Potential new owner of a 318ti E36 (First car)

[Young asian boii 0]

I've sort of made up my mind on saving hard till the end of the year for a JDM, but a part of me is still wanting to get a cheap 318ti (around $2-$4k) as my first car. I have a few questions about this:

1. How hard would it be for a first year university student to maintain a 318ti?

2. How expensive is petrol? I usually just go to and from uni during the weekdays, and hardly anywhere in the weekends. Sometimes I go out with friends, or go places to take care of things.

3. In your opinion, would it be smarter to just keep saving for a nicer car, or to buy a cheaper one as a first car?

Note: There is a BMW enthusiast, who owns a nice 318ti manual with an aftermarket exhaust, a spoiler and a rear bumper kit that lives 2 blocks away. Occasionally, his fellow BMW enthusiast friends are working on their cars at his place.

Any advice would be great! I'm in no rush to get a car, since I still need to practice parallel parking and take my restricted. 

[M3AN 4016]

Okay, here's the post from your other thread as well so we can answer it all here... perhaps edit/delete the other thread?

6 hours ago, Young asian boii said:

So, after a long time of thinking, I've come to the decision of saving up for a JDM till the end of this year, but a part of me still wants to get a BMW.

I've been scouring Trade Me and the Facebook Marketplace for cars, and I came across a 1998 318ti E36 that's selling for $1200 in the same city as me, and has been driving it from Hamilton to Tauranga for a bit. 

It has 206xxx km's and according to the seller, the only problems are that it has a "rough idle" and that the power steering will need to be sorted out in the near future. I also asked the guy and this E36 has an M42.

He's selling it because he doesn't want an extra car lying around, as much as he was planning to keep it.

Do you think it would be worthwhile buying a good cheap E36 with a small engine as a first car? Also, how much would it cost to fix the power steering of 

Another plus is the fact that a bunch of BMW enthusiasts live 2 blocks away, and we have family friends that can work with cars, one owns an auto shop. Any advice on this?

 

Edited July 21, 2018 by M3AN

[M3AN 4016]

So, welcome Richard, let's see if I can provide some info...

A 318ti is quite a simple car to maintain, especially if you have friends/contacts close by. The Ti is a bit different from the other E36's (Coupe, Wagon, Sedan) so not all parts can be interchanged but many can. They're pretty simple cars so very little specialist BMW knowledge would be required. If you're happy to approach the guys around the block then it might pay to have a chat with them before you purchase to get any specific tips etc.

The "rough idle" is probably a vacuum leak which is a common occurance on these cars, your family friend that owns an auto shop should be able to do a smoke test on the car to identify any leaks. Could be as simple as replacing an inexpensive hose.

Not sure about the power steering, depends what wrong with it. If it need a new rack that'll be most expensive (but I have one available for $150 if you need one). Get your auto shop guy to do a pre-purchase inspection and advise you on that also.

They don't use a lot of fuel but it's still a 20 year old car and might be a little inefficient. The rough idle won't help but a $100 tank of fuel will last you ~500km's I'd think.

Definitely start with a cheap car first! The insurance will be cheaper, you won't care if somebody (or you) dings it, curbed wheels aren't such an issue etc, etc. Learn to drive well before getting a good car.

A 206xxx km, 1998 E36 318Ti would be an ideal first car I'd say... especially if you can get it for $1200 and your mechanic family friend checks it out first and says it's okay.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Edited July 21, 2018 by M3AN

[qube 3570]

I may have to sell my 318ti to make space in the driveway for something else. let me know if you are interested.

A bit more work done since the last post/photos.

seat is fixed up, windows tinted, etc.

 

[Gabe79 410]

20 minutes ago, qube said:

I may have to sell my 318ti to make space in the driveway for something else. let me know if you are interested.

A bit more work done since the last post/photos.

seat is fixed up, windows tinted, etc.

 

You're buying the M3?

[Young asian boii 0]

Just an update. I talked to the seller and he said that the problem with the power steering is the pump. Said it'd cost around $100 to fix in Hamilton (since that's where I live and that's where the seller is located). 

[M3AN 4016]

4 minutes ago, Young asian boii said:

Just an update. I talked to the seller and he said that the problem with the power steering is the pump. Said it'd cost around $100 to fix in Hamilton (since that's where I live and that's where the seller is located). 

If the pump needs to be replaced it wouldn't be only $100... Maybe $50 for a second hand pump (where from though?), more for a new one, at least an hour labour, or more, $80+, replacement fluid, $30... 

Tell him you'll add $100 to the price if he gets the PS fixed...

 

Edited July 21, 2018 by M3AN

[Young asian boii 0]

Good idea. Some more slightly relevant questions:

1. Where is the best place to get your car insured?

2. Where is the most popular with students like me?

[M3AN 4016]

You'll need to do your own research on insurance... perhaps ask other students or at the student union?

 

[Eagle 1662]

Mosen euro parts in Hamilton would probably have a pump in the ($50-100 at a guess). 

[Palazzo 477]

$48 at Pickapart.