tobyjug_1988

right, im getting fed up of the reliability of my series 2 (or should i say lack of reliability) and i fancy a change, a 325i coupe seems to fit the bill nicely. anybody know what to look out for on these cars. ive heard something about a VANOS unit, do 325s have these and nikasil problems, again not sure if there a problem with 2.5s, any info would be appreciated.

thanks

Mike1

If you mean the cars badged as 325 then they have the M50 iron block and aren't affected by high sulphur fuel. The later 325s had single Vanos.

The later 323i was actually a 2.5 as well but uses the M52 block which can be affected by the Nikasil problems

tobyjug_1988

cheers mate, anything else i should know about?

CosworthGuy

I used to have a 325i and it had a terrible problem of only letting a set of rear tyres last two weeks. Mind i was only 19 when i got it.

Do miss that thing. I think they are fairly good. My mate had a n reg one and his door carsd used to fall to bits. Diffs are strong enough for the power and gearbox etc. Try and get one with a LSD though

tobyjug_1988

sweet, although ill only be 20 if i get one are they pretty comfy, i know its an old man like question but im a bit tired of feeling like ive been pulverised by a horse everytime i go for a drive. ive done the whole boy racer thing and whenever i see somebody thrashing there done up car round town i just think "go on nobhead"

CosworthGuy

Very comfy. They will munch up the miles all day and you'll feel as fresh when you get out.

They handle well for a big car

shauns

have you thought about an e30 325 sport

CosworthGuy

Thats what Mine was. It was Lachs Silver. loved it

big_wig_074

wouldnt touch another with a bargepole,my diff exploded off mine twice in a matter of months,diff mounts are shite and cause too much movement which snaps the mounts and hey presto,diff on the floor!!!engine was smooth and was quite nice to drive but e36's have been nothing but a pain for me and my father.

tobyjug_1988

yeah there nice but i imagin an e36 being a bit more comfortable and is just that little bit more modern.

tobyjug_1988

any other alternatives? will hopefully have about 2-2.5 grand to play with

Jim Galbally

bigwig, so replace the knackered diff mounts?

tobyjug_1988

seems the logical thing

Dan

Or stop trying to drift a standard car that wasn't built for it in the first place!

I've got an E36 328i Coupe, nothing but good can be said about it, 193bhp, lots of torque, lovely everyday car from me and a good break from shitbox RS's too!

CossieRob

Three of the four bolts that hold the diff to the boot floor went on mine. The mounting points aren't as strong on the earlier e36 as they are on later ones, but you can buy four reinforced ones from bmw for something like 50 quid - shit job to do if you don't have ramps to work on! garages charge a fortune, but it only cost me parts! loved the car to pieces till someone smashed it into pieces!

col cos1

iTrader: (5)

same as dan i have a 328i coupe for daily car and its great

tobyjug_1988

ive heard that rear axles can be a pain in the arse, just have to find one with all that work done