fuel being sold all those years ago this engine along with the V8's are superior to the steel lined. Better heat transfer, lighter etc..

I'm not championing the Nicatel engine just because mine is, i just like to see and hear a little balance.

smile

Waynester

6,356 posts

251 months

Wednesday 5th March 2008
quotequote all
Indeed - enjoyable debating with you chap. thumbup