BMW 325ti (E46) | PH Fleet

Recently, I haven’t had the best luck when it comes to clutches. Promise I’m not a car killer – at least I hope not. But having spent c. £1,500 having the clutch and flywheel changed on the Mini last year, it cooked a head gasket a matter of weeks later. I sold it for a third of that clutch change cost, which still hurts. 

Now I’ve spent the same again doing an identical job on the Compact. Sometimes it feels like I’d be able to afford a nice new car, all the money that’s been spent on keeping old crud going. Truth be told, it’s always been something that was on the to-do list for the car; even by rubbery, vague BMW manual standards, the shift was sloppy and the bite was high. There was no mention or record of a change, so it could well have been the original item. Or at least one that had seen better days. With ordinary use a few more miles could well have been eked out – there was no slipping, or failure to engage gears – but with a stag do trip to the Nurburgring 24 Hours not far off I was getting panicky. The thought of it giving up somewhere in Europe, having camped in the forest for a weekend and desperate to get home, filled me with dread. 

And while my credit card isn’t pleased, I’m so happy the work has now been done. Along with a big service, the Compact feels transformed: clutch bite is back where it should be, the straight six feels stronger, and the shift is only as bad as a modern BMW’s. So a noticeable improvement. Maybe I should have got the linkages and whatnot sorted while such a big job was being done, but quite frankly the thought of spending even more money in a wedding year wasn’t an appealing one. 

In fact, for the immediate future, I’d say the ti is sorted – from a driving perspective, at least. There are little cosmetic bits and bobs that could be done (make your jokes now about the major, unrectifiable cosmetic issues), but certainly nothing crucial. Right now I can focus on driving it at every given opportunity, because it feels absolutely bob on: no squeaks, rattles, groans or worries. If only the same could be said for the driver. 

I’m off to a car meet this week, and quite frankly am looking for any excuse to drive the BMW right now. I’ll take the long way to nursery, pick up the takeaway, or go out just for the fun of it. Particularly with the clutch done, I’m less worried than ever, which means there’s ample opportunity to get on with simply enjoying a naturally aspirated engine, hydraulic steering and a manual gearbox. When so many new cars feel so overwrought, the little Compact is always the perfect palette cleanser. 

Certainly, the Compact being so sorted means I’ve been distracted for a little while by such silly ideas as an RX-8 or a later, similarly ugly small BMW. I’d really like to leave it at least a couple more years before having to do a clutch again, thanks very much. Fingers crossed, actually, that this is the last bit of old BMW fettling for a while. I’ll report back after it’s been to Germany…

Car: 2003 BMW 325ti Compact
Run by: Matt Bird
On fleet since: July 2024
Bought for: £2,999
Mileage: 156,285
Last month at a glance: Classic Compact charmer clutch change