E36 BMW becoming a classic?
Discussion
vsonix said:
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...
I think on it's own the Quaife was around £1200. You do find them popping up second hand and you'll always find a buyer should you need to sell...that was my thinking anyway! g3org3y said:
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).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.
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.
yonex said:
vsonix said:
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...
I think on it's own the Quaife was around £1200. You do find them popping up second hand and you'll always find a buyer should you need to sell...that was my thinking anyway! http://www.birdsauto.com/quaife/search?m=bmw&s...
MitchT said:
danllama said:
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.
Having owned 3 E36 cars over the last 10 years and recently selling the latest, a 323 saloon in Morea green for a fair few extra ££ than I paid for it 3 years ago I would say its already started to be "classic" in price terms.
If its standard and in very good condition without starship miles it will gain in value, mine did and it wasn't a 2.8 sport, just a 2.5 se more door. I could have sold it 10 times.
I think it has to be a 6cyl, and rust free but they are getting rare, and rare cars usually gain momentum as fas as price goes.
The E46 will go the same way if it has the same criteria, they may not be the greatest cars, but there's a quality about them that makes the unmolested ones valuable.
I now have a 330ci msport that's bog standard with 94k and a big history file, its value won't go down from what I paid.
If its standard and in very good condition without starship miles it will gain in value, mine did and it wasn't a 2.8 sport, just a 2.5 se more door. I could have sold it 10 times.
I think it has to be a 6cyl, and rust free but they are getting rare, and rare cars usually gain momentum as fas as price goes.
The E46 will go the same way if it has the same criteria, they may not be the greatest cars, but there's a quality about them that makes the unmolested ones valuable.
I now have a 330ci msport that's bog standard with 94k and a big history file, its value won't go down from what I paid.
vsonix said:
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.
Cheers for your thoughts, i'll check out that diffuser but a front ride height adjustment is definitely on the cards! Is the E36 becoming a classic?
The very earliest ones are 28 years old now, and they are as good as, or better than a lot of other cars that are deemed classic.
I think they are, and prices are definitely on the way up.
Loads have been crashed, drifted or stripped for parts, so it is getting harder to find a bargain.
I think they are great, and have one or two.....
This is my 318is, 25 years old now and still great fun...
My 328 Sport that was going to be my new track car, but as prices are increasing it might stay as it is....
The very earliest ones are 28 years old now, and they are as good as, or better than a lot of other cars that are deemed classic.
I think they are, and prices are definitely on the way up.
Loads have been crashed, drifted or stripped for parts, so it is getting harder to find a bargain.
I think they are great, and have one or two.....
This is my 318is, 25 years old now and still great fun...
My 328 Sport that was going to be my new track car, but as prices are increasing it might stay as it is....
C70R said:
That's incredibly tenuous stuff...
They (like many BMWs) are very good all-round cars, and I thought long and hard about a 328i Sport (auto) before I bought my E46. But the non-M3 models really don't have the right DNA to become a classic:
1. Not rare (328i Sport manual aside)
2. Not super-quick
3. Not a motorsport legend (one BTCC championship does not a summer make)
4. Not massively groundbreaking at the time (yes, they were better than the Cavalier/Sierra of 1992 - but it was only iterative development/refinement, not some space-age leap forward)
Not a motorsport legend?They (like many BMWs) are very good all-round cars, and I thought long and hard about a 328i Sport (auto) before I bought my E46. But the non-M3 models really don't have the right DNA to become a classic:
1. Not rare (328i Sport manual aside)
2. Not super-quick
3. Not a motorsport legend (one BTCC championship does not a summer make)
4. Not massively groundbreaking at the time (yes, they were better than the Cavalier/Sierra of 1992 - but it was only iterative development/refinement, not some space-age leap forward)
They may have only won one BTCC championship, but they were front runners for a number of years.
But look overseas and they have massive motorsport history.
Multiple German STW championships.
Multiple outright Nurburgring 24 hour wins, as well as numerous class wins.
Multiple Italian STW wins
Plus a lot more world wide.
Really enjoyed my 328 Sport though wish I'd gone for a manual. Was Aqua metallic with cream leather. I guess an marmite colour scheme but I thought it looked the mutt's nuts. Best looking wheel on any main stream car I can think of but a right bugger to keep them tip top.
Would happily have another though I suspect finding a good manual nowadays is either tricky or expensive enough to force one to consider many interesting other options.
I had a 330 E46 not long after and though it was a better car in many ways, the steering was far poorer and the exhaust note was far too quiet. Never looked quite as good either.
Would happily have another though I suspect finding a good manual nowadays is either tricky or expensive enough to force one to consider many interesting other options.
I had a 330 E46 not long after and though it was a better car in many ways, the steering was far poorer and the exhaust note was far too quiet. Never looked quite as good either.
sim16v said:
Is the E36 becoming a classic?
The very earliest ones are 28 years old now, and they are as good as, or better than a lot of other cars that are deemed classic.
I think they are, and prices are definitely on the way up.
Loads have been crashed, drifted or stripped for parts, so it is getting harder to find a bargain.
I think they are great, and have one or two.....
This is my 318is, 25 years old now and still great fun...
My 328 Sport that was going to be my new track car, but as prices are increasing it might stay as it is....
The very earliest ones are 28 years old now, and they are as good as, or better than a lot of other cars that are deemed classic.
I think they are, and prices are definitely on the way up.
Loads have been crashed, drifted or stripped for parts, so it is getting harder to find a bargain.
I think they are great, and have one or two.....
This is my 318is, 25 years old now and still great fun...
My 328 Sport that was going to be my new track car, but as prices are increasing it might stay as it is....
I couldn't justify tracking that 328, that looks like a very tidy car. Use the 318 instead!
njw1 said:
I couldn't justify tracking that 328, that looks like a very tidy car. Use the 318 instead!
2018 mods are a quick shift, E46 purple tag rack and E30 wishbones with eccentric bushes. All 'in stock' so FOC. 140 odd bhp is enough as well.
I think this thread is headed down a two way split. People that like their cars bone standard and unmolested find the E36 a little underwhelming. People that don't mind a bit of tweaking and modifying find them absolutely great. Certainly, I don't think I'd want a totally standard one. Every one I've owned (and I've had something like seven now) has ended up being fettled to some degree and vastly improved as a result. Especially with the 328i coupe in manual flavour, a gentle drop on quality suspension, a decent shielded CAI kit, a good quality aftermarket exhaust, the all-important M50B25 manifold swap and a decent remap to tie it all together is a brilliant car. The extra pull up top makes sense of the overly long (as standard) gearing. I've had four 2.8s in various body styles (and two Z3 2.8s) and whilst I certainly wouldn't say no to an M3 (or Z3M) if I was offered, I still in well over seven years of driving E36s have not reached a stage where I am bored with the performance or handliing.
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff