I am thinking of getting an E36 328. Advise Needed

[anxious]

Yes when you kena racun u just cant get it out of your mind. It all started bcos I was a bit gatal. Started to talk to my friend, browse the forums and my old magazines and the next thing you know , I cant get this idea out of my mind. I was planning to upgrade my E30 in a year and upgrade to an E46. Then a friend of mine told me that his friend had just disposed off his E36 328 for about RM40k. I realised it would be better to get a well cared 10 yr old E36 328 for cash than get saddled with a 1000per month hp installment for an E46. Today I drove anor friend's well cared 1995 E36 325 which had done 270k km and boy did I enjoy the test drive from Pg to Sg Petani. Now of course I would prefer a newer E36 ( and therfore would have to be a 328) and one with much lower mileage. What concerns me is that the 328's sold in Malaysia had a 4 speed gearbox which my friends have told me isnt robust enough to handle the 328's torque and thus failed very often. I have also read that the pre 1998 6 cyclinder engines had this Nikasil problem with its lining wearing off as a result of the high sulfur content in the petrol. Anyone care to shed some light on these concerns of mine. Many thanks. PS also wondering what's the asking price for an E36 328 coupe?

 

[daan]

My advise to you just ject get it and worry about it later.

 

[dvng]

My advise to you just ject get it and worry about it later.

i suggest you do some research through this forum and find out yourselves the commitment of maintaining a 328i..its a nice throughbred despite some of its weakness..however, its imperative in getting a well maintained 328i to further enjoy the car through the remainder of its life..

 

[Slide]

Gearbox usually gives out at about 150,000kms. 5k for a full rebuild ( gbox and tconvertor) No nikasil issues with cars here.
It's a great car, and if u can get a 99, i would go for it. Roadtax is the only drawback at 1.6k.

 

[rubes72]

Anxious,

Just get the car... lovely car to drive, makes you feel your in control. Power is in abudance esp when you draw away from the traffic lights.. let the evos eat dirt. Anyway the gearboxs thing depends on how you drive and howyou maintain it. If your're a hard driver yes the gearbox will konk out. otherwise it should last. That nikasil issue doesn't occur here. Only in certain countries, i think, read it somewhere. Anyway good luck

 

[baileythebmw]

Yea, I read that petrol in Malaysia has one of the lowest sulphur content in the world, so there shouldnt be any nikasil problem

 

[godflesh]

Yea, I read that petrol in Malaysia has one of the lowest sulphur content in the world, so there shouldnt be any nikasil problem

Cant advice on e36 328 purchase but bear in mind that the Tapis crude is a benchmark- Malaysian light, sweet crude (i.e low sulphur). Our crude is traded and we bring in most of our stuff from middle eastern countries as our oil fetches a higher price on the oil market - so we're left with the lower quality stuff - not that they're not good but lower API specs and higher in sulphur. Most of the sulphur is taken out in refining anyway so the end mogas specs should be pretty good - unless the blend itself is screwed up i.e deliberately leaving more sulphur in the fuel to save on other more expensive components.

 

[Crymson]

It's a great car, and if u can get a 99, i would go for it. Roadtax is the only drawback at 1.6k.

Roadtax is already RM1480 this year.

 

[anaksarawak]

I also notice in STAR and NST also in MotorTrader that there a lot of E36 328 around RM40K..

Test drive a few, power is there but the age give me worries if I should rev it often?

 

[zairiniz]

I drive an E36 328i, it does not cause so many problems. I have just replaced my tranny (about RM 5500 altogether). Other then that, nothing else to worry. In terms of performance, it is a slow starter but with the troque is impressive.

 

[chairoger]

Post-98(year of prodution) E36 328i would do just fine

 

[fabianyee]

a manual 328 would definitely be fun...
The autobox in the 328i is the weakest link..

 

[anxious]

How does the 325 compare to the 328. I hv driven the 325 and found it to be excellent on the highway but low end pick up so so...a bit more gradual. I expect the 328 to be more perky at low end with its torque. I also expect fuel consumption to be better than 325 unless you really tekan.

My concerns is the 4 speed gearbox. I dont mind overhauling it but I wonder whether the 4 speed stunts the car a bit? Of course the 5 speed would be better but imported models are not easy to come by. Even harder to find well kept ones with genuine mileage.

I am looking for low mileage immaculate interior. My advantage is I am buying cash and I can afford a slight premium over the market value. Plus I am really in no hurry as my E30 has fresh tyres and I told myself I'll keep her to her 20th birthday which is next year.

 

[anaksarawak]

I have tested both 325 (5 speed box) & 328 (4 speed box) ... guess the diff is not so much. But after 4000rpm the 328 is the KING!! I just kept running till 6000rpm and by then it is 200km/h ... not bad for a 10 years old car.

How much you prepare to buy your 325 or 328?? I am on the same search as yours.

 

[anxious]

Geoffrey

I noticed that ur are on the look out.

From what I understand the 328 can be anything b/w RM40k - RM 50k.

Of course the condition and year shall determine the price.

On my part I am restraining myself from actively testing/inspecting cars as I dont want to be tempted yet.

So for now I'll enjoy ur comments and discoveries but I dont know how much longer I can tahan.

 

[anaksarawak]

I already addicted.. so far not many E36 can match my A4 1.8 yet only 328i. I maintain my AUDI very well and it only run not more then 55,000KM since 1997.

I dont understand why cant KL UDM owner dont take care of their UDM and many I test drive cant even match the overall condition of my A4.. and it is very frustrating. BMW is a wonderful car and it is my dream car since baby!!! A4 is a gift from my mum or else will not be driving it.

Go for 328i man! If you have driven the 328i E46 .. you will not look back for E36 anymore! hAHAHAHaaaa Happy hunting!

 

[theCROW]

because all the good ones not for sale (esp. ori manual)

 

[anaksarawak]

the Crow,

Guess what you say is true!

So should I stop my search and just drive a A4 here and be a BMW Club member?? Pening la!

 

[chairoger]

I already addicted.. so far not many E36 can match my A4 1.8 yet only 328i. I maintain my AUDI very well and it only run not more then 55,000KM since 1997.

I dont understand why cant KL UDM owner dont take care of their UDM and many I test drive cant even match the overall condition of my A4.. and it is very frustrating. BMW is a wonderful car and it is my dream car since baby!!! A4 is a gift from my mum or else will not be driving it.

Go for 328i man! If you have driven the 328i E46 .. you will not look back for E36 anymore! hAHAHAHaaaa Happy hunting!

I understand your position and thinking. Some(not all) just buy their Bimmers to "lut" ah. After 1-2 years,then sell cause cant maintain.Sad but true. Just pray hard and hope that you dont buy their cars. Aduh!!

 

[theCROW]

thats not wat i meant bro (eventho' it is true hehe)
me myself took 1 year to get my baby
happy hunting ya