318ti.org forum - IL 1996 BMW 318ti

I am listing my 1996 BMW 318ti for sale with 102,775 miles and clean CARFAX. The car lived its whole life in California and just came to Illinois earlier this year. The 318ti model was only sold in the US between 1995 and 1999 and is a unique and increasingly popular body style among E36 fans. I love this car but unfortunately I cannot drive right now for health reasons and it doesn’t make sense for me to continue paying for parking fees.

I purchased the car in October 2020 and am the third owner. I bought it from an elderly lady who hadn’t driven the car for 4 years and let it sit in her garage. Therefore, the car needed quite a bit of work after I purchased it because it had sat for so long.

Recent major maintenance:

- Entire coolant system replaced 7,000 miles ago
- Belts replaced 7,000 miles ago
- Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 tires installed 10,000 miles ago
- Brake pads and rotors replaced 10,000 miles ago
- Valve cover gasket and spark plug seals replaced 10,000 miles ago
- Spark plugs replaced 10,000 miles ago
- Oil filter housing gasket replaced 12,000 miles ago

The above is just a list of major maintenance events, there are of course smaller repairs that were performed here and there. Additionally, I have service records from the previous owner going back to 1997. In addition to maintenance, the following cosmetic upgrades were done:

- DS1 (style 22) wheels installed
- OEM Euro tail lights installed
- DEPO French Headlights installed
- Continental bluetooth radio installed

The car runs and drives great, it is a super reliable chassis and engine; when I could drive I used it for getting around town, commuting, and have even gone on 5+ hour road trips with it and it has never failed me. Of course, it is a 27 year old car and cannot be expected to be perfect. Current issues I know of:

- Headliner is sagging and likely needs to be replaced.
- There are some paint chips on the trunk and driver side door. Also some scratches here and there that are expected after 27 years. The previous owner was in a small fender bender and there is a small dent above the driver side rear wheel well. It is my understanding that the rear quarter panel was repainted after this.
- AC doesn’t work and the heat is weak.
- Suspension is soft.
- One of the front bumper attachment tabs is broken.

Thank you for reading and please reach out if you are interested or have any further questions. The car is currently registered in California through September 2024. Also, I have the original headlights and taillights back in California if someone wishes to return the car to stock. I think you will be hard pressed to find another 318ti with such low mileage and good condition.

I have tried to be as honest and straightforward in this ad as possible to not waste your time or mine.