LemonHunter 583 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 (edited) Anyone familiar with this car? http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1363829208.htm Seems to be a ZA motorsport, with really nice spec, and I love this colour so much on E36's https://www.etkbmw.com/bmw/EN/vin/decoder/NA29773/EN S961 'Special Motor' Is intriguing, some quick googling suggests it simply means it uses Alusil instead of the problem child Nikasil, but also on the vin sheet above, it has 204hp, where garden variety 328 E36's when looked up have only got 193hp I'm concerned that a combination of unmatching wheels in one photo, recent clutch swap, absence of WOF, and a beer sitting on the roof... this may not be a cared for example. Also had 13 owners (excluding the 3 dealerships)., it looks like someone loved the heck out of this thing, owned it for 9 years from '05-'14, put 100K on the clock, then it changed hands 6 times with an average ownership length of under 5 months (4Mo, 1Day, 1yr, 7Day, 1Mo, 1yr). It's a pretty cool specimen IMO, but very possible it's had a rough time over the last 3 years/26K Toooooo many alarm bells at that price, any thoughts? Edited July 6, 2017 by EURO V8 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SmithyInWelly 212 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 There also seems to be a paint mismatch in Photo 2 on Tard Me... certainly lots of q's, km's, and owners... could be a great buy for someone with the time/tools/competence/cash to put into it. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LemonHunter 583 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 Even absolutely mint, it's probably only worth 7 or 8K, tops, and the ownership history will mess with resale big time... this is a purchase for love alone with someone that has 10k to burn I suspect. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E36_Turbo 84 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 This came up a year or two ago, interesting example. Not many S/A 328i's in NZ. Santorini Blue is very nice indeed! Good project! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 no wof because no cert. has odd pairs of wheels. the ownership history and overall impression has put me off the car as i can only imagine it has been thrashed around doing mean skidz. This will be instantly a $7k car to get suspension certed and wof'd with basic maintenance to be done and then you need to sort out the wheels and whatever else which brings it very close to 10k. Nice colour for sure and well spec'd late 1998 model but with 230kms and probably not much service history its only for someone who wants to restore it back to mint without a worry about costs otherwise its just going to end up in the hands of another boy racer looking for a cheap quick manual rwd car, rince and repeat until its crashed and written off for parts. RIP santorini blue e36 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E36_Turbo 84 Report post Posted July 8, 2017 Went to check this 328i out today. It needs a lot of work. Has some Rust in both Rear Wheel arches, also under the Petrol Filler Panel. Paint work could do with a whole respray. Lowered on XYZ adjustables, No Cert. WOF ran out, Power Steering Leak. Exhaust Leak i suspect upon starting the engine, pretty noisy, a long with Intake leaks which have just been taped up with what seems like insulation tape. Interior is ok, Door card on Passenger Front Right needs reattaching. Drivers seat has a tear down the seam on the seat. Lock Diff currently on the car. I asked the owner a few questions, it has seen the Skid Pad, but was told it hasn't been tracked. Rear Bumper is dangling off, needs to be properly secured. Overall, it's a good project for a track hack. But you will easily spend through the roof to make it worthwhile. I was interested in this mainly because it has a Cast Iron 328i motor. Many things to consider here. I don't need another E36 but if it comes out at the right price i may just take it for a winter project? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LemonHunter 583 Report post Posted July 8, 2017 That's in significantly worse condition than I suspected, such a shame. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E36_Turbo 84 Report post Posted July 8, 2017 9 minutes ago, EURO V8 said: That's in significantly worse condition than I suspected, such a shame. Nothing that money can't fix. But it comes down to whether it's worth it or not. The panels were still reasonably straight. It's hard to gauge how much money one would need to budget for this to be worth bringing back. It's good project for someone that isn't looking for a Garage queen. But like the other member pointed out, after seeing it up close, for an enthusiasts touch, the car would easily climb over $8k including purchase cost of vehicle just doing maintenance and preventative maintenance. Then addressing the more serious issues with rust etc. It's still a good buy at the right price, for the right type of buyer, but i think realistically $4-4.5k is fair. $5k? Not worth that. i've seen some nice examples go for $5-8k over the past few years... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1162 Report post Posted July 8, 2017 Lock diff is an instant red flag. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 Yeah, I wouldn't really go near locked diff cars, tends to mean one thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rubix 434 Report post Posted July 10, 2017 This also had a big square hole cut in the spare wheel well, through the rear crossmember. The current owner purchased this knowing that. Need to ensure that was repaired correctly. I suspect it has been, but if potential buyer is from here, might want to take a look at that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LemonHunter 583 Report post Posted July 10, 2017 I don't know what's worse, the failure to mention a locked diff in the listing, or the hole through the shell and cross member. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
