FORGOTTEN E36? Salvage Auction Rescue 98 BMW 328is 5-Speed Parked For YEARS is SAVED From Crusher!

I couldn't help myself. I bought another old Bmw at the auction that needed help.
This 1998 BMW 328is is a pretty rare car these days and when I saw it at the auction, dirty, not running, clean title and in savable condition for a very reasonable price, I jumped all over it. Some 5-10 years ago these cars were EVERYWHERE and since they've mostly dried up, the opportunity to find buildable well-spec'd cars is RARE.
It looks like this has been off the road for 10+ years, baking in the sun. So why was it parked? Does it run? What's it going to take to make it run? Can I drive it? Should I drive it? All of these questions we explore answers to in this video.
I really hate seeing good old cars go to waste. That's the whole reason I'm in the auto recycling business. I own and run Importapart, a full service auto recycler specializing in older niche market vehicles. My goal is to keep as many of these older cars on the road for people to enjoy. They don't make new old cars, so saving all of the rare and crucial parts from cars not worth fixing helps that happen. Occasionally I run across one too good to part out, and this is one of those.

I really hope you enjoyed this video. As always I love all of the comments, feedback and even the criticism.

Catch you on the next one!

-Eric

[liver.flush.maestro]

"all BMWs, you like to keep a few things broken in them, because if you fix everything, something new fails" 🤣🤣🤣 man you make me laugh!

[grippgoat]

I love the fact that you're a successful small business owner, but you haven't become a person who can only view things as if they're a time-vs-money business decision. Please keep keeping it real. The world needs more people like you.

[meathead]

I believe that these get it running videos are more fun than the engine tear down ones. Former auto tech here, now retired. Such a thrill to get an engine running if it has been sitting for a while, if no one else can figure it out, or if you've torn it down to a bare block, then back together. Only a tech understands the thrill of the first start and running...

[greenthing]

Your love for cars, good, solid, repairable cars makes these videos so very enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, the teardown videos are wonderful, but these, these are next level, among the most enjoyable videos I watch, and because I am living with motor neuron disease, I watch a lot of videos. Thanks Eric, this was brilliant and I especially loved the 'new owner' segment at the end because it shows why doing what you do with old BMWs and MX5/Miatas is such a great way of saving these rough diamonds. Thanks.

[u_n_c_l_e_m_i_s_o]

At $1100 that's a killer deal, never a bad decision when you get a good deal 🤝

[johnpearson]

The e36 328is is the sweetheart of the long list of all BMWs ever built. They sound epic and are incredibly fun at legal speeds. The M52tu engine begs to be revved to get the most out if it. I have a 99 328is with the sport package that I many years ago built a custom engine head for. Ive been temped to put it back to stock and fix it up like this. Its a rust free southern car that needs some love.
I also daily a 99 M3, it was always a northern car and is a bit rusty, but it is going almost 200k miles even with daily driving, winter beating and heavy weekend autocrossing.
Keep the e36s on the road!

[robertwest]

I can get used to these multiple uploads per week. Who else is with me? Eric always entertains, whether it be a malice in the combustion palace tear down or a save this car because there is very little wrong with it and it is a killer deal vid. 👍🏻👍🏻

[raymondhellberg]

I agree, that one deserved to be saved - too many cars are crushed or parted out just because of lack of basic maintenance.or other stupid reasons. And nowadays too many car owners know nothing about maintenance and simple repairs, "drive it 'till it dies" or someone says its not worth fixing.

[justsumguyu]

Wow, a BMW from an era when they actually made great cars! I'm so glad you saved this one, it wanted to live another day

[theprobeius]

Mentioning that you found the multimeter in a car I think it could be a cool video to recount some of the best or strangest things you've found in cars over the years.

[jeti]

I’m enjoying this. I have a 1996 328i that I just drove 230 miles over the last two days. It currently has more than 421, 000 miles.

[McGJonin]

That’s a gorgeous BMW. Thank you for saving it and great job getting it running in such a (seamingly) smooth fashion. A true hero.

[brand-x]

A can of Raid might be a wise addition to the shoptruck. 😅

[stans]

Watching Eric fix a 1998 328i while my 1999 323ic has been sitting on the side of my garage for 8 years needing a water pump.
I'm just glad my wife didn't see this. It would be yet another season of "When are you going to do something with that???"

[derrickfettig]

Bought a 1999 Chrysler 300m at an auction 3 weeks ago for $50. Guy parked it 7 years ago because he went in the ditch and the car died. pulled it the 1/4 mile home. 20 minutes found it melted the fusable link. replaced it fired right up and idled perfectly even with old stinky gas in it. figured it wouldn't run at all with the varnish in the tank.

[martinpavlik]

Sweet! Some E36 content! Thanks Eric!

I'm on my 3rd E36, owned 2 M sedans in the 2010s and recently a saved-from-crusher 323is 5-speed with a blown head gasket (cylinder 6 coolant passage). Looking forward to watching the video when I get home from work.

[TheChaztor]

"even the turn signal kind of BMW is this?" You had pro comedian level timing on that one. lol

[TechTokOffical]

I'm not lying or being one of those "I know what I got" guys when I say with 100% confidence that I could get 10k for my 328i. I'm SUPER PROUD that car is in good hands with someone who doesn't appear to wanna ruin her!!!

[rong]

That is what you can do when you are the owner of a well run and profitable business Great job Eric

[sadlerbw]

This made me nostalgic for my old '94 325i. It was my daily driver, but I also autocrossed it. I swapped in a limited slip diff, chipped the engine, and did some simple suspension work. I cared about it enough to have reinforcements for the rear subframe and rear swaybar mounts welded in. It was not the fastest or nicest car I've ever owned, but it is very possibly the most fun. I had originally planned to strip the interior and turn it into a club racer, but then I had kids and ran out of time. It was a sad day when I had to have a wrecker pull its mostly-disassembled chassis out of my garage because we were moving to a new house, and I couldn't take it with me. Actually, I think I still have the ECU and a some brand new parts that never got installed hiding in the garage that escaped the purge. I should box them up and send them to Eric on the off chance he can use them to keep one of these old beauties on the road!