Hi all- I'm currently from the e30 side, but am looking at a 99 328 convertible. Just want to find out as much as I can about what I should be looking for- the car is a 5 spd with 40,000 miles. Are there any inherent flaws I should be wary of? Subframe or engine issues? If it were an e30 I would know what to look for. Any advice would be appreciated.

Also assuming good condition and it's low miles, what would a fair price be?

Thanks

Good luck finding one with those kind of miles. A '99 328 could fetch at least 13k(low mileage/good cond.)

Check the suspension AND put the top up and down SEVERAL times. The power top (as a 328 will have) can be very problematic. Make certain it works 100% or else you could be looking at some not-so-nice repair bills.

On the other hand, buying one with a top that simply needs a reset can be a good bargaining point "It'll cost me $1000 to fix!"

Good luck finding one with those kind of miles. A '99 328 could fetch at least 13k(low mileage/good cond.)


Mine was $16,000 with 64Kmiles and almost every package/option that came on the e36. (missing hardtop)

What to look for I would say check the top make sure it works, and also check and make sure the fabric is in good shape.

There are little things that go wrong on the cars over time (check out the sticky on the top of the E36 page) just look for anything that will stick out in your mind like with any car!

Thanks for the initial replies- how are these cars with regard to rusting? My e30 is known to be very vulnerable. Can an e36 handle daily driver duty during the winter?

So far the two e36's i have had i did not have any issues with rust.

Some of the first e36's like 92 and 93 did have some rust issues but by 95 most of them where solved.

It can only be a 1999 model?

I bought my 1996 328 with a little over a 100k miles and it's still new.

Suspension bushings are known to go, but replacement isn't that difficult and pretty cheap.
Rear top mounts are weak.

Other than some other culprits like brakelight switch that will go, sagging glovebox (easy to fix if you know the problem). they're pretty bullit proof.

It can only be a 1999 model?



No- not at all! It's a 99 that I found that I'm looking at. I don't care what year- but I was attracted by the low mileage.

No- not at all! It's a 99 that I found that I'm looking at. I don't care what year- but I was attracted by the low mileage.

I see. Well I would at least get a facelift model. Early 328i's can be pre-facelift, but most will be facelift models.

100k is low mielage for a bmw..40k is like new

pretty much the same as non-convertible e36 cars. i think theres a sticky in the main e36 section about it.

i think the best thing to keep in mind for convertibles though, is that its better to get a nice one with everything functioning properly from the start, than to get a fixer-upper with intentions of making it nice and getting all the broken stuff to function properly.

100k is low mielage for a bmw..40k is like new

people say that, but its not true. at 100k miles, there is plenty of stuff that needs to be replaced for the car to run great.

In addition to what the other members have said, I'd check the front end -- radiator, water pump, thermostat, etc. The plastic components on the radiator and housing are known to be problematic after about 70K miles, but even tho this one has only 40K miles, it's still 8 years old... Also, I'd ask why the mileage is so low -- if nothing but in-town driving, it may be worse off than 100K highway miles. And last, pay your mechanic $100 to give it a thorough inspection -- if you still like it, use anything he finds as a negotiating tool.

I paid 12K this past spring for a 98 323 with only 26K miles. The car is nearly mint and I count it a great find. I love driving it. In my case the car was low mileage because it was the wife's other car - her primary car was a nice Mercedes sedan. The vert was only driven occasionally and lived in a huge four car garage. She was selling it because her new "second" car was a new retracting hardtop BMW 335 vert. I remember seeing a 98 328 with 50k miles for around $13.5 - it sold after a few weeks. My guess is that $13-13.5 would be an excellent price for a 99 with 40k miles. The top usually has wear issues - dog ears near the rear window when the top is up and the like. Worth taking to a mechanic to check over. My 323 doesn't have a speck of rust on it and its lived its life in Boston and Albany NY although it hasn't seen snow.

To find my car I used Yahoo autos, set the model, opened the distance to 500 miles, and searched by mileage. Saw a nice M3 vert in technoviolet with under 50K miles for under $18K - exceptional condition.

Once you get up to $18K you can start looking at e46 verts with 75k miles or so.

Peter

I'm confused (happening a lot today).

Is it that you've actually already found a specific car (99 328 5 spd w 40k miles) and are looking for pointers of where to look for problems on the car, etc?

Or is it that you're daydreaming about a 'vert and hoping to find a car with the said profile (99 328 5spd w 40k miles).

If you've found one, I agree with Peter: take it to a reputable BMW mechanic. Spend the $100-150-whatever to have the peace of mind. Although honestly a car with that few miles on it should be in stellar shape.

And Palomino as usual is right on - the points for a 'vert aren't much different than for a regular e36. Except for the soft top.

With that in mind, look for typical soft top problems:

a) disintegrating rubber backing from headliner - open the top partway, use a flashlight, and look inside the top (between the headliner and the canvas exterior) and check to see if the rubber backing is disintegrating. You will know right away - the stuff ends up as rubber "dust/schmeg" that looks like a really nasty fruit-roll-up (brown with black specs). It's believed that this happens due to heat. I'm guessing this car probably won't have this problem - if it was kept in the 4 car garage and lived most of its life in Michigan, I doubt it would have been outside enough to have any problems.

b) open the top and look at the "leading edge" of the tonneau cover ("convertible trunk lid"). If you see any marks/scores in the plastic trim, be aware that the tension straps (used to pull the top up) are probably shot. This also is believed to be caused by heat, and is also unlikely to be the case for the car you're looking at.

c) while the tonneau cover is open, look inside the storage area to make sure it's not full of water/goop (doubtful). Also pop off the black plastic bulges that cover the tops of the rear shock towers - this is how you check the rear shock mounts (RSMs) for 'verts.

d) bad tops will make banging sounds at one of two points: when the top first starts going down, as the tonneau lid bangs into the underside of the soft top (causing the scores I discribe in "b", above), or when the top finishes going down, the soft top's rearmost bow bangs into the center of the tonneau lid (caused by leaking gas shocks used to lift the tonneau lid).

e) make sure that the top folds properly - nothing should extend/overlap outside of the tonneau cover when it closes. If you see fabric "pinching", something is wrong.

Honestly, with a 40k car, you probably won't have too many of these issues. I'd look more at the typical e36 maladies, and check to ensure that the suspension is holding up to the passage of time. Oh, and don't forget the water pump. The stock plastic impellers are a "ticking time bomb."

But that's all non-vert common problems.

Good luck. Sounds like you've got a potential winner on your hands. 4500 miles a year on average (give or take) is great!

Thanks BigBilly- great suggestions....

+1 for everything Big Billy said. Some excellent advice.

Also look for other "normal" E36 issues like the leather on the door cards bubbling and separating from the door. Look for the gap that the door cards have come unglued from the plastic strip that has the fasteners that clip into the door (gap where the top of door cards right at base of window).

Prepurchase inspection is key. There's stuff you'll never be able to find by yourself.

One thing that not many people mention that I look for is to make sure that all the different VIN # stickers have the same vin. You will find them on the doors, hood, trunk lid... It's a great way to verify if it's been in an accident.

If the car has the winter package (heated seats/mirrors/washers), that's a HUGE plus for a vert. Also nice to have one with the power sport seats.

On the top, look at the stitching that goes along each of the bows. If it's in good shape, that's a plus.

Also, since I came across this: on a top that's hardly been used, look for cracks along the fold line of the plastic window.

My top in general is pretty stiff (from not having been "stretched out" much with any opening & closing since the prev owner just kept the hard top on it or went topless and rarely used the soft top) and sometimes it doesn't want to latch to the windshield frame. Not a big deal for me since mine's semi auto and I can finesse it.

Sounds like a sweet find (assuming it's a decent color!)

If the car has the winter package (heated seats/mirrors/washers), that's a HUGE plus for a vert.

yeah, heated seats would be a deal-breaker for me.

they should be standard equipment on such an expensive (when new) convertible.

Thanks again for the replies. Very useful. I ended up with one I bought over the internet (gulp!) from a broker in Naples, FL. The car was a trade in on October 30, I viewed some pics and purchased it over the phone last Friday November 1st. He had it on a truck to me and it was delivered to my house in Michigan last night. I was relieved to see it in fantastic condition- 1999 328i, 5 spd, 30,800 miles, alpine weiss III (just like my e90, my neighbors probably think I'm gehy...). Wheels even look brand new. It belonged to a snowbird that drove it around during the winter down in FL. then kept it garaged 9 mos out of a year.

I gave my bmw dealer the VIN beforehand so that he could pull any warranty work done on the car. Looks like it was serviced annually with synthetic oil, but didn't have any repair issues. All the VIN stickers are everywhere, and the carfax didn't show any accidents. The underside of the car doesn't look like it's even seen a puddle. The PO looks to be as anal as I am.

Only dissapointments is it doesn't have the cold weather package, and the friggin headliner is shedding its backing a little. At least it came with the wind deflector and the keyfobs. Rear window has been replaced, but the top fabric seems perfect with all the stitching. I was relieved that the top opening/closing is flawless, but daayam - that complicated mess makes me nervous!! Rear shock mounts seem fine.

For reference, I paid $13,900.

Thanks again for the replies. Very useful. I ended up with one I bought over the internet (gulp!) from a broker in Naples, FL. The car was a trade in on October 30, I viewed some pics and purchased it over the phone last Friday November 1st. He had it on a truck to me and it was delivered to my house in Michigan last night. I was relieved to see it in fantastic condition- 1999 328i, 5 spd, 30,800 miles, alpine weiss III (just like my e90, my neighbors probably think I'm gehy...). Wheels even look brand new. It belonged to a snowbird that drove it around during the winter down in FL. then kept it garaged 9 mos out of a year.

I gave my bmw dealer the VIN beforehand so that he could pull any warranty work done on the car. Looks like it was serviced annually with synthetic oil, but didn't have any repair issues. All the VIN stickers are everywhere, and the carfax didn't show any accidents. The underside of the car doesn't look like it's even seen a puddle. The PO looks to be as anal as I am.

Only dissapointments is it doesn't have the cold weather package, and the friggin headliner is shedding its backing a little. At least it came with the wind deflector and the keyfobs. Rear window has been replaced, but the top fabric seems perfect with all the stitching. I was relieved that the top opening/closing is flawless, but daayam - that complicated mess makes me nervous!! Rear shock mounts seem fine.

For reference, I paid $13,900.

Sounds like a great car!

You won't be able to retrofit the heated seats into your car, even if you found some power/heated you wanted to swap in. Best bet if you REALLY want heated seats (which are worth their weight in gold) is to go to an upholstry shop and get aftermarket. When I checked into it, the price ran around $300 a seat...

Wind deflector! Nice.

Now, you can be on the search for a hard top!

Backing shredding... Bummer. I guess you get to deal with "convertible dandruff" now...

if you are okay with wiring things yourself, you can get aftermarket seat heating kits on ebay for $150 for the pair.

there is also a factory retrofit kit, if you like factory stuff.

seems like a great car. might want to check all the rubber & plastic parts for dry rot since they sat around so much.