CliffNotes: Should I get an E36 as my first car. In about a year I will get my license and my parents have told me that they will spend $8,000 on a car for me. So far I have knocked my choices down to an E36 or E46 328i and if I were to add $2K then an E36 M3/4/5 maybe :D. My question to you The Perfect First Project Car. A great engine and a solid platform make the E36 arguably one of the most customizable cars in the US. Plenty of BMW E36s made their way to the US, so they are cheap and readily available, another sign of a good project car. They even made a Miata-like version of the E36, called the Z3. This will require some welding experience or a friend who can weld. The e36 is an amazing car but has some lethal weakpoints in the rear of the chassis, Particularly their subframes. Theres several places that sell fixes for this such as Akg and uuc. Heres the list: rear shock mount reinforcement plates. The BMW E36 3 Series is a popular choice for drift builds, especially the wagon variant, due to its rear-wheel drive setup and affordability in the used market. 2023 Formula Drift Champion Chelsea DeNofa is building a BMW E36 wagon for Drift Matsuri by importing parts from the U.S. to Japan, where his friend is working on the car. A BMW can be a great first car as they have a good safety record and are generally reliable, but the price of owning one must be considered. Newer and higher-end models will be expensive to buy and maintain. However, lower-end models can be relatively inexpensive in the used car market. There's so much good to say about the E36 series BMW, but I'll try to keep it to a few important points: Engine and Transmission. The 328's real triumph, they work together simply and wonderfully, like a pair of accomplished dancers, smoothly shifting the car even when seemingly incredible demands are made by its driver. The S50 motor and e36 powertrain is by far one of BMW's most reliable that they've ever come out with. That said, it's still a 20 year old BMW M, so proceed with caution when buying. Don't just pull the trigger on the first one you see. Check for maintenance records and definitely get a PPI. Cooling System – Okay, first thing’s first, you must check out the cooling system almost immediately. In all E36-generation cars, the entire cooling system is incredibly annoying. All highly sensible and necessary for BMW’s long-term success but somehow an M3 created in a plush boardroom seems less cool than one magicked out of loopholes in a set of FIA regulations 99qC.

is a bmw e36 a good first car