E46 325ti? Nah, its E36 318ti time!
Moderator: martauto
Few updates!
My driver's side wing was deteriorating rapidly and was missing a significant chunk where it bolts underneath the car. Si kindly sent me the one off his old Touring. It needed a bit of minor prep on the lower section, again to where it connects underneath the car. Once sanded down, rust treated and repainted it was looking a lot better. Whilst my 318ti is a base model, Si's old 328i was clearly better off when it came to specification as his wing was colour coded and had the fittings for side skirts. The clips were promptly removed, lower sill section given a light sand and repainted in grey stonechip to match the sills and lower bumpers on the poverty spec 'Pact. Polishing and waxing followed and once content I had improved it's appearance as best I could, the old wing was removed and binned and the replacement bolted on. The front end now looks considerably better. Cheers Si!
MOT today and I was reasonably confident it would pass without too much drama. The last 7-8 MOTs it had got through with no advisories. It drives really sweetly but the fact it's now 21 years old and I've added 13K to it since last July meant there was potential for bills that might exceed the value of the car. Dropped it off early this morning and one new anti-roll bar droplink later meant we were back on the road with another 12 month's ticket. Result! Probably the cheapest 13000 miles I've ever done. Happy with this, I treated the old thing to a wash.
Future plans? Si kindly sent me some heated ancillaries (wing mirror and washer jets) that I'll endeavour to fit when I've got a free afternoon. Other than that, not much. I'll give it a clay bar, polish and wax shortly for the summer. The Barum Bravuris tyres it currently sports are by no means the last word in terms of performance and grip but are ridiculously hard wearing - 20K miles in and they still have plenty of tread. A set of Vredestein Sportrac 5s will await when they expire. Tyres in 205x60x15 guise are refreshingly cheap!
My driver's side wing was deteriorating rapidly and was missing a significant chunk where it bolts underneath the car. Si kindly sent me the one off his old Touring. It needed a bit of minor prep on the lower section, again to where it connects underneath the car. Once sanded down, rust treated and repainted it was looking a lot better. Whilst my 318ti is a base model, Si's old 328i was clearly better off when it came to specification as his wing was colour coded and had the fittings for side skirts. The clips were promptly removed, lower sill section given a light sand and repainted in grey stonechip to match the sills and lower bumpers on the poverty spec 'Pact. Polishing and waxing followed and once content I had improved it's appearance as best I could, the old wing was removed and binned and the replacement bolted on. The front end now looks considerably better. Cheers Si!
MOT today and I was reasonably confident it would pass without too much drama. The last 7-8 MOTs it had got through with no advisories. It drives really sweetly but the fact it's now 21 years old and I've added 13K to it since last July meant there was potential for bills that might exceed the value of the car. Dropped it off early this morning and one new anti-roll bar droplink later meant we were back on the road with another 12 month's ticket. Result! Probably the cheapest 13000 miles I've ever done. Happy with this, I treated the old thing to a wash.
Future plans? Si kindly sent me some heated ancillaries (wing mirror and washer jets) that I'll endeavour to fit when I've got a free afternoon. Other than that, not much. I'll give it a clay bar, polish and wax shortly for the summer. The Barum Bravuris tyres it currently sports are by no means the last word in terms of performance and grip but are ridiculously hard wearing - 20K miles in and they still have plenty of tread. A set of Vredestein Sportrac 5s will await when they expire. Tyres in 205x60x15 guise are refreshingly cheap!
The Arctic tram continues to go about it's business with the minimum of fuss. I'm now 24000 miles into ownership and there is surprisingly little to report.
Recent developments? An annoying steering wheel wobble and front driver's side wheel that generated so much heat you could cook your dinner off it proved to be a knackered caliper. This was replaced, new set of pads and a full service and it's running lovely once again. Polish and wax for the winter. Job done.
Fed up with an ancient tape deck I treated it to one of these Continental units which have a nice retro charm but the benefit of a USB port for the modern executive!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Continental-T ... Sw5cNYHKsC
The Barum tyres have now covered a magical 30K. I can only assume they have some kind of regenerating properties. The fronts are still OK though the rears are now on borrowed time and were very entertaining pulling out of wet and leafy junction yesterday. Likely to be replaced next week with a set of my old E36 faves, Vredesteins, but the 'Pact's notoriously busy rear end and "entertaining" character in winter weather may necessitate something more seasonal. We'll see.
Recent developments? An annoying steering wheel wobble and front driver's side wheel that generated so much heat you could cook your dinner off it proved to be a knackered caliper. This was replaced, new set of pads and a full service and it's running lovely once again. Polish and wax for the winter. Job done.
Fed up with an ancient tape deck I treated it to one of these Continental units which have a nice retro charm but the benefit of a USB port for the modern executive!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Continental-T ... Sw5cNYHKsC
The Barum tyres have now covered a magical 30K. I can only assume they have some kind of regenerating properties. The fronts are still OK though the rears are now on borrowed time and were very entertaining pulling out of wet and leafy junction yesterday. Likely to be replaced next week with a set of my old E36 faves, Vredesteins, but the 'Pact's notoriously busy rear end and "entertaining" character in winter weather may necessitate something more seasonal. We'll see.
Further developments for the Arctic express.
The battery croaked it's last on Wednesday and was swiftly replaced with a new 075 complete with 5 year warranty - it'll probably outlast the car. Going through the old paperwork, the previous Halfords battery was fitted back in January 2010 so it's had a decent innings.
The rear tyres are rapidly approaching the 1.6mm tread marker so are booked in for replacement early next week. I was unable to source a set of Vredesteins locally so have opted for Falken's ZE914 which I've also got on my E30. They've been decent on that, my only complaint being a lack of bite in colder weather. They're fine once they've warmed up though and the stiffer sidewall will help the 'Pact's stability. At just £50 fitted per corner I can't moan. Another quick perusal of the paperwork shows the current Barum boots were fitted back on 92K. It's now on 124K and the fronts still have 5mm of tread. They're not the greatest tyre but 32K can't be sniffed at.
The battery croaked it's last on Wednesday and was swiftly replaced with a new 075 complete with 5 year warranty - it'll probably outlast the car. Going through the old paperwork, the previous Halfords battery was fitted back in January 2010 so it's had a decent innings.
The rear tyres are rapidly approaching the 1.6mm tread marker so are booked in for replacement early next week. I was unable to source a set of Vredesteins locally so have opted for Falken's ZE914 which I've also got on my E30. They've been decent on that, my only complaint being a lack of bite in colder weather. They're fine once they've warmed up though and the stiffer sidewall will help the 'Pact's stability. At just £50 fitted per corner I can't moan. Another quick perusal of the paperwork shows the current Barum boots were fitted back on 92K. It's now on 124K and the fronts still have 5mm of tread. They're not the greatest tyre but 32K can't be sniffed at.
Don't be so sure about the battery outlasting the car.
Last winter i bought a cheap hack in the form of an E36 316i quatropote with the M43 and 160k up. When i was done with it i served to to mitchen and he's racked up close to 190k in it!
Some basic fettling and cleaning/waxoiling and these old throw away turds will run and run.
Last winter i bought a cheap hack in the form of an E36 316i quatropote with the M43 and 160k up. When i was done with it i served to to mitchen and he's racked up close to 190k in it!
Some basic fettling and cleaning/waxoiling and these old throw away turds will run and run.
Funnily enough Barry, I used to have a 4 door 316i on a '97 P plate that I bought back in 2002. It had 30K then and was to all intents and purposes a new car - absolutely mint. I added nearly 100K with the only unscheduled maintenance being the typical M43 head gasket at 95K. Super car, slow admittedly, but just ate up the miles with the minimum of fuss. The one car I regret getting rid off as it was so reliable and cheap to run.
The 318ti has been a similar story. Service it, fuel it and it just seems to go on and on. It's on 124K now and I'm adding about 17K a year at present. I see no reason why it shouldn't get past 200K. Mechanically it's spot-on, aesthetically less so - odd bits of cosmetic rust and the odd dent. As a cheap commuting hack, it's perfect - good on fuel, quick enough and it's cosmetic imperfections mean I don't really worry about car park dings etc.
The E36 is probably my favourite 3 series and ideal if you want a cheap old car to run on a budget that still feels modern. The M42/M43/M44 cars are pleasant cheap smokers and infinitely preferable to the N42 rubbish that followed.
The 318ti has been a similar story. Service it, fuel it and it just seems to go on and on. It's on 124K now and I'm adding about 17K a year at present. I see no reason why it shouldn't get past 200K. Mechanically it's spot-on, aesthetically less so - odd bits of cosmetic rust and the odd dent. As a cheap commuting hack, it's perfect - good on fuel, quick enough and it's cosmetic imperfections mean I don't really worry about car park dings etc.
The E36 is probably my favourite 3 series and ideal if you want a cheap old car to run on a budget that still feels modern. The M42/M43/M44 cars are pleasant cheap smokers and infinitely preferable to the N42 rubbish that followed.
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Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
this is all true but i always end up hankering for the 6 pots. I've found my 318 tourings i've had to be around 5 mpg better so my logic was fook it keep the bigger engined cars!
I get around the 25mpg mark out of the B3 most of the time and like you say running an e36 properly isnt a bank wilting experience
I get around the 25mpg mark out of the B3 most of the time and like you say running an e36 properly isnt a bank wilting experience
I know what you mean Simon. When I get back in the E30 my first thoughts are a) this is cramped; b) it feels bl00dy old but that soon gives way to how smooth a 6 pot is compared to a 4 cylinder donk. My B20 is very slooooow but the power (what power? 
) delivery is so linear. Creamy smooth after the zingy 16v M42.
A 70 mile daily commute means its all about the mpg though! I can get 28-30mpg in the E30 driving like a saint or an easy 38mpg in the 318ti.
) delivery is so linear. Creamy smooth after the zingy 16v M42.A 70 mile daily commute means its all about the mpg though! I can get 28-30mpg in the E30 driving like a saint or an easy 38mpg in the 318ti.
57 plate 318i. 101'000 miles so replaced the chain assembly last week as well as a faulty inlet vanos unit. Next job - oil filter housing gaskets.
I need to move on from E36's really - safe modern car, 6 speed box, 40 mpg on a run, good radio etc. E46's are rusty old shit now so no advance over an E36.
I need to move on from E36's really - safe modern car, 6 speed box, 40 mpg on a run, good radio etc. E46's are rusty old shit now so no advance over an E36.
Agreed there is a lot of E46 rubbish out there now but there is still so some decent stuff as well.
It won't be long before E9x and E8x scrap is very common. Mark my words.
It won't be long before E9x and E8x scrap is very common. Mark my words.
Should be good for another 100K with that kind of preventative maintenance.Andyboy wrote:57 plate 318i. 101'000 miles so replaced the chain assembly last week as well as a faulty inlet vanos unit. Next job - oil filter housing gaskets.
I need to move on from E36's really - safe modern car, 6 speed box, 40 mpg on a run, good radio etc. E46's are rusty old shit now so no advance over an E36.
Thankfully, I never had any chain drama on my old E46 318ci - I sold it when it was on about 90K. I spent a small fortune replacing sensors, coil packs and fixing various N42 oil leaks though.
New Falkens on the rear. The previous Barum rears were about to fall off a cliff in regards to grip levels but its already apparent that the stiffer Falken sidewall definitely helps on the 'Pact. I've left the Barums on the front for now as they still have 4-5mm tread. I'll replace them early next year.
First time I've ever used Halfords for tyres. Order and fitting arranged online. Dropped the car off, spent an hour walking around shops, grabbed a bag of chips for lunch and then picked up the car for the drive home. No complaints whatsoever. An excellent service and they undercut all the usual tyre suppliers by a considerable margin.
First time I've ever used Halfords for tyres. Order and fitting arranged online. Dropped the car off, spent an hour walking around shops, grabbed a bag of chips for lunch and then picked up the car for the drive home. No complaints whatsoever. An excellent service and they undercut all the usual tyre suppliers by a considerable margin.
Hmmm. One of the new tyres has unfortunately picked up a nail. Why do these things always happen when tyres are new rather than when they're on their last legs? The Barums on the front are still going strong and look like they may see a mighty 40,000 miles at this rate.
The M42 has developed a slight oil leak which will be investigated in due course. Other than that, it's business as usual for the 'Pact. A leisurely (these things need respect in cold/wet conditions) and lengthy trek earlier in the week resulted in 450 miles being achieved from a tank. These turds are surprisingly economical.
The Barums on the front are still going strong and look like they may see a mighty 40,000 miles at this rate.The M42 has developed a slight oil leak which will be investigated in due course. Other than that, it's business as usual for the 'Pact. A leisurely (these things need respect in cold/wet conditions) and lengthy trek earlier in the week resulted in 450 miles being achieved from a tank. These turds are surprisingly economical.
MOT on the horizon so I've ordered 3 new Falkens - 1 to replace the rear tyre that picked up a nail, the other 2 to replace the ageing Barums on the front. The Barums still have approx 3-4mm of tread but should be ripe for a change by the time the MOT comes around. They've seen 38K though so no complaints! Will also order some new wiper blades and try to locate where the M42 has developed a little oil leak.
Other than that, the 'Pact goes about its business with the minimum of fuss. Its now racked up nearly 30K in 18 months. Cheapest motoring I've had.
Other than that, the 'Pact goes about its business with the minimum of fuss. Its now racked up nearly 30K in 18 months. Cheapest motoring I've had.
Who knows? I sold the bastard thing last week. E90's don't rust much - it's the rest of it that's a headache. £650 for a dual mass flywheel and that's from ECP. Sorry, I'm not getting involved in crap like that again.darkchild wrote:Should be good for another 100K with that kind of preventative maintenance.Andyboy wrote:57 plate 318i. 101'000 miles so replaced the chain assembly last week as well as a faulty inlet vanos unit. Next job - oil filter housing gaskets.
I need to move on from E36's really - safe modern car, 6 speed box, 40 mpg on a run, good radio etc. E46's are rusty old shit now so no advance over an E36.
I really like the E92 but the potential maintenance costs are frightening if (when?) something goes wrong. Fair enough when they have a value but as they depreciate it's not going to take much to make them uneconomical to repair.
It really makes me want to splurge on a good E36. Easy and cheap to work on with, an abundance of spares and they still drive modern enough. As a car they were years ahead of their time.
It really makes me want to splurge on a good E36. Easy and cheap to work on with, an abundance of spares and they still drive modern enough. As a car they were years ahead of their time.
MOT on Monday and this was reasonably painless. It failed originally due to the seatbelt locking mechanism being a bit temperamental. A quick strip down and a bit of WD40 had it back working perfectly. Other advisories included the brake pipes and the front tyres wearing on the inner edge. The brake pipes were just given a fresh coat of grease for now but will be replaced at some point in the future. The Barums on the front were finally ditched after 38,000 miles of service. No complaints there! The 'Pact is now sporting Falken's ZE914s all round. It sailed through the re-test so is back on the road with 13 months MOT. The cherry on top was the nail in the rear tyre. Pulled this out (thankfully it was quite small) and the tyre has stayed inflated since.
A fluids and filter service followed and once again it's running super sweetly. It's always noticeably smoother and quieter once it's had fresh oil. Once on the ramp and after a clean-up, I couldn't source the oil leak though. It's definitely leaking from somewhere but was as dry as a bone on this occasion. S0ds law and all that.
So, I'm now 18 months and 30,000 miles into ownership and can have no complaints whatsoever. 4 services (one every 7500 miles), 1 set of tyres, an anti-roll bar drop link, brake calliper, discs and pads, a battery and a replacement wing is all the maintenance it's had. The only other extravagance being a heated wing mirror (cheers Simon13) which makes a surprisingly big difference on cold days and a new Continental radio that looks very period. Throw a healthy average of 38mpg into the mix and I've been pleasantly impressed with the old thing. Underneath it's very solid and the only cosmetic blemishes are scabby rear arches and the previous owners habit of using the front bumper as reference tool when parking. I guess thats what they call them bumpers. It's utterly poverty-spec with literally no factory extras but as wise soothsayers have previously said, that means there is less to go wrong. Reliable bargain basement motoring for something that cost me the equivalent of two monthly payments on some euro sh!tbox. Happy Days.
A fluids and filter service followed and once again it's running super sweetly. It's always noticeably smoother and quieter once it's had fresh oil. Once on the ramp and after a clean-up, I couldn't source the oil leak though. It's definitely leaking from somewhere but was as dry as a bone on this occasion. S0ds law and all that.
So, I'm now 18 months and 30,000 miles into ownership and can have no complaints whatsoever. 4 services (one every 7500 miles), 1 set of tyres, an anti-roll bar drop link, brake calliper, discs and pads, a battery and a replacement wing is all the maintenance it's had. The only other extravagance being a heated wing mirror (cheers Simon13) which makes a surprisingly big difference on cold days and a new Continental radio that looks very period. Throw a healthy average of 38mpg into the mix and I've been pleasantly impressed with the old thing. Underneath it's very solid and the only cosmetic blemishes are scabby rear arches and the previous owners habit of using the front bumper as reference tool when parking. I guess thats what they call them bumpers. It's utterly poverty-spec with literally no factory extras but as wise soothsayers have previously said, that means there is less to go wrong. Reliable bargain basement motoring for something that cost me the equivalent of two monthly payments on some euro sh!tbox. Happy Days.
The 318ti has blotted it's copybook with the traditional Compact problem of a clanking driver's window. New regulator time no doubt.
In other news I've purchased another one, this time a very late 316i on a 2000 X plate with the big bore 1895cc M43 donk and 105bhp of gristle. It actually drives surprisingly nice and was a bargain at £450 with a full year's ticket, working air-con and a full tank of petrol! Updates to follow in a separate thread once I get some pics uploaded.
In other news I've purchased another one, this time a very late 316i on a 2000 X plate with the big bore 1895cc M43 donk and 105bhp of gristle. It actually drives surprisingly nice and was a bargain at £450 with a full year's ticket, working air-con and a full tank of petrol! Updates to follow in a separate thread once I get some pics uploaded.
Blimey, long time since I've updated this.
Well, the 318ti is still here and still providing effortless and trouble free motoring. I've covered 37000 miles in it now in just under 2.5 years and it's been a paragon of reliability considering its 22 years. Full service yesterday - fluids, filters and plugs - it's running nice. The troublesome oil leak was the oil filter housing in the end and has now been successfully remedied.
The newer 316i 'Pact is a beaut, a very nice car and a lot more refined than the 318ti. I really need to start a separate thread for it! The 1.9 M43 suits it well and though it's ultimately slower than the ti, it has a real nice dollop of low down torque that gives it diesel'esque shove at low revs. It's not quick but has torque where you need it - I'm pleasantly surprised how much better it is when compared to the older 1.6 donk. Many years ago I had an E36 316i saloon and that was flat thoughout the entire rev range. Oddly, the 16v M42 is marginally better on fuel though.
Well, the 318ti is still here and still providing effortless and trouble free motoring. I've covered 37000 miles in it now in just under 2.5 years and it's been a paragon of reliability considering its 22 years. Full service yesterday - fluids, filters and plugs - it's running nice. The troublesome oil leak was the oil filter housing in the end and has now been successfully remedied.
The newer 316i 'Pact is a beaut, a very nice car and a lot more refined than the 318ti. I really need to start a separate thread for it! The 1.9 M43 suits it well and though it's ultimately slower than the ti, it has a real nice dollop of low down torque that gives it diesel'esque shove at low revs. It's not quick but has torque where you need it - I'm pleasantly surprised how much better it is when compared to the older 1.6 donk. Many years ago I had an E36 316i saloon and that was flat thoughout the entire rev range. Oddly, the 16v M42 is marginally better on fuel though.
And she's gone.
The purchase of a near mint E46 Convertible meant one of the Compacts would now be surplus to requirements. Both have been fantastic cars but in the end I decided to keep the later 316i 'Pact. It's torquier engine means its a more relaxing and less "busy" drive than the 318ti. The 316i also has a nicer spec, is lower mileage and in better condition - colour coded bumpers and side skirts, alloys, remote locking, nicer interior trim, passenger air-bag, air-con, traction, non-sagging headlining and a 6 disc CD changer. The ti was poverty spec in comparison.
The fact the choice caused me quite a bit of debate though shows what a cracking car the 318ti has been. 43,000 nearly faultless miles were added in just over 2.5 years. It was just uber reliable, always fun to drive, still felt reasonably modern and was fantastic on fuel always averaging around 40mpg. Sold to a mate so I'll still see it around but its a car I'll really miss. Considering it cost me only £600 it far exceeded my expectations and still has years of motoring left in it. It completely changed my perception of the E36 Compact which I previously thought were a bit rubbish. A good one handles really sweetly and even the stumpy looks grew on me to such an extent that I'd always choose one over a saloon. The hatchback means they're practical too and surprisingly commodious with rear seats down which meant it was the car of choice for trips to the dump or transporting large goods. The interior is a bit parts bin budget special but its all solid and does the job well, much like the car itself. Despite being one of the cheapest cars I've ever bought it was also one of the most enjoyable. Back to basics motoring that always put a smile on my face. If I had the space I would've probably have kept it. It's usefulness far outweighs its monetary value but cars are meant to be driven and its new owner is already singing its praises.
The purchase of a near mint E46 Convertible meant one of the Compacts would now be surplus to requirements. Both have been fantastic cars but in the end I decided to keep the later 316i 'Pact. It's torquier engine means its a more relaxing and less "busy" drive than the 318ti. The 316i also has a nicer spec, is lower mileage and in better condition - colour coded bumpers and side skirts, alloys, remote locking, nicer interior trim, passenger air-bag, air-con, traction, non-sagging headlining and a 6 disc CD changer. The ti was poverty spec in comparison.
The fact the choice caused me quite a bit of debate though shows what a cracking car the 318ti has been. 43,000 nearly faultless miles were added in just over 2.5 years. It was just uber reliable, always fun to drive, still felt reasonably modern and was fantastic on fuel always averaging around 40mpg. Sold to a mate so I'll still see it around but its a car I'll really miss. Considering it cost me only £600 it far exceeded my expectations and still has years of motoring left in it. It completely changed my perception of the E36 Compact which I previously thought were a bit rubbish. A good one handles really sweetly and even the stumpy looks grew on me to such an extent that I'd always choose one over a saloon. The hatchback means they're practical too and surprisingly commodious with rear seats down which meant it was the car of choice for trips to the dump or transporting large goods. The interior is a bit parts bin budget special but its all solid and does the job well, much like the car itself. Despite being one of the cheapest cars I've ever bought it was also one of the most enjoyable. Back to basics motoring that always put a smile on my face. If I had the space I would've probably have kept it. It's usefulness far outweighs its monetary value but cars are meant to be driven and its new owner is already singing its praises.