Mr_Clutch42 wrote: I'm also somewhat thinking about picking a 318 up for a daily since they're more reliable than the straight-6 car, and they're cheaper than E30s.
The 4-cylinders had gasket issues. I'd go with the iron-block M5x inline-6's for reliability.
The 1991 318i might be the best little brick.
they had gasket issues on the M42 engine. I am pretty sure that all of the engines with that issue have been fixed by now. It was never a matter of "if" it was a matter of "when" before the profile gasket would go.
It's funny, but my perception of the M5x engines is that they're a blown head gasket waiting to happen. Glad to hear others are having better experiences.
P.S., if anybody wants an M50 with a blown head gasket, and the matching manual transmission and ECU, I will be pulling one out of a 94 325is later this spring, and you are welcome to come get it from my home in McLean, VA.
Here is one of my big gripes about my 325i: The materials BMW used do seem to be inferior. They mention recycling in the marketing materials. The rubber, plastic, and steel bits are all kinda junky. You find a lot of advice about replacing the entire cooling system and all the bushings, etc. They require some attentive care.
It is common for neglected ones to suffer overheating problems (described as head gasket issues), broken shock towers, broken subframes, etc.
Mine is a piece of junk (salvage title) and run hard, but really has been reliable.
You'll need to log in to post.
