For Sale 94M BMW 318i (E36)

SharkBait

Member (lol "member")
4 door saloon in calypso red, plastic bumper model.
This has been my tatty but reliable run-around for the last 19 months - incredibly reliable and a bit fun too.
I'll post pictures tomorrow if anyone here is interested.

+ve:
  • 90k
  • Lots of history
  • 3 Previous Owners
  • Factory alarm and electric windows
  • Eligible for some classic car policies (cheap insurance)
-ve
  • Tatty*
  • Short MOT (Feb 5th)
  • Needs some work for MOT (see below)
  • Unevenly wears o/s/r tyre
  • Drivers window does open and close without any assistance, but it's slightly noisy
  • Rattle in the drivers door on opening and closing - probably related to the above
  • O/S wing mirror doesn't demist
  • Rear wheel arches have started to rust - one was scraped by the previous owner and the other is just age related - they could both probably (most likely) just be rubbed down and repainted
  • Small section of sill needs same treatment as the rear arches
  • You can't stow a bike inside it


In the time I've had it it's had the following:
  • Thermostat + Coolant flush
  • Idler pulleys
  • Brake light switch
  • Front discs + pads
  • Rear shoes
  • Renewed brake fluid
  • New rear silencer
  • New battery

It's done 5k since the last MOT.

Last year's MOT advisories:
  • Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread
  • Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread
  • Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded
  • Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded
  • Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded
  • Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded
  • Nearside Front coil spring corroded
  • Offside Front coil spring corroded

In addition for MOT I think it will need:

  • Rear anti-roll bar re-bushing
  • Probably some other bushes or ball joints - E36s are notorious for short shelf-life on these parts but they are cheap to replace

It also needs:

  • Wheel alignment
  • Wheel balancing (if unlike you me exceed 60mph - I seldom do)
  • Another engine oil and filter change

It has developed a slight rattle under acceleration which is only detectable when the windows are open. I think it's exhaust system related. It does have a couple of minor oil leaks. And occasionally from a cold start the engine will hunt for a few seconds - and by hunt it's a variance of a few hundred revs - most people probably wouldn't notice it. I'm just a bit, how do you say, detail orientated?

There's relatively little rust on the underside for a car of this age. It idles well. Accelerates smoothly. And when the wheels are balanced will cruise at ninety. I did a fair chunk of motorway mileage in the first months of ownership, since then it's been a relatively short drive to work and back. I've driven from the Midlands to Edinburgh and back and also from Brighton and back without it missing a beat, at over 50 mpg. I've had over 750 miles out of a tankful of fuel.

It is tatty. It does look like a banger. At the same time it's extremely rewarding to drive, and if maintained will last a good long while. With less than <150 '94 318i's on the road, it would be a shame to see it scrapped.

Honestly, I think the next owner would get it through an MOT for a few hundred pounds and then enjoy a good couple of years trouble free motoring.
I think it still has to be worth at least £350 - but ultimately I want to keep this ultimate driving machine out of the scrap yard.
Price includes a haynes manual and just shy of half a tank of petrol.
It has the original glove box torch, puncture repair kit and I think an unused spare wheel. I might swap the toolkit for the one in it's replacement (a '98 323i with 61k on it) if I wind up selling it for buttons.

It is advertised elsewhere. It's also currently SORNED.

*The previous owner didn't drive it much, but he did have a house in it's own grounds and from what he said, he pretty much drove it through every privet hedge on the property. He's then re-touched with an approximately matched aerosol with overspray in various places.
 
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