E36 BMW becoming a classic?

E36 BMW becoming a classic?

Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

62 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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Where's the chav level with 3-Series at the moment? E46? E90?

I'd say bridging the gap, so a E36 could well be within modern classic (which it always would have been). Only trouble is finding a decent one with so many years in the doldrums.

Keep your low miles 330CI clubsports for the future!

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

242 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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I have a rust free, low mile 328 manual coupe and wouldn't let it go for less than £10k. IMO more fun on road than any M3 bar the E30.

C70R

17,596 posts

112 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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M3 (of any flavour) goes without saying. It's an M-car.
328i Sport (manual), possibly. Because it's the car that people who can't afford an M3 may buy.
Everything else, absolutely not. 328s (of all shapes and sizes) are getting thin on the ground because they are all getting tracked and drifted - but that's not the same as them being a classic.

ging84

9,296 posts

154 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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I think they were quite ugly, they certainly have not aged well. But normally when good cars start ugly or don't age well they go through a period of being unpopular then come out the other end as an absolute classic with a strong cult following. I don't think the E36 is there yet, but not too far away.

blade7

11,311 posts

224 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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SidewaysSi said:
I have a rust free, low mile 328 manual coupe and wouldn't let it go for less than £10k. IMO more fun on road than any M3 bar the E30.
Much as I liked my 328 Coupe it was no M3.


njw1

2,255 posts

119 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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The e36 328i coupe was and still is a very capable car IMO, one of my favourite BMW's styling wise too, if I had one I wouldn't let it go in a hurry as I think values are only going to go one way. Look at what e30 325i's are fetching these days... wink

Pica-Pica

14,521 posts

92 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
ging84 said:
I think they were quite ugly, they certainly have not aged well. But normally when good cars start ugly or don't age well they go through a period of being unpopular then come out the other end as an absolute classic with a strong cult following. I don't think the E36 is there yet, but not too far away.
Au contraire, the shape (dolphin shape, I believe?) is stylish IMHO. The car is small by today's standards at 4433mm long. I traded mine in for next to nothing (323i sedan). If they still made it, I would have bought again. Black rubbing strips that were worth their due, smallish turning circle, a proper spare wheel. I have checked mine and after selling it then had an MOT, but lately it is SORN. Someone may have put a private plate on of course. There were looming expensive repairs, that made it, for me, non-viable. But yes, a classic (now, or to be)

BGarside

1,564 posts

145 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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To drive I like my 328 coupe very much and it goes and handles very well, but I'm not expecting it to start appreciating any time soon. The 328 Sport coupes seem to fetch decent money though. E36s of all types seem pretty scarce on the roads these days, so looking at what '80s hot Fords are selling for now they might have their day in another 10y or so...

danllama

5,728 posts

150 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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I run a 323i alongside my mr2. I think they've aged very well, still better looking than the majority of new cars. Much smaller than you expect but roomy inside and comfortable. Its on a classic policy biggrin

MitchT

16,263 posts

217 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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E36 M3 is already very sought after judging by prices. I don't think the 328i Sport and 318iS with Sport pack have caught up yet as they are currently a much lower percentage of the M3's value than they were when new.

ging84 said:
I think they were quite ugly, they certainly have not aged well.
I think it's subjective. I always thought the E36 coupé was the most handsome 3 series (though I'm biased as I have one), only equaled recently by the 4 Series coupé which I also love. I've had mine for 18 years, from three months old, and have never tired of its looks.

nct001

733 posts

141 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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SidewaysSi said:
I have a rust free, low mile 328 manual coupe and wouldn't let it go for less than £10k. IMO more fun on road than any M3 bar the E30.
E30 M3s drive like a toilet and are pissed on by any modern car / any hot car from the 90s.

HedgeyGedgey

1,296 posts

102 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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I dont think they will become a classic tbh. All the manual 6 cylinders are being drifted and crashed weekly, they're not worth a particularly large sum of money either so people don't really care about them, m3's are a different story obviosuly

helix402

7,913 posts

190 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
nct001 said:
E30 M3s drive like a toilet and are pissed on by any modern car / any hot car from the 90s.
I've never driven a toilet, but I do enjoy driving an E30 M3.

nct001

733 posts

141 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
helix402 said:
nct001 said:
E30 M3s drive like a toilet and are pissed on by any modern car / any hot car from the 90s.
I've never driven a toilet, but I do enjoy driving an E30 M3.
I've driven three and totally over rated absolutely nothing special genuinely disappointed performance... struggled to out accelerate modern traffic - pointless.

C70R

17,596 posts

112 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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nct001 said:
helix402 said:
nct001 said:
E30 M3s drive like a toilet and are pissed on by any modern car / any hot car from the 90s.
I've never driven a toilet, but I do enjoy driving an E30 M3.
I've driven three and totally over rated absolutely nothing special genuinely disappointed performance... struggled to out accelerate modern traffic - pointless.
What a load of old b*llocks. Just the bolded bit alone make me think you've completely made that up.

nct001

733 posts

141 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
C70R said:
What a load of old b*llocks. Just the bolded bit alone make me think you've completely made that up.
I've worked for BMW independent and main dealer.
Down to you.

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

242 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
nct001 said:
helix402 said:
nct001 said:
E30 M3s drive like a toilet and are pissed on by any modern car / any hot car from the 90s.
I've never driven a toilet, but I do enjoy driving an E30 M3.
I've driven three and totally over rated absolutely nothing special genuinely disappointed performance... struggled to out accelerate modern traffic - pointless.
Please explain exactly which modern cars are better and in what way. Purely in terms of acceleration?

nct001

733 posts

141 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
quotequote all
SidewaysSi said:
Please explain exactly which modern cars are better and in what way. Purely in terms of acceleration?
Put it this way I offered my 205 gti vs his e30 m3 and it never happened (and I'd put £10k in boot)

Just as well as I'd get a touring car driver for event regardless of cost to prove the point.

Boosted LS1

21,198 posts

268 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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Neither of the two pics above do it for me. I just see a bland car in each of them. Nothing special in the looks department at all.

NickCQ

5,392 posts

104 months

Saturday 2nd September 2017
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Boosted LS1 said:
Neither of the two pics above do it for me. I just see a bland car in each of them. Nothing special in the looks department at all.
Agree. I am biased but the E30 is the last of the proper 'shark-nosed' BMWs (where E24 is the apotheosis), whereas the E36 looks pretty forgettable. The wavy side skirts on the performance models always looked like Halfords add ons to me.