» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | | | | | 12-03-2018, 07:56 PM | #1 | Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: NY Posts: 29 | How is it owning a BMW 318ti ? Hi folks .. BMW Newbie here .... So I am looking to buy a used BMW 318ti in the spring ...only produced for North America from 95 to 98 ....what is the best year to purchase ? Any major issues or quirks I should be aware of when owning one ? Any and all info is much appreciated .... Thanks 🙏 | | | 12-04-2018, 06:42 PM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Dodging potholes in SoCal Posts: 454 | Welcome! The biggest issue is always cooling system. If you're able to find a 95 model, it will most likely have the M42 OBD1 motor. This motor was designed without a plastic cooling pipe that is failure prone on the M44 cars. Also, M42 motors have forged internals vs cast, so there's that. 99s are rare and were all sport models, so that's something to consider. I have a california roof model which can be fun sometimes but also has its own problems. These cars are easy to work on and fun to drive, you'll have a good time either way. __________________ '96 318ti California Edition- Montreal blue '68 1600-2-Caribe blue | | | 12-04-2018, 10:05 PM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,356 | Remember, its a 25 year old car. Any year have issues just as any other E36. Headliner, window regulator, anything plastic is cracked. Anything made from rubber, will crack. Personally I like OBD-II over OBD-I. Still, a fun car to own if you are willing to do some of the repairs on your own. __________________ ...steven BMW CCA #146825 1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i www.bmwcca.org | | | 12-04-2018, 10:22 PM | #4 | Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: NY Posts: 29 | Quote: Originally Posted by FunElan Welcome! The biggest issue is always cooling system. If you're able to find a 95 model, it will most likely have the M42 OBD1 motor. This motor was designed without a plastic cooling pipe that is failure prone on the M44 cars. Also, M42 motors have forged internals vs cast, so there's that. 99s are rare and were all sport models, so that's something to consider. I have a california roof model which can be fun sometimes but also has its own problems. These cars are easy to work on and fun to drive, you'll have a good time either way. | So there were 99 models in North America ??? I thought they stopped in 1998 model year for the USA? | | | 12-04-2018, 10:25 PM | #5 | Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: NY Posts: 29 | Quote: Originally Posted by 1996 328ti Remember, its a 25 year old car. Any year have issues just as any other E36. Headliner, window regulator, anything plastic is cracked. Anything made from rubber, will crack. Personally I like OBD-II over OBD-I. Still, a fun car to own if you are willing to do some of the repairs on your own. | Im not afraid to do repairs on my own .... | | | 12-04-2018, 10:38 PM | #6 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,356 | Quote: Originally Posted by BMWannabe So there were 99 models in North America ??? I thought they stopped in 1998 model year for the USA? | There was a small run in 1999. Only Sports and included a 2-spoke M Steering wheel. Quote: Originally Posted by BMWannabe Im not afraid to do repairs on my own .... | That's good. __________________ ...steven BMW CCA #146825 1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i www.bmwcca.org | | | 12-04-2018, 10:42 PM | #7 | Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: NY Posts: 29 | Quote: Originally Posted by 1996 328ti There was a small run in 1999. Only Sports and included a 2-spoke M Steering wheel. That's good. | Interesting ......Did a little research and came up with this ...Rare indeed ...only 656 1999 318ti's made it to the USA https://oppositelock.kinja.com/1999-...iew-1692222252 Last edited by BMWannabe; 12-04-2018 at 10:54 PM. | | | 12-05-2018, 01:17 AM | #8 | Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Central Florida Posts: 17 | Retro Review of the '96 318ti from MotorWeek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrbJDstZnYY Last edited by rleniek; 12-05-2018 at 01:48 AM. | | | 12-05-2018, 01:32 AM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 315 | Of my three one is a 99 and has the 3 spoke M wheel. Not much change from my 96 or 97 though. __________________ 01 740iS Cosmos Black 97 318ti Boston Green 99 318ti Titanium Silver 13 X5 3.5XDrive Cosmos Black 97 318ti Alpine White (gone but not forgotten) 88 325iC Schwartz Black (sold) 97 740iL Schwartz Black (sold) 84 633csi Schwartz Black (sold) 96 318ti Alaska Blue (sold) 08 X5 4.8i Titanium Silver (sold) | | | 12-05-2018, 01:37 AM | #10 | Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: NY Posts: 29 | Quote: Originally Posted by 740isport Of my three one is a 99 and has the 3 spoke M wheel. Not much change from my 96 or 97 though. | The 99's had all the options on them already? Do you have a picture of yours to share ? | | | 12-05-2018, 01:44 AM | #11 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Greeley CO Posts: 233 | Quote: Originally Posted by BMWannabe Im not afraid to do repairs on my own .... | That's good - because otherwise, you'll need a big checkbook. | | | 12-05-2018, 02:02 AM | #12 | Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Central Florida Posts: 17 | in re: "....Did a little research and came up with this ...Rare indeed ...only 656 1999 318ti's made it to the USA https://oppositelock.kinja.com/1999-...iew-1692222252" here's a quote from that article: "Most people didn't seem to like the idea of a cheap BMW and a lot of others thought it tarnished the image of BMW." The 318 was an example in my marketing class as a blunder because the concept of a performance economy car doesn't really have a market. In addition to the statement above, people in the market for performance are willing to sacrifice economy while people in the market for economy are willing to sacrifice performance. You couldn't develop more of an oxymoron if you tried. | | | 12-05-2018, 02:32 AM | #13 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Greeley CO Posts: 233 | Quote: Originally Posted by rleniek in re: "....Did a little research and came up with this ...Rare indeed ...only 656 1999 318ti's made it to the USA https://oppositelock.kinja.com/1999-...iew-1692222252" here's a quote from that article: "Most people didn't seem to like the idea of a cheap BMW and a lot of others thought it tarnished the image of BMW." The 318 was an example in my marketing class as a blunder because the concept of a performance economy car doesn't really have a market. In addition to the statement above, people in the market for performance are willing to sacrifice economy while people in the market for economy are willing to sacrifice performance. You couldn't develop more of an oxymoron if you tried. | I bought my 'ti (new) because I wanted a hatchback without much compromise. I drove a Civic and a Golf, and nothing came close. For me, it was the perfect vehicle. Before the 'ti, I drove a Chevy Sprint - a 3 cylinder hatchback made by Suzuki, great on gas, short on everything else. | | | 12-05-2018, 02:36 AM | #14 | Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: NY Posts: 29 | Quote: Originally Posted by paul somlo I bought my 'ti (new) because I wanted a hatchback without much compromise. I drove a Civic and a Golf, and nothing came close. For me, it was the perfect vehicle. Before the 'ti, I drove a Chevy Sprint - a 3 cylinder hatchback made by Suzuki, great on gas, short on everything else. | I owned a Civic at one point and a used Suzuki Samuari ..THAT was a Dog ...LOL ...but i had some good ones in there ...i loved my 1985 Mazda RX7 GSL-SE .... | | | 12-05-2018, 02:47 AM | #15 | Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Central Florida Posts: 17 | in re: " I drove a Civic and a Golf, and nothing came close. For me, it was the perfect vehicle." -paul somlo likewise, man... i had a rabbit in highschool, a gti in college and envied the kids whose parents got them new ti's while i was eating ramen. To drive a 4cyl hatchback with twice the hp of my rabbit that gets 30mpg and is same color makes me feel whole. *grin* "I wanted a hatchback without much compromise" is the perfect way to describe how I felt when I decided to get my first ti. I had to trailer it home and it took a couple months of acquiring parts all over the world to rebuild the intake. The last owner got impatient chasing vacuum leaks and literally broke off the lower intake mounting bracket. I had to commit to figuring it all out because the car was and is exactly what I wanted. A white 5sp first gen obd is like a unicorn. They're usually green or purple, newer and almost always automatic out here it seems. Driving it makes me giddy. I can't say that about any of the other 30 cars i've owned. It's a go-kart that can transport outdoor gear like mini truck. how cool is that. cmon. Last edited by rleniek; 12-05-2018 at 03:37 AM. | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |