BMW E36 3-Series Buying Guide - 90s Icon Turned Classic Investment!

[@adamn4017]

Car collectors buying e36: must be rust free, low mileage, good sounding engine, stock Me with my student budget: wait it has all four wheels?! very nice

[@hughjass8430]

Bought my e36 coupe in 2007 as a cheap daily and luckily it survived the early phase of quick selling to raise the cash for a newer car. Now 28 years old and only comes out for dry summer weekends. Rust free and built like a tank. Not a single rattle in the cabin which is in stark contrast to the newer bmws Ive had. Doubt I will ever sell it.

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Sounds like you've got a good one!

[@TechTokOffical]

One can still get one like that...if u buy and automatic and manual swap it. That's what I did and mine is BEAUTIFUL cuz no kids wanted the automatics so they survived lol

[@matttaylor91]

My 328i at 14:39 and is most definitely a project 😂 spent more than the sale price on getting it running again. Dodgy brakes, head gasket failure, rust, broken trim pieces, completely blocked cooling, power steering leak, an odd alloy, ECU repair from a misfire. Unfortunately the dealer was a shister and claimed he’d driven it to France and back. Little did he know I’d already seen the mileage when it was advertised elsewhere so I knew he was a liar. The car was my dads in the 90’s so I bought out of sentimental reasons.

[@happychappers8311]

An E36 m3 is now a very rare beast, especially in coupe form. They are now quite expensive so I can see why people do this.

[@MHRMedia0]

E36 M3 Sedan is even more rare, wish i could find one in good condition

[@TechTokOffical]

​@@MHRMedia0my 328 sedan is my BABY. No it's not an M3 but I've spec'd it out to be maybe 10hp less and handle even better than it originally did. Best part is ill only ever pay for a 328 insurance note while still enjoying essentially the same driving experience. One thing u won't find is a "M3" badge ANYWHERE on it.

[@derekstocker6661]

Had my E36 now for twenty five years and done over a 100k miles, still a daily driver BUT the sills have started to deteriorate badly, been quoted "thousands" to rectify BUT I absolutely love the car AND the very best thing is, never let me down except when some creature chewed through a pipe and various bits and pieces have needed replacing owing to wear as now almost 31 years old. Even the garage where she is looked after love driving her! Big decision to make BUT worried that I will scrap and then see her all tarted up still going around! Thanks for this brilliant advice here, greatly appreciated and subbed!

[@peterroberts8027]

Good stuff! The M50 320i and 325i both went to inlet Vanos in late 1992 and the alloy block M52 arrived in late 1995. They used Nikasil bore coating until February/March 1998 and steel liners after that. Four cylinders are the M40 until 1994 model year (L reg) with a timing belt and M43 with a chain after that. 1.9 SOHC engines were only used in the late 98 onwards Compact 316i. 318is and 318ti cars used a 1.8 M42 twin cam until late 1995 and a 1.9 twin cam M44 after that. SE cars also have plastic side skirts. Only 9/98 cars have OBD ports inside the car, before that they were under the bonnet. Many E36’s such as later 4 cylinder ones have the ABS module built into the pump under the bonnet. E36 dash pixels very rarely fail unlike E39’s.

[@carsonac4163]

The pixel fading is really common however the only e36 i seen that had it was my own. Mine was a 97 328i and it had a obd2 port

[@alf279]

I had a 23i coupe and a 28i convertible, loved them. But my current workhorse is a ‘98 E36 316i Touring and this is the most impressive to me. While my coupe and cabriolet were well kept low mileage garage queens in good spec, this is a bit rough. It’s high mileage (400k+ kms). It does work almost every day. It does get proper maintenance just like a hobby car would, but before me it was hustled for years. And it never ever misses a beat. Has good fuel consumption, is comfy, has the options I like in any car the most (digital aircon and heated seats), can cruise comfortably at 130-140kph, and although it’s a base engine touring it still has much of that old school BMW vibe. Love the thing, love E36s.

[@douglaslane6184]

I just found, tested and am buying a 1996 318i with a 5 speed. No power train or chassis issues, only asking $3k. Mind you, manual cars here in the US are frikin expensive because of how little of them there are. Yes, it needs tlc, but it’s in overall great shape. It also happens to be the sedan variant. Thank you for this video, I will be checking out other ones.

[@TechTokOffical]

What I did was buy an automatic that was rust free and manual swapped it. Once u have the tune done there is absolutely no way someone would know till they ran the VIN number. 1. U have a 98% chance of 1 older person being the only owner one who ever owned it and 2.) U 100% KNOW the motor has lived a nice easy life, not much time spent testing the redline. It was something I always wanted to do but never actually thought I'd do. Then I attempted to "refresh" the auto transmission to try and get a lil pep back and bricked the auto trying to tension the bands. Fortunately the cars are all made as manuals from the factory and set up as so until transmissions go in.

[@ARNYKATZ]

This is a good, accurate guide to the E36. I have a '95 325i Cabriolet and it's one of the best cars I've ever owned. It's also my daily driver and it looks like it just left the showroom. Take care of your cars and they'll take care of you.

[@bananaseatingpancakebob2791]

Just bought a 316i auto, 2.5 manual swap is in the plans, finally have my dream chassis to work on, drive on guys!

[@rob5944]

The lack of a complete BMW kit in the boot can be a good bargaining tool lol

[@tavsklucis4742]

I Have a bmw 316i compact, it was in it was in really bad shape, the doorsteps were just rotten and it was overheating. I re-welded the door steps, changed all the seals on the engine put the new thermostat in and it’s finally done and it’s only 102 hp, but it’s a really light and fun car to drive.

[@tidls]

I decided to purchase an E36 convertible last spring. I found a great looking, rust free 320i MY 1997 with 150000km on it. it almost looks like the one in this video. It's a keeper for sure. The kids love it!

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Enjoy it!

[@bighomieisaac1515]

hi i was looking into getting a e36 convertible if you dont mind how much do you pay in insurance

[@tidls]

@@bighomieisaac1515 I live in Sweden, so I'm not sure can compare to UK insurance. But living in Stockholm I paid 450 sek/month(full insurance). That translates to 34 GBP/month. I'm 48 years old.

[@bighomieisaac1515]

@@tidls im from the united states but thank you alot for being open about it im assuming as you get older your insurance goes down

[@tukaruss8680]

I was basically given bmw e36 323i auto convertible velvet blue individual 1998 with 134.000miles on clock free from rust. Stored away in my unit now only comes out in summer. Got couple jobs to do on her

[@lazarusvillagomez]

I bought one with 46k miles for 10k and I love drive the e36 every damn day. Right now it has 56k after a year of driving. No issues but plenty of parts getting replaced for longevity. ❤

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Great cars, enjoy it!

[@expertgaming1002]

Thank you for putting this toegether, very thorough. I want another BMW again. I am a huge Volvo fanatic, but i am after more of a driver inspiring car. I had a 2006 325i E90 and that car was junk. Granted it had nice amenties like the M sport package, etc.. it was falling apart as the previous owner lied about things and did not take care of it. I am hoping an E36 will flip my needs and be alot more reliable and better built. So i am after a good example. Thank you.

[@rrowicki9442]

volvo and BMW - best combo

[@stevejessop6828]

The bmw e36 was built to a high standard,now most cars are made to a price

[@leecallaghan2202]

What many don’t realise is every panel is different from the saloon. Plus it’s wider and longer with a bigger wheel span. They are a huge advance mechanically on the e30. And better built than the next gen. Everything was new and a fully re designed interior. This is the version where the bmw teams really pushed forward on design and driver involvement. Peak driver.

[@paulgardner560]

Had a 318is in hell rot red and full m3 body kit. Regretted selling it. Maybe one day will get another.....

[@shawn3693]

i just junked my 318i i'm heart broken because it handled great and smoked everyone on curves

[@pierregodin1]

great thorough video, thanks! I envy the prices in the UK, it's way higher already on the continent! Most probably a good investment when you can find a well preserved specimen...

[@NatalieFolwell-le1pl]

I’ve owned two compact cars!!!! We still have one!!!! I have a m52 in the compact!!!

[@Tom21019]

Always been a fan of a e36, plan to get one but got a 350z rn 😁

[@paolo-gt40modelworks]

have one in pristine conditions. e36 convertible is the nicest ever.

[@RigmodsModding]

getting one on sunday for £800 with no rust :D

[@garrydiggins3181]

I’ve just finished a refresh of the underside of my e36 m3 evo and found very little rushed only surface wouldn’t even get it in a cup, so I think I’ve been very lucky, caught it all in time.

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

You've struck lucky there, Garry!

[@garrydiggins3181]

@@ClassicsWorldUK you would probably cry if I told you what I paid for. It literally got given it no rust on the body neither and no dents at all original paint few marks here and there, but nothing you would notice unless you were looking for them but selling for lots of money now. I’ve had it since August 2021.

[@madcommodore]

The 318ti compact felt more like a Renault to drive when the BMW garage gave me one as a courtesy car whilst my cars were being serviced, E30 makes a better daily driver in the UK winter than the E36 compact, AVOID, keep saving for at least a saloon model. Still have my Alpine White 1998 318is I bought in 2003, now that it's officially a classic for all insurance providers I can think about getting it back on the road but with the road tax being the same for a 316i Saloon and E36 M3 Coupe you might want to think about whether the small engined models below the 323/325i is worth the effort for you. Extremely hard to find a nice one, too many hoarders with no interest in selling for anything other than above maximum value so good luck to everyone looking to find one. If you do find one they are perfectly useable as a daily drive in summer or winter conditions.

[@singh-sks]

Would buy one except live in London and the ulez will be expanded up to m25 , and as e36 is euro 3 the charge is extortionate 😢

[@farkinarkin5099]

I ♥my E36 ///M3 garage queen.

[@AdriWeedMan]

e36 compact wheelbase is the same

[@calebseguin6267]

Does this gen have cruise control? I'm looking at a 94 325i and I wanna know if it has it

[@xsamp86]

Thanks for that! Going to see a lovely 323i vert this weekend and hopefully take it home :)

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Best of luck!

[@dabcorp]

I think you are wrong saying eu spec e36 has obd 2. Please correct me if I'm wrong

[@Punisher9419]

They are still really sheap for what you get.

[@mrlafayette1964]

Thoroughly done,thanks!

[@joshbacon8241]

Why didn't the UK get the 170hp 6-cylinder 323ti version of the E36 3 Series Compact that was offered in other markets?

[@slammed4575]

i've been looking for a good e36 for about a year now, here where I live in canada prices are absolutely insane, about $10,000CAD for a high mileage, clapped out, 6 cylinder sedan, smh....

[@antoinegiroux1314]

I’m in the market for one too , I’ve found that looking in the US market was the best way to go . A little road-trip to the United States and back and you save so much money .

[@rollin19]

Everyone says they love them but they buy them with 50k. Would you buy one with 150k if there is so many things that can fail?

[@jayrecords9353]

Bad first car for 3-2k?

[@jimmyquinn9639]

Interesting video 🚗🚙🚘👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@miki35001]

are 316 one any good?

[@romanctvrtlik3342]

I have an e36 compact with the 1.6l M43B16 and i Gotta say that it is a great, fun and economical engine. On the other hand it does feel kinda slow and you really notice the lack of horsepower especially if you are used to driving something more powerful. So all in all i’d say its not really a bad choice, but a 318is would make more sense.

[@exemch4826]

noooooo let the prices go down i want one, too soon

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Get your skates on! ;)

[@markuswendt4448]

It stops well for american standards in germany its known for bad brakes

[@Euphorica]

I dont think peiple understand that all classic cars need parts replaced. Even japanese . Wear items made from rubber and plastic dont last. Regardless . Even an old lexus. No one Is immune

[@Grzesiu-he5lh]

sory but m3 never has 911 performance

[@Grzesiu-he5lh]

as stock

[@GarryMcGovern]

So basically, the best advice is to just AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!! 😳

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Not necessarily, just buy carefully :)

[@rob5944]

as ever, while they're just pointing out what to be aware of, but I know where your coming from. I'd say that if your going to run a classic (or luxary) car then you either need to be able to do quite a bit of work yourself or know people who can do a decent job, and have several thousand pounds put away just in case.

[@rollin19]

Sounds like beamer really put a lot of low quality parts in their cars,most of them may as well be junk! It seems it will cost you triple what the cars worths to fix it.

[@GrandpaJean]

It's true there are a lot of costs involved fixing these up. But in my experience it's one of the most enjoyable rides I've ever had. The work is easy too since I was able to do most maintenance and I know zero about cars. So it becomes a question if it's worth the work for you to enjoy the car. To me it is.

[@kairikkola]

I have in my garage E36 318is coupe, orientblue with white leather, other Beemer is Bond spec Z3. Daily drivers are nowadays Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Ionic because BMW is too ugly to look at. Fookin ugly, actually. My family had Beemer's from 70's, not it's gone. Late father had his last car E39 for 18 years.

[@acroracing]

E36 buying guide: Don’t.

[@jack_sim06]

😅😮