e36 320i potential buy?

[kilotango]

guys, a neat e36 320i has appeared for sale.

because im such a sucker for an e36, i wanted some advice of things to check out on the car since i have no experience with this 3 series model at all.

any common issues to look out for? mileage is at 145,000k and has an automatic gearbox. i want to go and look at it properly later this week.... any tips on common probs to check would be awesome.

thanks all

 

[A.C.SCHNITZER]

Hi Kilotango

The only downfall/issues I have experience:
# Interior - door panels, sagging roof lining
# Engine - Water pump (change it to metal impeller if not changed) & thermostat housing (change it to metal housing)
# Electrical issues - wiring at the boot (not always an issue but sometimes)

Otherwise these are great cars, some fanatics will add more... I have no experience on auto boxes.... good luck

 

[Donovan2412]

Control Arm bushes will probably need replacing.

 

[kilotango]

thanks guys.. i've only seen pics so far of this car.. so i called the current owner last night.. and he said the whole car is mint, except that the gearbox has a slight "slip" when flooring it.

obviously this got my attention, auto's are an expensive problem.

im going to try and see it in person tomorrow. i've got a obd2 cable that i use with INPA on my e46, but i've read that the e36's use a different interface, is this correct?

 

[A.C.SCHNITZER]

Check also the mountings: Transmission and engine mounting. Try also to get a quote of a fully reconditioned transmission and labor quote. Good luck

 

[ballisticz466]

145k is low for a e36. But I would check the pillars in the front by lifting up the window rubbers and having a look inside there as well as the boot rubber for signs of rust. Slippage on the box might just be oil lvl. Also take her for a slow and hard run and take note of harsh gear changes. This can be a costly repair should something be wrong. Also have a feel for vibrations at the rear when cruising at average speeds. Donerse gweebo's!

 

[akes27]

Control Arm bushes will probably need replacing.

How do you tell if it's time to replace?

 

[Donovan2412]

Control Arm bushes will probably need replacing.

How do you tell if it's time to replace?

When you go over small bumps/Pot holes you feel quite a hard knock.

Of course that could be a lot of other things.

Best to put the car on a lift and check.

 

[kilotango]

thanks guys for all the responses.

i have seen the car in person this morning, and while the exterior is pretty neat.. the front seats are completely f*cked.

the gearbox is definitely slipping .. i'd say around 3rd gear, so have requested a gearbox recon quote in the meantime.
the control arms are making a racket as well.. so those too have to be changed. for now, i havent got it on a hoist to check rear bushings etc.

the car is being sold for USD$3200..which is steep. so, once i get all the quotes in order i can then propose a sane offer if i still feel i want to take it on.

it is actually a south african built e36.. so thats good to know
the owner is an employee at the SA embassy here, so i have seen this car around.

not much rust, but the roof liner looks like its about to fall down soon.
thermostat, hoses all look like factory ..so i doubt the water pump has been changed.

hmmm, looks like another hectic money grabber to get it into proper condition. will try and post some pics soon

---

i think it could make a really good project car, if i can get it reaaaaally cheap.
it does have potential, yes/no?

 

[kilotango]

breaks my heart guys.. but had to turn away from this car.

got 3 gearbox quotes and the cheapest was at $2800. not only that, i got a compression test done and very low values were found on the first and last cylinders.

car also has alot of white smoke on startup, when left overnight.. and coolant colour wasnt looking good at all (which we only really saw after topping up and letting run for a little while). i think this car has had some overheating problem before.

thanks for the all replies and advice. much appreciated.

@ballisticz466.... guibo was indeed f*cked as well

 

[ballisticz466]

@ballisticz466.... guibo was indeed f*cked as well

thought so.

And dont worry, there will be more, many more