e36 328i sport coupe anyone had one

[david106]

I looking for another car to run about and always fancied a 328 sport coupe .
Has anyone had one i need to know what to look out for,are these the ones with the dodgy blocks etc

[ImysE30]

Try www.e36coupe.com

[Andyboy]

He's asking here.

Earlier Sports up until late 1996 had limited slip diffs, later ones have ASC traction control. All have the yellow Bilstein Avus dampers. The change from Nikasil to steel liners (not Alusil) occurred in Feb 1998 (R registration) and you'll see the build date on a sticker on the strut top - if not, tap the last 7 digits of the VIN into realoem (google it).
To be honest, Nikasil isn't much of an issue now. If it still has the Nikasil block and it idles smoothly and goes well, forget about it.
Sports are a nice car, but a well specced 328i Coupe isn't to be sniffed at for a lot less money. The trouble now will be finding a nice one because they're getting on a bit.

[david106]

cheers
I've had a look about and there seems to be alot of auto's about which doesnt bother me.
I nearly bought a sport many moons ago it was big money then.
I will have a look on that forum Imyse30 thanks

[George]

Make sure it is a genuine sport, rather than a standard 328 with an M tech kit. Should say Sport on the V5.

In addition, I believe Sports have dark headlining.

[xr666]

i have both a 96 & a 98 328i sports .the 96 has Nikasil engine, a lsd & much more fun to drive then the 98 traction control Alusil engine, check for rust in the boot , boot lid, rear arches, rear end rattels etc

[town325i]

I was looking for a E36 coupe m52b28 but today i went to have a look at a moordoor for £700 sheets with good service history and replacment bmw engine drove it back no problems at all also it come on coilovers and the drive aint to bad really well chuffed with my purchase

[david106]

That sounds like a bargain

[capri_rob]

I was looking for a E36 coupe m52b28 but today i went to have a look at a moordoor for £700 sheets with good service history and replacment bmw engine drove it back no problems at all also it come on coilovers and the drive aint to bad really well chuffed with my purchase

I can confirm the fooker does shift

[town325i]

I was looking for a E36 coupe m52b28 but today i went to have a look at a moordoor for £700 sheets with good service history and replacment bmw engine drove it back no problems at all also it come on coilovers and the drive aint to bad really well chuffed with my purchase

I can confirm the fooker does shift

Oh yeah it does that too forgot about the reason for nuying it and with the car being that cheap its a perfect donor ofr my e30 after 12 months of motoring

[DanThe]

Is the ASC now completely disabled?

[nickso]

I was looking for a E36 coupe m52b28 but today i went to have a look at a moordoor for £700 sheets with good service history and replacment bmw engine drove it back no problems at all also it come on coilovers and the drive aint to bad really well chuffed with my purchase

I can confirm the fooker does shift

Oh yeah it does that too forgot about the reason for nuying it and with the car being that cheap its a perfect donor ofr my e30 after 12 months of motoring

thats what i did with mine. mint e36 touring with an 80k engine scrapped to provide an engine for my shitheap e30.....shame

[DanThe]

No shame in that!

[Ali-bumble]

I've lost count of the number of E36 328's I've had in saloon, coupe and Touring guises.
The 2.8 really doesn't suit the auto box IMO. The gear ratios are all wrong. That engine works so much better in the E39 steptronic.
2.8 sports are great cars loads of fun but I got fed up with mindeless theft. The whole front end disappeared overnight once, m tech door mouldings stolen countless times. Every council pikey has a wannabe one.
Mechanically sound and cheap to fix. £16 a balljoint. Water pump and thermostat always go on them ond only £45 to replace both and an hour of your day. Can be a bugger to fully bleed air out the system just point the nose up hill and should be OK.
There was a facelift with the E36 in early 1998 Slimmer side repeaters and fatter front kidney grills give the game away.
As mentioned earlier sports have black headlining and bilstein yellw suspension as standard.
Best bet is an early manual with an LSD
Putting on the inlet manifold from the earlier M50 2.5 lump with the big bore throttle body and fuel rail adjustments can see an easy extra 25 BHP

[town325i]

Is the ASC now completely disabled?

I didnt get chance to find out tbh

[david106]

Its my thread so can we cut out the small talk

[darkchild]

Auto 328i's are nice cars IMO and the gearing makes them fairly economical on a run. They're sealed for life boxes though so are probably well overdue an oil and filter change by now.

Windows can occasionally give trouble - make sure they fall and rise as the door is opened/closed. Check the suspension thoroughly. Snapped springs are common as are knackered balljoints. E36s can be a bit grotty now but they don't seem to suffer the terminal rot that can afflict E30s. Check front wings, rear arches and sills. The panel between bumper and bootlid is known to rust due to perished boot seals.

A good example is a fantastic car. They still drive well and are a little bit more durable than an E46 in my eyes. Buy the best you can afford. Things like full toolkit, glovebox torch, decent branded matching tyres etc tend to indicate a genuine well cared for car.

[david106]

I've put in a bid for a sport just waiting for him to get back to me after he picks himself off the floor

[donnyboiler]

Auto 328i's are nice cars IMO and the gearing makes them fairly economical on a run. They're sealed for life boxes though so are probably well overdue an oil and filter change by now.

Windows can occasionally give trouble - make sure they fall and rise as the door is opened/closed. Check the suspension thoroughly. Snapped springs are common as are knackered balljoints. E36s can be a bit grotty now but they don't seem to suffer the terminal rot that can afflict E30s. Check front wings, rear arches and sills. The panel between bumper and bootlid is known to rust due to perished boot seals.

A good example is a fantastic car. They still drive well and are a little bit more durable than an E46 in my eyes. Buy the best you can afford. Things like full toolkit, glovebox torch, decent branded matching tyres etc tend to indicate a genuine well cared for car.

I've owned three 328i SEs and I have to go along with all of this.

Nikasil has never been an issue for me, I've had two Nikasil and one not - the Nikasil ones felt better to drive. I've never had an auto but economy on the manuals is surprising. I've never had less than 30mpg and I've seen 36-37 on the occasional run. Build date April 98 on loses the Nikasil.

They are great cars that still feel modern and are now super-cheap. My newest one is immaculate, now has 63k, and cost me £1800 to buy.

Check the ABS/traction lights aren't on - the wheel sensors can go and can be a pig to get at I believe.

Check for wobbles from suspension, particularly under braking. Bushes and balljoints are a weak spot, but not as much so as the E46s. Discs warp relatively easily. Some wheel designs are quite soft, so wobbles are often down to buckling.

Worst place for rust is the rear arches, which trap muck like there's no tomorrow.

Interior rattles can be a nightmare - take the dashboard to bits and refit with Vaseline in all the cracks and screwholes. Check all door cards fit properly - remove and retighten screws, replace clips with the newer anti-rattle type if necessary, and get the Vaseline out again. The rattly 13 year old interior can really spoil the driving experience, especially as the engine is near-silent.

Check the cooling system, they are notoriously weak. An overheated M52 is as good as scrap.

Check the aircon works properly. Frozen pixels on the later type mean an exchanged control unit; sporadic fan speed means a new fan resistor pack.

A good one is a very canny used buy. My last two have been hassle-free.

Don

[david106]

cheers for that don
I've got to have a look at a 1998 only done 85k but not much history since 2005
only had 3 owners though and lady owner since 2003.
I can have it for about £1500 does it sound about right?

[donnyboiler]

That sounds great! Can I have it?

Autos go for a bit less though, right?

[George]

That sounds great! Can I have it?

Autos go for a bit less though, right?

Manuals seem to be rare, certainly seemed that way when I was looking. Although the auto is nice and suits the lazy torquey nature of the engine, I'd say the manual is worth waiting for. Difference in economy between the two is quite substantial.

[TheHeap]

Its my thread so can we cut out the small talk

I have one of these coming up for sale soon. It's a R reg in black with tan/beige leather low mileage and the current owner is the second owner who has had it for 10-11yrs. It's unmolested and is used as a weekend cruiser.
The only let down is it's automatic.