[snap316]

Thanks for your input guys. I'am aware of the nikasil problem and am trying to get the engine block no. or the engine no. I had earlier seen a 1995 540i and i got the engine no. got a friend at BMW chennai he checked it out from germany for me and it was the Nikasil block.Hoping to do the same for this as soon as i get one as not call cars had Nikasil on this the US models retained their Cast Iron blocks so am told.

I do agree the spoiler spoils it ,the M 3 lip spoiler would have looked gr8 on it.The M3 badge is a little tacky as well.Hes done a pretty good job with the lights and skirts though.

The reason am looking for an old beemer (not just a beember any car with a lil bit of juice) is i already own a 03' Corolla been havin it for almost 5 years now. Got a few basic mods in Free Flow Cat and Exhaust system, K& N Filters,Running it on synthetic oil,205 / 60 tyres & alloys, Basic performance program for the Engine management system(Got a buddy at the toyota showroom as well) he done it with some pre-set programs from toyota which actually work.I can manage 0-100 in a lil under 9.1 secs and still manage to get 10 Kmpl due to really precise tuning and the Car tops out at 139 Bhp @ 6200 & 160Nm torque a lil better than stock and can take on any stock Honda Civic with Ease. I have modded the rev limiter as well gives me a lil more juice upto 6700 RMP (advised by my mate at toyota that its ok to go till 6900 rpm). But there is only so much a FF Layout car can do. Even turbocharging it (Lot of Time & Money) aint going to give me the results i want. Am actually looking for something around the 200 Bhp mark with RWD or AWD my first option was the Celica GT4's but very hard to come by so i was looking at old beemers .Right now am still awaiting info on the engine no. or the short block no. If its Nikasil i've decided to stay away from it. If not i was thinking about negotiating the price dont think anybody else is going to take this baby away at that price any time sooner i guess i have some time.

[snap316]

Ajmat: Thanks for your input. I had read it a few days back but didn’t have time to reply then.
Then I find so many others have posted their inputs and it makes me very happy to see so many valuable inputs.

Tejas: I feel you on the sports mode it’s awesome. But have you driven the manual version its beyond awesome when you take into account the amount of control you can get over the way your car rides is amazing not only on an express way even on regular roads where there are no cops or traffic. It’s almost like the car launches itself with MT. Still this one doesn’t come with MT I guess I can make a compromise as he suggested the AT is really fast.

Manson/Somebody Stop Me: Your suggestion was really practical and works for most people. I already own a corolla. I have made some light mods to it and have slight boost of power(with help from an Automobile Engineer who works for Lanson here in Chennai).

List of mods:
Tyres:
· 205 / 60 V R 15.
· HR Alloys(16 Spokes).
Under the Hood:
· Custom Tuned Engine management Chip
· K & N performance filters, Custom CAI
· Custom Throttle body spacer
· Synthetic Mobile 1 Engine Oil
· Dot 4 Brake fluid (Stock is Dot 3)
· Modded Rev Limiter at 6700 ( Stock 6200 )
Exhaust:
· Custom Exhaust
· After Market Free Flow Cat & Mufflers (Mufflers were build from my friends design)
Have managed to increase the Stock specks of 125 BHP@6200 and 158Nm Torque to 139 BHP @ 6700 RPM and 163 NM torque.
Originally had plans of a Stage 1 Turbocharger may be 5 psi and also installing the rear differential from the innova or the matrix and making it an AWD. But it involved a lot of time and money and didn’t seem purposeful.
Am not really attached to the beemer badge but I have always preffered them to mercs (My own prespective not generalizing). All am looking at is a 200 + Bhp Vehicle with RWD or AWD which would make driving really fun.I was originally looking for Celica GT4’s but they are very hard to come by.Hence am looking at the options I have which are olds beemers.
Mpower: There was a 540i that I mentioned in a previous post for which I did some ground work got the engine no. and got info about the original engine short block and if it was ever replaced(Have a friend at BWM Chennai).Once I found out it was Nikasil I decided stayed away from it. Which will the same case here if its nikasil,but the US models did not have a Nikasil block for the M52 engine . They held their Cast Iron Blocks for them. Hence once I get the info I’d probably do some ground work and only then I have decided to negotiate the price provided its Nikasil free.

I apologize for not mentioning all the others who had posted but each of your input made me think.

Steeroid: I do agree that the spoiler spoils it. The M3 Lip spoiler would have looked way better.
The M 3 badge is tacky I would definitely get it removed if I get the car also the spoiler. But the lights and the skirts looks like a good job.


Post EDITED since it contained various [FONT], [COLOR] and [SIZE] tags.
Posting with such text formatting should be avoided on Team-BHP as it is inconvenient for members to read post.
Kindly go through Announcements section before proceeding.

Thanking You for your anticipated co-operation

The Team-BHP Support Staff

[inder_s1]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Inder, looks like he has put headlights similar to yours. In addition he has also installed the M3 front bumper/rear spoiler and rear clear lights. If you like the car then better negotiate with him. Most of the E36s imported into India are sedans with 4cyl engines ie 316 or 318. Six cylinder (that too the bigger six) engines or couple body style are rare.

The list that Ajmat gave you are the usual issues with E36s and in addition you're gonna have regular service cost. 60K is still fairly low mileage and performance should still be strong. My E36 is crossed 75K miles with zero major issues except maintenance. (touchwood)

Mpower,

Yup, Headlamps and taillamps look similar but not the same... it's older generation than the one's I got < You can see from pics of my Beamer in my garage>

That's not a M3 style boot spoiler, looks like Lancer spoiler + M3 badge on a 328 nice wheels though.

I would love to get my hands on it but now I will go only for a M3 or a Z3/Z4.

though as you said 60K kms is very very tempting

[pawan]

ot: by any chance was this car in bangalore because i saw a similar car in a garage here made out by the m3 sticker was also tn reg but number ended with some 23

[Randhawa]

@snap316 Mate if you are not interested in the car then could you forward the details of the seller pls!!!

If you want to check the original mileage on this beemer then there is a way to do it on this 328i as this car has the module under the ac switches. But the down side is if you do it and there is a change in the mileage then it is not reversible and the original mileage will show on the odo. Its a pre face lift (before sep96) model and is bound to have a nikasal block but you need to know when was this car imported as it may have had the blocked changed. I had two of these and one with nikasal block which had covered 120kmiles with not a single problem (which I still have). If you are still interested in buying this car the I would tell you a simple 30sec test to check if the block has been changed.

Parts are not expensive/hard to source mate so dont worry about it.
The wheels are Replicas of M parallel and if you buy it then I could tempt you with some BBS 17/8j three piece rims which I have for this baby

[Randhawa]

@ For all those who say it has a lancer spoiler then they are wrong. It is either an original M3/ Motorsport spoiler or a good replica.

Open up the boot and look for BMW sign on the protruding part of the spoiler from the sides. If you see it then its a original and if not then replica but still a M3 spoiler.

[snap316]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

Parts are not expensive/hard to source mate so dont worry about it. The wheels are Replicas of M parallel and if you buy it then I could tempt you with some BBS 17/8j three piece rims which I have for this baby

Hey Randhawa, Thanks for your input.First good news ive heard all week. I havent decided against this baby yet am just waiting for confirmation on a few things since it was diwali n all they were quite busy and so was i. If i decide against it i'll definately give you the seller details (am actually goin through a friend who is a dealer on this dont know the seller)

I have heard, there are chances of compression reducing in the cylinders and you actually may not notice it at times when it comes to nikasil but am sure you had taken that into consideration.
Whats the economy on the 328i is it close to 7 Kmpl or better?
Do you think the price is right? I think its a little over priced?
How does she handle , do you have an AT or MT?
The BBS is very tempting.

[Randhawa]

Now about nikasil which you are worried a lot!. When BMW manufactured 6Pot or 8pot beemers until end of 1998, there was nothing wrong with the engines but actually with the fuel quality of the fuel(high sulphur content) in the fuel in UK/USA which did the most damage to the engine bore. The engines were not nikasal but nikasil coated which reacted with the Sulphur in the fuel and hence the damaged. When the quality of the fuel improved at the same time there were very few problems with the engine. Now it all depends upon how much mileage the engine has done in that period. In UK, its considered safe if the nikasal block has covered 100k miles without any problem. It has very less chance of nikasal failure.

I had driven AT which is only half a second slower to manual so not much difference but you will miss the drifting part in the At. Mine manual gives me (worse) 22m/g to 35m/g on highway, which would be around 9/10kmpl in city. So around 7/8kmpl would be right for an auto in city but the auto will be more fuel efficient on highways at around 80-120km/hr due to the ratio of the diff.

I think the price should be around 6L.
This 328i is not a sport version but you could get the suspension of a 328i sport(only difference is the spring rating and the bilstein dampers) and the normal 328i is fitted with motorsport suspension or M-Tec suspension with Boge dampers. It handles like a train on tracks. If that helps.