E36 318 or 325??

Okay guys,
I have done the search thing and haven't come up with the plethora of knowledge I was hoping so maybe you folks can provide me with some sage and pertinate advice.

I own an E34 and love it to death, a very competent car, especially on long trips. A 540 or M5 would top it off but then I wouldn't enjoy the great gas mileage I get with my "unloved" 530. I don't drive it on a daily basis and use it more for longer trips and special occasions.

For a daily I want to get an E36 and unload my '91 Acura Legend. The Legend is geared for the 55 mph speed limit and coupled with a 3.2 V6 only gets about 23 MPH on a good day. It gets there quick though!! ( Anyone want to trade?)

My thoughts are picking up an E36 318i or iS, preferrably a stick. I have been told they get upwards of 30 MPG if you don't wip them too hard.

The down sides?

A) You have to wip them anyway just to get any where so you might as well get a 325?.

B) What IS the scoop on the dreaded profile gasket?

C) Timing belt or chain?

D) The prices for a 318 are just about the same as 325's. Should I just get a 325 and call it good?

Suggestions are welcome.

As I have said before, this site is great and I really enjoy reading it.
Thanks, DJ

I think the iS models all use Premium which isn't going to save you much. If the standard 318/325 runs on regular, I believe you would be happy with either - the 325 would have bit more grunt.
cheers,
Greg

The Acura uses premium as well.
I'm not as worried about grunt as longevity. How is your 318 holding up?

More interested, what about the timing set and profile gasket on the 318?

I love it!

It would be a hard choice if I needed to sell either the 5 or the 3.

Timing chain etc, weren't a problem as it had a new engine when we bought it.

When we were looking for the E30, we looked at a couple of manual 318i's (not 318iS's) and I was impressed by their performance.

Greg

Thanks, I have my eye on a '94 Grey/Black 318iS. 5 speed. Nice shape but it has 140k on it and that worries me about typical consumables.

So you are saying the 318's run timing chains? I would imagine just about all of the suspension is done (worn out) on it.

They want close to 7k for it but I'm thinking 4500 is more the market.........................dealers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spasso

Thanks, I have my eye on a '94 Grey/Black 318iS. 5 speed. Nice shape but it has 140k on it and that worries me about typical consumables.

So you are saying the 318's run timing chains? I would imagine just about all of the suspension is done (worn out) on it.

They want close to 7k for it but I'm thinking 4500 is more the market.........................dealers

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It looks very original - that's a good sign.
Maybe dropped a little in the back, going by the photo.

The E36 is a 1.9 litre as well.

Has it got a service book/manual?

If you don't think it is worth the $, get an Indy to go over it to look for probs. If it all comes out OK then the rest is up to you.

Greg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GJPinAU

It looks very original - that's a good sign.
Maybe dropped a little in the back, going by the photo.

The E36 is a 1.9 litre as well.

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um aren't the early ones 1.8L and the later ones 1.9L (2 seperate generations of the m40 as well m40b18 and m42b19)
I could be wrong though, i am by no means an expert on bmw 4-cylinder engines

The 1.9's came out in mid 96 and ended in 98 with no real HP gain to speak of.

I was going to see how close I could come in a trade with this.
3.2 liter V6, 4 speed auto. 106k miles. Fast but not that good on gas. It's my daily driver and I'd rather not drive my 5 everyday even though it gets better mileage than the Acura.

Well guys,
I decided to get serious about this and bought a 30 day CARFAX.
The nice grey one they have for 6995 had frame damage in 2003 at 95,000 miles.

If I had it jigged and it turned out okay it might be worth 4500 to me but then maybe it would be better to check the tire wear, drive it around, call them on the frame report and low ball them. They've been sitting on this for a long time.

This would be a better deal if the car only had 80 or 90k on it. With the high miles it looks like a pass.

These cars are hard to find around here!!