Re: Any advice on this.......Buying an e36 (archive)

To answer your questions, I would say get the newest model possible if you want the best reliability out of your car. However, as we all know, E36s are built to last for a long time (if not forever), so given proper maintenance, any year should be a good choice.
Some of us might tell you not to buy the earlier 92s and 93s because of their lack of refinements compare to newer cars. Personally, I've come across many many 92s and they hold up just as well as the newer models. So if you can find a well maintained 92 or 93 for the price you want, don't hesitate to go for it.
As for the model you want to have, given the amount of money you're willing to spend, I would say your best bet would be a 325i/is. 328s are still costing more than $15k (unless it's a beat up car) and so are the newer 323s. You probably don't want to get a 318 because it's a four banger and you're certainly not going to be happy with its performance.
If you want an E36 with around 50k on its clock, you're prob. expecting $11k-$12k for a 92/93 and close to around $16k for a 95. Dealers are usually more expensive but they should sell more reliable cars since most of them have warranty. Some private sellers are car freaks so if you're lucky, you might also get a nice car from a private party.
Try to stay away from modified E36s because it's hard to tell what their previous owners did to the cars. You can always buy a stock one and modify it according to your taste if you want.
It's really hard to tell what would be an acceptable mileage for an E36. I've seen numbers upward of 150k miles for some. Again, you prob. want to keep it under 80k just in case. Make sure the previous owner has changed fragile items such as the water pump, clutch, raditor, thermostat, etc.
Lastly, I would recommend you buy a two door because that's the model I drive. But of course the four door look just as good. It all depends on your need as a driver. If you always have more than one passenger in your car, you would prob. be more comfortable with a four door.
All E36 325s are OBDIs so they're equally easy to modify. The 92s did not come with Vanos so if you want low end performance, you should buy a 93+ E36. However, I've heard that 92 engines are built stronger and they can pull harder in the top end.
That's all I can think of now. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any.
Good luck on your purchase.

Jon
AC Schnitzer 325is
http://beam.to/calboy1227

My budget will be about 15K tops!!!!
I am gonna put down 5K on a e36, and I will make payments on the rest, I need some advice on the best e36 I can get,I want to get an M3 bad, but its not practical at my age....all I know is my e30 is not gonna last forever..

What year is best?
What model is best ?
I am getting stick for sure!
Whats a good price for a e36, with about 50K-60K miles?
Should I get a four door or two door?
Where should I put a cap on acceptable milage? (whats the most I should take)
Privately or Dealer?
Which is more easily modified?

If there is anything I need to know, please let me know!
Thanks
Abel

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