yet another noobie

[schulman]

Hey guys,

sorry for the redundency of these noobie questions, but here's one more. I'm going to be in the market for an E36 in about a year. I really don't want to spend more than $10,000 on it, but at the same time, I need it to be awesome to justify leaving my perfectly reliable, clean car at the moment. I know that I'm not interested in the compact or anything with the 318i motor in it. I'm pretty sure that I want a 2 door, my only problem now is deciding between a '95 325is, or '96,'97 328is. I was wondering besides changing the name to designate the correct displacement and small upgrades in power and torque, what really got changed, and would that be enough to "upgrade" to the 328is. I've loved BMW's forever, but i'm kind of worried about finding a lemon, because I'm only 17 and paying for the car itself (plus insurance and gas) is going to take up a lot of my funds. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[schulman]

i meant the opposite on the displacement change, oops. At least from what i thought, didn't the 328is really have 2.5l displacement.... or was that only a problem in the E46?

[BenRaty]

Well, I can't say much about a `97 328is, but I have a `97 328i and its displacement is 2.8 litres, not 2.5. It drives beautifully, and has plenty of power for my needs. Of course, it's a four-door, which is two more than you're looking for. I've always been curious as to the difference between a 328i and 328is. I'll have to keep my nose in the literature for a while longer, I expect.

[schulman]

So is the reliability strong on the 328is? I've heard that the strut mounts tend to go bad, my friend has an '95 M3 and his did too. I heard that something in the engine, I think I heard it was the water pump (could be wrong) is made of plastic and tends to go bad early. Besides these things, what is a standard thing to go wrong?

[BeemerMan]

haha this post is full of noobs! young jedi's

[EuroBeem]

I to have a 97 328i and it runs beautifully...Good amount of power and is reliable. The only small upgrades im going to do is put 18in M5 rims, suspension, and clear corners all around. And maybe some angel eyes later on.

[schulman]

Sounds sweet! That sounds in line with what I plan on doing, with the clear lights and the euro taillights. I think I've decided on a '96,'97 328is whichever one I find with the lowest miles, sport package and a 5 speed is the one i'll be taking home!

[El Presidente]

The "common" problem you are thinking of are the RSMs failing, which generally occurs when the car has been driven hard for years. Normal wear and tear on any car.

The waterpump design was changed and the 328 is not affected.

[schulman]

thanks for the info, I'm hoping to find one with complete history of the maintenance, like my family has kept up for my current car. When I go to put my car on the market in a couple months, I hope that helps in the selling process.