E30 Zone

Can you insure an E36 as a classic yet?

Ive heard theres a 15 year limit on most classic policies these days, because my mate has a 15 year old cossie on a classic policy?

if so i might have to wait and try this approach next year with a 94?

NO!

Yes you can

Some companies the only stipulation is the car being over 15 years old... some E36s are now...

OK rthen classic insurance maybe but classic car status NEVER!

For insurance purposes, it should be possible.
But the E36 will never be a true classic. Sorry.
Park one between an E-Type Jaguar and an AC Cobra, and try to disagree.

Cloud wrote:For insurance purposes, it should be possible.
But the E36 will never be a true classic. Sorry.
Park one between an E-Type Jaguar and an AC Cobra, and try to disagree.

how about an e36 m3 GT ?

a_kara wrote:

Cloud wrote:For insurance purposes, it should be possible.
But the E36 will never be a true classic. Sorry.
Park one between an E-Type Jaguar and an AC Cobra, and try to disagree.

how about an e36 m3 GT ?

Rare - Yes

Classic - Nope



Taylor.

Oh, I'm sorry I thought someone had been typing classic, instead of council.

clarrify ?

what makes any car classic ?

i always find the term a bit vague, iconic i can understand but not 'classic'

you cant argue about the cosworth classic status but im not sure id regard an e36 as classic just yet.

mk1 escort mexico now thats a classic an e36 not all never will be to me.

some one explain what makes a classic ............

a_kara wrote:clarrify ?

what makes any car classic ?

i always find the term a bit vague, iconic i can understand but not 'classic'

it is vague its a subjective term like gentleman. Everyones idea of a "classic" is different

E30's 5 years ago were in the same stage as a 36 and everyone riddled them. Good cars they car, down with the haters!

Too many built for classic, certain models might hit it, but the E30 suffers the same in a touch too many built. Or maybe to well built as some are still going unrestored just serviced with the odd bit of TLC over the last 20 years

Alpina B8 is a classic

E36 will never be a classic like the E30 simply because the E36's wont rot death like most of the E30's have !
E30's are only seen as classics because there isnt many left.

Define classic = CHROME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






and lots of it

e36boy wrote:E36 will never be a classic like the E30 simply because the E36's wont rot death like most of the E30's have !
E30's are only seen as classics because there isnt many left.

why not? are they galvanised as well? ive seen more than the odd rusty as fook e36.eventually e36's will come down to the same numbers that e30's are at the moment.
they might become regarded as classics by some, but really only the owners . everyone else will just see them as another cheap plain old bmw.

e36's are tough, rust around the edges and can take a good hiding for 15 years, E30's where good and can do the same but the E36 is longer lasting in alot of respects. Build quality might not be the same but it's got some trump cards on it's side

Ollie_bwoii wrote:Define classic = CHROME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






and lots of it

Really!?

GrindCulture wrote:

Ollie_bwoii wrote:Define classic = CHROME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






and lots of it

Really!?

is that the waste from the middle east

town325i wrote:

GrindCulture wrote:

Ollie_bwoii wrote:Define classic = CHROME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






and lots of it

Really!?

is that the waste from the middle east

OK not that much! I was suggesting a chromie E30! LOL!

Cloud wrote:But the E36 will never be a true classic. Sorry.
Park one between an E-Type Jaguar and an AC Cobra, and try to disagree.

I'm sorry but you park a non-M3 e30 between those and it not going to look like a classic is it.

fuzzy wrote:they might become regarded as classics by some, but really only the owners . everyone else will just see them as another cheap plain old bmw.

In fairness I think that is where the e30 is now. People who love the marque tend to like the e30 and as such they have a certain regard for them which elevates their status. Now most people would consider a 2002 a classic, they would also stretch to calling the e21 a classic, these are much rarer cars. I tend to see e30's most days, so I do think that to average people they are just seen as old BMW's.

As for the e36 being a classic, well some will be, someone is bound to be hiding one away, you always get the odd car that appears which has no miles on the clock and is clean as the day it came out of the factory. That sort of car will test time and reach a classic status eventually. How long it will be before that, who knows. I certainly agree that although the e36 can be insured on a classic policy, its not classic yet.

The biggest threat to e36's is not rust, its lexus lights, lairy paint and kids with their base ball caps sat right on top of their head, you know the sort the peak pointing to the sky.. The more the merrier I say, let them have them, let them cover e36's in utter crap, let them smash them into things (without harming others), blow up engines and generally aid the decline of the model, because the sooner they do that the more mine is worth as it will be much harder to find a good one.

Hang on, isn't that exactly what happened to the e30?

EDIT: Here is an interesting article on the definition of a classic car:

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/classic_intro.htm

there will be a day when even e36s are classics.

it may not be for a long long time, but it will come eventually. when most have died off, and there are only a handfull of really tidy ones people will start to look back fondly and wonder why they didnt buy a load when they were dirt cheap.

at the moment theyre just about as low as they can go. already there are plenty of scabby ones, and even more owned by idiots because theyre a bmw, which then get 'modified' with some of the most awful 'council' mods around. at the moment, despite being fairly old, they still look fairly modern and still drive a lot like a modern car, they don't yet have the old school feel that made certain e30s 'classics' whilst still being fairly young.

standard mk2 escorts, alegros, princesses, even morris marinas and vauxhall vivas were all crusty and crappy within 5 years of rollin g off the production line. i'm sure back in the day people never would have thought that these common, not very good cars would ever be regarded as 'classic' but go to any classic show and i'm sure you'll find several beardy types proudly polishing their BL relic.

Cloud wrote:For insurance purposes, it should be possible.
But the E36 will never be a true classic. Sorry.
Park one between an E-Type Jaguar and an AC Cobra, and try to disagree.

Same goes for the E30 in that company....

OOH those 328 bmw's are just gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A classic is a car which, when new, was regarded as being something very good.

When new the E36 had rapturous praise from the press. It was a milestone car for BMW and got rid af all the crap traits of the E30 - the mediocre ride, crap steering, useless rear leg room, wind noise at speed etc. The E36 was as competitive at the end of it's life as it was at the beginning, the sign of a very good design. Leaving aside M3's and 325i Sports for a moment, the E36 is a lot better thaqn the E30 in most respects and a four cylinder E36 is a much nicer car to drive than an E30 316i or 318i. I had a really mint J plate Lagoon green 320iSE last year and enjoyed it far more than any basic E30.
The Dirty Six is where all old BMW's get to at a certain stage in life. There are now lots of them going to scrapyards whereas E30's are dying out now, but E36's took a long time to get to the scrapyard phase. The problem is that they looked so modern in 1992 and they still look modern now. They haven't really dated but look very familiar because there are still millions on the road (literally).
Once numbers come down and the crappers disappear the E36 will emerge as a sort of neo classic. It's funny how E30 Zoners rant on about how crap E36's are, yet on E36Coupe they don't bang on about E30's. I guess it's some kind of inferiority complex. I like E30's and have restored a couple recently, but overall I still prefer the later car.

well finished off there Andy, cheers for the actual answers about the insurance too from the helpful (mature) people!

all but 2 of the pople in my life regard my perfect E30 325i Coupe as an old square shit box, the majority of people into classic cars think its a shit box that drives like slop, even i dont rate it that highly but i still think its a good car...

an E36 M3 will end up with more status than most E30s (not M3s before anyone cries) the reaction on here when an E36 gets mentioned even in the correct section is actually pretty embarassing lol, the whole "dirty six" nickname is lame...

they look great in M3 clothes and no doubt go great too so ill be selling my E30 to raise E36 M3 funds very soon while there are bargains to be had

cheers for the help guys

Tom