E36 BMW becoming a classic?

[LocoCoco]

C70R said:

Leptons said:

C70R said:

Tantrum much?

I know you're on the wind up but do you really have to quote the entire thing every time? It's fking annoying.

I'm really not.
What sort of wally comes wading into a thread and tries to convince everyone that his modded, non-Sport, E36 328 is the best "family and fun under £10k"?

For him.

He's not saying that you couldn't buy something better for £10k, he's saying that he couldn't.

I know exactly where he's coming from because I'm very attached to my daily (mk1 mx5) and would have to spend roughly 5x what it's worth to buy a car that I would prefer to drive every day. (If I had that cash it would be spent on a better mk1 mx5 or improvements to mine.)

[anonymous-user]

C70R said:

I'm really not.
What sort of wally comes wading into a thread and tries to convince everyone that his modded, non-Sport, E36 328 is the best "family and fun under £10k"?

Well obviously that's his personal preference. Obvious point is obvious.

[Leptons]

C70R said:

I'm really not.
What sort of wally comes wading into a thread and tries to convince everyone that his modded, non-Sport, E36 328 is the best "family and fun under £10k"?

Granted, If someone came along and offered £10k for my manual 328i Sport LSD I would laugh all the way to the bank. And then probably go and buy another one.
I think he's saying it's worth £10k to him as I sentimental, time spent on it e.t.c rather than actually being worth £10k.

[james_gt3rs]

yonex said:

Well obviously that's his personal preference. Obvious point is obvious.

To most people

[SidewaysSi]

yonex said:

C70R said:

I'm really not.
What sort of wally comes wading into a thread and tries to convince everyone that his modded, non-Sport, E36 328 is the best "family and fun under £10k"?

Well obviously that's his personal preference. Obvious point is obvious.

Indeed - you have to love it in here sometimes! Forgetting the ridiculous conversations in this thread, how is the Quaife in your 130? I am thinking the same though I am not sure whether to go for a plate type diff e.g. Gripper or Kaaz? How easy/predictable is the oversteer?

I may give Quaife a call as I also want to change the diff ratio from 2.93 to 3.46. I know a lot of the E36 guys tend to pick up a used 3.15 LSD from a 3.0 M3 but I am looking for something that is not worn and somewhat punchier

[vsonix]

ging84 said:

I think they were quite ugly, they certainly have not aged well. But normally when good cars start ugly or don't age well they go through a period of being unpopular then come out the other end as an absolute classic with a strong cult following. I don't think the E36 is there yet, but not too far away.

See, I massively disagree with this, I think they are very attractive cars and possibly the zenith of 90s 'straight line' styling. Especially without a spoiler on the rear. Clean lines, a little rake (depending on suspension setup) making them look purposeful... to my eyes they're amongst the most handsome cars of the period. I'll agree however that there are quite a few out there that just don't look right. For starters they only really look their best on 17" wheels yet the vast majority came on 15" wheels with a few that were lucky enough to be equipped with the 16" Style 30. Otherwise only the M3 and the 328i Sport came with 17s. The standard suspension setup also had fist-sized gaps between the top of the front tyre and wheel arch, but only a centimetre or so at the rear so a slightly ungainly look as standard. Thank goodness for Eibach pro-kit springs and that 30/15mm drop that makes everything OK again!

[NiceCupOfTea]

It's dependant on spec really. My non-sport 323 cab looks OK when polished up, but IMHO a non sport saloon is a very humdrum looking box. Every time I see my bro's Technoviolet 328 Sport coupe I'm struck by what a fabulously good looking and well proportioned car it is with the standard 17" BBS wheels.

I can actually remember seeing one parked up in South Kensington when they were pretty new, funny now talking about them being classics! A mate of mine treated himself and bought a really expensive (and still considered pretty new) e30!

Regarding the e36 328/e46 330 comparison, I think my brother's 328 has the edge on my 330 (admittedly a touring). The e46 feels more grown up and isolated from what's going on, although it is still a pretty good driver's car IMHO. The e36 is the sort of car you could take for a blast, whereas the e46 is the sort of car you could have a bit of fun in whilst on the way somewhere (if that makes sense!)

[Leins]

s m said:

I wouldn't be at all surprised if they start going up in price for a decent one and attract 'classic' status

I look back at the £500 E21 323i I had and the 2k E30 325i Sport and they'd both go for a lot more now

The era of cheap E21s was only at the beginning of this century ( I'm thinking cheap stuff in the local Bargain Pages etc ) so I think even my E36 would go for more than I sold it 4 years back








Sports will go up the most I reckon but weighed against that, younger people would often rather go for a newer BMW 1/2-series on lease/PCP etc these days - those sort of things weren't as common imho back 20 years ago

Very nice. Actually the fact it was an SE 328i saloon appeals even more in a way

There was a lovely white 3L M3 sold about a year ago on here: 70k Miles, motorsport cloth interior, FBMWSH IIRC. Really fancied it but disappeared in a couple of days

Agree on the shed idea too, there are still a lot of desirable cars today that can still be bought without needing to re-mortgage. Probably not either of these though :

[C70R]

james_gt3rs said:

yonex said:

Well obviously that's his personal preference. Obvious point is obvious.

To most people

So you're saying that he just spent the last day, on a thread about whether the car will become a "classic", telling us that he liked the car he owned?
If he had just said that, rather than making the silly, outlandish statements, we would have all moved on long ago.

I too like my car. But you won't find me defending them to the hilt on PH with ridiculous hyperbole and ever-changing requirements; because I'm a realist about their shortcomings and life is too short.

Edited by C70R on Monday 4th September 14:54

[sc0tt]

Great cars. Had my 328i Sport Coupe when I was 19. Thought I was the absolute Dogs Danglies in it.

Black with silver leather.

Bit weighty up front but I enjoyed it. One of those cars that I wish I had kept.

[anonymous-user]

SidewaysSi said:

Indeed - you have to love it in here sometimes! Forgetting the ridiculous conversations in this thread, how is the Quaife in your 130? I am thinking the same though I am not sure whether to go for a plate type diff e.g. Gripper or Kaaz? How easy/predictable is the oversteer?

I may give Quaife a call as I also want to change the diff ratio from 2.93 to 3.46. I know a lot of the E36 guys tend to pick up a used 3.15 LSD from a 3.0 M3 but I am looking for something that is not worn and somewhat punchier

It's brilliant, really completes the setup IMO. Loads more traction in the wet and out of of tight turns. I haven't tried any other type but without it the traction control was always very active, now even in nanny mode it rarely gets in the way. In the wet it's really easy to control, i'm guessing a 3 series will be even more forgiving? The first drive back from when it was installed was a real eye opener, on very worn rear tyres travelling in some heavy rain it drove so differently and gave loads of confidence. Probably your best bet is to speak to people who have fitted them and see what they say? It was easier for me as this was part of the Birds setup and tried and tested. Why on earth BMW don't fit proper LSD's to everything is beyond me. The Quaife gets a big thumbs up from me.

[vsonix]

MitchT said:

danllama said:

I really need a sport bumper for mine.

BMW E36 323i by Dan J, on Flickr

Looks great as it is. Just promise me one thing ... if you do get a sport bumper, make sure you do the side skirts and rear apron as well. I've seen E36s with just a Sport front bumper - it ruins the overall balance of the car and makes it look nose-heavy. You need to do the whole lot or none at all.

I'd leave the regular bumper on there. Maybe an AC Schnitzer front diffuser if you must change the look of the front end, but I think simply a nice drop at the front would have a much nicer effect on the overall look of the car. Eibach Pro-kit ftw. There's too many non-sport E36s wearing sport packs to the point they're ubiquitous and a nicely modded SE is a rare sight to behold by comparison.

[g3org3y]

vsonix said:

ging84 said:

I think they were quite ugly, they certainly have not aged well. But normally when good cars start ugly or don't age well they go through a period of being unpopular then come out the other end as an absolute classic with a strong cult following. I don't think the E36 is there yet, but not too far away.

See, I massively disagree with this, I think they are very attractive cars and possibly the zenith of 90s 'straight line' styling. Especially without a spoiler on the rear. Clean lines, a little rake (depending on suspension setup) making them look purposeful... to my eyes they're amongst the most handsome cars of the period. I'll agree however that there are quite a few out there that just don't look right. For starters they only really look their best on 17" wheels yet the vast majority came on 15" wheels with a few that were lucky enough to be equipped with the 16" Style 30. Otherwise only the M3 and the 328i Sport came with 17s. The standard suspension setup also had fist-sized gaps between the top of the front tyre and wheel arch, but only a centimetre or so at the rear so a slightly ungainly look as standard. Thank goodness for Eibach pro-kit springs and that 30/15mm drop that makes everything OK again!

Agree.

I think 'The Moose' (I may be wrong) had a very nice 328 Coupe, lowered on (17 inch) Type 32 Radial Spokes. Looked lovely.

My issue with going to 17s is how much more the car tramlines. On smooth roads, no issue. Introduce ruts and camber changes and it can feel a bit all over the shop. I'm running 17 inch Alpina Softlines on my Touring for summer and 16 inch Type 30s for winter.

[unpc]

I've had both ends of the E36 spectrum with 316i and an M3 and both were totally underwhelming cars. I don't see these ever becoming a worthy classic. Avoid...

[sixpotter]

vsonix said:

MitchT said:

danllama said:

I really need a sport bumper for mine.

BMW E36 323i by Dan J, on Flickr

Looks great as it is. Just promise me one thing ... if you do get a sport bumper, make sure you do the side skirts and rear apron as well. I've seen E36s with just a Sport front bumper - it ruins the overall balance of the car and makes it look nose-heavy. You need to do the whole lot or none at all.

I'd leave the regular bumper on there. Maybe an AC Schnitzer front diffuser if you must change the look of the front end, but I think simply a nice drop at the front would have a much nicer effect on the overall look of the car. Eibach Pro-kit ftw. There's too many non-sport E36s wearing sport packs to the point they're ubiquitous and a nicely modded SE is a rare sight to behold by comparison.

That is lovely as it is and the reason I wanted to keep mine without the sport kit as they all have it now, almost looks classier without dare I say. Will be checking out the Schnitzer diffusers too though...

[Leptons]

g3org3y said:

Agree.

I think 'The Moose' (I may be wrong) had a very nice 328 Coupe, lowered on (17 inch) Type 32 Radial Spokes. Looked lovely.

My issue with going to 17s is how much more the car tramlines. On smooth roads, no issue. Introduce ruts and camber changes and it can feel a bit all over the shop. I'm running 17 inch Alpina Softlines on my Touring for summer and 16 inch Type 30s for winter.

The Tramlining can be almost eradicated entirely by running eccentric lollipop bushes, giving you more caster. Hence the reason the 328i Sport came with them from the factory (to enable the running of the BBS RC041).

[Wills2]

yonex said:

It's a constant source of amusement to me that people have to label one thing or another chav. Apparently drifting is 'chav', someone should tell Ford

Ford already know and they know their "market" hence chav drift mode.

[SidewaysSi]

yonex said:

SidewaysSi said:

Indeed - you have to love it in here sometimes! Forgetting the ridiculous conversations in this thread, how is the Quaife in your 130? I am thinking the same though I am not sure whether to go for a plate type diff e.g. Gripper or Kaaz? How easy/predictable is the oversteer?

I may give Quaife a call as I also want to change the diff ratio from 2.93 to 3.46. I know a lot of the E36 guys tend to pick up a used 3.15 LSD from a 3.0 M3 but I am looking for something that is not worn and somewhat punchier

It's brilliant, really completes the setup IMO. Loads more traction in the wet and out of of tight turns. I haven't tried any other type but without it the traction control was always very active, now even in nanny mode it rarely gets in the way. In the wet it's really easy to control, i'm guessing a 3 series will be even more forgiving? The first drive back from when it was installed was a real eye opener, on very worn rear tyres travelling in some heavy rain it drove so differently and gave loads of confidence. Probably your best bet is to speak to people who have fitted them and see what they say? It was easier for me as this was part of the Birds setup and tried and tested. Why on earth BMW don't fit proper LSD's to everything is beyond me. The Quaife gets a big thumbs up from me.

Great stuff, thanks! Unfortunately my car is a bit too old for Birds as I can see the appeal of having something developed by a proper aftermarket tuner.

In the wet it is a bit too easy to get the wheels spinning...which is not always a bad thing!

[g3org3y]

Leptons said:

g3org3y said:

Agree.

I think 'The Moose' (I may be wrong) had a very nice 328 Coupe, lowered on (17 inch) Type 32 Radial Spokes. Looked lovely.

My issue with going to 17s is how much more the car tramlines. On smooth roads, no issue. Introduce ruts and camber changes and it can feel a bit all over the shop. I'm running 17 inch Alpina Softlines on my Touring for summer and 16 inch Type 30s for winter.

The Tramlining can be almost eradicated entirely by running eccentric lollipop bushes, giving you more caster. Hence the reason the 328i Sport came with them from the factory (to enable the running of the BBS RC041).

Thanks for that info Leptons. Will look into it. Presumably one can do a straight swap or the OEM 328 Sport part or is a particular aftermarket option favoured.

Truth be told, the ride is much more compliant on 16s so I'm not always that sad about the 'downgrade' come winter time. I must be getting old.

[vsonix]

yonex said:

It's brilliant, really completes the setup IMO. Loads more traction in the wet and out of of tight turns. I haven't tried any other type but without it the traction control was always very active, now even in nanny mode it rarely gets in the way. In the wet it's really easy to control, i'm guessing a 3 series will be even more forgiving? The first drive back from when it was installed was a real eye opener, on very worn rear tyres travelling in some heavy rain it drove so differently and gave loads of confidence. Probably your best bet is to speak to people who have fitted them and see what they say? It was easier for me as this was part of the Birds setup and tried and tested. Why on earth BMW don't fit proper LSD's to everything is beyond me. The Quaife gets a big thumbs up from me.

How much did the Quaife set you back, if you don't mind me asking? I'd quite like to add LSD to my 2.8 touring eventually, but the lack of choice and strong prices on 20 year old used parts has put me off until now. I assume a new Quaife will probably cost the same as the rest of the car but I'm hoping to be proved wrong...