trying to buy an e36 323 2.5 atm and just been to see the first one today. I was set on getting a touring but after driving it and seeing it today i'm not quite so sure. Are hey harder to drift than a saloon? and does the extra weight effect the performance much? A few things I noticed when looking at it was when shifting into first when stationary and with the clutch fully down there was almost a knocking feeling. Is this normal?? The only other thing I noticed was when driving down the road I did the obligatory wiggle of the steering wheel and it felt a little lumpy. Does this indicate power steering issues? Any advice would be much appreciated
They are the same to drift basically, i wouldnt worry about it. The other issues arent normal, but like any car, clutches and bushes wear out and thats probably whats going on there. Power Steering, could be the belt, fluid or pump at a guess. Price of car should reflect this?
cheers. It was on 150k, engine was sweet didnt even know it was on. Was just the first one I looked at. was going for £1050 I keep hearing about vanos! What is this?
that seems a lot of money for a 323 touring unless its a genuine sport? Vanos is like variable valve timing i think. You should feel a slight switch in power at about 4k rpm i think. Ive had a few 36s and found the touring easiest to skid, but then it was a 328 compared to the rest being 325s. Just my 2p worth
Yeah I just did a little research on it. So If i'm concerned with more reliability should i steer clear of the vanos engines or are they still as reliable??
Never had a problem with vanos, never felt it kick in either lol. Its water pumps, thermostats and radiators you need to keep an eye on usually. (all 328's, they rip)
Just bought one yesterday!! 323i SE touring, 99k, years MOT, 6 months tax, history up to 58k, leather, air con etc. paid a lot less than what you have mentioned, like over £300 less. Be patient and hunt out a good one. Vamps is pretty cool, they pull and pull the more you hold the revs. 5500 rpm is factory peak power apparently but its not like it falls off quick after that!!
cheers for the relpy's really nice touring there Yes I did think it was a tad expensive but it was in really good condition and it was from a dealer, Full service history, 1 owner etc. etc. I'm just on the lookout for one then will buy one as soon as I see it then just sell my car so not in any rush. Is there really much difference between the 323 and 325 engines. Obviously power aside I'm more on about reliability issues? Keep hearing the 323 getting lashed but just cant warrant the extra insurance for the 325
"Book price" on a forecourt is £1400 for mine according to the my car checker app! The advice I got was that engines are cheap, if they break, throw another one in!
Yeah I mean when I was looking at insurance on it it was coming up roundabout a grand so it was right Going to have a look round Leeds this week then if not probably go and get it
i brought my 1st 328i se touring for 1k with m3 clutch and flywheel very clean car with 98k on the clock i brought my drifto for 500 notes which was a 328ise with a full service history from BMW
I just got a 318i touring.. Skids as standard.. Must have done over 50 clutch kicks on way home from picking her up Weld the diff, fit some lows, 80psi in the rears and she'll be a champ
Only difference that I'm aware of is that the 325 has a better flowing inlet manifold. They are both 2.5 M50 engines but the 323 has been choked from the factory. 323 makes 170hp and 325 makes 192hp, so a fair bit of difference from the factory.
323 is an M52, same as 328 with the same restrictive inlet manifold. Get an m50 manifold and it will free up a fair bit of power!
I had a 323 touring for two years, drifted frequently enough to warrant a welded diff. Touring weighs almost exactly the same as the saloon, exactly the same wheelbase, same 50/50 weight distribution, and the differences between M50 and M52 engines are the inlet on the 323 and 328 which have approx 40% less airflow capacity than 325 or M50. M50 is also single/non-vanos if I remember correctly, whereas M52 is dual vanos, which you won't FEEL kick in (yo) but you'll hear the difference in the engine note. Responds more to the position of the throttle than reaching any particular RPM. I loved my 323, plenty of drifting power, weld the diff, add lows, strut braces, decent rubber on the front, bucket seat, sorted. I agree that a Touring is slightly easier to drift than a coupe, that tiny extra bit of flex in the chassis thanks to the omission of the metal parcel-shelf gives a bit more warning about when the back's about to kick out which is very helpful to a beginner drifter. I now have a 328 coupe with m50 manifold - not as much immediacy as the 323 and lacking a little bit of lower end torque but MUCH faster revving and much more willing at 5k+rpm
I also strongly recommend a single mass flywheel conversion for a 323. Weighs about half what the original does and a Valeo kit can be bought for around £275 which can be lightened further for added madness.
I'd also be a bit wary given the symptoms, could be simple but price seems high. I agree with the manifold conversion mentioned above
The knock will be the rear diff/subframe bushes. Not a huge deal but they will need replacing at some point otherwise in the worst case you'll end up ripping something apart. Mine started out clunking into gear and now it clunks if you pull away hard as well, its the torque of the driveline twisting stuff IIRC. Rear subframes do need a fair bit of labour, but they aren't too complicated to do yourself. Polybush it and maybe get some BMW reinforcement plates or whatnot and you'll be sorted. Rear subframes, cooling systems, engine mounts & VANOS are the only real things you need to be concerned about tbh. Other than that, try and get one without sagging headlining, leaks, electric window issues and door handle issues if you can; annoying things to fix if you are bothered about them.
