I think I'm falling in love with my parts car.

"Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez" (apidaonline)
03/09/2014 at 21:47 • Filed to: None

I got this '96 BMW 328i Automatic for parts for my E36 M3 restoration. I bought it for $700 on Craigslist, got it non-running, and the owner said it needed a new engine. I put a new battery in and turned the key just for fun, and it started and ran without a problem.

I didn't run it too long because it looked like it was about 2 quarts low on oil and the coolant reservoir was cracked and spilled coolant all over the engine bay at one point. The valve cover was leaking as well, but it seemed like everything else was running great. No smoke from the exhaust, no weird smells. The only fault code that came up was for an O2 sensor. I'm really thinking about fixing it up and flipping it. I think it would clean up VERY well and make an amazing daily driver for someone if I take care of all of the neglect this car dealt with in its life. Heated leather seats (not the cheap vinyl), dual-zone climate control, and the AC works well. It's a really solid car and I think I like it just as much as I do my M3.

What do you guys think?

DISCUSSION (29)

StoneCold > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 21:54

Do it! I daily drove a '95 740 and I miss it so! Something about that era where it's modern enough to be relevant, but old enough to be classy, yet predominent enough to get info and parts for easily. Plus, it strikes that balance of luxury and sportiness (handling/chassis-wise, not necessarily power) quite well, I think.
:D

area man > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 21:56

Flip it. What's the mileage? Those things can run forever and they're getting more in demand.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 21:57

Lemons car

M54B30 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 21:57

That dash wood is horrendous but the rest looks good. My dream is to find a car on CL that is a super cheap and a simple fix to get running. I love E36s

Kat Callahan > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 21:57

Clean it up, and hell, I'd drive it.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:00

Mine's a manual, I love it.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:01

If it wasn't on the east coast and if I didn't spend so much money on my CB919F, I'd actually buy it.

 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:11

Eeew E36.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez >
03/09/2014 at 22:13

Yuck! Where?!

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > area man
03/09/2014 at 22:14

205k. Hasn't even been broken in yet.

..sort of.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
03/09/2014 at 22:15

I can ship it to you! :)

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
03/09/2014 at 22:15

It's too expensive.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
03/09/2014 at 22:16

My E36 M3 is manual, but the auto isn't half bad for a daily.

 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:16

I think you should slam it. I hear that's what all the cool kids are doing nowadays.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez >
03/09/2014 at 22:16

You mean into a wall?

Bad Idea Hat > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:21

By only $200, and if you sell some parts off of it you can get it back down to $500.

syaieya > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:38

I hold a philosophy to not ruin anything nice.

So if you can get this car back to form, on the road, and as a bonus make some money to set your M3 straight; I think it'd be much better than killing off something that could have been saved.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > syaieya
03/09/2014 at 22:47

I think you're right. I'll put her back on the road. I also hold a philosophy not to ruin anything nice, but I did do this:

Kinja'd!!!

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:48

Sell bench seat trunk lid and other useless items because race car

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Bad Idea Hat
03/09/2014 at 22:49

You're right, but I think this car is a little too nice for that. If none of the electrics worked and it was crashed, then sure. But this car has been in zero accidents and even the AC works. No tears in the leather either. Just needs some cleaning up and minor maintenance.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > M54B30
03/09/2014 at 22:50

I was wondering if that dash wood was stock. It looks so out of place.

PardonMyFlemish16 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 22:55

I want to get an E36 328i 5MT to supplement my Z. A guy in my complex has pretty much the one I want but I think he might be shady, and I work from home and already have the Z and a bike. Wifey no go

Zibodiz > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/09/2014 at 23:52

Dude, that is a sweet wrap; is that hand painted, or a sticker? Either way, at this size, I like it.

RPM esq. > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/10/2014 at 01:06

It probably is... I've seen worse.
That plastic/"wood" panel in the e36 does not age well.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Zibodiz
03/10/2014 at 01:33

It's all hand-painted. The sides and front were done by one artist, freehand, and the roof and hood were done using hand-cut stencils mixed with freehand. The artist that did the hood put a picture of me on it. I didn't ask him to do it, just so you don't think I'm some crazy narcissist.

Kinja'd!!!

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > RPM esq.
03/10/2014 at 01:45

Maybe I should wrap it in some leftover brushed aluminum vinyl.

RPM esq. > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/10/2014 at 03:01

Might look good on that silver car! I spent a fair amount of time staring at that trim on my dad's much-loved E36 (328 coupe) as it aged thinking their must be something better we could put there, and maybe change the shift knob to match. His was garage-kept, parked under cover at work, sold at just over half your example's mileage a few months ago, and he didn't live anywhere sunny...and that piece looked just as faded and out of place on his as on yours.

RPM esq. > StoneCold
03/10/2014 at 03:08

I had a '95 e34 525i with a manual for a long time, and I felt exactly the same way about it. I deeply regret trading it in for next to nothing a few years ago. I considered a '98 A8 recently for the same reasons but was scared off by the high risk of transmission demons that would cost more than the car itself...ever the downside with classy 90s Germans.

mancub920 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
03/10/2014 at 13:19

Would DD, without mercy.