Need Bimmer Owners Input

[mikeko0925]

Hey guys, to start off I just registered for the forum.

I want to know what you guys think, if I should go through with this deal. If I get this car I will be part of this community so please don't think I only signed up to ask one question.

This guy is selling a 1995 318is, its a 2dr coupe, auto, 159k miles, runs and drives. Only thing wrong with it is the interior has a rip in the driver seat, and is missing the clips to hold on the door panels. Anyway i dont know much about BMW's and was wondering if $2000 is a good price for this year and model. Is 159k a lot of miles for this car?

Look forward to your responses, if I decide to buy it, i'll have it in three days. Please let me know what you think, thanks.

[bimmerfeel]

4 cylinder cars are underpowered. With an automatic they are anemic. You should really WANT a 4 cylinder; otherwise hold out for a six. You'll be glad you did.

[kaineb]

First off, welcome to the BMW world and the board. It is very informative and has saved me many times. Please read the frequently asked questions thread atop. It will be able to answer many of your questions.

As far at the vehicle goes it is all relative to how they took care of the car. If it has been beaten and or not taken care of mechanically you can expect to pour endless amounts of money into it. If the person has the service records and such you should still expect to at least have to replace the cooling system and suspension components now or in the near future.

If the car was $1 it would still cost a fortune if there were anything major that it needed. Learn to do your DIY's and pick up a Bentley manual online. It will save you 1000's.

If you have your heart set on this car then good for you. If you can wait and get something for around the 5-6k mark, you most likely will have a solid 6cyl car that will cost less in the long run to maintain. For 2k you will be playing catch up. There are allot of people on here that have learned the hard way, myself included. They are not Honda's or Toyota's and require maintenance. However they ride like a dream. 4 cyls are slower vehicles and may be good for a beginner to learn on. Less tickets.

Whatever you decide please step back and think about your budget and what you can really afford. They are not cheap. Best of luck in your decision.

[berkeleyEE]

For the Really Long List of things to worry about, read here: http://www.unitedbimmer.com/kb-e36-common-faults-faq.php

For a shorter list, read here under "checklists": http://www.edgemotorworks.com

One quick solution to the seat cushion problem is to swap the passenger and drivers cushions and coverings. Should be possible on a 318. read more here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1043112

Finally from Robert Platt Bell:
"If you ain't handy with tools, you got no business owning a BMW once the warranty expires."

Good luck,
-Jerry

[BMDub325]

www.kbb.org

Check it out. Enter in the year, make, model, mileage, and condition. It'll tell you what it's worth. Kelly Blue Book is the standard for car pricing.

I actually paid around $600 over the KBB value for my car, but I was paying for the convenience of buying it locally and for finally buying an e36 after months of searching for one. Ended up paying $3600 for a 1994 325is with about 150k miles (the odometer read 80k, but the PO said it had 70k when they replaced the ECU and it got set back to 0).

Personally, I would never buy anything with a four-cylinder engine. Not unless you plan to turbo it or something. It's just not powerful enough for me.

[mikeko0925]

Thanks for the input, it's very appreciated. Now after reading most of your posts I probably won't end up buying the car. You're making it sound like i'm going to be paying a lot of money to keep it maintained.

I don't care about the engine power, I'm not racing so it's no big deal to me. I also don't care if it's automatic. I only need it to get me where I need to be.

I can't decide if I want to buy this car now, and yes I do know about KBB and I haggled him to less than the KBB price, which is how we got to 2k.

[ChrisM011]

If you are able to do your own work (or are willing to buy a Bentley manual and try) then this may be a good car for you. But, definitely listen to the advice from the other Board members - these cars do require more maintenance than a Honda/Toyota/Nissan. When properly done they are fantastic, but if you are "playing catchup" then you may wind up very unhappy with your purchase.

[iXguy]

An automatic 318 is the slowest E36 ever sold in America. It's still a BMW -- for the good (handling, ergonomics, build quality) and the bad (cost of maintenance).

You WILL wish you had more power.

All I can say is if you buy this car, don't EVER drive a 328i until you are ready to sell it.

As everyone says, history is far more important than price.

[z25is]

A few years back I had been considering a 318 simply for the best gas mileage, however over time as I learned more about these E36s, I began to lean towards the 6 cylinder M50 or M52 until I decided to cancle out the idea of the 318.

I ended up with a 95 325is M50 and let me tell you, this is a brilliant engine and I have no regrets going to the 6cylinder over a 4. I used to have a civic with a 1.6L 4 banger motor, sure it was a good car, but I decided that the 6cylinder BMW was the next step. It has power, it is fast, and its good on gas for its power, i hang about 31-32 highway right now, more than good enough for me considering this is nearly a 200hp engine.

318 will do better on gas, but you wont have the power.

[iXguy]

I really, really question the wisdom of buying a car with the intent of swapping the motor when one has more money. I submit you're better off selling the car later and buying the faster version... there will be other undersized components you're leaving out of the swap, or, you're spending way more than the difference would have been for the upgrade. Unless you're a guy that just loves to do that sort of thing, which is great, but as pointed out, if you were that sort of guy, you wouldn't be asking our advice here.

A stock 328 is always a more integrated and polished package than a a 318 with 328 parts in it. And, a better platform for smart bolt-on mods that don't break the bank.

A stock 318 gets what it gets on the used market. Same with a stock 328. A 318 with 328 parts in it doesn't recapture what was spent, in increased value, it gets close to what a stock 318 gets unless they are stunning mods done very, very well. (read, $$$$). Cost of owning a car is also about depreciation -- the difference between what you buy it for and what you sell it for -- those are real dollars out of your pocket. Don't ignore that part of the equation, think ahead and choose wisely.

[lysergic9]

a 318i(s) is a great car... in an e30 body with a manual transmission. the e36 isnt really meant for such a small engine, too much weight and size, whereas the e30 318 is a much more tossable autocross type car.

just hold out and get a 325i(s), i got mine for 3k with 158k miles and bmw dealership service records (they didnt do the cooling, but they wont unless its failing i guess) and manual.

the last thing you are going to want to deal with is buyers remorse when in a week or two the same car but with a 6 shows up for not much more than you are paying now.... you will not like yourself, you may even end up ripping the 318 emblem off the back like so many do...

decide the car you want first, then wait / look for it.

also im not totally fond of BMW automatic transmissions, im not sure if i trust them, maybe the M's got better ones tho, but still...

[mossyoaks]

We are on our 4th e36 318. My mom simply loved hers but eventually found a low mileage 325e. My middle son drove his 318i 4dr (also our RV toad) to 225K before it spontaneously combusted and an engine bay fire melted the harness rendering it useless...until now! Enter our third e36 318is needing new engine but well maintained otherwise. Got it for $500. New cooling components, suspension, headliner and cold air intake. This one will be a fun father/son engine swap project for my 16y/o. A nice Schwartz 2 5 speed w/ black Vader interior and style 43 wheels is gonna make this one a great car for a new driver.

Selling my wife's 95 318ic.

I must agree that if you are looking for performance go with the 6 cyl cars. Lots of good deals out there right now on M3s!

Chip in SC

[mikeko0925]

Hmm I really can't decide

[jmo69]

a 318i(s) is a great car... in an e30 body with a manual transmission. the e36 isnt really meant for such a small engine, too much weight and size, whereas the e30 318 is a much more tossable autocross type car.

just hold out and get a 325i(s), i got mine for 3k with 158k miles and bmw dealership service records (they didnt do the cooling, but they wont unless its failing i guess) and manual.

the last thing you are going to want to deal with is buyers remorse when in a week or two the same car but with a 6 shows up for not much more than you are paying now.... you will not like yourself, you may even end up ripping the 318 emblem off the back like so many do...

decide the car you want first, then wait / look for it.

also im not totally fond of BMW automatic transmissions, im not sure if i trust them, maybe the M's got better ones tho, but still...
+1

[iXguy]

Look at it this way, you're talking about $2000 for a car with modeate mileage.

The most important thing is records. If you don't have them, don't buy it.

Assuming the history checks out (bounce it off us if you want) then offer him $1500, dicker up to $1750, and buy it.

Then, a year later when you realize we were all right, sell it for $1500, and go buy a 6 cylinder 5-speed car.

Meanwhile clean up the cosmetics with carefully sourced used parts, and you'll be all set for a good resale.

[RebelScum]

If it was a stick (and the records checked out) I'd say for for it at $1750.

Do you know a mechanic? If so, do yourself a favour and put the car on a hoist. I looked at a LOT of 318is's before finding mine, and the one thing they had in common was rust. If you can find one without any holes in teh body for <$2k, buy it, even if it's just to sell it.

Usually the rocker panels are the first to go, but I saw a few with wide gaping holes in the floor. One in particular had the cable harness hanging out of it. VERY sketchy.

Rust is like cancer: Once you see it, it's too late. For $2k with "nothing wrong", I'd watch out for that.

Of course where I'm from (Toronto) these cars have seen a lot of harsh winters. New York's are pretty rough too, though.