Devil in the details (325 vs. 328) need help

[VanIsle]

Ok so I have the '96 318is
Im dumb and should just bought a 328 but hey live and learn...

So ive been pondering going DASC, or trying to sell my 318 and 'upgrade' (this is easier said than done as the used market is small and weak where I live... If i lived in a big city and it would have been done already)

I told the stealer that I wanted to upgrade, and asked him to let me know if he gets any 328s in stock (so I can trade up, and avoid getting taxed)

Well, I got an email from him today that he has a black on black leather 1995 325i (I can live with 4 door and it makes wife happy)...

so whats the skinny on the 325 (M50) vs the newer 328 (M52).
The wikipedia surprisingly shows 4 hp gain ??? for the 0.3L ... doesnt mention any differences in torque. Surely there is more to it than that. The devil is in the details as they say.

Ultimately, Im looking for more power so will the 325 do it for me, or will I still want 328?

How is the ability to mod and tweak the 325 vs the 328 (other than the obvious that the 325 will take a chip, but the 328 needs software).

Im sure if I wanted to spend all afternoon reading old threads I could find out... but surely you tech heads out there can boil it down to some solid quick and dirty andswers for me

thanks in advance

[BimmerChuck]

I believe the 328 has a lot more torque. Stock for Stock the 328 has a good bit more acceleration. I hear that pre '96 OBDI cars are better for tuning. I would hold out for 328 unless you plan on doing a lot of modding. Either way if you looking to get a 95-96 or any E36 for that matter, have a good idea of the coinage that it will take to get it to par.

[VanIsle]

Thanks Chuck,

Ive been reading some older threads (using google to search "328 vs 325 site:bnimmerforums.com") and yeah it seems like hp is pretty much the same... seems to be accepted that the torque helps the 328 in the lower RPMs though

of course the 325 will be cheaper than the 328, so things like chips and other things will be more affordable.

really, I dont race my car, but I like to drive um... spirited... so I dont really care whether I could race a 328.. more interested to putting the pedal to the floor and having more power than my m44 makes

i actually think the climate controls are dumb, so I wouldnt mind losing those on the 325

seems a common 328 upgrade is M50 intake manifold....

so other than Chip, what are the common M50 upgrades? Can it take parts from the M3 S50?

[Wildo2003]

If you're looking at 328s, I would suggest sticking to 97-98 as 96 was the first year the car was introduced with an older front grill. Aside from that, you know how it goes with first year cars.. I think 97-98 would be your best bet. The common mods for 328 would be M50 intake manifold, M3 cams, software.. then of course intake exhaust blah blah.. Should yield you around 200whp maybe a little more. If you get the sports package it comes with beefier sway bars slightly lowered, better handling, different seats.

As for the 325, it's an older car.. all the parts are going to be older, generally they will be higher mileage. It's up to you and what you want to do, but I would wait for the 328. Doesn't take much to get M3 performance from it. A decent 328 should cost around $8000 now a days.. After taxes and spending money on filters and fluids and this and that taking care of all the preventative maintenance.. it would probably cost you near $9000-10000 to get it pristine and running well maintained for years to come.

[DiScoTeknix]

Why not put an OBD1 M52 in your 318? The swap is fairly cheap and you will have plenty of power to play with.

[sixcyl320i]

Ive got a 94 325is 5 sp. it was the right price and in good shape with 80,000mi. Its got active autowerke exhaust, intake, chip. underdrive pulleys, fan delete, no air conditioning, high perf coils, and fuel pressure regulator. and many suspension goodies...which is really what I think a bmw is about. my car is faster than stock e36 M3's, and when it was just the AA stuff a little slower...so if you want faster and even faster with mods, buy a M3 or a 328....if you want fun around corners, any e36 will do the trick.. one thing i wish was my car having more down low torque...my friends obd2 M3 is much faster in fifth just going down the highway passing traffic, and im sure a 328 is too. that would be the only downfall of my car. lack of torque. my father calls it the honda/bimmer. we both have e30 eta cars haha.

anyways...hope this in someway helps you, ive spent a good deal of money and could now have a nice nice M3 for what ive spent over the years.

[E36 Phantom]

If the devil's in the details, then God is in the Search button....

:)

But yeah, the differences are there, but not much. The engine change was simply to compensate for emissions requirements, not power. It was a more economic tune on a bigger engine, so the power stayed close. But, there is more torque so a 328 will be a more spirited driver around town. Swapping to an M50 manifold will reduce the torque gains.

[coosk8er55]

buy my car ... dooo itttttttt

[VanIsle]

buy my car ... dooo itttttttt

would do it in a heartbeat if you lived in BC
and hell if youre up for a road trip, I could give you $1,000 to drive it up here for me (i am not kidding) (oh wait nevermind its an automatic :D)

black on black 328is is exactly what i want

[325icintn]

325's are great. There is a torque difference, but it is not huge. Plus, big mods, such as turbo's and SC's are less expensive on the OBD1 car. Finally, depending on the emissions requirements, OBD1 is MUCH less restrictive. I only have to pass a sniffer, so I can do almost anything I want.

If you like your 318 and you local laws will permit, a s52/m52 obd1 swap would be great.

[VanIsle]

in all the past searches I did, it seemed that an engine swap was much more costly than superchargin... I guess it depends on a persons expertise and access to equipment as well...

[beem3]

Torque and acceleration difference is huge M50 vs. M52. I used to have a 95 325.

[Wildo2003]

in all the past searches I did, it seemed that an engine swap was much more costly than superchargin... I guess it depends on a persons expertise and access to equipment as well...

It depends what your long term plans are. Getting an M50/2 or S50/2 is the right platform to work with, not a little M44. If you don't plan on 250hp+, maybe an engine swap doesn't make sense long-term. But if you'd like a real zippy car down the road, do the swap and start walking the path. haha.. good luck

[Eurotakeover]

doesent the 328i have alot more torque at the lower rpms?

[coosk8er55]

would do it in a heartbeat if you lived in BC
and hell if youre up for a road trip, I could give you $1,000 to drive it up here for me (i am not kidding) (oh wait nevermind its an automatic :D)

black on black 328is is exactly what i want


awwwwwwww man id be sooo down for that!!! ROADTRIP!!! :redspot:redspot:redspot

[eunit3357]

My uncle has a 325is and i have 328is. My car is much more fun to drive. Also as for the 96 first year. My uncles car has more problems. The differences are amazing. Think of it this way when they did the 96 328s they took all the crap out of the 91-95s and replaced it. I have had no problems with my car what so ever ( knock on wood). My uncles sides are not painted to match the body, the trim around the windows is like metal and chipped away and look bad, mine is like a rubber metal but has held well. The digital climate. The power difference is noticeable. But then again from a tuning stand point. I love my car and tuning is going well, but the obd1 platform with chip tuning is great and cheaper. Many pros and cons, and i will say 328 because i have one. Main things to say is, They fixed all kind of problems from the 91-95 models on my 96. Not many big ones but a lot of small ones i never even knew about until my uncle pointed them out.

[coosk8er55]

what he said! ... buy my car ;)

[Toxic0n]

There are actually quite a few 328s for sale out in Vancouver. Mine was just written off so I'm also in the market...watch out :))
You can find a few for 11-13k in great condition with around 120,000kms.

As far 325 vs 328...i've driven both and the difference is noticeable. I also think the 97+ grill looks a bit better.

[coosk8er55]

^^^ ur not helllllpinggg

[old skool]

328s are a lot better. They have a lot of M3 parts such as the trans, drive shaft, etc.

Then again, you can make a very nice autox car and DD out of a 325 if you set it up right.

[eunit3357]

got me on the grill

[LAWLence]

328 definitely has more torque and acceleration than 325.

I just raced my friend who has a 325 from a dig and pretty much pulled on him from 2nd gear on.

[coosk8er55]

got me on the grill
:rolleyes we still rock :cool

[VanIsle]

There are actually quite a few 328s for sale out in Vancouver. Mine was just written off so I'm also in the market...watch out :))
You can find a few for 11-13k in great condition with around 120,000kms.

As far 325 vs 328...i've driven both and the difference is noticeable. I also think the 97+ grill looks a bit better.

True but good luck finding a 5spd...

[KyleNarzt]

True but good luck finding a 5spd...

What price range are you looking in?

PS i have a 98 black on black sport pkg, HKsound, cold weather package 328is 5 speed. ;) Took me a while to find in BC.

[VanIsle]

so you wanna sell it to me? I call dibs over ToxiCon :D