"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
10/30/2016 at 18:46 • Filed to: Bimmer
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"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
10/30/2016 at 18:46 • Filed to: Bimmer | 0
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My curiosity about these is still there. I would love to at least drive one, and it seems to satisfy a lot of my needs on paper — which may or may not amount to nothing. And I happen to really like the way they look. Maybe not too popular in the US since you couldn’t get a 6-cylinder here, but I’m the last person to bemoan owning a little 4-banger.
Owner forums don’t depict them as reliable or even well-built (I have sat in a poorly kept E36 before. The plastic is indeed “fantastic”). But I already have three absurdly reliable vehicles and I don’t intend to own my next car for maybe even a year. And until I score that one-owner Tercel wagon with no rust that does not exist, I will continue to window shop for things like the 318ti.
Monkey B
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/30/2016 at 19:12 |
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They look nice with the M-Sport package and were fun enough to drive with that suspension and a manual. I recall too many of them being Boston green and burgundy. I liked them in silver and Hellrot.
deprecated account
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/30/2016 at 20:09 |
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There’s one on craigslist here for $4500. It’s got the M-Sport package too.
jasmits
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/30/2016 at 20:23 |
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How much are you looking to spend? I have a pretty clean one. I’m not really looking to sell it but maybe at the right price. I’ve picked up you live in Washington state, it’s currently located at my parents house in Portland and in their name(although I am not until December).
Flyboy is FAA certified insane
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/30/2016 at 21:21 |
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I highly recommend a 318ti. If you want a 4-cyl, try just a 318is. Same feel, better rear suspension. The Ti is half based on the e30 suspension, too.
A guy in our car club has a 328 swapped ti and its madness in the best form
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> jasmits
10/30/2016 at 22:45 |
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OoooOooooOoOOoH tell me more about it!
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jasmits
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/30/2016 at 23:11 |
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It’s a 1998, roughly 160k. Always well maintained. Newer radiator which is good as the biggest reliability concern with those motors is a somewhat failure-prone cooling system. It has a Dinan intake and chip and a nice-sounding Remus catback. Door panels are currently hanging on by a thread, as E36 door panels do, but I have new brackets for them that I was planning to glue together when I’m home in the winter. Suspension could use a refresh but it’s not bad. Either way, it’s a really fun little car and I would recommend.
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> jasmits
10/31/2016 at 00:00 |
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Sounds pretty awesome. And yes, when I sat in a 318ti last month, both the door panels were basically fallen off — along with many other parts of that particular car. It was rough. But hmm I have no intentions of insulting you. I see that good examples, if any, ask for $3-to-4k, though you don’t see a lot of manuals.
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jasmits
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/31/2016 at 08:36 |
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Yeah, not too many manuals. I think a lot of people who bought them just wanted the badge and it was the cheapest point of entry. Also why so many are in poor shape.
I would have to think about if I really would want to sell, I do really like the car but I have automotive ADHD as bad as anyone here and selling it would open new possibilities haha.
Also I just looked at Portland Craigslist to get a feel for where prices are sitting and this is really cool:
http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/5849612381.html
I’ve always been intrigued by the Clubsports
Don Slade
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/31/2016 at 11:51 |
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I have a ‘97 with 208K miles on the original clutch. I’ve had it since 2004 when I bought it with 83k miles. Burns a little oil, 2nd gear synchro is on its last legs, trying to sort out a coolant leak, rear hatch gas struts need replacing, most of the clear coat on the horizontal surfaces is gone and I just fixed all the clips to the door panels with epoxy so those are on tight, sunroof not working, AC still blows cold. About 100K miles on Bilstein HD struts/shocks and they’re still working pretty well. It does need a PS pump though.
It starts every single time, passes smog check (in Texas) every year. It was my DD for 12 years and now is getting abused by my stepson. Lots of fun to drive even in stock form. Parts are somewhat inexpensive and easy to find (except body panels), fairly easy to work on. Some of the suspension parts kits for improved handling are getting harder to find though.
If I could find an unmolested low mileage (less than 100k miles) ‘98 with a manual and a good service history I’d buy it all over again. It is a unique little car, very simple for a BMW.
RPM esq.
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/31/2016 at 18:17 |
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There have been two E36s in my family, one a 318ti and one a 328i, both of which were well-maintained, fun to drive, and generally reliable. The only problem the 318 ever had was with a bit of leakage from its “California roof” (the sliding-ragtop giant sunroof). The 328 eventually developed exhaust issues that prevented it from passing smog testing, but still ran great. I suspect that if you can find one that’s been maintained you won’t have many reliability complaints.
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RPM esq.
> jasmits
10/31/2016 at 18:17 |
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Ooh, that’s a nice one.
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Don Slade
10/31/2016 at 21:01 |
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Nice! Pretty impressive for 208k miles nonetheless.