Any "beater" DD BMW advice?

trigun7469 wrote: I have been looking for a 318i local and what I am finding is that the E36 are more expensive then the E39's, honestly I am looking for something that is a manual and under 150k, is there something really wrong with the E39's or are the E36 have nostalgia value? My sister and both my parents had E39's I wouldn't mind one for the right price.

I don't think it's nostalgia so much as the 3 series being more of an enthusiast car - and as such, there is more demand for used examples. The "problem" with a used 5-series is that people who want to impress the neighbors don't want to buy a 10 year old car, and people thinking of cheap transportation don't think BMW.

My daily driver is a '97 328 with about 238,000 miles, about half of which are mine. Biggest ticket item it's needed has been a new clutch. The interior hasn't held up spectacularly well either, but is servicable. I think early 2000s era BMWs are a bit more complex, though.

I DD a 99 e36 Convertible M3. I bought it three years ago with only 38k miles and am now up to 55k. It's been 100% totally dead reliable. I have spend very close to nothing on this car. I did have to buy a set of tires and a seatbelt latch. The crazy thing is that the car is now worth more than I paid for it. These cars have been appreciating.

You might want to consider running an Autotrader search for lower mileage E36 cars just to see what comes up. Why suffer with a high miles beater when you can have a much nicer and more reliable car for a modest premium? As a hint, converts often have much lower mileage due to garage-queen impulses on the part of the original owners.

In reply to AaronBalto:

Verts are 4 seaters correct? If that's the case it's a no-go. Plus, where would I put my canoe? (Actual canoe, not a GRM canoe!)

Actually, any 3-series is effectively a 4-seater, even if it has 5 seatbelts.

I've put over 12000 miles on my e39 540i/6 since May 13. It's been flawless.

The car is pushing 200k now.

MadScientistMatt wrote:

trigun7469 wrote: I have been looking for a 318i local and what I am finding is that the E36 are more expensive then the E39's, honestly I am looking for something that is a manual and under 150k, is there something really wrong with the E39's or are the E36 have nostalgia value? My sister and both my parents had E39's I wouldn't mind one for the right price.

I don't think it's nostalgia so much as the 3 series being more of an enthusiast car - and as such, there is more demand for used examples. The "problem" with a used 5-series is that people who want to impress the neighbors don't want to buy a 10 year old car, and people thinking of cheap transportation don't think BMW. My daily driver is a '97 328 with about 238,000 miles, about half of which are mine. Biggest ticket item it's needed has been a new clutch. The interior hasn't held up spectacularly well either, but is servicable. I think early 2000s era BMWs are a bit more complex, though.

What is the parts expensive? are they more then some cars?

Duke wrote: Actually, *any* 3-series is effectively a 4-seater, even if it has 5 seatbelts.

I see the 5 is only about 1" wider. : (

In reply to ebonyandivory:

Most def four seater.

Another tip for an older BMW is if your state requires inspections. If they do, keep an eye on an E34 5 series because you may get unlucky and buy an E39 that can start to have electrical problems that affect it passing safety and emissions. That makes highbeam problems or O2 sensor problems much more important and makes ownership more costly during testing time. My E36 has given me plenty of electrical problems.

trigun7469 wrote: What is the parts expensive? are they more then some cars?

About 25% or so more expensive than for a Civic on average, I'd say. Nothing has been really outlandish.

And yes, E36 convertibles can only sit two in the back, and not very comfortably if they're fully grown.

I haven't really had to put anything fancy on the car, but I can put good quality pads, rotors, and wear sensors at all 4 corners for about $300.

Buying a high mileage e39 from someone who cared for it is a fine proposition, buying one that's been beat and trying to bring it back to life is a very bad idea.

I bought a 195kmi 2001 525i automatic with a failed alternator, worn out brakes and seeping oil separator for 1900, I sunk $900 in parts into the car and it's now at over 210,000 miles with nothing but routine maintenance. Do it but shop wisely.

I daily a 2001 525iT sport/manual. It had an affluent first owner and a car nut second and is in great shape for a northeast car - Long Island. I paid a huge premium for it 'cause it's a unicorn w/ 190 manual wagons that year and it was under 100k miles. It drives great - for a racer the handling and power are perfect for a street car, and it's very comfortable. I replaced the clutch early on w/ a Clutchmasters complete setup w/ a single-mass flywheel/sprung hub, non self adjusting friction disc, lucked into OEM Hella xenon headlights cheap, and got a decent cup holder. I've fixed some electrical stuff: I put a new ribbon cable on the OBC display to fix pixels, found a NOS stereo amp cheap, a new blower fan resistor.

I plan on driving it forever. When the M54B25 motor wears out I'll swap in something with a little more urge.

motomoron wrote: I daily a 2001 525iT sport/manual. It had an affluent first owner and a car nut second and is in great shape for a northeast car - Long Island. I paid a huge premium for it 'cause it's a unicorn w/ 190 manual wagons that year and it was under 100k miles. It drives great - for a racer the handling and power are perfect for a street car, and it's very comfortable. I replaced the clutch early on w/ a Clutchmasters complete setup w/ a single-mass flywheel/sprung hub, non self adjusting friction disc, lucked into OEM Hella xenon headlights cheap, and got a decent cup holder. I've fixed some electrical stuff: I put a new ribbon cable on the OBC display to fix pixels, found a NOS stereo amp cheap, a new blower fan resistor. I plan on driving it forever. When the M54B25 motor wears out I'll swap in something with a little more urge.

Great looking car

In reply to motomoron:

What did you find for cup holders?