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I'm thinking about buying a ti. Ask all your questions about the possible purchase of a ti. Keep in mind, we are biased.

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Old 11-15-2012, 05:11 PM   #1
dms
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Default Hey, should I buy this 95 BMW 318ti 1.9L???

Hey everyone,

My name is Dante and I'm thinking about purchasing my first car. I really hope it could be this one right here: 1995 BMW 318ti (Seller says its the 1.9)

I know a lot about cars, but I don't have a lot of experience with this one on particular. In short, I would like a second opinion from atual owners or previous owners.

I would like to know about maintenance cost and if I do end up getting that car...I would like to give a bit of an upgrade and tune-up, who knows maybe even turbo-charged. Has anyone done this before? did it work? how much hp?

Here is the link to the car: http://www.webmotors.com.br/comprar/...nuncio=9082573

I haven't gone to see the car personally yet since it's a little far away. But the seller also says that the interior has new leather along with new leather wrap on the steering wheel. It has 65,000 km which is about 40,000 miles...is there a way for me to find out if the odometer has been tampered with?

Basically what I want to know is if the car will handle my heavy foot once in a while without giving me maintenance cost cuz I aint got no extra money...hahaha
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Old 11-15-2012, 09:35 PM   #2
teen ti
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Well first of all, 1995 ti's came with OBDI 1.8L M42 engines while 96 and after were equipped with OBDII 1.9L M44s so there would appear to be a discrepancy there unless its had an engine swap. As for maintenance if you're mechanically inclined you should be able to it all yourself, however BMW parts tend to be a bit more on the expensive side so if you can't afford the proper parts then I would suggest staying away from BMWs at the moment. Common issues on these cars are a shoddy cooling system that needs to be replaced if it goes or appears to be going, otherwise you'll overheat, blow a head gasket and be in a world of trouble, the window regulators are notoriously prone to failure and the headliner isn't the greatest, however there is plenty of information on here that will help you out if any of these occur. So to wrap up these cars are very reliable if you do the proper preventative maintenance and don't abuse the car, so if you can afford the upkeep its a great car to have, and the one that you linked to appears to be a nice example. Good luck and welcome.
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Old 11-16-2012, 01:30 PM   #3
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+1 on what teen said.
These are great little cars and reliable easy to maintain and if you buy the items in the right place they are affordable , if something's goes wrong with the car I recommend doing your homework before you start growing parts at it to save some money , time and piece of mind. Good luck and it appears to be a clean find.

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Old 11-16-2012, 03:37 PM   #4
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I would say if you are interested in doing your own maintenance and are slightly mechanically inclined this is a great car to get. If you are looking to get a car and to just drive it and have jiffy lube change the oil every now and then get a honda or toyota.

I have owned nothing but japanese cars before the my 318ti and have done most the work myself. Mostly just figuring it out on my own and with the help of the internet. I feel like the BMW has been easier to work on and parts aren't that expensive or down right cheap in some instances (brake rotors, radiator, water pump)

The build quality is much better and things go back together like the should. When working on my japanese cars it always seemed like things didn't go back together right. Things get bent or parts aren't as precisely engineered. The BMW has been joy to work on. I look at doing the maintenance as a hobby that i enjoy.

If you are looking for another hobby then these are great cars.

I dunno, just my .02
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Old 11-16-2012, 04:01 PM   #5
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Oi, Qual e, Dante! Tudo bem?

Welcome to the forum! First, not sure if this is a M42 (1.8) or a M44 (1.9). The U.S. 1995 models I think through October 1995 were 1.8 engines, but I'm not sure if Brasil received the M44 early.

You think this car has 40k Sao Paulo miles or on the less smoother country roads? It looks in great condition. If you search through the forum, you'll see one of the largest concerns is the cooling system. If you're handy, just inspect and replace components (Rad, hoses, plastic water pipes coolant pump and you should be good to go from a cooling standpoint.

If the valve cover is leaking, that's a easy maintenance. If it is a M44, then you can tackle the plastic "y" cooling connector on the back of the head while the valve cover is off.

then just the normal maintenance items, brakes, clutch, fluids, shock/struts. This is an easy car to work on, and this one looks great.

Tchau cara!
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1998 318ti Sport - "Max" Schwartz II/Schwartz sport interior, S52
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1995 318ti Active - "Blanca" Alpineweib III/Schwartz leather interior

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