Car choice for daughter , Beema MAD!

[chrisl]

I’m going to be the opposing voice here. An E36 is not an unreliable car and will not cost you a fortune to repair unless it breaks down so if you get a well maintained car, then it’s just as likely to never break down as any other car. Anyway, its not that important to go to a BMW dealler for a car of that age. You can use a reputable BMW specialist at half the price. The other advantage is that it will always have some appeal so it will have some value when she wants to sell, as opposed to a old tinny buzz box that no one will want and you will have to pay someone to take it away.

Having said all that, have you considered an early Mazda MX5? It’s in the same price range, has just as much appeal as a beema and if it’s Japanese reliability you want then this has it by the bucket load... not to mention the incredibly good fun factor and fuel savings. But best of all, she will only be able to carry one passenger and that’s a real biggie for safety. (It has been well shown statistically that a new driver is far far more likely to be involved in a serious collision when there is a group of young people in a car. It has to do with the “party” and “show off” factor).

Also, although the biggest down side is that this car is not a Ford, it is in fact a Mazda which means that it is part of the Ford group of companies

[ebxr8240]

Serviced well the 318 is a good car..
Parts are no more expensive than some Jap parts...
Just don't buy parts from BMW.....
Young one's need a good safe car they can manage..
An AU etc would possibly be too big for first car...

[UNR8D]

thats my mates 318I for sale atm for 12k.

[PULLY6]

12k??! What a STEAL.

[UNR8D]

1992 E36 318 Executive

General info
White
Automatic
Rego til April
Always garaged
Premium fuel always used
All kms highway driven
Detailed weekly
Receipts for majority of work

Body
Clear indicators and side repeaters
M3 taillights
16" steel wheels and hub caps of 2005 316ti fitted to car
plus 17x7 genuine Motorsport wheels sitting in garage with tyres
New spare badge kit
M3 rear bar
Xenon side skirts
Reiger front bar
Eyelids
New windscreen with top tinted in darkest legal shade
Colour coded mirrors, bump strips and door handles
Factory tinted mirrors
Fog lamps

Mechanical
Pedders lowered springs and Koni shocks
Full top end rebuild @ 205.000kms, just run in, never revved over 3800rpm to preserve motor and help with run in
K&N air filter with cold air intake pipe
Rebuilt alternator and starter motor
New battery and wiring harness
Front strut bar
New fuel injection system
Reconditioned computer
2 and 1/4 exhaust, supa-cat, zetti muffler with upsweep tip
New brake system on front end

Interior
Full factory black leather
Factory tint
Genuine BMW dash and floor mats
Factory sunroof
Climate control
Headlight intensity adjuster

Electrical
Kenwood Cd player
12-disc cd stacker JVC
Kicker 2 channel amp
Mongoose alarm with 2-point immobiliser
Electric mirrors and windows
Volt gauge
Full wiring kits for two stereo amplifiers

$12000 contact Jay 0423 596 069


if ur interested.. mods remove post if i have breached any rules.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

An AU etc would possibly be too big for first car...

wow. thats just silly. no car is too big for a first car. i wanted a big car as my first car, my future kids first car will be big cars as well. safer than a little 4cyl rice burner :

[HLC]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

Genuine BMW dash

i should hope so. :|

[UNR8D]

they arnt a bad car, and build quality is not a bad thing either for the money you pay now is what someone paid 60K for back in the mid 90's they are reliable if you look after them, parts arnt cheap but if u like something then why not make the sacrifice, not one things floats everyones boat, if i had my choice an E36 M3 would be in my driveway... its not as no one ill insure me for under the price of an corolla.

[snypereb]

Get her a ford (e-series)!!!!!!!

[ebxr8240]

Originally Posted by HLC

wow. thats just silly. no car is too big for a first car. i wanted a big car as my first car, my future kids first car will be big cars as well. safer than a little 4cyl rice burner :

A BMW is much different to rice burners and we talking about a 17 [girl] year old who will have issues with parking etc..The 3 series is not a small car by any means..Ford would LOVE a car that size in there fleet...The best part too its REAR wheel drive...
A Subaru Liberty would be another choice....

[Ruger]

ive done work on a e36 325 and i must say by now that the car is a piece of crap and falling apart. i was appauled by the quality of this car and would need a hellavalot convincing to buy one. my old ea was built better and felt more in one piece than this beema although i fastidiously maintained my old car it definately felt more solid although not as fancy (no leather etc)

[Ruger]

and also beware of sunroofs
that 325 i worked on a cable or something snapped in the sunroof and bmw quoted 2500 to repair it. dont buy a car with problems

[Ringo]

Howdy - I am an ex BMW technician so I know a bit about these cars.

Yeah stick clear of the sunroofs. They are very very very difficult to repair if they go bung or if the roof panel kicks sideways. Replacing them is not fun.

My pick Ruger is either

1987 - 1990 e30 318i Manual - Light, easy to drive, Nippy, easy to work on, parts are plentiful and cheap. Don't bother with a 318is - not worth the dollars.

1994 -> E36 318i - This was the updated model but the same e36 shape. This is the car to go for as sooooo many things were upgraded. Think of it as the difference b/w an EA and EB SII Falcon.

In 1994 the 318i got a new motor (with a timing chain instead of the easily breakable belt as previous engine. Bit more power, bit better economy

New radio,
New door trims
New dash and centre console materials
Air bags as standard

this list goes on....

Feel free to p/m for more info

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

1992 E36 318 Executive

General info
snip

Body
Clear indicators and side repeaters
M3 taillights
16" steel wheels and hub caps of 2005 316ti fitted to car
plus 17x7 genuine Motorsport wheels sitting in garage with tyres
New spare badge kit
M3 rear bar
Xenon side skirts
Reiger front bar
Eyelids
New windscreen with top tinted in darkest legal shade
Colour coded mirrors, bump strips and door handles
Factory tinted mirrors
Fog lamps

* Clarification: Vehicle will have FRONT and REAR fog lamps:-)

* AND BMW Warning triangle, if carried, made by the folks at www.gebra.com
Or order BMW Part Number if its not in the car: 7160 1095 457, bout $37.



$12000 contact Jay 0423 596 069


if ur interested.. mods remove post if i have breached any rules.

You get that really.... I wish her well, ensure she has the latest driver handbook, NSW and WA have new versions Jan 06, SA quickly working on their new Version 8 to be released soon.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

A BMW is much different to rice burners and we talking about a 17 [girl] year old who will have issues with parking etc..The 3 series is not a small car by any means..Ford would LOVE a car that size in there fleet...The best part too its REAR wheel drive...
A Subaru Liberty would be another choice....

i wasnt dissing a 3 series. they are still a small car though. but thats me. i like a big car. cause i like to compensate for other things :

[chrisl]

Originally Posted by Ruger

ive done work on a e36 325 and i must say by now that the car is a piece of crap and falling apart. i was appauled by the quality of this car and would need a hellavalot convincing to buy one. my old ea was built better and felt more in one piece than this beema although i fastidiously maintained my old car it definately felt more solid although not as fancy (no leather etc)

Like any car of this age, if it is not well maintained then it will show it. I also own an E36 318Is and I would have to say that its the tightest feeling car I have ever owned or driven. So if your 325i felt loose then it would be the one to stay clear of. Incidentally, I have read that the E36 rear suspension rubbers are prone to wear at this age and can cause the rear end to feel loose and clunk... but they are just rubbers and can be replaced.

Also, I'm not sure what you were referring to when you said "fancy" but the 3 series was never full of fancy gadgetry to go wrong, so in many ways it is a better BMW to own now that they are getting older (compared to the highly-engineered 5 and 7 series).

[Ringo]

Spot on about the rear suspension rubbers but it is an easy fix.

The rear shocker mounts will rattle and will need replacing every few years. They ssound terrible (like a falcon rear shocker noise) and you have to be deaf to ignore it.

It takes all of about 15 min to replace on your driveway and all you need is a 13mm socket. Shop around for a set of rubbers for about $30.00.

[AnthonyQLD]

Originally Posted by charliewool

Gidday Mark... Her original idea was ... "Dad, you'd LOVE a new Typhoon, buy one and I'll have the XR6T" !!....
"And I'll just take the Turbo badge off for my Ps" followed by... "How much would edit cost me"

And why arent you taking her up on the offer im sure u would love a Typhoon :

[MrSparkle]

My suggestion is to p!ss off the idea of a poxy 318 and look at a "proper" Beemer. If she's on a budget, a ~10yr old 540i is the ticket.

[Kenaz]

Originally Posted by MrSparkle

My suggestion is to p!ss off the idea of a poxy 318 and look at a "proper" Beemer. If she's on a budget, a ~10yr old 540i is the ticket.

Now we're talking :

[pauljh74]

I've always thought the only Beemers worth buying are the higher spec models. The lower end 3 series are comparable to premium Jap 4 cylinder cars, which can be cheaper. At $15-20K for a '93 540i, it's probably way past the buyer's budget

[mrs xa coupe]

charliewood. Ultimately the decision will be hers. I thought that the idea of her drawing up a early budget with estimated insurance and maintenance costs is an excellent idea no matter what she is looking at buying. Rather than trying to push her to buy something else, maybe try offering some sort of incentive to look at other options. I dont know your financial situation, but maybe tell her you will not help with a BMW, but if she decides to get a more appropriate car you will offer her an interest free loan for the difference. I am not suggesting you buy it for her, but maybe just make is feasible to bridge the gap financially.

Just a thought. :

PS. My 1st car was a 10 year old 318i that I bought from my mum and it was an absolute money pit. I did enjoy the car, but I ended up spending a fortune on it, and parts and insurance were an absolute killer. In hindsight it was not a good move.

[BIGBIRD]

If shes paying for the car i dont see why anyone should try sway her opinion... Just make sure she is informed and let her decide.
My first car at 18 was a Nissan 200sx and now at 20 i got the XR6T.
If i had listened to what my parents thought i should be driving, i would hate them by now.
Her money, Her choice.

[MoreHPformyXR6]

My 1st car that i bought a week b4 my 18th birthday was a HJ Prem 308 that i had a warm 327 Chev put in it & it ran 12s. I dont think my olds wanted me to get a V8 but thats all i wanted & i paid all costs/insurance/repairs when things broke etc i worked f/time & thats what i spent my money on. I dont regret it 1bit it was fun i enjoyed it.

[GTP 320]

I'd personally be a bit hesitant in getting a 10-12 yr old BMW very expensive when it comes to servicing and obviously insurance is going to hurt and they also lack power.
Cheers John

[qwigybo]

why get a 94 beema for 10k when u can pickup a ba xt for 13

[Dodge]

dont touch any bmw over 5 yrs old , ur money will vanish very fast. best of going to auctions and getting a newish car, it may not have the BMW icon but im sure u can get a decent car, we went to a repo auction last week, could of had a 2002 C320 merc for 30k , they sell for lots more than that