97 328i coupe - £650. Money pit?
Discussion
lost in espace said:
Yes that's the one. Should be interesting to see what it's likeWeirdNeville said:
Well, you've bought it already...
Things that go wrong:
Front suspension arms ball joints and rear location bushes- Wandering at speed, steering wheel wobble, clunking over bumps. £100 to replace (parts only) and relatively easy to DIY.
Rear suspension trailing arm bushes - Poor rear end control and clunking. £50 parts, bit of a pig to change apparently.
Rear suspension Shock absorber top mounts - £20 parts, 20 min fix. A joy to do.
Engine:
Water pump/Thermostat - Fails causing overheating/cracked head/head gasket failure. Many people change them for insurance, about £50 in parts.
Oil consumption - Drink a bit at high miles, any more than 1l every 1,000 miles and it points to a problem.
VANOS: Can fail leading to a gutless midrange but strong top end, and poorer fuel economy.
Lambda Sensor: Fails leaving you getting low 20's MPG.
Rust: Have a look over the body but no major rust traps (as far as I know!)
Brakes:
Not particularly impressive but should work. Easy to change and all four corners for less than £150.
Rear lines appear prone to corrosion and are a bit of a pig to replace as they loop over the fuel tank.
They're pretty bomb proof cars to be honest, my touring feels good as it approaches 170,000 miles. Check all fluids etc before you set off/ For £650 if it gets you to the next MOT you've had your moneys worth.
Thanks for the info - getting to the next MOT is the plan, then I may have to get a car with easy access to rear seats.Things that go wrong:
Front suspension arms ball joints and rear location bushes- Wandering at speed, steering wheel wobble, clunking over bumps. £100 to replace (parts only) and relatively easy to DIY.
Rear suspension trailing arm bushes - Poor rear end control and clunking. £50 parts, bit of a pig to change apparently.
Rear suspension Shock absorber top mounts - £20 parts, 20 min fix. A joy to do.
Engine:
Water pump/Thermostat - Fails causing overheating/cracked head/head gasket failure. Many people change them for insurance, about £50 in parts.
Oil consumption - Drink a bit at high miles, any more than 1l every 1,000 miles and it points to a problem.
VANOS: Can fail leading to a gutless midrange but strong top end, and poorer fuel economy.
Lambda Sensor: Fails leaving you getting low 20's MPG.
Rust: Have a look over the body but no major rust traps (as far as I know!)
Brakes:
Not particularly impressive but should work. Easy to change and all four corners for less than £150.
Rear lines appear prone to corrosion and are a bit of a pig to replace as they loop over the fuel tank.
They're pretty bomb proof cars to be honest, my touring feels good as it approaches 170,000 miles. Check all fluids etc before you set off/ For £650 if it gets you to the next MOT you've had your moneys worth.
I was also looking at
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1997-AUDI-A4-2-8-QUATTRO-AVA...
or
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2001-MG-ZT-FAMILY-CAR-NOT-MO...
but these look like they'll get over 1k
edit to sort ebay links
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 2nd January 19:46
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.
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
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?)
WeirdNeville said:
Good stuff!
Temp gauge - check bimmer forums for that fault Im sure I've read about it. You just want to check that your thermostat is in good order.
Airbag light- i've connected/disconnected my battery countless times for stereo installig and it's never thrown up any warning lights. I'd check the connector under the seats in case the interior has been swapped and someones forgotten to do up the plug, or else have a look on the forums for solutions.
One other thing I forgot to mention: 'check control' flashes and 'brake light circuit' on the Computer screen is a common fault and can only be cured w
by cycling the ignition. A £12 brake light switch is often the culprit and it's about an hours work to do. It can be safely left alone though.
Thanks - I'll check bimmer forums re the thermostat and airbag.Temp gauge - check bimmer forums for that fault Im sure I've read about it. You just want to check that your thermostat is in good order.
Airbag light- i've connected/disconnected my battery countless times for stereo installig and it's never thrown up any warning lights. I'd check the connector under the seats in case the interior has been swapped and someones forgotten to do up the plug, or else have a look on the forums for solutions.
One other thing I forgot to mention: 'check control' flashes and 'brake light circuit' on the Computer screen is a common fault and can only be cured w
by cycling the ignition. A £12 brake light switch is often the culprit and it's about an hours work to do. It can be safely left alone though.
No Check control/brake light messages (yet).
so fingers crossed it's ok
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, yes it's a Coombs car and was serviced there regularly until 2004. I hope it then became a station car, as it had done about 150,000 miles by 2004/5 so 35,000 in the next 5 years seems a little unlikely. But if it all works - who caresEdited by helix402 on Sunday 2nd January 19:13
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