Beschreibung
Reluctant sale of this unmodified, rather delightful and very late E36 BMW Compact.
Registered by Hexagon BMW in September 2000, this Compact spent the first 22 years of its life owned by the same lady, who kept the car in a gated development in Essex. I bought it in April 2022 with the mileage at 37, 000 – it has now covered around 43, 000. Unfortunately, the middleman registered it in his name, so although I'm the second owner, the V5C shows two former keepers.
The service book shows a history of BMW main dealer servicing; I treated it to an oil service at BMW Westerly in Exeter in September 2022.
As a late 316i, it comes with the more powerful 1. 9-litre (M43) engine, and although you wouldn't call it fast, the additional torque makes it more fun to thread along your favourite B-road. It's also better for overtaking.
Unlike so many other low-mileage E36 Compacts, this one has a five-speed manual gearbox. As you probably know, the Compact lacks the multi-link rear suspension present in the rest of the E36 range, relying on the semi-trailing arm set-up of the E30. This led to criticism when the car was new, but it arguably adds to the car's charm in 2023. A rear-wheel drive hatchback from the 1990s with the face of an E36 and amber indicators. What's not to love?
As an SE model, it features air conditioning (which has been brilliant in the recent heatwave – it blows properly cold air), halogen front headlights and rear-seat head restraints. It also features the aerodynamic body styling of the Sport model, plus BMW floor mats, and Sports styling II 15-inch alloy wheels with 205/ 60 tyres. I treated the car to a full set of Falken tyres in May 2022.
If you're anything like me, you've probably checked out the car's MOT history. Yes, it really is * that* good. Keen to get a clean test in September 2022, I also tended to the tiny bit of corrosion behind the offside front arch. Having spoken to the bodyshop, they said it wasn't structural and there are no signs of further corrosion on the underside of the car. I was also given a video tour of the underside by the BMW dealer in Exeter; the only issue was the nearside rear brake hose, which was replaced in October 2022.
Since buying the car, I've sorted the following jobs:
- 4 x Falken tyres
- 2 x genuine BMW electric window regulators (a common problem!)
- New HVAC bulb (BMW used one for three dials to cut costs!)
- Surface rust (see above)
- Reproduction Hexagon BMW number plates (I have the originals)
- Service and MOT
- Nearside rear brake hose (genuine BMW)
I won't claim that it's the best E36 Compact in the country, but it must be up there. The Bright Red paint still looks, er... bright (radiant would be a better description) and there are no signs of damage. The windscreen is aftermarket, but the rest of the glass is original.
As you'd expect given the mileage, the interior is very good. The aftermarket Sony car stereo wouldn't have been my choice – the aerial is a bit ugly – but it does mean you can charge your phone, listen to DAB radio and listen to music from your favourite streaming service. I think an original BMW Business RDS radio would look better.
Any problems? The BMW bonnet badge is a bit tatty, there's a small tear on the gearstick gaiter, the door handles are a bit stiff, the paint on the door mirrors has a bit of lacquer peel, and there are a few TINY blemishes on the paintwork and alloys. I'm being picky, but I'd rather be honest. I know I've used the ‘reluctant sale’ cliché, but I'm genuinely in two minds about selling this. An E36 Compact has been on my wish list for years, so I was delighted to secure this one before it was released to the open the market. Amazingly, a BMW dealer told the original owner to scrap it because the cost of replacing the window regulators was more than the car was worth! Crazy.
This is a good one. It might not be the more desirable 318ti, but it does have a manual gearbox. I'm sure an automatic would be fine, but I've enjoyed driving this on the lanes of Devon. Speaking of which, I drove to Birmingham and back last week, and after 400 miles on motorways and dual carriageways, I'd convinced myself it was time to sell. Then, with last 15 mins on a local B-road, the Compact came alive and I'd changed my mind.
But, no, it's time to shrink the fleet, so using a ‘last in, first out’ approach, the Compact must go. I'm in no particular hurry to sell it; I'd rather it went to a good home and someone who's been after a good Compact for a while. Did I mention that this is a good one?
I'm aware that I live in the sticks, so I'd be happy to discuss meeting halfway or delivering the car to a railway station/ airport.
New pics taken today (23 June) after spending the afternoon cleaning the inside and out. It'll now be stored in a garage in North Devon.
Drop me a line or give me a call for more info. I'm hoping it sells here before I stick it on eBay...
