E36 325Ti (318Ti + M50 manual)

[ntaylor90 10]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen.

I'm just posting out of interest, my 318Ti with M50 engine and Manual conversion. My passion has gone from my little bastard-child project car that I spent many hours obsessing over, ultimately ending in what I have today. My plans were originally to take the M50 + turbo route, but plans have changed, and I'll be looking at purchasing another car by the end of the year.

I completed the conversion November last year, used the car basically every day to head around town, into the city, and took it for a couple of drives to Masterton and Palmerston North from Welly. The engine never skipped a beat, and the manual box and clutch seem sound, it doesn't seem to burn oil and doesn't use water . I purchased the engine and gearbox out of a wrecked 325iS from Auckland. The engine was a bit rough and worse for wear (head gasket was fine, had just not been looked after), so I decided to take it all apart, give it some new gaskets, clean everything up, and put her back together. Now, it was my first time dismantling an engine, so it's definitely not perfect, but I think I did a pretty good job considering

The GOOD:
-Warrant and Reg until the end of the year (Nov reg, Dec WOF) (although hasn't got a cert. If you want to get one, everything was OEM so shouldn't be too hard with some driveshaft hoops)
-Brand new front brake pads
-Bosch Ellipsoid headlights (so much better than the horrible ones previous) - also have changed to clear indicators.
- replaced the horrible steering wheel with an Mtec wheel + airbag
- 17 inch wheels, a wee bit of curbing, brand new tyres all round.
- full black leather interior (a wee bit of cracking, as to be expected, but looks nice after a clean.)
- relatively clean carpets, etc
- heated seats (driver side doesn't work amazingly, but sit in the passenger seat and you feel like you've peed your pants!)
- it has an armrest centre console
- oh yeah, it has an M50 engine, and a manual box
-3.45 e30 Diff w/318Ti output flanges. Drips a wee bit, but has new oil in it and seems to be fine (purchased off a Bimmersport member) (it was almost un-drivable with the 4.44 auto diff )

The not so GOOD:
-no aircon (removed entirely)
-It isn't the tidiest from the exterior, a few bumps and scratches on the passenger side (pre my ownership) and a bit of a scratched rear bumper (due to some idiot in a Silvia not knowing how to stop at a pedestrian crossing, and me being too nice), and a hole in the front bumper from my partner's sister inserting her tow bar into it (not too massive), but can chuck in an average condition Motorsport bumper (in white) if you were interested in repainting.
-A wee bit of clear coat is coming off the front, and some paint chips indicate red paint underneath?
-No Cert for the engine/gearbox conversion, but managed to get a WOF no problems, failed on Tyres (all new), headlights (couldn't adjust beams so changed to ellipsoids), wiper blades.
-Speedo reads over, due to leaving the 4cyl gauge.
-The battery is in the boot (yay), but is only fastened with rope at this stage to a pillar (does the trick)
-Driver side door card of course has a bit of issue, stays on fine, but the top trim is peeling of the retainers so it wobbles a bit, all the rest are wonderful
-Power steering tends to have a bit of a whine when it gets warm, have a spare PS pump at home so can chuck that in too.
-When I relocated the battery to the rear, the hole in the firewall where the battery cable comes through isn't fully sealed. I was going to expanding-foam the hole up but never got around to it.
-Passenger electric window goes up and down, but only in segments at a time so you have to stab the button a wee bit
-Check-oil tube isn't fastened to the engine (don't know why it didn't come with the stem that attaches it), so you have to hold it when you pull the dipstick out
-Reverse lights are disconnected (believe all it needs is a new reverse switch on the trans)
-Sunroof works, but carpet is peeling off
-A wee bit of a squeak coming from somewhere, and usually in reverse. Maybe a wheel bearing or something but haven't checked out in detail.

I'm not asking for much, the car cost me $3200 when I purchased it 2 years ago, the wrecked 325is cost me $2000, and I spent a good $1000+ on all new gaskets, etc, and countless hours, blood and sweat haha. So realistically, I'm not expecting to 'make' any money on the car, but let me know what's realistic

Feel free to come and view. I work from home so am around most of the time. I am in Lower Hutt (Wellington)

Here are a few pictures, including the dents and scratches













Have a great week Bimmersporters!

I will upload a few new pictures if/when the rain/hail calms down a bit.

Nick

Edited July 22, 2014 by BimmerNick

[ntaylor90 10]

[pldubs 308]

4k and youll be sitting pretty?

Cant really expect much more I dont think? If I wasnt all up in the VAG I would be more than keen on it dude!


GLWS

[Ahmedsinc 414]

Given the state of the body, no WoF, cert or rego, and the bugs that need ironing out I'd be thinking 3k, +/- a couple hundred dollars.

Not knocking your efforts, think you did pretty bloody well given it was your first crack at such a job. But new tyres, power steering issues, multiple panel woes, cluster swap and all the other details that need attention plus the cost of having it certified does knock quite a bit off the value, at least from my perspective. I'm picking it'll need driveshaft hoops as well.

Real shame you've lost the urge to finish this off mate, M54B30 internals and a turbo would've made it into a real sleeper!

Depending on what you're offered for it, you might make better money by parting it out.

[ntaylor90 10]

Updated info due WOF/Reg acquired successfully

[E30-323ti 66]

Updated info due WOF/Reg acquired successfully

So it now has a LVVTA Cert?

[ntaylor90 10]

No Cert E30-323ti.

[pldubs 308]

Gota love those $100 wofs eh.

[ntaylor90 10]

Ended up being about a $1000 WOF haha. Needed new tyres, headlights, front pads. WOF itself was only $50 though

[ntaylor90 10]

Looking around the $4750 - $5000 mark Let me know if that's unrealistic

[E30-323ti 66]

[old nana speal]

Given that it is still technically not road legal, and thus cannot be insured, the price is too high.

Just because you got a WoF, doesn't mean it is legit, more-so that the inspector wasn't doing their job.

Best just get it a Cert and with the few exterior blemishes tidied up, I'd say you could be commanding a higher price even.

[/old nana speal]

[ntaylor90 10]

I understand that man There are plenty of E30 guys running B25's/B28's with no cert too, it's not just me I'm just not really too interested in it anymore, so if someone else is interested in it, given the fact that it doesn't have a cert, i'm assuming one would be willing to take it through that process if need be

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

I understand that man There are plenty of E30 guys running B25's/B28's with no cert too, it's not just me I'm just not really too interested in it anymore, so if someone else is interested in it, given the fact that it doesn't have a cert, i'm assuming one would be willing to take it through that process if need be

You will always find it hard selling a modified car, particularly with no cert, as the new buyer is not the builder, and therefore doesnt know the standard to what it has been built etc.

Best advise would be to part it out, or get it legal.

incidentally, i would be interested in the manual and engine package. but this is not why i would suggest parting it

[ntaylor90 10]

I will take into account the price due to it not having a cert I can't imagine getting more than I would like from parting, and my tools were recently stolen so have little ability to remove parts. (Part of the reason my motivation has gone).

[ntaylor90 10]

@ _Ethrty-Andy_ and E30-323ti

Just for interest, what would you guys regard as an acceptable sort of price? The car itself was purchased for $3200, the engine and box for $2000 + all of the costs of other parts to get engine up to scratch, so taking into account that I won't make any money off it, what do you reckon?

[ntaylor90 10]

Would be looking around the $4000-$4500 mark

[E30-323ti 66]

@ _Ethrty-Andy_ and E30-323ti

Just for interest, what would you guys regard as an acceptable sort of price? The car itself was purchased for $3200, the engine and box for $2000 + all of the costs of other parts to get engine up to scratch, so taking into account that I won't make any money off it, what do you reckon?

General rule is you will never make money out of 'projects' let alone incomplete ones, of which I take it you are at terms with.

From my POV, it's not worth any more than a stock (legal) 318ti, as someone (who knows what they are buying will also be buying the risk(s) associated with getting it legal, and thus will be looking for a 'bargin'. Harsh I know.

The flip-side it there is always someone out there that doesn't know sh!t and may be willing to pay the value you are looking and not care about the legal side of things.

It sucks you're in this position of getting rid of it, as it would be much better for you to get it cert'd and enjoy it for a while, thats why we do these projects isn't it....

[ntaylor90 10]

Yeah, I do agree with you there buddy, although I don't think I'm asking much over usual 318Ti price I have a few other project ideas that I am thinking of pursuing aside from this, although not for a while. I need to re-accumulate my tools that were stolen!

[ntaylor90 10]

Bump

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

I would be aiming for $3k assuming both engine and car are average for Kms.

I'm building a M5x E36ti at the moment, if yours was calypso red like my shell, I would just scrap this one and buy yours

[ntaylor90 10]

3k? Ouch haha. I wouldn't be too happy going much under $4000, but I suppose something around $3750-$3800 would be as low as I'd be willing to go considering. I can chuck in a spare PS Pump for that.

[kingkarl 136]

$3k max imo

you asked.

[ntaylor90 10]

Righto. Due to your guys feedback (and a bit of pride swallowing ) I have decided to price it at $3000 to be realistic. I am heading away overseas soon, until mid November, so would like to have it sorted out by then.

[ntaylor90 10]

$3000 ONO

[ntaylor90 10]

Bump. Am home for 2 weeks before heading abroad again