e36 328 ownership experience

[GUN]

Bro,

what is ur budget for :
1. the car price
2. the monthly instalment
3. the petrol bill
4. the regular maintenance

can be quite expensive, so budget carefully...

cheap 328's are expensive to maintain, and cheap to maintain 328's are not cheap to buy...

1. Full tank $$$80+
2. sparepart - a few hundred RM for minor parts, 1-2k for major parts, 4-5k to rebuild major parts, 15k for new gearbox, just to give you an idea
3. wat year you recommended... as new as you can afford, year 98/99 is the latest, but rare, and still quite ex...

Good luck!

Hi all

Is very interesting to read all your comment on e36 328.Before looking for e36 318 but now 328.
Just want to know there is so many car by the year 97 but very few on 98 n 99 model why ?
Is there a different in engine spec or interior look if yes how much is worth now with ori m3 bodykit or original spec.

Cheers

 

[Lee36328]

Hi Gun,

Your questions :

1) Just want to know there is so many car by the year 97 but very few on 98 n 99 model why ?

BMW ended the production run of e36 328 for Malaysia toward the end of 97. There might be a few 98 and even 99 models, but check the reg card. Some might be manufactured 98 and registered 99. I've seen up to 98 model. Have not seen a 99/99 car myself.

2) Is there a different in engine spec or interior look if yes how much is worth now with ori m3 bodykit or original spec.

Same spec, except those in the last batch would come with M3 bodykits, side mirrors, as standard.

How much is it worth? That depends on which year you are talking about, mileage, condition, maintenance history, etc.

 

[GUN]

Hi Gun,

Your questions :

1) Just want to know there is so many car by the year 97 but very few on 98 n 99 model why ?

BMW ended the production run of e36 328 for Malaysia toward the end of 97. There might be a few 98 and even 99 models, but check the reg card. Some might be manufactured 98 and registered 99. I've seen up to 98 model. Have not seen a 99/99 car myself.

2) Is there a different in engine spec or interior look if yes how much is worth now with ori m3 bodykit or original spec.

Same spec, except those in the last batch would come with M3 bodykits, side mirrors, as standard.

How much is it worth? That depends on which year you are talking about, mileage, condition, maintenance history, etc.

Hi Lee

Thank you for your reply.

Is like this earlier looking for E 36 318 but after reading all the comment in the forum about this model i have change my mind to E 36 328.

I have read all your comment about 328 and started to look for year 98/99 and finally found year 98 but register year 99 asking for 70k, mileage 160,000 and ori m3 kit.
Overall of this car and colour is ok, service record until warranty period only but JB no plate is it ok?

My question is i know is expensive to maintain a 328, i have to budget carefully montly expences to own it but 70k is it to high or i should wait first?

Cheers

 

[bazet]

waa really jealous......after reading this thread

loan only approved 55k...owner want to sell 68k...so I scrap the idea of having 328....

 

[daan]

than get a 96 or 97, mt have a few to sell around 50k

 

[GUN]

than get a 96 or 97, mt have a few to sell around 50k

Bro

50k around ori spec only but those with m3 kit still expensive lah even yr 96 with m3 kit is around 65k.

 

[Lee36328]

Hi Lee

Thank you for your reply.

Is like this earlier looking for E 36 318 but after reading all the comment in the forum about this model i have change my mind to E 36 328.

I have read all your comment about 328 and started to look for year 98/99 and finally found year 98 but register year 99 asking for 70k, mileage 160,000 and ori m3 kit.
Overall of this car and colour is ok, service record until warranty period only but JB no plate is it ok?

My question is i know is expensive to maintain a 328, i have to budget carefully montly expences to own it but 70k is it to high or i should wait first?

Cheers

1. Average mileage is approx 20k km per year, so this car is slightly on the high side, but still acceptable

2. Asking price - no comment, subject to market prices, and condition of the car and maintenance history

3. Service history not available after warranty - this is not good; insist on finding out where the car was maintained after warranty; this will avoid costly surprises later. This car demands good maintenance. Pamper it, and it will give you endless pleasure. Ignore it, and it will subsequently make your life miserable. Much like a woman...

4. JB plate - a matter of personal preference; do a check w JPJ on the chassis to be on the safe side; if the car was purchased on a bank loan, the bank would check; if you are taking a loan to buy the car, your bank will check as well

5. 70k - price is subjective as I said; shop around and compare options to give yourself a better picture and go for the best overall value.

My view is this. If you can afford the ownership (finance), depreciation and maintenance costs, then no reason to wait.

Car prices always fall with time; going by that logic of waiting for a better price, you will be waiting forever.

The car will be cheaper next month or next year, but today only comes once in your lifetime.

Enjoy.

 

[8080pbmw]

Hi Lee36328,
This is by far the most interesting thread for me in the forum.
Looking at the resale value of the our car today, it's worth while to give our beloved 328i more TLC.
ARB and Voltage Stabilizer is that good? might just give them a try.
Thanks for the input.
Cheers.

 

[GUN]

1. Average mileage is approx 20k km per year, so this car is slightly on the high side, but still acceptable

2. Asking price - no comment, subject to market prices, and condition of the car and maintenance history

3. Service history not available after warranty - this is not good; insist on finding out where the car was maintained after warranty; this will avoid costly surprises later. This car demands good maintenance. Pamper it, and it will give you endless pleasure. Ignore it, and it will subsequently make your life miserable. Much like a woman...

4. JB plate - a matter of personal preference; do a check w JPJ on the chassis to be on the safe side; if the car was purchased on a bank loan, the bank would check; if you are taking a loan to buy the car, your bank will check as well

5. 70k - price is subjective as I said; shop around and compare options to give yourself a better picture and go for the best overall value.

My view is this. If you can afford the ownership (finance), depreciation and maintenance costs, then no reason to wait.

Car prices always fall with time; going by that logic of waiting for a better price, you will be waiting forever.

The car will be cheaper next month or next year, but today only comes once in your lifetime.

Enjoy.

Hi Lee

Thank you for taking time to reply appreciated.
At the moment have to put on hold, quite busy anyway thanks for your advised.

Cheers

 

[Lee36328]

Hi Lee36328,
This is by far the most interesting thread for me in the forum.
Looking at the resale value of the our car today, it's worth while to give our beloved 328i more TLC.
ARB and Voltage Stabilizer is that good? might just give them a try.
Thanks for the input.
Cheers.

Hi 8080pbmw,

If you look purely from the angle of resale value, then the answer is no, because the price has dropped to the point where people are price-shopping, rather than buying quality. Maintaining a car in good condition helps resale, up to a point. Beyond that, spending any more does not help resale any further.

But, and this is a big but, if you truly enjoy the car, then spending a money in certain areas would yield tremendous returns in terms of satisfaction of ownership.

If you love spirited diriving, why not do something about the famous weak point of the e36, the chassis? Best bang for the buck is ARB, suspension, XBRACE, and CAMBER PLATE. Tune the alignment right, and you'd be amazed what the car can do. And if you install all that, don't forget good tires. Make sure your brakes are tip-top too! Do all that, and you'll be able to 4-wheel drift your e36 at the drop of a hat.

If you enjoy smooth purring engine and good fuel consumption is important to you, then the voltage stabilizer and regular decarbonizing of the engine would help.

My initial outlay was quite heavy, until I got the car past the critical point. Now, it hardly requires anything beyond regular oil and brake pad change... Sometimes, I annoy my mechanic by imagining things which require replacing....

But, watch out for the gearbox. Lasts about 120-150k km per rebuild...

 

[flash]

Ha ha, that is a good one. In short, it means you are on the upgrade path, so keep imagining the next thing to replace... so what is your next project?

Hi 8080pbmw,
My initial outlay was quite heavy, until I got the car past the critical point. Now, it hardly requires anything beyond regular oil and brake pad change... Sometimes, I annoy my mechanic by imagining things which require replacing....

 

[ALBundy]

But, watch out for the gearbox. Lasts about 120-150k km per rebuild...

That depends on how the car is driven.....

But yeah some of the recommendations by Lee is worth the $$. ARB, X-Brace and chassis reinforcements are highly recommended. One forumer who owns both e36 and e46 commented the e36 actually out handles the newer e46!!

 

[AnGeLiCdEmOn108]

nice comments about the monster guys... my only words will be jaga-jaga with the power in the conners...

 

[XXX]

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Goodies worth Rm80K is up for grabs and a Lucky draw prize to die for (literally if it does a Titanic) so pls do register for The Annual Dinner thats goin to happen on the 16th of September and be part of history...

 

[Zee77]

Hi Lee 36328,
Just wanted to find out how the Voltage Stabiliser works in improving the engine efficiency?

 

[Lee36328]

Hi Lee 36328,
Just wanted to find out how the Voltage Stabiliser works in improving the engine efficiency?

Zee77,

I'm no electrical engineer, but here's my limited understanding of the matter, for people to consider at their own risk...

Electrical devices (hifi, computers, etc) do not like voltage spikes. A voltage stabilizer evens out those spikes. Many systems in our car run on electrical current, including ignition, ecu, airconditioning, stereo... you get the picture. Having a nice even voltage would help all those devices. Smoother voltage means better ignition...

Another thing that I find helped a lot is the grounding cable. Our chassis is actually used to complete the electrical loop. Our battery's negative terminal is connected to the chassis (look at the battery and you'll see it connects to the side panel.) All electrical devices are connected to the positive via wiring, but they connect to the negative via the chassis, called grounding, by simply hooking it up to the nearest grounding points in the engine bay.

As our chassis ages, it becomes less effective as a conductor. By hooking up a grounding cable which connects directly to the negative terminal, we provide a more efficient way for current to travel.

The benefit? Car revs smoother and more eagerly.

 

[Zee77]

Thanks for the info Lee.. Is the Voltage Stabiliser something like the Pivot Raizin device? Looks kind of interesting with those red lights... Or is there any other brand that u would recommend?

 

[8080pbmw]

Hi Lee36328,
I am some sort of a car nut myself. If financially possible , I wouldn't have sold all my previous cars ( even the protons ) . Sometimes, I even wonder where are they now and how's their condition. I remembered telling the used car dealer that i hope he finds a good owner for my putra when i hand over the keys to him. He gave this kind of face that like I'm some idiot can not let go of his car.
Present ride have been with me for approx. 4 years now. With the amount of TLC and time spent on my ride , the present market value does not make sense nor justice to sell it.
The main reason mostly is the TLC spent makes the car very nice to drive and no car in the present market value can ever come close. Maintenance cost aren't very high as only regular service based on manufacturer's recommedation. Only fully synthetic engine oil until now.
Have already the Ori ///M body kits with replica GTR rear spoiler , Bilstein Yellow + Eibach Pro-Kit springs , Front Strut bar ( from Fabian )and other stuffs like HID , angel eyes head lamp..etc.
But I believe there are still many other upgrades to make it "perfect".
My ride is 8years+ . Chassis strength will be my priority , so forming has been on my list since reading your feedback sometime back. but Desmond can only do it at his shop and will only come up to Penang with a min. 4 or 5 cars for him. So that didn't work out the last time.
ARB , I don't mind getting it if the results are that impressive. Is Eibach a good choice?
X -Brace , where are those available ? are they fixed inside our front fender ? does it also have fix for the rear?
Camber plate , I have my ride set up with the 17" M Contour rims on P.Dragon 225/40/17 on front and 245/40/17 on the rear . Can these camber plate prolong the life span of the tyres by giving it an even wear ? I believe my tyres wear out more on the inside.
Voltage Stabilizer , having the battery housed on the booth limits the products available with ground cable . The voltage stabilizer are fixed near the battery and ground cable( or cables ) running from the rear to the engine? How much is the ground cable ? what gauge are those cable if there are power cable used on amps?
My brakes are still Ori, rear pads might due for change. AB now offer promotion for RM1488 for the brakes system replacement. What are the other proven options around on disc and pads combination?
if only Penang have the choice like those available in KL. Not much choice here and have to compromise on most occations.
Hope you don't mind me asking so many questions.
Cheers.

 

[Jipster]

What are the other proven options around on disc and pads combination?

E46 brake conversion - see here http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148711&highlight=rotors.

For the rest of the good stuff see here http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=311638

 

[8080pbmw]

Hi Jipster,

Thanks for the pointers . However, my car's a E36 328. How about EBD green stuff?