E36 evo newbie
Discussion
Hi all
Am considering a convertible E36 evo, having not owned one before am wondering if you experts can help. The car would be a weekend decent weather car with restricted mileage probably 4000ish per year, what should I expect in terms of running costs servicing etc, I would only buy a low mileage FSH example that hopefully should be sorted the car would have to be manual. What should I be looking for are the engines gearboxes sound, at what point does the Vanos usually need looking at, any useful info would be gratefully recieved.
Thanks all
A
Am considering a convertible E36 evo, having not owned one before am wondering if you experts can help. The car would be a weekend decent weather car with restricted mileage probably 4000ish per year, what should I expect in terms of running costs servicing etc, I would only buy a low mileage FSH example that hopefully should be sorted the car would have to be manual. What should I be looking for are the engines gearboxes sound, at what point does the Vanos usually need looking at, any useful info would be gratefully recieved.
Thanks all
A
There is no timescale with regards to the Vanos being replaced - depends if the car has been driven carefully from cold, filter/bolt changes etc.
The engines are generally strong, the main weak point of the car is the suspension - if it's still on the original shocks/springs it will certainly benefit from being replaced, along with the bushes and top mounts. Other points are:
Air con problems
Notchy gearchange
Exhaust manifold flexi joint
Probably worth doing a search on here as there are loads of threads about these cars which should give you all the info you need.
The engines are generally strong, the main weak point of the car is the suspension - if it's still on the original shocks/springs it will certainly benefit from being replaced, along with the bushes and top mounts. Other points are:
Air con problems
Notchy gearchange
Exhaust manifold flexi joint
Probably worth doing a search on here as there are loads of threads about these cars which should give you all the info you need.
Edited by duff on Monday 2nd February 16:57
duff said:
There is no timescale with regards to the Vanos being replaced - depends if the car has been driven carefully from cold, filter/bolt changes etc.
The engines are generally strong, the main weak point of the car is the suspension - if it's still on the original shocks/springs it will certainly benefit from being replaced, along with the bushes and top mounts. Other points are:
Air con problems
Notchy gearchange
Exhaust manifold flexi joint
Probably worth doing a search on here as there are loads of threads about these cars which should give you all the info you need.
In a nutshell The engines are generally strong, the main weak point of the car is the suspension - if it's still on the original shocks/springs it will certainly benefit from being replaced, along with the bushes and top mounts. Other points are:
Air con problems
Notchy gearchange
Exhaust manifold flexi joint
Probably worth doing a search on here as there are loads of threads about these cars which should give you all the info you need.
Edited by duff on Monday 2nd February 16:57
I got one in April last year. All I can say is get it inspected by someone in the know. Phil Crouch from CPC did mine. Cost £200 as he came out to the car... saved £1000 off the asking price as he noted the discs would warp a bit, air con condenser needs replacing blah blah blah.
Instead of seeming like a t
t, I just handed the seller the list with bits that were wrong and a very rough quote to rectify. I said... we need to take some money off, get a garage to fix some of it, or I can walk away.
He took off the money and I had peace of mind stuff like the VANOS was ok, and it was a sound car mechanically otherwise and rust wise, and I knew what faults I would have to rectify, without getting any nasty surprises.
PS. When I first had a go on the gear box I was not happy at all... till I read EVERYWHERE they are all like that. Braided clutch hose is the first thing on my list post MOT this month. Oh and don't accept any other grake discs than M Div OEM ones. They will go wrong, mine wobble a bit and need to be replaces (came up in the inspection).
HTH
Instead of seeming like a t
t, I just handed the seller the list with bits that were wrong and a very rough quote to rectify. I said... we need to take some money off, get a garage to fix some of it, or I can walk away. He took off the money and I had peace of mind stuff like the VANOS was ok, and it was a sound car mechanically otherwise and rust wise, and I knew what faults I would have to rectify, without getting any nasty surprises.
PS. When I first had a go on the gear box I was not happy at all... till I read EVERYWHERE they are all like that. Braided clutch hose is the first thing on my list post MOT this month. Oh and don't accept any other grake discs than M Div OEM ones. They will go wrong, mine wobble a bit and need to be replaces (came up in the inspection).
HTH
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