Hi there Gents,
I have always wanted a BMW of my own and finally took the plunge in March to get my own. (My wife has an E36 318i.) I have been looking for a clean E36 (anything except a 316i) for about a year. I then came across a one owner 1997 323i with 179,000 km on the clock, but looking at it, the kilos look like 50,000. Even the interior is super clean. And a full service history from Leo Haese in Pretoria.
I have had very little to do, but replaced the thermostat and coolant. Fitting 4 new shock absorbers (with 4 new shock mounts) made the car drive like brand new. This car is still so solid! Lastly the front bumper was resprayed, having had some scrathes low down.
My impressions so far are that this is a very high quality car, very solid and rattle free. The engine is lovely, it pulls strongly throughout the rev range, though more on this later. It sounds like a million bucks too. The gearbox is nice, with a precise , satisfying action. I have not exploited the handling limits yet, but it seems very neutral. Maybe a slight bit on the soft side.
Future plans are to use the car on weekends only, with a few upgrades, but without molesting this very good original car. So everything must be totally reversable.
1)Looking into fitting a M50 intake manifold. So far I have not been able to obtain a neat one. I also gather I need to get a Vanos one, as the non-Vanos does not fit. Is this correct? I assume many guys on this forum has done this - I would love to hear from you. Worth it? How much faster is a E36 325i than a E36 323i in the real world?
2)Exhaust system. The manifolds and downpipe looks fine for a fairly standard road car, though the rest of the exhaust might be a bit restrictive, especially the rear silencer. How much gains can be expected from a free flowing exhaust. What is needed to get a nicely musical exhaust tone, without being too loud?
3)Diff ratio. Looks like the standard ratio is aimed at fuel economy. What is recommended for acceleration? LSD needed?
4)Suspension and wheels. Might lower it later with Eibach springs. And might consider fitting 17" rims, but it must be in character with the car.
Piccies...
I have always wanted a BMW of my own and finally took the plunge in March to get my own. (My wife has an E36 318i.) I have been looking for a clean E36 (anything except a 316i) for about a year. I then came across a one owner 1997 323i with 179,000 km on the clock, but looking at it, the kilos look like 50,000. Even the interior is super clean. And a full service history from Leo Haese in Pretoria.
I have had very little to do, but replaced the thermostat and coolant. Fitting 4 new shock absorbers (with 4 new shock mounts) made the car drive like brand new. This car is still so solid! Lastly the front bumper was resprayed, having had some scrathes low down.
My impressions so far are that this is a very high quality car, very solid and rattle free. The engine is lovely, it pulls strongly throughout the rev range, though more on this later. It sounds like a million bucks too. The gearbox is nice, with a precise , satisfying action. I have not exploited the handling limits yet, but it seems very neutral. Maybe a slight bit on the soft side.
Future plans are to use the car on weekends only, with a few upgrades, but without molesting this very good original car. So everything must be totally reversable.
1)Looking into fitting a M50 intake manifold. So far I have not been able to obtain a neat one. I also gather I need to get a Vanos one, as the non-Vanos does not fit. Is this correct? I assume many guys on this forum has done this - I would love to hear from you. Worth it? How much faster is a E36 325i than a E36 323i in the real world?
2)Exhaust system. The manifolds and downpipe looks fine for a fairly standard road car, though the rest of the exhaust might be a bit restrictive, especially the rear silencer. How much gains can be expected from a free flowing exhaust. What is needed to get a nicely musical exhaust tone, without being too loud?
3)Diff ratio. Looks like the standard ratio is aimed at fuel economy. What is recommended for acceleration? LSD needed?
4)Suspension and wheels. Might lower it later with Eibach springs. And might consider fitting 17" rims, but it must be in character with the car.
Piccies...
raise::inlove:
