What to look for when buying E36 323.

[liamgt4]

Hi guys,

Going to look at an E36 1997 323 today. Could anyone tell me things to look for? I have always had Jap cars so i dont have a clue about BMW's.

Any info would be great.

Cheers

[LC23]

I had a '96 323i Coupe a few years ago now. I did 80,000 miles in it (up to 113,000 when I sold it) and it never missed a beat. However, check the Nikasil issue. Mine showed no signs or symptoms and some people will say that if it's got to a relatively high mileage then it's likely to never have the problem. It may already have had any issue sorted ('phone BMW to check).

Other than that, check for rust (on the arches especially). I can't really think of anything else as mine was fine and just kept going.