Thinking about buying my first 3 series. Help :P

[Robbie1490]

Hey guys,

I stopped by and looked at a silver 1998 323is coupe with 128,000 miles. It looks great except it needs a new front windshield since its cracked. I'm going to do a test drive sometime tomorrow, or this next week, hopefully all goes well. What should i know about these cars, how reliable are they, what should i look for when i drive the car? I own a 740il and i really hope they are not as unreliable. Looking forward to hearing from you guys, im excited :D

[ThaiRacer]

323is is basically a destroked 328i, I would pass and find a decent 325i or 328i. It also depends on what your paying I bet u the price your paying for that 323 u can find a decent well maintained obd1 325i

[RomanTaylor]

First, you'll need to know that E36 M3 Sedans do exist LOL. Here is how!

But on the serious note, check out other videos that dude posted. He has like 3 videos on buying E36 talking about known issues and what to pay attention to when shopping for one. I found those vids helpful.

[stradguy93]

I agree with ThaiRacer

[99 IS Coupe]

323is is basically a destroked 328i, I would pass and find a decent 325i or 328i. It also depends on what your paying I bet u the price your paying for that 323 u can find a decent well maintained obd1 325i


That's a nice idea, however it's getting to be pie in the sky to find a decent, stock 3 series 6-cylinder of any stripe anymore. To find one that has service records, a clean rust free body, lack of cooling or electrical issues is a find in and of itself. Even ore so if it's a 5-speed transmission. Good luck in your search, try for a manual if at all possible.

[Springs37923]

^^^^^^^ What the guy above said.. But if ya cant find a 5-speed in the model or condition you want, you can always buy an automatic and convert it over to a 5 speed if ya like to turn wrenches and bond with your car..

[ThaiRacer]

U can find e36's 5 speed for about 3k, I picked up my 5 speed 328i for 500 dollars.

[walker7182006]

if you lookin to just drive ato b car then get it. but if your looking to play i agree with the rest of the guy's m3. if your gonna pay anything near 3,500 for that car just look for a m3 for another five

[EverydayGetaway]

They're reliable if you keep up with basic stuff. If you do a search on here I'm sure you'll find a list of all the known failure points for the E36. I'm not sure why everyone's bashing the 323, I've driven one, they're honestly not much slower than a 328. If you're just looking for a DD, I think it'd be a good choice if it's in good shape. Happy hunting!

[IhaveanE36]

As everyone states; ask him when, if ever, has the suspension and or cooling system ever been done.

[Robbie1490]

Thanks for all the information guys!

I didn't end up getting it, the body and interior was in great condition; but the people selling it were fishy the whole time i was looking, and test driving the car. First they were russians, not that i dont trust russians, its just the owned the chop shop up the road.. and i've heard some horror stories from people who buy the cars up there. Another is that the radio needed the code, which he didn't have. The SRS airbag light was on, and the check engine light! The car drove smooth, and the engine didn't have any weird noises except for when you turn the a/c on, the compressor made a weird noise. Anyways, after i test drove it, and looked at the car in and out, i tried to get him down to a price i thought it was worth.. I said $3,000 was my only offer i'd shoot at him. He wanted $4,500! To top it off he said he only paid $3,700 and wanted to make atleast some money off of it. I wanted to argue about it, but there were about 5 heavy set russians around so i just said, alright its not around my price range, and just left.

So i'm on the hunt again, hopefully i can find a car like it, or even better for around $3,500, what do you guys think?