1981 BMW 3 Series 320I review from North America
"Very Fast, Clean and Reliable"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
New engine gasket.
New tires.
New fan belt.
New drive shaft.
New heater motor.
New clutch.
Seat belts don't retract properly.
Leakes a lot of oil, I fill my oil when I fill up my car with fuel.
Sunroof opening and closing handle.
4-way flasher button.
Timing on the valves.
New exhaust pipe X2.
Silver paint and clear coat are peeling off.
Rust on the bottom of the door.
Ruse on the quarter panels and rocker panels.
Rust on bumpers.
Rust on rims.
Rear driver side window leaks.
Sunroof leaks.
New air filter, oil filter.
New Positive Crack case Ventilation valve.
New Air mass boot (Airfilter to Engine intake)
New fuses.
New Relays.
Fusebox is wired badly, causes many shorts.
Fuel pump.
Odometer broken.
General comments?
The car is a nice car for racing. I took her on the 1/4 mile and got her a 17.7, she handles well and very easy to fix. Most of my problems came from the car being harshly driven from the previous owner. I have put over $1000 dollars into her. And for 4 months, she has being driving perfect. My only complaint on the car is, the car is rear wheel drive, and there is no weight on the back, so it likes to slip and slide when throttled. Very fast car, 181km/h. Great for a begining car if you can find a decent car. After 26 years, stock interior is still in good condition, and most engine parts are still good.
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  | 1982 - 3 Series 320i Turbo 1.8L Century turbo A high performance classic |
| Should be called "the disappointing driving machine" |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 Bored from a 1.8 block Manual |
| Performance marks | 10/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 205900 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 205903 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 9th August, 2005 |