Cheap 328...what could go wrong?
Discussion
So yeh, hands up i stole the thread title 
Last week i saw a 328 touring up for sale, £800. Was dark when i viewed it and picked it up...i should have learnt from the previous car. It looked fairly solid, with little rust on the archs, and everything electrical worked.
Its a 1997 car, with 120k miles, though very little service history. I bagged it for £550.
Having a good look at it in the day light, i think its suffered from laquer peel, which someone has tried to rectify with a rattle can.
It doesnt really bother me for the money i got it for.
Things ive got for it so far (and yet to fit)
front wishbone rear poly bushes
bosch spark plugs
cam cover gasket (got sent the wrong one, so need to sort that)
10l of oil
oil filter
waterpump
Things i might do:
Think one of the rear shocks is knackered, but probaly going to put it on coilovers, or shocks and spring (although i dont want to lower it much any more than 20-30mm, just want a stiffer ride)
LSD need to get a shorter ratio diff out, and slipper at that
Might also double up the rear arb, to make it less understeery
I put the trust old ibiza up for sale on gumtree on saturday, and sold it within two hours.....no going back now!!! Going to miss that car, had it since i was 17 and it did me well for the past 4 years. Made quite a big jump, doubling the capacity and tripling the power to the bims.
Last week i saw a 328 touring up for sale, £800. Was dark when i viewed it and picked it up...i should have learnt from the previous car. It looked fairly solid, with little rust on the archs, and everything electrical worked.
Its a 1997 car, with 120k miles, though very little service history. I bagged it for £550.
Having a good look at it in the day light, i think its suffered from laquer peel, which someone has tried to rectify with a rattle can.
It doesnt really bother me for the money i got it for.
Things ive got for it so far (and yet to fit)
front wishbone rear poly bushes
bosch spark plugs
cam cover gasket (got sent the wrong one, so need to sort that)
10l of oil
oil filter
waterpump
Things i might do:
Think one of the rear shocks is knackered, but probaly going to put it on coilovers, or shocks and spring (although i dont want to lower it much any more than 20-30mm, just want a stiffer ride)
LSD need to get a shorter ratio diff out, and slipper at that
Might also double up the rear arb, to make it less understeery
I put the trust old ibiza up for sale on gumtree on saturday, and sold it within two hours.....no going back now!!! Going to miss that car, had it since i was 17 and it did me well for the past 4 years. Made quite a big jump, doubling the capacity and tripling the power to the bims.
Edited by orangesrule on Sunday 24th February 21:39
Been using it for a week now, and its all going well. Gave it a well needed service (oil filter, disintergrated as i removed it).
It pulls like a train to the redline. I've also bought a couple spare 15" alloys with tyres, for when i go to drift and track days. (need about 4 more ideally).
Everything is going well so far, currently averaging 27mpg, which i think is fairly reasonable considering i've only been doing fairly short journeys.
Still need to source an m3 non evo lsd and some sort of refreshed/good suspension for it, aswell as needing to fit the m50 manifold and front polybushes i have for it.
Also found the the original spec list online, it must have cost a pretty penny back in the day!!
Airbag for front passenger
Manually adjust. steering column
BMW LA wheel, Classic
Alarm system
Door mirror / driver's lock, heated
Bumpers completely in body colour
Roof railing
Window lifts,electric,front/rear
Trunk room net
Warning triangle and first aid kit
Interior mirror with automatic-dip
Smoker package
Armrest front
Headrests, rear, mechanically adjustable
Headlight cleaning system
Park Distance Control (PDC)
AUTOMATIC AIR FLOW CONTROL
Automatic air conditioning
On-board computer V with remote control
Radio preparation
M Sports suspension
M sports steering wheel, multifunction
NATIONAL VERSION GREAT BRITAIN
Retailer Directory Europe
Delete cross-pattern operation
On-board vehicle literature English
Engine characteristic graph
Automatic stability control (ASC+T)
Through-loading system
Centre armrest, rear
Headlight aim control
Fog lights
Check Control
It pulls like a train to the redline. I've also bought a couple spare 15" alloys with tyres, for when i go to drift and track days. (need about 4 more ideally).
Everything is going well so far, currently averaging 27mpg, which i think is fairly reasonable considering i've only been doing fairly short journeys.
Still need to source an m3 non evo lsd and some sort of refreshed/good suspension for it, aswell as needing to fit the m50 manifold and front polybushes i have for it.
Also found the the original spec list online, it must have cost a pretty penny back in the day!!
Airbag for front passenger
Manually adjust. steering column
BMW LA wheel, Classic
Alarm system
Door mirror / driver's lock, heated
Bumpers completely in body colour
Roof railing
Window lifts,electric,front/rear
Trunk room net
Warning triangle and first aid kit
Interior mirror with automatic-dip
Smoker package
Armrest front
Headrests, rear, mechanically adjustable
Headlight cleaning system
Park Distance Control (PDC)
AUTOMATIC AIR FLOW CONTROL
Automatic air conditioning
On-board computer V with remote control
Radio preparation
M Sports suspension
M sports steering wheel, multifunction
NATIONAL VERSION GREAT BRITAIN
Retailer Directory Europe
Delete cross-pattern operation
On-board vehicle literature English
Engine characteristic graph
Automatic stability control (ASC+T)
Through-loading system
Centre armrest, rear
Headlight aim control
Fog lights
Check Control
Nice car, though a suggestion
You've got the front wishbone polybushes I assume. Get ahold of the RTA bushes as well in poly (easier to fit than stock ones) and change those as they have a habit of collapsing and causing the rear end to wonder around.
Friend of mine did the same as what you're considering doing and it's worth while doing so. Top mounts for the rear shocks can be replaced with the E46 M3 cab versions which are stronger.
You've got the front wishbone polybushes I assume. Get ahold of the RTA bushes as well in poly (easier to fit than stock ones) and change those as they have a habit of collapsing and causing the rear end to wonder around.
Friend of mine did the same as what you're considering doing and it's worth while doing so. Top mounts for the rear shocks can be replaced with the E46 M3 cab versions which are stronger.
Cheers, will look into it. It feels VERY wondery in a straight line only taken it to the top end of 3rd at about 90mph on a clear 1 mile straight on a B type road, and frankly it didn't feel safe. It holds corners okay, but in a straight line the road seems to tell the car where it wants to go.
With regard top mounts, i've 'just' purchased some HSD coilovers, which come with top mounts. Got them from ebay pretty cheap, im a bit hesitant as to weather they will actually turn up or not....relying on paypal/my credit card to bail me out if they dont!!!
With regard top mounts, i've 'just' purchased some HSD coilovers, which come with top mounts. Got them from ebay pretty cheap, im a bit hesitant as to weather they will actually turn up or not....relying on paypal/my credit card to bail me out if they dont!!!
Edited by orangesrule on Saturday 2nd March 21:14
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