just an intro

[juryyu]

just picked up my first BMW for about $8100. it's a 1996 328is 5spd with a little less than 75,000 miles. i sold my 2000 rav4 (got about $9400 for that) to buy this and i'm sure glad i did.
heres some pics:
img353.imageshack.us/img353/4876/img0539wi2.jpg
img451.imageshack.us/img451/8549/img0537ly4.jpg

some of the minor stuff:
1) previous owner said someone backed into his car in a parking lot.
img399.imageshack.us/img399/359/img0533dy1.jpg
img383.imageshack.us/img383/9622/img0534gx6.jpg
2) the roundel was missing. apparantly some ass stole it and broke off the grommet.
img383.imageshack.us/img383/8452/img0532eo1.jpg
3) has a squeaky clutch. (silicon lubricant to fix?)
4) driver side window acts up. i can't hold down the button to close window. i have to inch it up. (actuator problem?)
5) mechanic found a small power steering fluid leak and coolant reservoir leak. (epoxy sealant to fix it up?)
6) can't move the passenger seat back and forward, but the switches for tilting and such still work. (motor?)

other than that, the mechanic i had do an inspection said the car was in great mechanical condition. plus, hearing the sound of the engine makes all that minor stuff go away...

other than fix the above problems, any suggestions for what i should do first?

[strogg]

nice find! you won't regret giving up the rav4 (which is a gas guzzler anyway)

1) new nosepieces go for cheap on ebay. if you want to be really cheap about it, you can paint it yourself with spray paint. it matches surprisingly well, but takes at least a week to dry before you can use it.
2) pelican parts sells gromets and roundels
3) i'm a fan of lithium grease... but that's just me
4) motor assembly. there's a diy write-up somewhere on the board; just search.
5) i don't have a fix for it, but just hope it doesn't get hot soon...
6) when you hit the back/forth switch, do you hear a clicky sound or silence? odds are, you'll need to rip the bottom side of the seat out to fix it.

[tentenths]

Linkies no workies

[kingston]

Welcome to the forum!
Keep some $$ in the bank for maintenance. It's going to cost more than the Rav4 to maintain, but man is it worth it!

[rocket859]

If that coolant resivour blows, your in for a world of hate. Ive seen it happen, and if you dont know what happened when it does, well, your car is dead. Get the radiator overflow replaced ASAP if the coolant leak isnt on the radiator cap.

[tentenths]

Most people don't get a warning, be glad that you have a sign of failure

[juryyu]

thanks everybody! i'm very happy with the car.

the power seat makes no noise when i try to move it. not a big deal i guess. the person sitting in the back will just be uncomfortable since the seat is moved all the way back.

the leak is where the reservoir meets the tubing. i figure i could seal it up with some epoxy for the time being til i get a new reservoir. how much do those cost btw? and does everyone on here mostly use pelicanparts and bavauto?

ps do the links not work? they seem to work for me

[strogg]

links work for me too.

i generally buy from pelican, bimmerworld, ebay, or the local dismantler (in rancho cordova). if you live in the north or east bay, it may be worth it for you to drive out there to get larger parts like hoods, etc. due to insane shipping costs. that's if you ever need to. that's also assuming "the bay" means sf bay area, ca.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/BE36/POR_BE36_WATrad_pg3.htm#item15

i prefer pelican parts for my stuff, but mainly cuz they ship from cali, so it gets here fast.

oh yeah, the seats problem would either be the wiring/switch, or the motor itself. just hope it's the former, because ripping out the motor is a lot of work. maybe you should think about vaders. they are a ton lighter.

[juryyu]

thanks strogg