Manual 328i Coupe

[paulo 66]

Will be interested see the reserve on this - must be getting close at $14,600.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3231220903?bof=LIPgjs61

Not a factory manual, but looks to be well sorted.

 

Coincidently I see that this car appears on some "Those Car Dudes" YouTube videos:

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by paulo

[Sammo 2544]

Oh I really like this!

Some clean E36 been fetching good money lately.

[Southerner 146]

That car is very nice, looks slick on the BBS LMs. I'd find it hard to justify a good e30 over a car like this. Tasteful, looks the parts, go good and newer with classic styling

[Gaz 1060]

Reserve now met at 15k. Interesting reading the questions

[Cammsport 390]

I'm real curious as to who's spending this on these cars. Is it young guys ticking it up like what was the norm when I was 18? Or people taking advantage of all this sudden free equity? Or long time lovers of E36s and E30s who are scared they're going to miss out so they're pulling the trigger now? 

[Driftit 2078]

5 minutes ago, Cammsport said:

I'm real curious as to who's spending this on these cars. Is it young guys ticking it up like what was the norm when I was 18? Or people taking advantage of all this sudden free equity? Or long time lovers of E36s and E30s who are scared they're going to miss out so they're pulling the trigger now? 

I would say it is all of those.  Low finance interest rates.  Cashed up boomers.  Nobody is travelling so spending at home.
And lots of hype from Youtubers and media sites.

Plenty of nostalgia goggles being warn by all.

[Cammsport 390]

With a bit of RWD manual 90s tax thrown in for good measure. Probably an OK price then in that regard. 

[Sammo 2544]

18 minutes ago, Cammsport said:

I'm real curious as to who's spending this on these cars. Is it young guys ticking it up like what was the norm when I was 18? Or people taking advantage of all this sudden free equity? Or long time lovers of E36s and E30s who are scared they're going to miss out so they're pulling the trigger now? 

Same thing as what is happening / happened with JDM cars - people wanting something a little different / old school and it seems older cars are no longer looked down on as 'cheaper' so making it cooler to not have a newer version.

Largely fueled by Youtube hype / Nostalgia as Driftit says.

Plus these people having a bit of coin now / feeling confident because their equity has shot up and the bank is bending over to hand out 'cheap' debt.

Personally, sign me up on joining the Hype train and paying 'through the nose for an old, slow, unsafe car in need of work - there's nothing  modern that really interests me for under $30k.

[E28E30 335]

9 minutes ago, Sammo said:

Same thing as what is happening / happened with JDM cars - people wanting something a little different / old school and it seems older cars are no longer looked down on as 'cheaper' so making it cooler to not have a newer version.

Personally, sign me up on joining the Hype train and paying 'through the nose for an old, slow, unsafe car in need of work - there's nothing  modern that really interests me for under $30k.

I think you’re right @Sammo : If your daily needs are taken care of already by something okay, expressing yourself and interests in a second, older or fun car makes sense.  I have a mint 16 year old GTI NZ new that has now done 107kms; to get into a new GTI is $60k and it will be a much better car but unsure I’d get $50k more enjoyment out of it (would really like adaptive cruise control 🤔).  So with electric cars on the horizon am hanging onto the Golf for now as it is a great drive and practical.

So instead of a newer car I bought an E30 for the other side of the garage.  Still mulling that over tbh but it sounds feels and smells amazing and I have had four of them in the past but never a 325i.  So a mix of all of your factors really come to play.

[Rubix 434]

My old car, did a ZF conversion with parts from Nick Weitz.
Sold it for 7k back in 2015 on the gunmetal BBS RG's with no other mods.

Prices are mental!

Edited August 24, 2021 by Rubix

[Sammo 2544]

8 minutes ago, Rubix said:

My old car, did a ZF conversion with parts from Nick Weitz.
Sold it for 7k back in 2015 on the gunmetal BBS RG's with no other mods.

Prices are mental!

About the same price inflation as an Auckland house since 2015 🤔

[Eagle 1662]

1 hour ago, Driftit said:

I would say it is all of those.  Low finance interest rates.  Cashed up boomers.  Nobody is travelling so spending at home.
And lots of hype from Youtubers and media sites.

Plenty of nostalgia goggles being warn by all.

Im not replacing mine and it's saved me heaps of money.

[Blackie 510]

5 hours ago, Cammsport said:

I'm real curious as to who's spending this on these cars. Is it young guys ticking it up like what was the norm when I was 18? Or people taking advantage of all this sudden free equity? Or long time lovers of E36s and E30s who are scared they're going to miss out so they're pulling the trigger now? 

I'm in my mid 40s. Sold my 130i to get back into an E36

[Driftit 2078]

Ha yeah I brought a sh*t E34 525td to commute to work in.  It's comfy as.
Though I have been watching M539 Restorations and I am getting the itch for something a little quicker.

Buy the old stuff for sure.  But get in there before the prices get silly like with E30's.  E.g. E34's.  They are better.

[E28E30 335]

1 minute ago, Driftit said:

Ha yeah I brought a sh*t E34 525td to commute to work in.  It's comfy as.
Though I have been watching M539 Restorations and I am getting the itch for something a little quicker.

Buy the old stuff for sure.  But get in there before the prices get silly like with E30's.  E.g. E34's.  They are better.

Sreten makes it all look so easy right? And he is usually fairly calm.  When he was doing rod bearings on an M5 it made me very anxious but he nailed it!  Seems a great guy

[Driftit 2078]

1 minute ago, E28E30 said:

Sreten makes it all look so easy right? And he is usually fairly calm.  When he was doing rod bearings on an M5 it made me very anxious but he nailed it!  Seems a great guy

Yeah it made me not so afraid of the job.  I have built a few engines over the years and for some reason I thought the E60 M50 was a scary job.  But seeing it done just confirmed it is no harder than any other bearing job.

But if there is crank damage....

[E28E30 335]

Just now, Driftit said:

Yeah it made me not so afraid of the job.  I have built a few engines over the years and for some reason I thought the E60 M50 was a scary job.  But seeing it done just confirmed it is no harder than any other bearing job.

But if there is crank damage....

Hat off to you man 🙌 , I am at the “can change a spark plug, tyre and take dash to bits to replace blown bulbs” end of the DIY scale

[Blackie 510]

1 hour ago, E28E30 said:

Sreten makes it all look so easy right? And he is usually fairly calm.  When he was doing rod bearings on an M5 it made me very anxious but he nailed it!  Seems a great guy

I've not watched it, but like anything mechanical it's not that difficult. I've built around half a dozen engines over the years - mostly rotaries but I digress. What you really want to get right though is the clearancing. If everything is within the correct tolerance then you will have an engine that lasts.

[M3AN 4016]

5 hours ago, Blackie said:

I'm in my mid 40s. Sold my 130i to get back into an E36

Wow, my 130i is better in every imaginable way (okay, except perhaps visibility but I got used to that) than my 328i was, by leagues.

But maybe I just didn't care as much about the 328 because I have an e36 M3? 🤷

Edited August 25, 2021 by M3AN

[Blackie 510]

30 minutes ago, M3AN said:

Wow, my 130i is better in every imaginable way (okay, except perhaps visibility but I got used to that) than my 328i was, by leagues.

But maybe I just didn't care as much about the 328 because I have an e36 M3? 🤷

I just didn't find the 130i that impressive. It was an okay car but not memorable.

[M3AN 4016]

I certainly only consider my 328 memorable for all the wrong reasons. 😂 Doesn't mean I didn't love it for what it was.

My 130 on the other hand is a hoot.

 

[Sammo 2544]

Went for $18,100.

These auctions seem to be going very well for nice cars, think I'll auction my E46 when the time comes.

[gjm 3258]

There's a 1992 320i coupe local to me for sale. Really doesn't look like much.

Rego cancelled, no WoF. Hideous clear rear light lenses, paint peel.

But it is a manual, and apparently it drives nicely.

But... $3500 ???

[Gaz 1060]

Manual conversion is worth almost 3k now days

[dirtydoogle 383]

51 minutes ago, Gaz said:

Manual conversion is worth almost 3k now days

Yeah, but, there is almost nothing else worth taking off an e36 and selling, especially a really rough 320 

Good, tidy cars are going up, but piles of crap are still piles of crap