[ChesapeakeTechie]

I'm looking to buy my first E36 / 318ti ever and would like to hear some thoughts on the model from those who have much more experience than I do. What should I look out for? I'm going to take a look at a car near Philly with around 100k miles that has been dealer maintained for most of it's life. It recently had a full service including an alternator replacement.

Thanks!

[turkis_tii]

Cooling system, incl. pump, radiator, thermostat, esp.the elbows and other plastic bits that have gotten brittle with age. Drivetrain is pretty strong with regular fluid changes. Rubber bushings in suspension are usually gone by 100K, esp. the rear subframe, see if they were ever replaced, it's been said that BMWs ride on rubber. There's a big internet forum on 318ti, lots of info.

[cmartin]

I put ~100k on an already well worn 318is, good car. You need to plan ahead when merging as power is lacking but once at speed it handled all but the steepest hills very well. I havent seen an e36 in a long time w/o door pockets loose or the headliner falling. Suspension parts wear but parts are cheap and generally simple to replace. Check the front control arms as I've dont 2-3 sets now, almost expected to wear in your ownership. I really like the functionality of the hatch, just wish they had more power.

Good luck

[roundel]

I daily drove a 318ti. I'll 2nd the cooling system. It will all be ruble unless replaced. Also control arms, shocks, and muffler hangers. All that rubber is dry rotted by now. Another area of concern is the hvac direction knob cable. It likes to fall off on both sides of the cable. Some drilling and screwing after disecting the dash is required. Also check the air pump to the catalytic converter. Mine is Swiss cheese so causes CE light. Window regulators are fragile. Rear hatch glass may be nla. I replaced mine and shop told me I got the last one in the US.

Good news is the motor seems pretty bulletproof. Since it has little power, I rev the wee wee out of it often. It doesn't mind. Because if the cooling system failing, it has overheated at least once, and no damage.

Ive been milking mine for several years and cannot complain about the cost to maintain. Stuff is generally cheap and easy. Maybe not the best traits for a paddock wench, but great for a beater car.

[86911TLCAB]

I really like the e36 BMW. no car is perfect, but starting with a car that has a record of maintenance (doesn't have to be dealer maintained, just need to be kept up with) is a great place to begin. I have been able to take care of mine myself so far, and frankly if it get to a point where I cant fix them, they will get put to pasture.

we bought the first 99 328is with a 100k on it and my kids put another 100k on it. it hasn't had many major issues (coolant system has been rebuilt a couple of times). at 200k the car is now definitely in need of rear bushings and while the shocks are still good, they are a bit soft and need replacement.

bought the second 325i auto (which was recently hit and totaled) with 135k. Had been very well maintained and I only changed the shocks on it from the time we purchased until it was totaled.

I just bought another this past weekend. 97 328is. it is also in good condition.

They are good cars. you can sink a lot of money into them taking them to be repaired. but you can sink a lot of money into any car taking it to be repaired. If you haven't taken the pluge and learned to work on cars, it isn't a bad place to start. not as easy as an older less electronic vehicle, but much easier than a newer car.

Of note, have seen 2 recent totals of BMW e36's on here. If you have an interest in the value the insurance company gave me on mine (might help with your price negotiations) send me a pm with a phone number and will discuss.

[LPM911]

not a 318 but my wife's 98 328is was purchased in 2008 with ~117k on the clock (IIRC) and now has 272k but has been very reliable when it comes to the drive train. The interior is tan and is showing some wear but thats how it goes. Like any car, the rubber bits need replacing every once and a while due to age or mileage. And like any BMW, the cooling system has been done once or twice. Still fun to drive, even with the headliner tickling the hair on my head.

[ChesapeakeTechie]

Originally Posted by roundel

I daily drove a 318ti. I'll 2nd the cooling system. It will all be ruble unless replaced. Also control arms, shocks, and muffler hangers. All that rubber is dry rotted by now. Another area of concern is the hvac direction knob cable. It likes to fall off on both sides of the cable. Some drilling and screwing after disecting the dash is required. Also check the air pump to the catalytic converter. Mine is Swiss cheese so causes CE light. Window regulators are fragile. Rear hatch glass may be nla. I replaced mine and shop told me I got the last one in the US.

Good news is the motor seems pretty bulletproof. Since it has little power, I rev the wee wee out of it often. It doesn't mind. Because if the cooling system failing, it has overheated at least once, and no damage.

Ive been milking mine for several years and cannot complain about the cost to maintain. Stuff is generally cheap and easy. Maybe not the best traits for a paddock wench, but great for a beater car.

Thanks for the info! I'll need to get in MD inspected so I guess I'll need to figure out how to handle that with the PA dealer.
Assuming there are no more rear hatch glass, any ideas what one would do if it does need replacement? Was production that limited that there aren't many parts available anymore?
Any tips on cooling system maintenance or replacements with parts that may last a little longer?

Thanks!

[roundel]

Glass may be available from ze fatherland. Cooling system parts are available, but the oem is pretty cheap so you'd have to keep the car a LONG time to save any money. Doing it yourself with water pump and thermostat is around $500. Maybe triple that for a metal radiator but you still will want to change hoses and tstat at 75,000.

Another common issue is the door cards and clips. The cards are like $400 a piece!

[cmartin]

I had a local upholstery shop fix a set of door panels, ~$100 IIRC and they worked great. From the 3 I've had the material shrinks and the adhesive fails and it seems to happen to all of them.

[ChesapeakeTechie]

Did you just bring the car to the upholstery shop and they fabricated a set of new ones for you? How did they fasten to the door?
There are some folks on eBay who are selling the door clips that seem to be somewhat hard to find.