e36 vert

[E36 Fanboy]

Hi all,

I'm new to the site and was wondering if there's any vert owners on here? I've been toying with getting one, possibly a fixer-upper, now that they should be a little cheaper. Any advice for someone who's had no experience with a vert?!

Thanks.

[camnhoj]

Do a serch for super4 on here ;-)

[rebel.ranter]

Buy the best one you can, even then you'll still be pouring money in to it to get it perfect.

[Peter-E36]

Buy the best one you can, even then you'll still be pouring money in to it to get it perfect.

I can't agree enough with this. In my own experience it was SO much cheaper to buy a 335i, maintain it to the highest standard, do a few mods, and sell it, than buying an e36 323i, maintaining/modding, and selling. And I started with an 88k mile 1 owner e36 with service history etc. Not saying don't buy one, just saying don't expect it'll be a cheap experience and get the best one you can to start with for sure, even if it costs a good bit more.

Best of luck with the search, always loved the e36 verts, would love one myself. There is a member who has a very decent low mileage (~60k mile) avus blue example with a lot of nice work done who might be persuaded to sell. I think he was considering it a while back. Not sure if he still has it, search for "E36Austin".

[Andy]

Here is my brothers 43k mile 318i. An expensive car when he bought it but the provenance, miles, low ownership, condition etc made it worth while. Plus it has a hard top.




It really all depends what your target purchase is in terms of year, engine, condition, miles early or late model etc as to what advice we could give you. Also whether you intend to restore to OE spec, slightly modify etc.

[Super4]

As the guys above have very rightly pointed out buy once and buy right, with E36's getting on in the years even the best ones need light work and constant maintenance to keep them tip top. Convertibles are great and can be used a lot more than you think, it doesn't have to be just sunny days. Overcast cool days or nights the top can go down. I reckon "Heat on Feet" goes a long way when driving a Cabrio on cloudy cooler days or nights meaning your getting even more use out of the drop top.

Nowadays on most E36 drop tops the inner roof linings tend to be sagging, torn or in the early stages of breaking down so be sure to have a close look at these when you get into the car. The roofs tend to get slack with age as do the rear tonneau covers which then tend to hit the top as you are doing the opening sequence. Some adjustments can be made to tighten it all back up followed by a roof reset. Another common issue will be the roof seals where they meet the A-pillar, again with age they compress and loose they're sealing capability thus letting in water on the two front corners.

Repair parts are not exactly cheap for the Cabrio's when it comes to seals, modules, motors etc so make sure the hood is either tip top or if not that the price reflects this allowing you so put some money into getting it right. Roof drains under the tonneau cover are also important to check to make sure they are not blocked solid and the roof compartment is not holding water which will then end up in the car causing more issues. All in all they are a great classic with timeless styling and there is no end to what can be achieved with.

Hope this helps.

[E36 Fanboy]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm not sure do I want a full on project or something that just needs a bit of sprucing up. It'll only be an occasional car, although that could change. I was considering getting a 318i and sticking an m44 into it, just to have something a bit different. On the other hand, I saw a green 323i in meath that looks very nice and seems to be something I could get in and drive without too much of a fuss.

A few questions I was mulling over:

Is there anyone in Ireland who can replace a roof? Or a rear window?
Is scuttle shake bad on them?

[RossYB]

A Vert with an Is engine would be very nice!

Had one with an M42 is engine before, Was only advertised as a 318i. Ended up being broken.

[Harry-E36]

Thanks for the replies.
A few questions I was mulling over:

Is there anyone in Ireland who can replace a roof? Or a rear window?
Is scuttle shake bad on them?

Hi E36 Fan boy and welcome to the Haus
I would go with all which has been mentioned by the lads above.
I got my wife an E36 convertible (318i) that I did not pay much and did it up. What I can say is the lads are right when saying better invest more to start with and get the best you can as in the long run something you don't pay too expensive might turn out to be quite the opposite.
Something you might want to consider is a convertible that comes with a hardtop. Not only are hardtops discontinued but finding one for grabs could set you back 500/750 euros depending on condition. Furthermore chances of it being the same colour as your car would be pretty slim so...
The benefit is that with a hardtop you could use the car all year around
As far as rear windows are concerned always check them. A new item will set you back more or less 500 euros afaik and you have two models: zip in (which can be done but would take more or less 2 people to do right) and the stitch in which I would believe is a little more complicated (have no experience of it though).
There are places that do work on convertibles like A&T in Kilkenny and other places too (I can't remember the name now)
The shake on them is not too bad. I would suggest you took one for a drive and experienced it as it can change from person to person. Needless to say that another advantage of a hardtop is that the vert becomes more rigid so you would not feel the shake... I have one on my 328 convertible
Let us know how you get on !