Piston Slap: E36, The Immaculata!
Robert writes:
Sajeev –
My wife drives a 1998 328i that we bought new for her- it currently has 64,300 miles on it. She drives it more or less daily (just not very far) so we couldn ’t just get rid of it; it would have to be replaced. I call this car ”The Immaculata” as it lives in covered parking and is often mistaken by her un-car-savvy girlfriends as almost new.
Unfortunately that isn’t the case. It got a new hood and fender after ”an incident”, and it’s ticked off the list of usual E36 demands. New shocks, radiator, etc. However it’s gotten everything it wanted including regular oil changes and radiator and brake flushes and a transmission flush as well.
Now it’s advanced down the list to having the HVAC mix door slam open when the heat comes on. My Independent macanic say $1,500 to fix that but it annoys the wife.
Thought about replacing the car, but I’m kind of stuck. She’s used to her heated seats and the easy power of the BMW. The suggestion of a new Mini was sneered at. However obviously this car, even in great condition as it is won’t be worth enough to make the trade for a new 3 – and she won’t eventry driving my 2011 anyhow.
So… should I bite the bullet and fix the noise she’s complaining about, bite the shotgun shell and dump it while it’s as valuable as it will ever get and buy a new car she doesn’t want, or tell her she’s crazy and that I don’t hear the noise?
Sajeev answers:
I sure as hell wouldn’t trade “up” from a well-preserved E36 to a MINI: that’s like telling me to sell my well-preserved Mark VIII for an MKS. Keyword: well-preserved!
That’s the problem: when you have one of the best examples of a make/model, loved by car nuts and “un-car-savvy” girlfriends alike, there’s no trade that is a trade up. Provided you don’t win the lottery, of course. And I think the E36 is the best looking and maybe the best performing (these days used as a pure track car) 3-series ever made. The E30 is frumpy and somewhat overrated (there, I said it), and every 3-er after has been too big, more Mercedes like and less fun to drive.
You could say I have a thing for the E36. Especially when it sounds like you have some misbehaving foam at the heart of the matter. And after doing a similar thing on my Mercury Cougar, I can say that replacing all parts in the HVAC box (heater core, evaporator, blower motor, any known electric malcontents, etc) makes the money very well spent. The best A/C in the Mehta garage might be the fully reconditioned unit in the Cougar. The air comes out delightfully cold and brutally dense, even at the lowest fan speed. Granted my car has 200,000 miles, the system was on its last legs and I did all the work myself, but this might be a small price to pay for you too.
My point: it’s funny how happy one gets when a large automotive expenditure yields added perks not expected to come with. Plus, you keep your prized vehicle on the road, in tip top shape.
But I could be wrong. So go test drive a lot of cars before committing to the expense. Who knows, maybe a Hyundai Genesis coupe pushes the right buttons, at the right price. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry.
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When a car gets older, parts go. It's the fact of life. Your car is a collection of parts from lots of places. The lifespan of each part varies-and it's usually Bosch as the maker for BMW. Having close to 300k on my e46, I'm on a third alternator, second power steering pump, second fuel pump, third battery. Shocks and suspension are better than stock. When parts wear out, upgrade if possible. Brakes, bushings, shocks, all can be 'better'. I refer to it as parts of varying ages flying in formation, not an "old car". This is lovely if you can DIY. If you cannot, then the equation changes-quite a bit. There's a huge aftermarket for the three series, and if you avoid certain non Germany sourced parts, you get OE supplier parts for 1/2 to 1/3 the BMW dealer price. My $95.00 front control arm bushings with an hour and a half in the driveway is a $600 day at the dealer. Likewise the $120 window regulator. Luckily, there are beneficent folks who will post a youtube video of every common repair, plus a few you don't want to "try at home". I just paid my indie (a great shop) to recharge the a/c and replace the heater control valve (another $90 part that goes...) My secret ? Mobil 1 every 5-7k, allowing warm up before pushing things, and driving it hard but not abusively. Compare this to a friend who bought a mini. The check engine light would come on. He brought it back six times to the dealer, and Mini bought it back. He had no idea why the light came on, (car ran perfectly), but didn't care. This is more the normal buyer than "us folks". I, on the other hand, will keep this car till something big pukes....and as it is a manual, and all oils are changed on a schedule, it may be a while. A new 3 series would have a 500 dollar payment. The new ones don't drive better. They are a bit faster and have way better gadgets, but I'm not spending or financing new car money for a better satnav system. Each series is slightly different, but the basic feel from E30 to E 90 is the same-the F30's electric steering isn't an improvement.
The E36 had a terribly cheap interior. Nasty plastics, and Ford Festiva-thin door panels. I guess they might have looked sharp when they came out, but the detailing of 80's BMWs was not the best. The car that replaced it was great - but never this thing. The M-B's of that era were much nicer. Although I concede that from a performance angle they probably weren't competitive with the 3. At the time, I remember thinking how much the E36 looked like a Toyota Tercel (especially the 4-door). I don't know which was influenced by which, but I've heard other people make the comparison. These were never very nice cars, and at that age he should take what he can get.....it's going to be a money-pit.