First Bmw- Need Help. 16years Old.

[Poison Rice]

Hey guys, Im new to the BMW scene and here ( my first post)
Im 16 and driving parents cars right now. I have been looking around and I can afford a 1992 325i for about 4K.

I would like to know what problems do BMW's face after 100k miles and what not.
I dont have any money besides like 200 buxs so I dont plan on replacing this and that. I just want a cool car to drive around but have some power.....

I know there are chips out there but Im not a big fan of tricking the ECU. Rather get it re-flashed with highperformance maps and what not.
I know Honda's pretty well, as it was gonna be my car till I changed to RWD cars.
Parts for a Bimmer are expensive, and I havent seen much performance mods out there like supercharger/turbo. People say the BMW engines dont like force induction?

Much help needed.

Thanks all.

[Furious]

welcome to the forums.

[spieluhr]

hey, first off good choice in picking a bimmer, instead of some riced out POS or a big ass truck. I too am 16 and got my 93 325is for my first car.

the e36 tends to have problems with the cooling system, i know mine did. If i were i would take the car to a reputable bmw mechanic (not the dealer) and have him check it out and drive around with you, well worth the money.

as for mods, the chips cant be remapped, because they are OBDI, you need OBDII to remap it with a shark injector, but dont worry, OBDI is better, less restrictive. and there are superchargers and turbo chargers out there, Dinan and Active Autowerks make some of hte most popular models. BMW motors can handle forced induction fine, as long as you do it correctly, granted the engine may not last as long, but these cars last for 300K usually no problem so i dont think you have much to worry abotu there.

hope this helps, once again, welcome

[abemcclellan]

[RIBEMR26]

Lets keep this in perspective...if you can do most of the work on the car yourself...you have a better shot...you say you don't have any money to be replacing things...but then you talk about supercharging (think in the $5-$8,000.00 range, BTW). BMW's are expensive to maintain, even if you can do alot of stuff yourself.

I'm not saying don't get one...just go in with your eyes open...these aren't POS Honda's, even the parts are expensive on Bimmer's.

That said...why the F*** not, I wish I had one when I was 16....

['89 635 csi]

to BMW-Forums!

[duckman134715]

i'm kind of in the same position as in i've got this car that is expensive to maintain and i'm only 17. i think that these places take advantage of me cause i know nothing about it. just took it to some bmw specialists and it was $400 to fix some plasic thing that we don't even know what it is. my dad wasn't happy to get that bill.

[mmzcee]

#1 rule owning a bmw, research research research.

never take the mechanics word for it, even if they are certified, EVEN if its the dealer, they wll always try to make you pay more than you have to.

If you ever have any problems, troubleshoot on the forums, ask questions, ask often.

I'm only 17, and I got a 96 328i for $5400, you can easily find a good condition 92 325i with decent miles (~150k) for aorund $4000.

one more thing, make sure it has a proper gearbox, NO AUTOS!!!

[Autotechnica]

I don't think BMW's are good cars to start out with. Especially if you don't have a lot of money. A used BMW, especially '92 will most likely need quite a few repairs down the road. I know Honda's are nothing compared to the build quality of a BMW. But if I had to start over again, I wish I had bought a Honda first when I was 16 instead of a BMW. I spent all my money on fixing the damn thing, then totaled it less than a year later because well.. I was 16 :P

I don't regret owning a BMW now. It's a great car to own, just not when you're 16 and strapped for cash. But once I get some extra cash, I'm going to buy a daily driver. It's just not reliable enough to drive around. I wouldn't trust my car if I had to take a 5 hour road trip somewhere.

Anyways, welcome to the boards. If you do decide to get a BMW, try to get a mechanic friend who knows BMW's to check it out for you, if possible. That's what I did and I got a great one.

Bry

[jllphan]

You will probably get a ton of different responses, but I would recomend buying a Honda. BMW cars require more maintenance than a lot of other cars (none of which is all that inexpensive), and parts aren't cheap either.

If your wanna spend $4K and REALLY REALLY want a Bimmer, you might look at the e30 3 series, as you will undoubtedly hate BMW's after owning a $4K e36.

[jllphan]

wow, I started the above reply back when no one had yet, I guess I was right, you'll get plenty of perspectives.

[Kevin325i]

Get a 240. You'll be happier. Everyone at school thinks I'm a rich prick and that my parents bought me a 20k BMW. People ding it if I don't park between people I know, starting to get the idea yet?

4 grand will get you an awesome 240 and parts are also fairly cheap.

[xorbital0]

Man i wish i had a bimmer when i was 16.

[Poison Rice]

LOL guys.
See, the money comes from my parents. Not me. (please dont flame)

I am the most knowledgeble among my friends about cars. I dont really have a car guy friend as I am just barly tapping into the car scene.

Why is it a POS honda when it has far less problems then a BMW? Also people else where said my HP goals are far too high for a 2.5L (225 HP)
A integra can get 225hp easily with a simple turbo, fuel, and ECU mod for less then 6k.

Enough talk about "ricers".....

Jillphan, why is a 4k e36 a bad deal? Its a KBB value. ??

SPIELUHR, I guess we are about the same. (well, you have one and I dont) but can you tell me more. Pro/cons about a e36.
Also doesnt AcDelco and other aftermarket companies offer BMW part?

[jllphan]

Originally posted by Poison Rice@Dec 16 2004, 11:35 PM
Jillphan, why is a 4k e36 a bad deal? Its a KBB value. ??

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Simple. As I stated, these cars require more frequent and costly maintenance.

SO, if previous owners actually perform this, they are gonna want more than KBB.

And regardless of maintenance, an e36 found at that price would easily require another $2K right off the bat. An e30 on the other hand...