97 328i coupe - £650. Money pit?
Discussion
RWD cossie wil said:
yinujim said:
RWD cossie wil said:
Auto box.... Fail 
Nothing wrong with an Auto if you only have one leg, or are over 60.
If you enjoy your cars being slower, using more fuel and the removal of some driver involvement then a slush box is made for the job.
That belongs to a mate of mine, tried to sell it for 1k but got interest and even wanted to swop me for my metro! Anyways, it looks like a really nice motor and if it was lower milage I would have prob got it myself and put a manual box into it. Good luck with the car and get some better pictures of it once you get it home!
Oh and the metro is an MG1300 with a buggered g/box not a turbo.
Oh and the metro is an MG1300 with a buggered g/box not a turbo.
RobM77 said:
Take a look at the 328i on my profile. Lovely car, but the all in cost was near to £10k after two years of ownership, including purchase. Sure, I much prefer it to the E46 330ci I could have bought and run for that money, but do bear the potential costs in mind!
I've just checked your profile of that car out. I can't believe the cost of some bits!
For example - your front bushes and lower arms cost you £600+, I've just bought the parts to do that myself, including drop links, bushes, arms, and new ARB bushes for £110. Likewise, your brakes were over £1,000. OEM kit to replace all four corners, discs, pads and sensors is just £150 from Brakes International. You spent £1,600 on springs and dampers - Bilstein dampers are £40-50 a corner and a set of 4 springs can be had for ~£100.
Crazy, Crazy prices. You can see why "specialists" make a killing on premium cars, and I'm so glad I've taken the leap into servicing and maintaining my own cars, or else providing the parts to the two old boys who run the garage up the road and charge £35 an hour labour.
RobM77 said:
Take a look at the 328i on my profile. Lovely car, but the all in cost was near to £10k after two years of ownership, including purchase. Sure, I much prefer it to the E46 330ci I could have bought and run for that money, but do bear the potential costs in mind!
Thanks for the info Rob - I doubt I'll be fitting allround new BMW sports suspension or 4 new tyres in short order that that would cut 2k off 
. MPG not a concern as the outgoing car had 2 more cylinders and 1400cc more and scraped c 21mpg.
WeirdNeville said:
RobM77 said:
Take a look at the 328i on my profile. Lovely car, but the all in cost was near to £10k after two years of ownership, including purchase. Sure, I much prefer it to the E46 330ci I could have bought and run for that money, but do bear the potential costs in mind!
I've just checked your profile of that car out. I can't believe the cost of some bits!
For example - your front bushes and lower arms cost you £600+, I've just bought the parts to do that myself, including drop links, bushes, arms, and new ARB bushes for £110. Likewise, your brakes were over £1,000. OEM kit to replace all four corners, discs, pads and sensors is just £150 from Brakes International. You spent £1,600 on springs and dampers - Bilstein dampers are £40-50 a corner and a set of 4 springs can be had for ~£100.
Crazy, Crazy prices. You can see why "specialists" make a killing on premium cars, and I'm so glad I've taken the leap into servicing and maintaining my own cars, or else providing the parts to the two old boys who run the garage up the road and charge £35 an hour labour.
helix402 said:
Looks like a good one, I think I used to service it! Is that a Coombs/Vines of Guildford no plate? I was there from 94-04. I still service a 1997 328, they're one of the most reliable and best made BMWs.
Hi I'll check the details and let you know tomorrow - could unearth 1st hand service history Edited by helix402 on Sunday 2nd January 19:13
RobM77 said:
If I was going to buy a BMW 328i Sport though, I wanted it as Munich intended. I didn't want to put Bilsteins on it or anything like that.
Hate to tell you this Rob....but if it was a Sport, Munich did indeed intend to put Bilsteins on it.... They do cost a bit more than £40 a piece though.... more like £150 a piece for the front ones
RobM77 said:
I did my research thoroughly before buying everything, speaking to suspension specialists, owners on here, and sampling a few cars, and decided it was official BMW parts or nothing. The bushes etc cost so much (along with other bits), because the underside of the car had rusted and bits had ceased... All work was done by an extremely good local garage near me run by a friend of the family, and didn't cost much in labour.
All the 328 sports have Bilsteins from the factory, thats what gives them such good ride in the first place.No reason why it should be a money pit, I had a 328 sport that had done 160+k and it was a decent old thing, drove quite well, didnt use oil or water, everything worked; these cars are designed to do much more miles than that!
rallycross said:
RobM77 said:
I did my research thoroughly before buying everything, speaking to suspension specialists, owners on here, and sampling a few cars, and decided it was official BMW parts or nothing. The bushes etc cost so much (along with other bits), because the underside of the car had rusted and bits had ceased... All work was done by an extremely good local garage near me run by a friend of the family, and didn't cost much in labour.
All the 328 sports have Bilsteins from the factory, thats what gives them such good ride in the first place.No reason why it should be a money pit, I had a 328 sport that had done 160+k and it was a decent old thing, drove quite well, didnt use oil or water, everything worked; these cars are designed to do much more miles than that!
Smike said:
RobM77 said:
If I was going to buy a BMW 328i Sport though, I wanted it as Munich intended. I didn't want to put Bilsteins on it or anything like that.
Hate to tell you this Rob....but if it was a Sport, Munich did indeed intend to put Bilsteins on it.... They do cost a bit more than £40 a piece though.... more like £150 a piece for the front ones
Yes, I know they had factory Bilsteins!! I was referring to aftermarket, not factory fit. I'm obsessed with ride and handling, and wanted the car on its standard settings.They needn't be a money pit no, but the way any car drives will degrade over time. Even 30k miles sees a noticeable different in damping. I wanted my 328i to drive like new. For me taking one back up to how it felt as new was a viable and better alternative to buying a newer car with a DBW throttle such as a 330ci.
It all depends on how much work the previous owner(s) have avoided having done to it... It's bound to need a few bits and bobs done to the engine, as when the value of a car drops below £1500 or so, people tend to drive it as long as they can get away with then sell rather than spend a few hundred on a service or getting larger issues resolved if they know they can get a few hundred more miles out before having to get the work done. BMW parts are no more costly than other brands so if you are a DIYer or have access to a trusted independant BMW garage you will find it no more costly to maintain than any other marque...
Well, just picked it up (will do some photos after lunch).
It seems to drive ok, gear box seems fine, started immediately from cold, brakes seems good. Has 4 new tyres (ditchfinder special nankings), elec stuff works so far.
Some surface rust along the top of the windscreen (as listed in advert), I'll just Krust it for now.
Seats are worn a bit, but still seem firm.
Possible issues
Engine temp gauge doesnt move up from cold
Airbag warning light on (battery has been changed possible link?)
It seems to drive ok, gear box seems fine, started immediately from cold, brakes seems good. Has 4 new tyres (ditchfinder special nankings), elec stuff works so far.
Some surface rust along the top of the windscreen (as listed in advert), I'll just Krust it for now.
Seats are worn a bit, but still seem firm.
Possible issues
Engine temp gauge doesnt move up from cold
Airbag warning light on (battery has been changed possible link?)
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