what to look for when buying an e36

im looking to buy an e36, black on black 5 speed i found a few and im going to go check them out. is there anything i should look for such as valve cover gasket leaks or other kinda of leaks? i dont want to buy an e36 then have alot of problems later any tips or suggestions would be great! ill post pics once i get one and thanks!!

being an Ex-36 guy, the most things to look out for are sort of just like the e46 things to look out for. Check out the cooling system, the bushings, and how the car has been treated. E36's are just about as basic as the e30's, with a little more creature comforts like the e46. The 1992's have the same style suspension as the M3 e36's with the sway bar mounted on the struts. The 1992-93 cars did not come with dual airbags, only one on the steering wheel. If you find one from 92-96(1996 328) with the winter package, you will most likely have an LSD. 97-99 you had the option to have side airbags and rear headrests came on the 98 and 99 cars, and from 96 onward, they went to a digital climate control unit rather than an analog one. The 96 and above cars also have the grills poking outwards as the 92-95 cars have them concave inwards. Also 94->99 all the cars had side indicators on the front fenders. Also check the sunroof as those can be finicky and cost a bit to repair. Other than that, just check all the rubber pieces and you should be good to go.

hope that wasn't such a clusterfvck

Originally Posted by firefirefire90

being an Ex-36 guy, the most things to look out for are sort of just like the e46 things to look out for. Check out the cooling system, the bushings, and how the car has been treated. E36's are just about as basic as the e30's, with a little more creature comforts like the e46. The 1992's have the same style suspension as the M3 e36's with the sway bar mounted on the struts. The 1992-93 cars did not come with dual airbags, only one on the steering wheel. If you find one from 92-96(1996 328) with the winter package, you will most likely have an LSD. 97-99 you had the option to have side airbags and rear headrests came on the 98 and 99 cars, and from 96 onward, they went to a digital climate control unit rather than an analog one. The 96 and above cars also have the grills poking outwards as the 92-95 cars have them concave inwards. Also 94->99 all the cars had side indicators on the front fenders. Also check the sunroof as those can be finicky and cost a bit to repair. Other than that, just check all the rubber pieces and you should be good to go.

hope that wasn't such a clusterfvck

wow thats alot of info! thanks alot! i appreciate it!

I sorta hit on all the major points

Only problem I ever had with my e36 was with the door locks. I dont remember in what seguence it would happen, but they would not stay locked once the door was shut!

subframe

Check each and every technical and electrical parts before purchasing the car.