Faults:

Clutch slave and master cylinder went bad at 245000.

Heater core hose split.

A/C never worked (to be expected).

New muffler.

New Bilstein shocks and H&R sport springs.

New tires.

Thermostat replaced at 250000.

Replaced control arms and tie rods.

Replaced oil pan and gasket after hitting an obstacle in the road, and at 245000, the crank and block looked brand new.

Adjusted valves, and the top end looked brand new!

Original alternator still puts out the stated 55 amps.

General Comments:

We got this car for less than 500 USD; it needed a cap, rotor, plugs and wires. Other than routine maintenance, the car has needed nothing.

These motors are BULLETPROOF and quite peppy. I ran the car into a foot deep puddle with a cold air intake on it, the motor hydrolocked and wouldn't start. Cranked it over for a minute and it fired up and smoked white out the back. It had about 3 or 4 extra quarts of water in the motor, and still limped home! After replacing the plugs and flushing the motor, it stopped burning the little oil it did, and ran way better! THESE MOTORS NEVER DIE!!!

It had the common valve seal leak, but it didn't burn any oil.

It was my first car, and I drove it everywhere; long excursions, races, drove around the city, and car club events.

The seats are very comfortable, and if you get cloth, they breathe very well.

We never did the clutch, and the clutch still has a lot of life left in it.

This car is proof that if you maintain one, they will go forever.

Replacing the suspension is one of the hardest things to do, but even that was an easy job, and after that was done, this car handles VERY well and can out handle cars 20 years newer.

One of the easiest cars to work on, and one of the most rewarding cars to fix up!

Overall, VERY cheap, VERY reliable, and VERY fun!

Faults:

About everything. Replaced all vacuum lines, rebuilt all brakes, complete tune up, replaced exhaust. This thing needs paint and seats.

General Comments:

I love this car. It's fun to drive, sticks to the road like glue, and sounds great.

Faults:

The head gasket blew, requiring expensive replacement.

Water pump failed.

Starter died, then new starter had defective solenoid.

Pressure accumulator blew, requiring replacement.

Front end bushings needed replacement.

General Comments:

I really, really loved this very temperamental, moody machine. When it ran, it ran like a rocket. When it broke down, it left you with maniacal feelings of despair and anger. But what a rush it was!

The elegantly dated shape of the car is eye catching. I love the shark nosed front end, and the tall greenhouse so reminiscent of the groovy European sedans of that era.

The engine is incredible, taching up to a shrieking, banshee wail around 5000. Just loved that sound! Mechanically at least, the motor is bulletproof. I've seen 320i's with 200 and 300 thousand miles on the original block. And cornering was wild; it would rocket through the tightest turns. But the automatic transmission is not the right choice for this car; if I was looking for one, I'd find one with the Getrag 5 speed. You need to be able to wind this motor up for performance.

Build quality was very good, but there were lots of little "glitchy" things, like the plastic glove box straps that routinely break (lousy engineering), or the too-fragile door panels, and the less-than-supportive seats. And don't ever try to do hard driving on a hot day; BMW's just don't seem to handle the heat very well. Still, despite the many bruised knuckles, no-starts, and overheats, I would do it all again.

A final warning: the 320i is an old car now, requiring a lot of it's owner. Despite their great qualities, this is not a beginner's car. It reminds me of a guy who said that there are two kinds of people who own old Bimmers: BMW mechanics, and those who wish they were.