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New to BMW's- Which one?

2K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  Bladerider 
#1 ·
Hi, my first post here, so a little intro and a couple questions, which i hope u dnt mind gettin a little long. ive always kept honda's, n my prelude is going to be undergoing sum changes which means it'll be offroad alot, plus wont be cost effective as a daily driver once its dun. So i need a 2nd, daily driver.
Looked around and the 1991-1998 3 series appealed to me most- RWD, straight 6 engine (would have to be a manual tranny), nice interior, and a nice bit of power depending on the model u choose, n under 2 grand (probly be more like between 1000-1500, but i'll see wat my bank statements say over the next few weeks). Just wat i was lookin for.
Anyway, first of all, wats E30,E36, etc? does this correspond to which generation/mark 3series it is? for example, with preludes it'd be 3rd gen, 4th gen, etc. with civics it'd be eg, ek, ej, etc. Then it splits into (as an example of the eg civic) eg6, eg9, etc.
Secondly, ive been searchin a while, but cant find accurate specs for the different variations. Im after a 3 series coupe, either a 323 or 325 preferably between 1993 and 1998. Autotrader seems to tell me these are both 192hp, and the 328 is 193hp. Which dont seem right to me. And i cant find any figures on the torque outputs on these engines either.
Finally, if you've got any tips when buyin one of these, or recommendations, it'd be much appreciated.

Again, i kno thats a bit of a lecture, but help/advice much appreciated. I'd be glad to help any1 of you too, soon as i learn more about these models.

Thanks,
Baz.
 
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#3 ·
Also its the 325 and 328 with similar bhp, something like 189 and 193 but the 328 has more torque (328 is very restricted due to laws in germany or something?? Has a lot of potential to be around 230bhp with a few mods)

As for which car, go for something clean and good service history, mileage isnt much of a concern so dont be afraid of ones in the +100k obviously if theyve got good s/h that is. Look out for the "nikasil" issue too ask for proof that the engine was changed to the alusil.

hth a bit.
 
#7 ·
i'm in the middle of buying a 328i at the mo.. fast car cheap insurence and is more powerfull the a skyline GTS/GTM/GT hahaha :rofl
but best part though extreamly cheaper! i love BMW i will never drive an other type of car unless job requires me too:thumbsup
 
#11 ·
I agree, I would have gone for a 328 if i had managed to find a fairly decent one, but lo and behold all of the ones i looked at were either on their last legs cos no one had looked after it or were high milage with no service history

So I went for a mint 323, and yes in fairness it may not offer the potency of the 328 but like the 325 and 328 it is restricted so a few mods will give it that but extra.

But i never have any problems keepin up with people and to be fair its a nice cruisin car, with the windows down and tunes blarin.

I think you will be fine with any E36 as long as it has been looked after, plenty of service history and looks in decent nik, after all some of them are 10 years old or more.

Good luck with your search, look forward to seeing what you managed to get hold off.

Deano
 
#12 ·
Hi, my first post here, so a little intro and a couple questions, which i hope u dnt mind gettin a little long. ive always kept honda's, n my prelude is going to be undergoing sum changes which means it'll be offroad alot, plus wont be cost effective as a daily driver once its dun. So i need a 2nd, daily driver.
Looked around and the 1991-1998 3 series appealed to me most- RWD, straight 6 engine (would have to be a manual tranny), nice interior, and a nice bit of power depending on the model u choose, n under 2 grand (probly be more like between 1000-1500, but i'll see wat my bank statements say over the next few weeks). Just wat i was lookin for.
Anyway, first of all, wats E30,E36, etc? does this correspond to which generation/mark 3series it is? for example, with preludes it'd be 3rd gen, 4th gen, etc. with civics it'd be eg, ek, ej, etc. Then it splits into (as an example of the eg civic) eg6, eg9, etc.
Secondly, ive been searchin a while, but cant find accurate specs for the different variations. Im after a 3 series coupe, either a 323 or 325 preferably between 1993 and 1998. Autotrader seems to tell me these are both 192hp, and the 328 is 193hp. Which dont seem right to me. And i cant find any figures on the torque outputs on these engines either.
Finally, if you've got any tips when buyin one of these, or recommendations, it'd be much appreciated.

Again, i kno thats a bit of a lecture, but help/advice much appreciated. I'd be glad to help any1 of you too, soon as i learn more about these models.

Thanks,
Baz.
Think you will find that the 323i is around 170bhp, the 325 around 180bhp and 328 around 190bhp (correct me if i am wrong) however due to the emissions thingy in germany alot of them have the restrictive manifold which if replaced with a modified manifold will give you an extra 20bhp, so you could easily get 230bhp out of a 328, I had my 323 on the rolling road today and was pushing just short of 177bhp, which for a 11 year old car is good.

Deano
 
#14 ·
Cheers guys. especially mboon.lol. I'd love to do it proper mate, not usually one to do things in halves, but bank tells me 'not this time'. Seriously tho, thanks 4all the advice. catchin on to it all now. a 328 for runnin costs is stretchin it a bit, but a new mani pushin it to around 230? thats enough to put me off the 325.lol. i have felt a 328 n ur not rong about the torque. i started off with gettin a 320 in mind tho.lol. then na, i'll get a 323, or maybe 325...who knows, maybe i'll end up with an m3 after all (i can wish).
N yh, personally i prefer the E36's. Grew up around em n cant wait to get1. hopefully insurance costs'll allow me a 328i. if not, 325 it is.
O, n i wasnt gettin any emails tellin m of any replies. gona chek if there's an option for this.
 
#16 ·
m3 is a lot more expensive to run though, i had a hard time choosing between a 328i sport and an m3 when i was shopping for my e36, found a nicely priced nice condition m3 though and the deal was sealed ;)
 
#17 ·
Lucky man. hope it serves you well as mine has for some months now. this is quite an old thread, from before i finally picked up mine...a great 328i coupe (in my avatar...changed a little since i first bought it), which some people here now know. Only time i'll be selling is once i got the funds for an E46 M3. And until then, it's perfect....n its the next best thing to the E36 M3. Practically speaking though, its one of the best compromises between power, luxury, economy and overall running costs out there today. Only complaints would be of the usual common E36 quirks, but then which old car dont have its minor flaws?
 
#18 ·
I think a little dose of realism would be helpful.

Comparing a 328 - the second highest model E36 made behind the M3 - to a regular Skyline GTS or GT which is effectively the base and middle model engine is a bit unfair. Feel free to compare it to a GTS-t which is a more direct match up and usually the Jap will have more power, and more quick cheap tuning available as its turbo'd.

I'd also forget about any comparisons between an M3 and a 328 as they are massively different in the power delivery and characteristics. The 3.2 Evo is quite a quick little car, and whilst it may have certain issues, like most cars in truth, it is heads and shoulders faster and for my use better than a 328, even one with mods.

However you cant afford an M3, in fact I doubt you'l get a nice 328 coupe as they are a sought after car in their own right for the money, so I think as has been suggested a 325 with decent history, no nikasil worries and perhaps fewer miles, better condition etc may fit the bill perfectly, no matter what you do it will be a more drivers orientated package than most Preludes !! :D :D

J.
 
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