1999 BMW E36 328i Edition - 2022 update

[mattn36]

Hi all. A long time lurker here but with the demise of the two BMW specific forums I used to frequent (one shut down completely due to lack of traffic, the other migrated to a facebook group which I just don't get), I thought I'd register over here. I'm sure many won't consider my car to be retro but the earliest E36s are now approaching 30 years old, and it certainly feels retro compared to the modern curse word that I have to deal with every day at work! This certainly won't be a build thread in comparison to a lot of the incredible work on this forum but the car is by no means finished and I still have some big plans for it.

I've been into cars since I was a kid when I spent many hours taking my Matchbox cars to bits and repainting them. My first real car was a 1960 Morris Minor which I bought when I was 16 but sadly never got on the road (if anybody knows where ABD 612A is please let me know as I'd love to have it back), after which I progressed onto a string of many Vauxhalls (via a Renault 19 16V at the age of 20) before acquiring my first BMW, an E36 328i coupe, in 2008. Since then I've had 7 BMWs and at one point owned 4 E36/E46s at the same time, as well as my VW T4. Life has changed considerably over the last 5 years: meeting my now wife, getting married, buying a house and becoming self employed have seen the fleet of toys whittled down to just the one E36 along with a dirty diesel daily (and the T4 but that needs to go as it doesn't get used).

If you've made it this far thank you; I'll actually get on to the car now! This is my 5th E36: it isn't the best one I've owned but it is the most special and, for now at least, a keeper. Built in May 1999, this is a very late E36 convertible and is what I guess must've been a run-out special which was offered in limited numbers (the precise number varies depending on where your information comes from but is likely 100 at most) and came in either Romantic Red (as mine is) or Velvet Blue with a Champagne leather interior. Other options included as standard were Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi, heated front seats, 16" Style 32 alloy wheels and the full "M Aerodynamic Kit"; mine cost it's first owner a staggering £38,209.69 (if you put that into the Bank of England inflation calculator it comes out as just under £67k in todays money)! As with most E36s my car had already been modified with non-standard wheels when I bought it and has been modified further by myself, but I've tried to keep an OEM+ route by changing the wheels to 17" versions or the original Style 32s and adding extra OEM options, at the same time as rectifying bodges and shoddy work carried out prior to my ownership.

This is how the car was looking this summer; I'll post more of the car and my journey with it if people are interested in more of my waffle! Thanks for looking.

[LAndy]

That is amazingly beautiful! I cannot wait to see more!

[commycouper]

An E36 convertible is on my wanted list. That's a really nice colour and a very clean looking example you have there. Looking forward to updates 👍

[mattTR6]

Definitely a classic! I love Eighties/Nineties BMWs

[pseudonymous]

That's lovely, more pics!

I'm a long time BMW fan, currently driving a completely standard 4dr E46 325i Sport with a manual box. I had a 'run out' E36 318i Touring that had the same factory spec as a 323i Sport Touring (minus the 2 cylinders) in Fern Green. I've long fancied another E36, particularly a soft top but finding a 6cyl one for reasonable money, in any body style for that matter, is getting difficult now. I made the same mistake as with the E30, I'd owned those before and put off buying one for too long and suddenly they were nowhere to be found.

Keeping it OEM is the best way, the E36 convertible is one of those cars that just looked right out of the box and most 'mods' just look cack ... IMO, obviously. The style 32s are just right and that's a lovely colour. Wasn't Romantic Red a BMW Individual option?

[spartacus]

What a great car with a fantastic engine.
E36's are such a great shape, where did it all go wrong BMW?

[mrbounce]

I am not a big BMW fan, but that is GORGEOUS!

[kp_sixty]

I think that Romantic Red is almost the same as Calypso Red

[2p2g1m]

Keep looking at 328i E36 coupes. This is lovely. You aren’t helping my itch!

[mattn36]

Thank you for all of the comments; the photo does flatter it but it got very positive comments from the MOT tester this year and is looking the best it has since I've owned it. I'll sort out some more photos.

Dec 9, 2020 13:47:41 GMT pseudonymous said:

That's lovely, more pics!

I'm a long time BMW fan, currently driving a completely standard 4dr E46 325i Sport with a manual box. I had a 'run out' E36 318i Touring that had the same factory spec as a 323i Sport Touring (minus the 2 cylinders) in Fern Green. I've long fancied another E36, particularly a soft top but finding a 6cyl one for reasonable money, in any body style for that matter, is getting difficult now. I made the same mistake as with the E30, I'd owned those before and put off buying one for too long and suddenly they were nowhere to be found.

Keeping it OEM is the best way, the E36 convertible is one of those cars that just looked right out of the box and most 'mods' just look cack ... IMO, obviously. The style 32s are just right and that's a lovely colour. Wasn't Romantic Red a BMW Individual option?

My first E36 was Fern Green: a nice colour but I really struggled to sell it on and ended up virtually giving it away. I've had a couple of E46s too: a 330i Sport auto saloon and a 330Ci Sport manual convertible; both lovely cars but I've always ended up back in an E36.

I've always been a fan of subtle mods and all an E36 really needs IMO is ride height adjustment and a nice set of OEM BMW, Alpina or AC Schnitzer (within reason, some of them are horrible) wheels. You're right: Romantic Red is an Individual option, as is the Champagne interior.

Dec 9, 2020 14:02:09 GMT spartacus said:

What a great car with a fantastic engine.
E36's are such a great shape, where did it all go wrong BMW?

I completely agree, although the same could be said for most manufacturers to varying degrees IMO.

Dec 9, 2020 15:51:24 GMT kp_sixty said:

I think that Romantic Red is almost the same as Calypso Red

It's certainly similar, but is darker and I think more pearlescent; this can look very dull on an overcast day but it really pops when the sun hits it.

Dec 9, 2020 18:22:52 GMT 2p2g1m said:

Keep looking at 328i E36 coupes. This is lovely. You aren’t helping my itch!

Thank you. Stop looking and buy one; the values are only going one way, especially the Sports.

[Fossilfish]

Welcome and your car looks a peach, I have me a '94 E36 325i Convertible which just had loads of welding done, those front wings hide a lot of rot.

Mines a auto so slow as.

I joined the club but can't seem to get on with the forum as my car is nothing special and this forum seems chilled and easy to navigate.

[big02]

What a brilliant motor. I love the 2.8 engine.

Back in 2007/8 I had a 328i MSport convertible, in a metallic blue with off white leather. It was a great car to drive and that engine!

I’ve had 4 e36’s in various guides; Z3 2.8, 318ti, 328 conv and currently an MCoupe (e36/8 for the nerds).

I’m loving the look of yours. Keep the posts coming.

[ianbuckwell]

BMW fan here and E46 M3 owner, e36s look great with the roof down, so long low and sleek, the colour really is special, goes great with the leather.



Does it have 'extended' leather?

[georgeb]

Dec 9, 2020 14:02:09 GMT spartacus said:

Where did it all go wrong BMW?

Isn't that one of the great things though? Manufacturers move on and thankfully, take the majority of their punters with them, which gives us the chance to get stuck in.

I've has many of LR's offerings over the years, Series, Range Rovers, Defenders, but they left me behind after the P38.

It's the final of the chassis/body Land Rovers and the last one I like. That's why I run a 25-year-old one here, and you can still pick them up, for relative low money, there.

So yeah, car makers, keep moving on, and leave these gems for us to pick up.

Anyway, despite not being a BMW lover (after the 2002) mattn36 I do like that one. Very, very smart.

[thomfr]

Great! Love these stylish looking e30, 36 and 46. Such a shame they did go like Audi and Mercedes Asia style baroc gangsta look in the new models (4 series is the worst thing I've seen in years, I thought first somebody had gone wild in a photoshop programm).
Love yours!
Bookmarked!
Thom

[mattn36]

Thanks again for all of the replies; I'll try and sort some more photos out later on, although you've probably seen the best one already.

Dec 9, 2020 20:52:14 GMT Fossilfish said:

Welcome and your car looks a peach, I have me a '94 E36 325i Convertible which just had loads of welding done, those front wings hide a lot of rot.

Mines a auto so slow as.

I joined the club but can't seem to get on with the forum as my car is nothing special and this forum seems chilled and easy to navigate.

Very nice; a 325i is a rare thing now, as is an unmodified E36! Mine is an auto too (I've only ever seen one of these Editions for sale that was a manual) - more on that later. I'm not a member of any clubs; I did a handful of shows with the two forums I used to be a member of, but generally just go to the classic car meet at Earls Barton as it's just down the road.

Dec 9, 2020 21:53:06 GMT big02 said:

What a brilliant motor. I love the 2.8 engine.

Back in 2007/8 I had a 328i MSport convertible, in a metallic blue with off white leather. It was a great car to drive and that engine!

I’ve had 4 e36’s in various guides; Z3 2.8, 318ti, 328 conv and currently an MCoupe (e36/8 for the nerds).

I’m loving the look of yours. Keep the posts coming.

Thank you. It's hard to beat the sound of the straight 6 with the roof down.

Dec 9, 2020 22:52:41 GMT ianbuckwell said:

BMW fan here and E46 M3 owner, e36s look great with the roof down, so long low and sleek, the colour really is special, goes great with the leather.



Does it have 'extended' leather?

I'd love an E46 M3 but have missed the boat on those unfortunately (the most I've ever spent on a car was a tenner shy of £5k); it was looking like they might drop into the £5-6k bracket a few years ago but the market went the other way instead.

It doesn't have extended leather unfortunately, just contrasting purple stitching on the steering wheel (instead of the usual M tri-colours), seats and door panel inserts. 

Dec 10, 2020 5:03:47 GMT georgeb said:

Dec 9, 2020 14:02:09 GMT spartacus said:

Where did it all go wrong BMW?

Isn't that one of the great things though? Manufacturers move on and thankfully, take the majority of their punters with them, which gives us the chance to get stuck in.

I've has many of LR's offerings over the years, Series, Range Rovers, Defenders, but they left me behind after the P38.

It's the final of the chassis/body Land Rovers and the last one I like. That's why I run a 25-year-old one here, and you can still pick them up, for relative low money, there.

So yeah, car makers, keep moving on, and leave these gems for us to pick up.

Anyway, despite not being a BMW lover (after the 2002) mattn36 I do like that one. Very, very smart.

That's a good point and one I hadn't considered. Thank you.

Dec 10, 2020 8:49:49 GMT thomfr said:

Great! Love these stylish looking e30, 36 and 46. Such a shame they did go like Audi and Mercedes Asia style baroc gangsta look in the new models (4 series is the worst thing I've seen in years, I thought first somebody had gone wild in a photoshop programm).
Love yours!
Bookmarked!
Thom

Thanks Thom and I agree, the new 4 Series is hideous.

[Ian]

Looks really clean, I wish mine was a clean as yours!

They are definitely retro now, they do feel very small compared to new cars, its the width that makes them feel so small.

I daily a 17 plate Audi A4 Avant and there isn't much difference in the length.

I miss mine, I bought it in December 2010 drove it for 6 months having found out that it has the dreaded Nikasil issue. Its been parked in the garage ever since. Just like yours mines an auto as well, but does has the LSD and BBS RC040's from new.

[mattn36]

Dec 10, 2020 11:01:25 GMT Ian said:

Looks really clean, I wish mine was a clean as yours!

They are definitely retro now, they do feel very small compared to new cars, its the width that makes them feel so small.

I daily a 17 plate Audi A4 Avant and there isn't much difference in the length.

I miss mine, I bought it in December 2010 drove it for 6 months having found out that it has the dreaded Nikasil issue. Its been parked in the garage ever since. Just like yours mines an auto as well, but does has the LSD and BBS RC040's from new.

Your car seems familiar with the RC040s; were you on e36coupe/bmwowner?

You're absolutely right about the width; my daily is a 2008 Passat CC, which is probably a similar size to your Audi, and the BMW feels very compact in comparison.

Mine also has a LSD; one of the other 3 BMWs I already had when I bought this one was a 1995 328i Sport auto coupe and I swapped the diffs over before I sold it.

[mattn36]

I guess I should probably start at the beginning then as there seems to be a bit of interest.

Back in 2011(ish) I got bored of trying to get my Dad to sell me his E30 convertible and bought a 1999 E36 323i manual convertible that had been advertised on the e36coupe forum. It was a great car with a decent spec: Titanium Silver over black sport leather, M Aerodynamic Kit, clear light pack, factory fitted remote locking and PDC (rear parking sensors). It remains to this day one of the best cars I've owned, so good in fact that I ended up owning it twice, but had one major drawback: it wasn't a 328i.

I'd seen a couple of Romantic Red 328i Editions owned by other forum members and decided I wanted one. Obviously with them being produced in such small numbers I wasn't expecting it to be a quick search and so posted up a speculative wanted ad on the forum with no particular expectation of getting a response. Literally a day later I was offered this car, and at a lower price than I thought I was going to have to pay for one. These are a few of the photos I was sent.









At the time I was waiting to be made redundant and it was some of that money I was planning to use so the timing wasn't quite ideal; fortunately the seller wasn't in any rush to sell so I drove down to Guildford to view the car and left a deposit, on the condition that a couple of minor issues would be dealt with before I collected in car a few weeks later.

[Ian]

Style 32's are a great improvement over the Alpinas, I've never been a fan of them to be honest. Its is a really nice shape as a convertible as well.

Tempted to look at a E46 325 again at the moment, we had a 325ti Individual in Imola red, and that was a great car that went to my Dad after I had it, the red dash trim, and gearknob was a bit much though!

I did post on e36coupe when I bought it, but I was never a big poster, as nothing ever changed! I only did 10k miles in mine, its sitting at 107k at the moment. It hasn't even been started in over 5 years, dead battery and the stupid BMW 3T alarm system, no remote fob either so when I did start it all it did was set the alarm off, as the back up battery in the siren is dead.