g40jon
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,569
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Feb 22, 2014 23:35:09 GMT
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So my re-union with my old polo gt was short lived! bought the car back cheap, fixed it up, then realised carting my 1 year old daughter about in it was no fun. The polo gt had to go and I needed to find a more door! I have always had a thing for 3 series bmws, especially e30s. It would seem I have missed the boat with e30s as they are starting to fetch good money for tidy ones, so I decided to have a look for an e36. A quick browse of ebay turned up a local low mileage 325 manual in a fetching champagne colour. Got outbid on it and thought that I had missed my chance. But I thought it would be worth e-mailing the seller to state my interest should the winning bidder not take the car. A few days later I got a call. The lady informed me that the car was still available, but had started to burn oil. I thought it was still worth a look and to my relief the oil leak was just a weap from the cam cover gasket. Agreed a price with the seller and I am now a very proud owner of a low mileage 325 in near showroom condition! The car has had only two previous owners. The last owner had owned it for 17 years and always kept it garaged. The condition of it, you'd never guess it was 22 years old! The interior still smells like a new car, the seats with the exception of the drivers seat barely look like the have been sat in. The bodywork won't take much effort to make mint. Plans are to keep everything pretty much std (i've already upgraded the indicators and rear lights to later spec ones, but still have the originals) and try and get into into showroom condition. One arch has a small rust bubble and the passenger wing needs a repair at sill level. Half tempted to get the bumpers and sills colour coded, but not 100% sure if that is a good idea or not. Also need to source a cheap std stereo as that had been replaced at some point. A few quick pics I took after washing it today
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fred
Posted a lot
WTF has happened to all the Vennies?
Posts: 2,957
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Great buy there sir, on the bumper and trim, if they was black I would leave em, but as they are they kinda look like they are in primer, from the pics, maybe try spraying them black afore going the colour code route, and the colour is to die for gorgeous
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'79 Cossie ran Cortina - Sold
2000 Fozzer 2.0 turbo snow beast
'85 Opel Manta GSI - Sold
03 A class Mercedes
Looking for a FD Ventora - Anyone?
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Are the bumpers supposed to be grey ?, i'd leave them if they are but i'd be tempted to get the sills colour matched, never liked the black sills on beemers of this era. Great buy though, look's great
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72 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400. 95 BMW E34 525i Manual. 80 Lotus Elite, sold 86 Mk4 Escort RWD V8, sold
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Ian
Part of things
Posts: 977
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Feb 23, 2014 10:07:33 GMT
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Looks great, I think you should have kept the early ambers on though. Cheap standard CD player or the cd43 by blaupunkt is hard to find. What you do get on eBay is a rebadged rover one, normally shown with an m badge! Very reliable engine the 325, takes turbo charging quite well! Especially if it still looks like that from the outside!
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Feb 23, 2014 10:39:09 GMT
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Truly fantastic engine and chassis. You won't regret this. I had the same car of the same year in maroon and it looked much better with the bumpers colour coded. If you do want to lower it then Eibach springs are really good, or if you really want to go for it try and locate a set of their coil-overs. Nice one.
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g40jon
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,569
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Feb 23, 2014 11:12:25 GMT
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Thanks for the tips and info, I have next to no knowledge on bmws, having mostly owned vw polos for the last 13 years, so feel free to add more tips and tricks! I knew about the rebadged radios on ebay. I will be keeping a look out in my local scrappy for a radio. They often have e36s in and only charge a tenner a radio. I only want it for shows as the rest of the time I will be running one of these www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200984009320?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649The bumpers do look a bit grey primerish! (std on the base trim level for those that don't know) There is a little part of me that wants to source some cheap M spec bumpers, so I might hold out on getting the bumpers painted till I have some. The car is almost too good to mess around with, I kinda wish I had got a less clean car as I wouldn't feel so conflicted about changing bits of it. I haven't driven it much as I am trying to keep the miles down on it, but the miles I have done have been a total pleasure! Just found a pic which is pretty similar to the image I have for mine
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2014 11:22:22 GMT by g40jon
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Ian
Part of things
Posts: 977
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Feb 23, 2014 11:37:15 GMT
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At the end of the day, it's your car and your choice, I do like saloons with the m kit, but not the mirrors! Also like the look if a very early original, so can understand your quandary! You can't go wrong with BBS on a an e36!
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Feb 23, 2014 12:29:00 GMT
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It'd be a dilema if it was mine, you see so many modified/abused examples, in years to come clean original ones will be harder to find (if they aren't already), the fact it's survived 23 years without being messed with would be on my conscience.
That said cars are made to be used and enjoyed.
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72 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400. 95 BMW E34 525i Manual. 80 Lotus Elite, sold 86 Mk4 Escort RWD V8, sold
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Feb 23, 2014 12:46:09 GMT
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can you use a back to black type product on the bumpers and sills for now ?
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Feb 23, 2014 13:14:55 GMT
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If you want to get your grey plastics looking brand new black again, without the need for painting/replacing, there is only one product to use imo...GTtecnique C4.
Its not cheap, but it permanently (a good few months) turns them black.
I've tried many different products including peanut butter nnd this is by far the best product I've ever used.
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,410
Club RR Member Number: 52
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bmw e36 325 grandad specqwerty
@qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member 52
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Feb 23, 2014 15:30:12 GMT
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Please don't M spec it. It's so nice to see an early black bumpered one in such good nick. I would even be tempted to return to the standard indicators and tail lights. Only modifications it needs is a slight drop and some nice wheels.
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g40jon
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,569
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Feb 23, 2014 18:53:07 GMT
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If you want to get your grey plastics looking brand new black again, without the need for painting/replacing, there is only one product to use imo...GTtecnique C4. Its not cheap, but it permanently (a good few months) turns them black. I've tried many different products including peanut butter nnd this is by far the best product I've ever used. The bumpers aren't black, never were! They were as grey as they are now, the very moment it rolled of the production line!
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g40jon
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,569
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Feb 23, 2014 19:00:28 GMT
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Please don't M spec it. It's so nice to see an early black bumpered one in such good nick. I would even be tempted to return to the standard indicators and tail lights. Only modifications it needs is a slight drop and some nice wheels. I know what you are saying and tbh I pretty much agree! I actually like the standard wheels on it and very much in two minds about lowering. The back sits fine, but the front could use dropping 40mm. I do like the way it drives as standard and wouldn't want to change it in anyway. I still have the standard lights and indicators, so can swap them as and when my mood takes me.
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Ian
Part of things
Posts: 977
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Feb 23, 2014 19:02:36 GMT
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You should always start with the best you can, all the modifications you intend to do are reversible anyway!
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Feb 23, 2014 19:43:35 GMT
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Bigger wheels might look better but lowered with good tyres on those 15s it'll be a really sorted chuckable car. 2 degrees negative camber on the front for cornering on rails.
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,410
Club RR Member Number: 52
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bmw e36 325 grandad specqwerty
@qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member 52
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Feb 23, 2014 20:17:54 GMT
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Just put a set or eibach springs on it, only a slight drop and will handle nicely.
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g40jon
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,569
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Feb 23, 2014 22:05:50 GMT
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Took the 325 out for a pleasure drive today and have come to the conclusion that the best thing to spend my bm spending money on is petrol! Took a few pics of the interior, didn't take any exterior ones as I couldn't find an interesting enough backdrop whilst out on my drive! Didn't come out as well as they might have (still finding my way with my new camera, might have to dig out the nikon d40 instead)
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🇿🇼Kingludba🇬🇧
Part of things
If in doubt... flat out !
Posts: 975
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Feb 23, 2014 23:53:29 GMT
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These are very underrated vehicles, cheap as chips but awesome drivers.
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`99 BMW 528i auto - current `01 Merc C320 - Gone `01 Forester S-Turbo - Sold `89 BMW 320i Convertible - Sold(shoulda kept it ) `88 Toyota MR2 T-Bar - Sold `89 BMW 325i touring - Sold `89 BMW 535i - Let her go too early `85 BMW 320i 2 door - Rust = character `00 Subaru Impreza Turbo wagon - Sold (engine failure) `93 BMW 325i - Sold
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chrisdcapri
Part of things
Avid collector of rust
Posts: 205
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Feb 24, 2014 14:02:09 GMT
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Tidy looking motor there chap, don't know where abouts in Oxon you are but there's one of these in the same colour(pretty sure it's the same)in Haynes scrapyard near Wantage, it had body coloured bumpers which looked in pretty reasonable condition. I didn't see if it still had the stereo though, sorry.
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