Tough time looking for the right E36 318

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1+2=3

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Firstly, I already know all the pros and cons of getting a 4 potter vs 6 potter. As the car is for my wife, the 318 is just right, in this case, a 1997.Just a couple of questions. If a 1997 318i has no leather seats, does that mean it is a CBU? From what I know, all local CKD 97 cars have leather as standard. correct?so far, I've seen around 4 '97 cars, and I'm so shocked by the condition of some of these cars. They are really worn out and definitely neglected by the previous owners. I don't even want to imagine the mechanical condition. I'm now actually contemplating a '96, as I have seen more '96 cars in better shape than '97 cars. I suppose other than the facelift, there shouldn't be any mechanical differences right? I believe engine is the same.comments please. :)
 
1+2+3,

96 and 97 cars both have the M43 engine, so yes the mechanicals are pretty similar. My relative has a 97 (CKD) as well and it comes with leather seats.

Only problem with the m43 is the Air flow meter, other than that the car runs pretty good with frugal fuel consumption. Hope this helps :)

Rgds
 
You should try to find a 99. Comes with the center arm rest, leather, 2 air bags, cruise control and some other small items.
 
thanks for all the input guys. will consider everything thats said. of course, more comments would be welcome.


cheers ;)
 
aya bro, tak kira apa tahun BMW tu di buat, yang mustahak, keadaan si kereta tu sendiri! kalau dapat yr99, enjin macam bunyi teksi, nak buat apa!
i pernah terserempak dengan kaki 318i yr99 kat setapak, masa tu dia nak tukar bulb depan. i tengok dia punya 318i enjin, teruk than mine, interior dalam ada sikit hancur, koyak! only thing buat i kagum, front airbag for passenger. tu aja. the mileage, hampir 200,000km, so imaginelah, how far dia dah lenjang kereta ni. tapi, kalau dapat owner yang betul betul tangkap cintan sama dia punya BMW, itu lain ceritalah, cause car come first, wife second!

masa bila i nak beli second, i pi satu KL, from one end to the other! cheras, sri kembangan, serdang, pj, shah alam, old klang, klang... bertabur! last last jumpa satu near my place, one lady owner! apa lagi, sambar terus! tapi ada cacat sikit, tak apalah, boleh retify balik pelan pelan!

untuk i bila nak cari second, i tengok keadaan enjin dan rekod rekod servicenya, kalau lah ada. kedua tengok body, ada major accident tak! then tengok undercarriage, ada kesan bengkok atau kesan seret kat body frame bawah, selalunya sebab low-profile punya pasal. last last tengok, ada kesan karat! kalau owner 2 ke 3 tak kisah sangat, sebab kebanyakkannya kena jual kerana masaalah kewangan! or ataupun nak upgrade! best thing, bawa kereta pi periksa kat BMW specialist!

kalau nak kira pasal bank interest, tak begitu teruk sangat! kalau dapat yr92 to yr96 from a well maintain owner, than berbaloi! kalau nak cari 99% good condition punya, then lebih baik beli baru punya! leather seat boleh pasang sendiri ma! best thing, kalau susah susah, buy GEN2 untuk bini!

my falsampah...
 
I got mine 318 yr 1996...
masa beli mileage...128000km
interior much better than 1997and above which I'd look before
even my neighbour wt 318 1998 pun jealous ooo tgk i punya interior..
1st and 2nd month beli almost everymonth pegi workshop kasi repair and replace apa yg patut...the 4th month sudah bole relax...no regret buying...
Penang->KL->Penang..160km/h constant speed w/out any problem.
 
"almost everyweek pegi workshop"...alamak sorry arrr thypo error.
 
the most important thing is the condition of the car, not the year of the car. The year is secondary and more important for loan and resale purpose.
 
Originally posted by DanPromote@Jun 19 2006, 01:32 AM
the most important thing is the condition of the car, not the year of the car. The year is secondary and more important for loan and resale purpose.
1+2 = 3

Dan's right. Looked at close to a dozen before finding my 318i. Was a 99 model- very well kept and low mileage for the year. I did a thorough check on the car assisted by a couple of very knowledgeable buddies...

Make sure you take your time and look around, Make sure you get service history, vin, undercarriage,inspect panels, engine, jpj check etc ...as much info as you can obtain.

What I did was narrow my choices down with the help of friends- make appointment, drive to Meng and hoist car up for full check/inspection/diagnostic.

I must say, with all that done, still had to come up with close to 3k to bring my car up to tip top condition - big portion spent on aux fan and adjuster unit which failed within the first month. You're not gonna get a perfect car - some amount of money has to be spent - So far now car seems ok and runs vry well. Take your time, don't rush and you'll definately find the car you're looking for...
 
thanks for the detailed comments. Yup.. i'm under no illusions when buying 2nd hand.
I've already set aside a couple of thousand to iron out any problems once i get the car. In fact, I've already found the car I want, checked it twice, myself and with a knowledgeable person..etc. doing all the paperwork now.

thanks again all.
 
congrats in finding your car, do post some pics on the member's section when you've collected it :)

now is a great time to get e36, plenty of choice and so affordable. If I haven't bought mine I'd be shopping for a coupe e36 now with more power so that 18/19in rims woudn't be a problem.
 
ahahha.. i think i'm going mad... and i have no idea what happened, or when it started, but i'm actually now on the verge of getting a 328i, 97 model.

very very very close... wish me luck.
 
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