E36 328i Individual
Discussion
I've been looking at these for a while but every one that came up for sale was either a shed or big money. Then this popped up on eBay so I got the train down to Watford and bought it 
The spec is as follows:
1999 BMW 328I SPORT E36 INDIVIDUAL MANUAL
M Sport package finished in velvet blue
Genuine staggered BBS RC split alloy wheels fitted with Dunlop SP Sport tyres 225/45/17 front and 245/40/17 rear
M Sport suspension
Limited slip rear differential
Rear parking sensors
Air conditioning with climate control
On-board computer
Dual front airbags
Anti dazzle rear view mirror
Electric mirrors
Electric windows
M leather steering wheel and gear knob
Sport black leather interior
Black sport headlining
Leather armrest
Rear headrests
It's in very good condition for the age and mileage (123k) but it needs a good tidy and some dents etc removed. Fairly sure it's had a front end respray at some point as there are no stone chips at all. I can't find any rust at all on the body and underneath is rot free too!
The plan? Get it in to a good, standard condition and then add my own little touches such as lower slightly, rear lip spoiler and then just keep it as clean as possible.
I haven't touched the outside yet but I've given inside a good clean and treated all the leather. Needs a new gear knob and steering wheel but other than that I'm happy with it!
The colour is Velvet Blue which looks very similar to Imperial blue, just a bit darker.
The spec is as follows:1999 BMW 328I SPORT E36 INDIVIDUAL MANUAL
M Sport package finished in velvet blue
Genuine staggered BBS RC split alloy wheels fitted with Dunlop SP Sport tyres 225/45/17 front and 245/40/17 rear
M Sport suspension
Limited slip rear differential
Rear parking sensors
Air conditioning with climate control
On-board computer
Dual front airbags
Anti dazzle rear view mirror
Electric mirrors
Electric windows
M leather steering wheel and gear knob
Sport black leather interior
Black sport headlining
Leather armrest
Rear headrests
It's in very good condition for the age and mileage (123k) but it needs a good tidy and some dents etc removed. Fairly sure it's had a front end respray at some point as there are no stone chips at all. I can't find any rust at all on the body and underneath is rot free too!
The plan? Get it in to a good, standard condition and then add my own little touches such as lower slightly, rear lip spoiler and then just keep it as clean as possible.
I haven't touched the outside yet but I've given inside a good clean and treated all the leather. Needs a new gear knob and steering wheel but other than that I'm happy with it!
The colour is Velvet Blue which looks very similar to Imperial blue, just a bit darker.
matt132 said:
Looks great, lovely colour.
An M50 manifold will really liven it up. Dependent on where you are, you could always have a ride in mine to see the difference.
An M50 and a bigger throttle body are on the "to do" list but won't be for a while, I want to get it up to a high standard first. Thanks very much for the offer, I'm in Telford, Shropshire. An M50 manifold will really liven it up. Dependent on where you are, you could always have a ride in mine to see the difference.
Gave it a quick clean yesterday but it desperately needs a polish. Getting some dents sorted in a week or two and then I'll give it a good machine polish. I really love the colour, turns almost Cadbury purple in the sunlight but really dark the rest of the time.
Certainly different to drive than the Fiesta ST I'm used to!
Someone else who lives in Telford had a Velvet Blue 328i Sport. Up there with Atlantis Blue as one of the best BMW colours ever.
Enjoy it. As mentioned, M50 really does change the character of the car. Above 4,000rpm it has some serious go once the M50, BBTB and remap are done. Further mods to increase spriteliness/power include solid flywheel conversion (lighten it while you're there, mine's down from 13kg to 7.8kg), decat, decent heatshielded induction kit (better throttle response/noise), and if you're feeling particularly saucy a company called Riot Racing in the US will sort you out with some M52 cams that will yield 15-20bhp... for £260.
Good luck, they're excellent cars and very endearing.
Enjoy it. As mentioned, M50 really does change the character of the car. Above 4,000rpm it has some serious go once the M50, BBTB and remap are done. Further mods to increase spriteliness/power include solid flywheel conversion (lighten it while you're there, mine's down from 13kg to 7.8kg), decat, decent heatshielded induction kit (better throttle response/noise), and if you're feeling particularly saucy a company called Riot Racing in the US will sort you out with some M52 cams that will yield 15-20bhp... for £260.
Good luck, they're excellent cars and very endearing.
carpetsoiler said:
Someone else who lives in Telford had a Velvet Blue 328i Sport. Up there with Atlantis Blue as one of the best BMW colours ever.
Enjoy it. As mentioned, M50 really does change the character of the car. Above 4,000rpm it has some serious go once the M50, BBTB and remap are done. Further mods to increase spriteliness/power include solid flywheel conversion (lighten it while you're there, mine's down from 13kg to 7.8kg), decat, decent heatshielded induction kit (better throttle response/noise), and if you're feeling particularly saucy a company called Riot Racing in the US will sort you out with some M52 cams that will yield 15-20bhp... for £260.
Good luck, they're excellent cars and very endearing.
Thats extrememly helpful, thanks! Enjoy it. As mentioned, M50 really does change the character of the car. Above 4,000rpm it has some serious go once the M50, BBTB and remap are done. Further mods to increase spriteliness/power include solid flywheel conversion (lighten it while you're there, mine's down from 13kg to 7.8kg), decat, decent heatshielded induction kit (better throttle response/noise), and if you're feeling particularly saucy a company called Riot Racing in the US will sort you out with some M52 cams that will yield 15-20bhp... for £260.
Good luck, they're excellent cars and very endearing.
What sort of power would I be looking at with Induction kit, M50, throttle body, M3 cams and a remap?
ManaghGB said:
Thats extrememly helpful, thanks!
What sort of power would I be looking at with Induction kit, M50, throttle body, M3 cams and a remap?
When mine was rolling roaded at JKM (very honest rollers), it came up at 233bhp with the induction kit, M50 manifold, flywheel conversion and exhaust system.What sort of power would I be looking at with Induction kit, M50, throttle body, M3 cams and a remap?
A remap typically adds 10-15bhp. Cams will typically add 15bhp, maybe more, depends how extreme they are. BBTB is meant to add 7bhp. All in all, I'm aiming for 265bhp+ on mine- should be nearly there already. I'm also running the high-flow water pump which reduces drag off the aux system, and a viscous fan delete w/electric replacement.
Don't get too hung up on the power aspect though, they're respectable for speed even fairly low in the 200s. It's not that heavy (around 1350kg), so it's not got much to move around, and the engine is a peach.
Decent suspension makes a huge difference- I stuck a Bilstein B10 Power Kit on mine. Supple, but also incredibly planted. Also done Powerflex bushes for the lollipop bushes, RTABS and ARBs.
There is so much you can do to them, if that's what you're interested in! Bigger brakes from the E46 (cheap version is nicking caliper carriers off an E46 328i and buying some 300mm discs, expensive version is fitting the 330 brakes w/E36 M3 master cylinder/servo), all kinds of suspension (springs/shocks, coilovers, air), myriad options for the engine, etc.
That's one of the reasons I went for this to be honest, there are so many parts available for them and they aren't that expensive in the grand scheme of things.
Are the engines still fairly solid when running ~250bhp? Mines on 123k miles with FSH, although I know it's entirely unknown how each engine will perform.
Are the engines still fairly solid when running ~250bhp? Mines on 123k miles with FSH, although I know it's entirely unknown how each engine will perform.
ManaghGB said:
That's one of the reasons I went for this to be honest, there are so many parts available for them and they aren't that expensive in the grand scheme of things.
Are the engines still fairly solid when running ~250bhp? Mines on 123k miles with FSH, although I know it's entirely unknown how each engine will perform.
Far from it. I've transformed mine from a standard SE Touring into a bit of a firebreather, total cost including the car for a fairly huge mod list has been less than £4k... but I'm still not done! Got the hot cams and supercharger kit to get yet...Are the engines still fairly solid when running ~250bhp? Mines on 123k miles with FSH, although I know it's entirely unknown how each engine will perform.
The engines are basically bulletproof, except for the cooling system. Always a weak point with BMWs. Upgrade the rad, water pump (the standard one had a plastic impeller that disintegrates), thermostat housing and fans, and you're away. The engines can take some silly amount of power, and wear well. I know a chap who has tested a few at the 250,000 mile barrier and they're still offering up the same leakdown/compression numbers that they had from the factory.
For what it's worth, the internals are good for about double the factory output. Fairly sure you won't approach that! They're the same as the S50 US internals, so they're good for at least 240bhp reliably. People run them for years pumping out good power.
The M50 is stronger, due to it being an iron bottom end, but realistically an M52 will last a very, very long time with a decent cooling setup and regular servicing... like any engine, really.
Edited to add: have a read here if you want an idea of what I've got up to.
i think a cream/champagne interior would complement the exterior colour if you could get hold of one. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff