Looking at a BMW 318i Convertible

[gmercoleza]

I'm going to look in about an hour. What should I look out for? Supposedly it needs 2 control arms due to bad ball joints and bushings - is this an easy job for a DIYer? I did the control arm on my 300E and would rate it a very easy job.

Also, it needs 4 struts. The top and body are supposedly good.

Any E36(?) experts out there?

[POS]

No expert at BMWs, but a fine eye for buying older cars. I always talk to the owner, ask him a bunch of questions just to see how he answers them, then go over the car and try to place what kind of owner he was and what evidence the car gives me to back that. Was he anal, average, or neglectful? Then price accordingly.

[Lexxani]

what year 318i?. . .I had the unfortunate experience of performing some maintenance on a friend of mines 318is coupe back in 2002. . 5 words for you. . .g-d awful piece of sh-t. . .slow as a 300D and the build quailty was no where near where a BMW should be. . .it only had 50k on this car and it was already beginning to fall apart, mind you it was driven by a female and not some college age male. . .i'd pass on it unless you plan on reselling it.

[catmandoo62]

i've also heard the 318's are slow as dirt.

[t walgamuth]

We had a 318 five speed for a year or so back about 12 years ago. It was pretty peppy and had a LSD too.

They are build a lot less well than a benz but not all that bad compared to most cars.

I probably could be convinced to buy a rag top under the right circumstances. Get it checked out by an expert though. This one sounds a little neglected.

Tom W

[alabbasi]

I owned a 1989 E30 318i with a 5 speed and it was quite nippy around town. It also was very chuckable and fun to drive. Overtaking on the highway was a bit lame compared to what i'm driving right now. But then again, most of the cars that I drive now are V8's and this this where they come into their own.

[Honus]

I don't know that particular model of car, but I think that you can often do well buying a fixer-upper that needs suspension work. Two reasons why: (1) suspension work is easy and (2) it makes an immediate and substantial improvement in the way the car drives. New ball joints, struts, bushings, etc., take years off a car's age.

The only caveat is to be extra careful when messing with the springs. Those things are DANGEROUS. Use proper tools, ask a lot of questions, and go slow.

[gmercoleza]

Update: I passed. The car was a beater, but nothing I couldn't tackle. I would have bought it, but the seller just wanted way too much money considering the time I would have spent to bring it back up to par.

I just want a 4-banger, preferably with a stick, to drive to/from work so my E320 can remain in the garage. A convertible would be a bonus. Speed doesn't matter; I just want something more nimble than the 380SE daily driver I just sold...

[Hatterasguy]

My cousin had a 1995 318 for awhile, POS. Slow as a dog, I raced one and beat it with my SDL a few years back.