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1998 328i, worth the trouble, or pass?

R

railer

Golden Member
It's in fair to good shape, obviously the miles are high, but it's from a known seller so there are no boogeymen waiting to jump out.

I should be able to get it for less than 3k, which is well under book, but "the book" lies. He hasn't been able to get 3k for it locally, so that's about what it's worth.


It's a sweet looking car...black....unique......a BMW......but I don't want a ticking time bomb or a money pit.


Your thoughts are always appreciated.
 
It doesn't seem like a bad price and BMW's are well made cars... BUT (and it's a big but) you're getting to the point where maintenance could get expensive. Getting a good mechanic that knows BMW's would be important.

It would be a cool car, but make sure you can keep it up.
 
Originally posted by: railer
It's in fair to good shape, obviously the miles are high, but it's from a known seller so there are no boogeymen waiting to jump out.

I should be able to get it for less than 3k, which is well under book, but "the book" lies. He hasn't been able to get 3k for it locally, so that's about what it's worth.


It's a sweet looking car...black....unique......a BMW......but I don't want a ticking time bomb or a money pit.


Your thoughts are always appreciated.
Click to expand...

E36 are solid cars, easier to maintain than audis of the same vintage. If you can get a good deal on it, i would go for it.

That being said, most people here will tell you to get a corolla or a camry...
 
Electronic gremlins would be more of a worry to me than anything else.

As far as whether I would get it - as a daily driver nope.

As a second project type of car, sure.
 
damn, i thought I had put the miles in the title.

150k.

That's why it's cheap.

It's got a small ding in the rear door, and the roof liner has a couple of cuts, grease stains, etc. Somewhere between fair and good condition overall. Doesn't burn oil or otherwise give any indication that it's a high mileage car.
 
That is a very reliable BMW.

I simply base this on the fact that I know 2 people with the same car and they keep going and going and going .. manual not automatics. Automatics probably transmission faulire
 
150K on a used BMW....

you could just spend $50 and buy a BMW hat and BMW t-shirt and people will still believe you drive a BMW. you'll be saving more money in the long-run
 
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
150K on a used BMW....

you could just spend $50 and buy a BMW hat and BMW t-shirt and people will still believe you drive a BMW. you'll be saving more money in the long-run
Click to expand...

LOL!
 
....are these considered to be unreliable money pits with that kind of miles? I don't know what's considered high for that make....those miles aren't real high for a Honda or Toyota.

My DD (ford w/ mazda engine and tranny) has 145k on it, and purrs like a kitten...I'd drive it anywhere.

Driving something that isn't a chevy, toyota, or honda is kind of appealing, but I suppose those miles are really asking for trouble and $$$ on a BMW.
 
I think it depends.....

Scenario A: You can work on it (at least small - medium difficulty jobs) yourself - and the jobs you cannot do on your own will go to an excellent independent BMW mechanic. You are resourceful when it comes to finding any necessary parts on your own through "unconventional" channels (online forums, part-outs, auto dismantlers, ebay, etc) and vow NEVER to pay dealer retail for said items (unless they are small). You are zealous about maintenance, and do not "stretch" things like oil changes or other items that fall under "routine maintenance". You can be without a car for at least a few days (or have a 2nd car available) while you are waiting for some oddball part to arrive, since it is not immediately available locally.

Scenario B: You will take this car straight to the local BMW dealership at the first hint of something going bad. You perhaps tend to slack off on maintenance. This car must not be out of service more than 24 hours at a time.



Scenario A: Buy it, it'll be a good fit for you, and you will enjoy the hell out of it.

Scenario B: Potential for giant money pit / major letdown - no way.


This is coming from someone (fitting description in Scenario A) who purchased a very "unconventional" BMW that was 12 years old at the time and had 82k miles on it when purchased - and has never looked back or regretted it once.

Good luck whatever you decide!
 
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