zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
Ride Into the Apocalypse in Style With This Lifted Off-Road BMW E36
Ride Into the Apocalypse in Style With This Lifted Off-Road BMW E36-January 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:46

? Yes, agreed. When the world goes to hell and our infrastructure crumbles into dust (I mean more so than now, obviously) you’ll be glad you’re driving a tough, lifted apocalypse-mobile. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice luxury and sporty dynamism.

You may remember last year when we highlighted a lifted, battle-ready, olive green ready to cruise into a muddy bog. The same tuner has alerted me of the 1990s. It’s got a manual, too!

This is a 1993 318i, the one with a four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual. It has 180,000 miles on the clock, plenty of rust, a very good interior and, best of all, a two-inch lift and 215/65/16 BFG tires. He’s on Kinja, and you can see more of the build .

More details:

Front: Aluminum Strut spacers, approximately 2". These are mounted on the top of the strut mounts. I removed the studs and used longer hardware and a bent wrench to put it all together. The spacers are actually the end caps to a 90's era strut bar. Intentions were to replace them eventually but they seem to do the job. Springs are stock from a 92' 318i on stock replacement Bilstein struts. I don’t have any technical data to back it up, but I’ve always thought that 92' springs looked taller than later springs when they switched to control arm mounted endlinks. Speaking of endlinks, the stock swaybar and links are used. If I’d want to do any serious offroad stuff I’d likely pull the bar completely but for street use I’ve left it for stability.

The owner says that while it’s far from perfect externally, it runs quite smoothly, though it needs some work. It’ll need a new CV boot, the differential’s drain plug leaks and the belts squeak. You can fix those things if you want, and none of them sound hard, but this car is meant for battle—it’s not ever going to be some garage queen. It’d be fun to just screw around in, especially when the pavement ends.

(It is possible we need establish a distinction between and the slightly nicer lifted safari cars, the latter of which includes 911s and stuff. But when the world ends, labels won’t matter. Only hunting for water and gasoline and people to eat.)

Anyway, this thing is for sale . Someone give it a good home. It even comes with helpful “E36" markings on the side in case you forget what it is.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
1981 Omega Drops its Top, Asks Only $2000 in Return.
1981 Omega Drops its Top, Asks Only $2000 in Return.
Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Today, offers up a Convertible X-car that could be the last Omega you'll ever buy. Ford wagons apparently hold a special spot in the hearts of Jalopnikadians. Only a bitter and angry 5% of you went for the Crack Pipe lever...
Jan 13, 2026
1979 Saab 99 GL for a Rally-Winning $3,995!
1979 Saab 99 GL for a Rally-Winning $3,995!
If you've always wanted to be Carlsson på taket then you'll need the proper ride. has just the car, and it comes with quite the Saab story. The 99 was going to be Saab's "big" car. And while it may not have been born from jets, it was a significant...
Jan 13, 2026
1978 More Than Fairmont Racer Truck for $2,000!
1978 More Than Fairmont Racer Truck for $2,000!
During his campaign, Barack Obama promised change you can believe in. Today, has a Ford that's had a change we can definitely get behind. Okay, you can put away your pitchforks and torches, the is gone. A surprisingly modest 69% of you went Crack Pipallistic on the sad little Olds...
Jan 13, 2026
2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI: First Drive
2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI: First Drive
With a V8, the R8 is possibly the perfect super car, striking the right balance between performance and usability. The adds 105 HP and $32,000. Is the extra performance really necessary? Here's the thing about the Audi R8 V8 and a manual transmission it is a testament to the breed;...
Jan 13, 2026
Teaser: Driving The Audi R8 V10 At Infineon Raceway
Teaser: Driving The Audi R8 V10 At Infineon Raceway
We spent part of the week in California, testing various new Audi products, the headliner being the . Check back Monday for more. Until then, here's a teaser video of our run at . ...
Jan 13, 2026
2009 Volkswagen Routan SE: First Drive
2009 Volkswagen Routan SE: First Drive
My friends are well-educated young professionals who quote The Wire like Southern Baptists quote scripture — ideal Volkswagen buyers. Will they see the Routan as child carrier for Tristan & Zooey or just a rebadged Chrysler Town & Country? The Routan is advertised as “the only minivan in America with...
Jan 13, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved