Car Freak
Member
Hi guys, my name's Jon, I'm 19, and just got my driving licence in Dec last year. As you can tell from my nickname, I'm a big car/motorsports enthusiast, and after about 13 years of playing racing games on the com (started with Need For Speed II), I do think of myself as more than a bit talented behind the wheel (but then who doesn't? 
)... Just hope that mindset doesn't come back to bite me someday
I want to try to be as involved with motorsports as possible, so right now I enter almost every karting event which provides the karts (since I don't own one), and am really hoping I can get a job in motorsports or at least the car industry in general. Hobbies at the moment include photography, gaming (usually racing games, naturally), and collecting diecast cars. Oh, and I'm enlisting into NS next month...
Main reason I'm here is because my parents are currently looking at a 2nd hand car to replace our current 2001 Mazda 323, whose COE expires next month. Since one of their main concerns is depreciation over the duration of the COE, obviously a 2017/2018/2019 COE is preferred. Unfortunately, given the retarded system the government has in place, that means our selection of cars is very limited. Basically, the only cars that are still around in meaningful numbers are Honda Civics (and how on earth do you find an unmodified one of those?), Mercedes W124s (a strong contender) and the BMW E36 (which is where you guys come in).
Basically, can any of you guys give advice about the reliability, maintenance and fuel economy of E36s, especially the 318i and 320i? Also, what do I need to look out for if we decide to go ahead with one of those? Judging by what I found on the 'net, there are many potential problems, but most shouldn't be an issue if the car is maintained properly or has been overhauled recently:
Used Car Advice: BMW E36 3 Series (1991-98) ? Car Reviews, News & Advice - carsales.com.au
United Bimmer - BMW Enthusiast Community and Forums : Bimmer Technical Help
BMW 3 Series Coupe (1992 - 1998) : THREE FOR ALL - Yahoo! Cars UK
Thanks in advance guys. I'm looking forward to being a part of this community
)... Just hope that mindset doesn't come back to bite me somedayI want to try to be as involved with motorsports as possible, so right now I enter almost every karting event which provides the karts (since I don't own one), and am really hoping I can get a job in motorsports or at least the car industry in general. Hobbies at the moment include photography, gaming (usually racing games, naturally), and collecting diecast cars. Oh, and I'm enlisting into NS next month...
Main reason I'm here is because my parents are currently looking at a 2nd hand car to replace our current 2001 Mazda 323, whose COE expires next month. Since one of their main concerns is depreciation over the duration of the COE, obviously a 2017/2018/2019 COE is preferred. Unfortunately, given the retarded system the government has in place, that means our selection of cars is very limited. Basically, the only cars that are still around in meaningful numbers are Honda Civics (and how on earth do you find an unmodified one of those?), Mercedes W124s (a strong contender) and the BMW E36 (which is where you guys come in).
Basically, can any of you guys give advice about the reliability, maintenance and fuel economy of E36s, especially the 318i and 320i? Also, what do I need to look out for if we decide to go ahead with one of those? Judging by what I found on the 'net, there are many potential problems, but most shouldn't be an issue if the car is maintained properly or has been overhauled recently:
Used Car Advice: BMW E36 3 Series (1991-98) ? Car Reviews, News & Advice - carsales.com.au
United Bimmer - BMW Enthusiast Community and Forums : Bimmer Technical Help
BMW 3 Series Coupe (1992 - 1998) : THREE FOR ALL - Yahoo! Cars UK
Thanks in advance guys. I'm looking forward to being a part of this community
