97 318ti Active. Boston Green. 5 spd., sunroof, A/C (works great), BMW am/fm casette with factory six disc changer in the trunk, OEM fog lights, one-touch power windows. Upgrades include Bilstein Sports with H&R race springs, Borbet Type T 17x8 wheels with Hankook RS2s (awesome tires dry/wet), clear front signals/sidemarkers/m3 style tail lights, some really nice (and bright) upgraded headlights (PO did this, not sure what kind), Bosal exhaust, M3 short leather shift knob, fogged air box with K&N filter.
I bought this car from friends two years ago. They had purchased it from the original owner when it was a year old and had 16k miles on it. In my two years of ownership, I have just done routine maintenance that includes the following: New fuel filter, new plugs, aforementioned K&N filter, new belts, replaced driver's side window regulator, new tires (see above), new rear brake pads, new driver's side door handle gasket (to replace rotted gasket), Mobil 1 15w-50 synthetic every 5 months or 5k miles with Mahle filter, Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF in the transmission about 10k miles ago.
The good: The exterior of this car is in very nice shape for its age. The car has never been in an accident--never even a minor parking lot accident. There are a few minor scratches and two or three very minor dings, but that's it. It looks much better (IMO) than your average 9 year old car and gets compliments frequently. The car is very reliable. I would drive it anywhere. It also handles very well and the ride is surprisingly nice. Runs/shifts very smoothly, pulls strong. Never any hesitation, always smooth idle--even when cold. Brakes work very well. Very easy car to drive, comfortable commuter that is also a fun car to autocross.
The bad: Air bag light is on. I swapped the guage cluster with a good used unit because the lights in the original unit flickered. The new cluster says 87,000 miles, but the actual mileage on the car is right at 100,000. (I removed the old cluster at 97,000 and the current cluster had 84,000 when installed--original cluster also included.) Also, when the replacement cluster was installed, the check engine light came on. The airbag light was on prior to the swap and I'm not sure why it's on. It was on when I bought the car. The driver's seat also has a stain on it. Otherwise the interior is nice. (And included are two BMW seat cover that are a similar color to the beige interior.) There is a small power steering leak from the power steering hose (a pretty common e36 malady). I just top it up every 4-6 months, although it would be a better solution to just replace the hoses. The front ball joints/control arms/LCABs have never been replaced, but car still drives and steers well. The passenger side window cannot be rolled down due to cracked plastic retainers on the window regulator. I will have this fixed before the car is sold.
Extra parts: original wheels (excellent condition and very clean), original corner lights and headlights
The price: I'd like $5500 as-is. I would also prefer a local buyer so they can look the car over/evaluate it themself before commiting to purchase. I don't want any disappointments. That just makes it harder for me as the seller as well as prospective buyers.
I have most of the records from my ownership as well as from the PO. Also includes all of the original manuals that came with the car as well as the original window sticker.
If you'd like any additional photos or if you have any questions, just ask.
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