Somebody got a carfax account.....

[Kevin325i]

Hey guys/girls, while venturing on the internet trying to find myself an e36 I came across this one. Price looks good, it's not to far away (6 hours ) what do you guys think? Autotrader e36

Also could somebody with a carfax account please please please run the carfax on it for me, thanks a ton.

Kevin

[Aggieland81]

i cant find how many miles are on it...

[Kevin325i]

Yeah i know, that's why I'm wondering, price would be good if it were a 140k with no accidents or rust.

Kevin

[leibniz]

Carfax report should all green except suspicious milage:


CARFAX analyzed the mileage history for this 1992 BMW 325I (WBACB3311NFE06239) and found an inconsistent odometer reading. CARFAX is uncertain whether this is a rollback or a source-level clerical error. Please verify this mileage with your dealer or a qualified mechanic.

Reading reported on 10/30/1997: 85,000 miles
Inconsistent reading on 12/09/1998: 58,057 miles
Reading reported on 06/01/2000: 96,214 miles


It could have been a typo, but for sure you'll want to investigate.

[Kevin325i]

Ok, are there dealer records that I could get ahold of? that's a 40k mile difference. The dealer emailed me back and said it's currently at 108k. That's about 10k miles in 4 years, I'm a little sceptical about this one. Any ideas? It says it was only a two owner vehicle so it could be pretty good.

Kevin

[Autotechnica]

Just some advice, if your planning to auto-x your bimmer, don't buy a '92. The rear sub-frame will fail for sure. If it's just your daily driver and you don't drive hard, knock yourself out. It's a good price though.

Bry

[Kevin325i]

What's the rear subframe failure? I don't think I've heard anything about that.

[Autotechnica]

Originally posted by Kevin325i@Apr 14 2004, 09:58 PM
What's the rear subframe failure? I don't think I've heard anything about that.

I think it's in the FAQ section. However, after personally experiencing this myself along with a few other friends, I'd say this is a major concern and something to really consider when buying an older E36. 92-93 E36's all had weaker rear sub-frames that would eventually crack around the differential mounting points. BMW noticed the problem but never recalled it (too expensive). Later ('94 and after) all E36's rear sub-frames were reinforced with thicker peices of metal welded in. I haven't heard of anyone cracking the newer reinforced sub-frames.

The reason I no longer have my '92 318 is because of this sub-frame failure. I cracked mine and had it repaired ($650!) and had "racing" plates welded in. Unfortunately, it was far too stiff in the rear after the repair. The next day after the repair, I spun out in the rain and crashed (totalled the car) and that was the end of my '92. I later purchased a '94 with the reinforced sub-frame, no further problems with cracks even after 230,000km's and lots of hard driving (auto-x, some track, spirited city driving, etc)

Get a '94+!

Bry

[Kevin325i]

Can you pick up a rear subframe reinforcement kit? 94+ isn't an option for the $$$ factor. I'd also like to get the '92 engine for the non vanos and possibly going to better than M3 specs some day.

Kevin

[Autotechnica]

Originally posted by Kevin325i@Apr 15 2004, 04:39 PM
Can you pick up a rear subframe reinforcement kit? 94+ isn't an option for the $$$ factor. I'd also like to get the '92 engine for the non vanos and possibly going to better than M3 specs some day.

Kevin

I've also "heard" that after 1992 BMW made several improvements.

Anyways, you can buy these reinforcements plates either from TMS or from a BMW dealer directly. It comes in a set of 4 plates. However, make sure you find someone who is a good welder, otherwise you might as well forget about doing it all together.

Before you buy the '92, make sure the current sub-frame is not cracked, it's a very common problem on all '92's. I've seen many cracked sub-frames or sub-frames that have started to crack. However, they show no symptoms until they are badly damaged.

I paid $650 for the labour. An Experienced mechanic should be able to do it in 1 full day as everything must be dropped (exhaust, driveshaft, tranny, rear sub-frame, differential, etc) This is also a good time to replace any other worn parts. eg. Guibo (flex disc), tranny seals/mounts etc.

Personally, I think it's worth every penny to buy the newer E36.

good luck,

Bry

[Kevin325i]

Well, I will definetly investigate into the mileage with the dealer. Then I'll get it checked by a BMW shop for problems and make sure to look for the sub-frame failures. If i do end up getting it I will make sure to go over everything (bushings, fluids, etc) before it hits the track.

If I do discover some cracking in the subframe I'll make sure to get it welded up right away. But if it looks pretty bad, I can stand to walk from the deal. I'm looking online for more information, and right now I'm going to post for anyone with problems on their '92 '93s with the subframe.

As much as I'd like to not have to worry about this problem in the '92 and '93s I just don't got the cash to step up. There's always a 94 318 I've got connections to, but unfortunately I think I'd be disapointed without forced induction.

Once again, the almight dollar rules.

Thanks for your help everyone
Kevin