The parts car I just purchased had a good roof lining. It had been retrimmed at some point and was still in good condition, but a little dirty. I took it out, gave it a good clean and fitted it...
Like a little old lady that collects stray cats, I seem to be doing the same with BMW E36s. I found a 1992 318i automatic sedan with a blown head gasket for sale and, after looking at it and...
Aside from some cup holders inside the glove box lid that are only really suited to a picnic, the Australian market 1991 to 1997 3 series (E36) is bereft of any way to safely transport drinks....
My 325i has what appeared to be surface rust around the boot seal. This seems to be a common rust area on E36s, particularly the early models. I didn't really want to put too much effort in to...
When you are shopping for a car as old as the E36 generation 3 series, it makes sense to choose the model that will be the most reliable and require the least maintenance. Here's a rundown on the...
It has been two months since I bought this written off car, which I planned to remove some parts for myself and sell of the rest for profit. So far I am about $700 in profit which means I have...
For some time I have been looking for various parts for my E36 318is and 325i, things like a nicer set of wheels and interior parts. The other day I saw an advertisement for a cheap 323i that had...
Having owned two BMW E36 318is's and now an E36 325i for a few months I am ready to give my thoughts on the pros and cons of each model. The main differences between these models are the engines,...
Brooklands Books has released a new title for E36 owners, "BMW 3 Series E36 Restoration Tips & Techniques". As a collector of all books about 3 series I bought it as soon as it was available. The...
Magazine article reproduced from Which Car? (Australia), Apr/Jun 1997. By David Twomey It's a terrible quandary for the executive trying to choose his next company vehicle —...
Today I said farewell to my 1994 318is coupe, which has served me well for the last five years. The new owner picked it up this morning and left on a 1,000 km journey back to his home on the NSW...
As a frequent reader of the BMW section of various automotive classifieds websites, I occasionally see some fairly unique 1997 323i models. They are identified with a label which says "Individual"...
Reproduced from the BMW TIS. Document no. 110194000, January 1994. BMW has updated the M42 four cylinder engine to optimize noise levels (acoustics) and to comply with emission regulations...
Magazine article reproduced from Motor, Sep 1992. It's no easy task improving on a car universally acclaimed for its outstanding on-road dynamics, timeless design and superb packaging. But...
Magazine article reproduced from Car Australia, Feb 1994. Mid-life crisis getting you down? Even if the thought's not applicable, here's three quick coupes for about 50 grand each which...
Magazine article reproduced from Motor, May 1994. Volkswagen's latest Golf VR6 is an excellent car with a lot more go than its appearance might suggest, but the BMW 318is coupe is an...
Magazine article reproduced from Car UK, Aug 1994. BMW is selling this car to make its spoilers race-legal. But under the drastic plastic, the thing's a sham, says GEORG KACHER....
Magazine article reproduced from Wheels, Jun 1997. Nicer price for Bavaria's latest body/engine combo. Hard to understand why it's taken BMW so many years to bring the four-door...
Magazine article reproduced from Wheels, Oct 1993. When you spend better than $40,000 on a feel-good conveyance, pose value and performance don't necessarily go together. MIKE McCARTHY...
Reproduced from the BMW TIS. Document no. 110192000, March 1992. With the introduction of the M42 powered E36 models, the successful and proven M42 four cylinder engine has been revised...
The 318is has had broken front door trims since we bought it earlier in the year, with an entire centre section missing on one side. I finally found a reasonably priced set of four door trims...
The 325i is now finally registered in NSW so I was able to go for a short drive today. The engine sounds great and mostly runs well. The idle is not bad but is a little irregular at times. It is...
Magazine article reproduced from Wheels, April 1991. Orchestral Manouvres (First Local Drive) Behind the glitz and glamour of the 3-series launch loomed the gloom of luxury tax....
Magazine article reproduced from Modern Motor, February 1991. Munich's Pacesetter (Drive: BMW 318i, 320i, 325i) BMW's new 3 series is an exceptionally fine car, showing again what...
When I first bought my 1991 325i I knew that, being a very early E36 model, it had different front suspension than the later models, and because I thought this must be inferior to the later models I...
It was my first chance to drive the car today and have a good look over it, as I had to go and get a blue slip or whatever it is called now. Good news - it passed with no problems. I can...
This is my 1994 BMW 318is coupe with M42 engine. I bought it in September 2007 with just under 160,000km. Today it has travelled just over 210,000km. It still had the original 15" alloy wheels on...
I finally got the car around 6:30am this morning, 10 days after the original planned delivery date. I haven't had a good look at it yet but so far so bad... The paint is not so good, with clear...
I was expecting the car tonight but being Friday the 13th things did not go smoothly. The transport truck had an accident earlier this afternoon and was written off. My car is apparently unharmed....
I have been looking for a replacement for my '94 318is coupe for quite a few months now. I was wanting the practicality of a 4-door due to having to soon carry a baby seat, etc. I had a strange...
Engine mounts replaced... car running great now. No strange noises around corners, and idle is much smoother now. See if you can see what's wrong with my old engine mounts (pictures are exactly...
I got around to doing what I should have done first and just looked down at the engine mounts. Looks like the driver side mount has completely separated. It's hard to see the passenger side one but...
Another day spent working on the car, another frustrating day. I replaced the control arm bushings which was much harded than expected. I had trouble getting off the old ones and ended up cutting...
Okay, I might buy a set of bushes already mounted in the housings and try installing them myself. I found some on eBay for about $80 delivered from the USA. I figure if I put the new bushes in...
Finally got the car back from the auto trans place. This transmission is better - drives well in forward gears - but reverse is slow to engage (around 2-3 seconds). Is it that hard to find a...
The car has been with the auto transmission specialists since last Tuesday and two days ago they told me the new (used) transmission needs replacing. I organised a replacement under warranty from...
I drove the car to work today and the transmission became a bit of a problem, finally resulting in the transmission fault light coming on and being stuck in 3rd gear (limp home mode presumably). I...
Late this afternoon I registered the car finally, and my wife and i took it for the first legal drive. I spoke to a couple of people and it seems that after a fluid change an automatic...
Just when I thought the worst was over, things got worse. I picked the car up from the auto trans specialist tonight. A$510 for fitting the new trans, servicing it, replacing a broken water...
Unfortunately the fitting of the new transmission did not go well today. First call I got was that the transmission I bought was different and would not fit. So I rang around and found another...
Car is with the auto transmission specialist now. They are going to fit the transmission, including new rear main and torque converter seals, and new gaskets, filter and oil. They are also going to...
I fitted the new steering wheel slip ring this afternoon and the horn now works. The airbag warning light is on - maybe that needs resetting? While checking that all lights etc work for...
Most importantly, earlier this week my new bonnet badge arrived which I fitted immediately. Looks great. This morning I went to my local wrecker and pulled out a blower motor, cost A$30. I also...
If you saw my first post, you would have seen the condition of the bonnet. It had several large areas where the paint had peeled off and the exposed metal had started to rust. It looked awful and...
Finally fixed the sunroof. Aside from breaking certain parts while trying to work out how it all worked, I think the main problem was lack of lubrication. It's working great now. While I had the...
Yesterday I replaced the oil filter housing gasket and bush, and also the cylinder head cover gasket. So far no oil leaks. I also picked up a (very expensive) sunroof mechanism ("cassette") which...
I picked up a used automatic transmission today for A$250, and need to get it installed now (quoted A$350 + oil). I also got a "final stage unit" hoping it would solve my climate control issue (no...
Had the windscreen done yesterday. Ended up being $227 including a $29 seal. Beware of cheap windscreen installers. At this end of the market you don't get the windscreen cleaned or the mess cleaned...
I have now ordered a bunch of parts from Pelican Parts, most importantly a new gasket and bush for the oil filter housing which will hopefully fix the oil leak. I have also organised an even...