[Kief]

Hey guys,
I know not the right subforum and I'll post my questions over on an E36 site (any recommendations with a good crowd?), but do any of you guys currently own an E36 M3 along with your F80/F82?

I just returned from looking/test driving at a '98 w/127k mikes 5sp. Overall nice and has a few records/history of the car (private seller 3rd owner), but I have very limited knowledge on a realistic asking price (he wants $10.8) and if I'm going to be plagued with major upkeep/maintenance.

Sure was fun driving it with a real stick. And doesn't it look good with my F82 in the background!!

[cotmfk]

Good luck!

That's a bit on the higher end for E36, so hopefully it's in fantastic shape. You can also check out bimmerforums . com (instead of bimmerpost).

[Chihuahua]

$10800 is waaaay too much for that car.

$8500 - $9000 at the most in my opinion.

at $10800, youre in E46 M3 territory and that is a much better car than the E36.

[Boxtyp3]

If that would be a project, then I would go with E30. Nothing beats an all time classic.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by cotmfk

Good luck!

That's a bit on the higher end for E36, so hopefully it's in fantastic shape. You can also check out bimmerforums . com (instead of bimmerpost).

Yeah, that's what I thought, but "fantastic shape" I guess is a relative term, especially for someone like me who has never bought a used car before and I'm so OCD with all my cars from swirls to stained floor mats that I could have a problem determining what is a realistic condition for a 17yr old car

While going through the guy's records, he still had the ad when he bought it 3.5yrs ago and he snagged it for "around" $7500, the add listed $7700. $3300 profit for adding a ZHP shifter and few other minor tweaks...

[kprocivic]

it looks to be in good condition. not perfect. 6000 maybe 7000 depending on service history.

here in ca i paid 7200 for a highly modded 95,000 salvage e36m3. Had service history since 18000 miles. best car iv'e owned but repairs on it were a bitch.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by Boxtyp3

If that would be a project, then I would go with E30. Nothing beats an all time classic.

Originally Posted by Kyle B

$10800 is waaaay too much for that car.

$8500 - $9000 at the most in my opinion.

at $10800, youre in E46 M3 territory and that is a much better car than the E36.

Thanks guys
Chasing what I consider to be one of my all time favorites, an E46 M3, is what started this journey. However, I'm having a hell of a time finding anything relatively nearby to visual check/drive and manuals are basically nonexistent and the purple unicorn

[einbruch10]

Ive owned a few. But 10.8 is pretty high, thats asking price for an ltw e36 m3 with that mileage. These are iffy even with good records, if its something you want look for one with lower miles. Silver e36s go fairley cheap these days if you dont mind the color, but yellow and violet are the colors to have for investment purposes. If you want more info shoot me a PM im pretty familiar with the e36 platforms.

[Jamesons Viggen]

S52 is very robust, can treat you well and give you 100k more miles if maintained without asking for much.

That seems like an $8500 car to me.

[Kief]

Given the quick replies (and thanks), the consenus is this isn't a 10.8K car (and the owner is firm--deep down, I don't think the owner really wants to part with it). In his defense, the owner seemed like a good guy and there is a good amount of records on the car. I didn't mean to sound eariler like the history was shotty.

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by Kyle B

$10800 is waaaay too much for that car.

$8500 - $9000 at the most in my opinion.

at $10800, youre in E46 M3 territory and that is a much better car than the E36.

please show me a clean and reliable e46 m3 that's in that "territory". you have no idea what you are talking about. sorry

Originally Posted by einbruch10

Ive owned a few. But 10.8 is pretty high, thats asking price for an ltw e36 m3 with that mileage. These are iffy even with good records, if its something you want look for one with lower miles. Silver e36s go fairley cheap these days if you dont mind the color, but yellow and violet are the colors to have for investment purposes. If you want more info shoot me a PM im pretty familiar with the e36 platforms.

i think you have your models mixed up. an ltw e36 m3 is nowhere in that price range. also 10.8 isn't that high it's more around the $8kish range most likely. it all depends on the maintenance and then cosmetics.

Originally Posted by Jamesons Viggen

S52 is very robust, can treat you well and give you 100k more miles if maintained without asking for much.

That seems like an $8500 car to me.

this is more spot on.

Originally Posted by Kief

Given the quick replies (and thanks), the consenus is this isn't a 10.8K car (and the owner is firm--deep down, I don't think the owner really wants to part with it). In his defense, the owner seemed like a good guy and there is a good amount of records on the car. I didn't mean to sound eariler like the history was shotty.

no offense to other people in this thread, but i don't think most of them know what they are talking about minus maybe one or two of them.

i searched for two years for my e36 m3. heard every single bullshit story out there with all the excuses. the general rule of thumb is you should expect to pay about $10k for a "good" e36 m3. if you don't you will most definitely put that much money into it to get it up to $10k to run properly note that that is not perfect condition for that money. the rule is still pretty true to this day.

maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. this is the key to the e36 m3. there are alot of rubber pieces and in general it's a 16-20 year old car now. most items need to be changed. a quick rundown you should talk with owners about are:

-cooling system
-suspension
-all belts/pullies
-all electrical parts on the car

i know that's very broad, but i'll leave you to do some research

as mentioned before some colors will demand a premium. estoril blue, dakar yellow, techno/daytona violet are a few. last piece of advice i can give you is that make sure you have a budget for this car. i've had mine two years now and i daily it. i've chosen to do all the maintenance work on it so yes the bill has run up, but otherwise it is running as smooth as ever.

the car brings joy to me in a way the e90 can't. i can't explain it, but if i ever would be forced to sell one of my cars it would be the e90 for sure. the e36 is that special. i toss it up to an age thing and all the time and effort that has gone into the car whereas the e90 is much newer and alot less work has been put into it. it is a great daily that will definitely keep you satisfied until you get drive the f80 on the weekends.

go on bimmerforums or m3forum for all the best e36 knowledge. if you have any questions feel free to pm me i'm open to answering any and all questions you may have. best of luck in your search.

[kprocivic]

Originally Posted by rjd598

please show me a clean and reliable e46 m3 that's in that "territory". you have no idea what you are talking about. sorry

you said clean and reliable not him. he's right you can find a 150-200k e46m3 for not much more 11k. we all pay different prices for cars based off what we want. doesn't mean anyone is right or wrong, just means some are willing to pay more for what they want.

[IND-Distribution]

Looks like a fun project! Took me over a year to find an acceptable E36, had a bit of a rough interior but was very well maintained mechanically. There's a fellow on bimmerforums that put together a nice series of videos going over some good points when inspecting an E36 M3. I personally found them pretty helpful: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...R2sNb6Z6TGOAkq

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by kprocivic

you said clean and reliable not him. he's right you can find a 150-200k e46m3 for not much more 11k. we all pay different prices for cars based off what we want. doesn't mean anyone is right or wrong, just means some are willing to pay more for what they want.

i naturally assumed op would want a clean example (not pristine) and definitely something with lower mileage than what you posted. no one wants that $11k e46 m3 you will be plagued with all the problems, but like you said maybe someone wants something of that nature.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by Cat@IND

Looks like a fun project! Took me over a year to find an acceptable E36, had a bit of a rough interior but was very well maintained mechanically. There's a fellow on bimmerforums that put together a nice series of videos going over some good points when inspecting an E36 M3. I personally found them pretty helpful: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...R2sNb6Z6TGOAkq

Thanks for sharing the link

[Kief]

Originally Posted by rjd598

please show me a clean and reliable e46 m3 that's in that "territory". you have no idea what you are talking about. sorry


i think you have your models mixed up. an ltw e36 m3 is nowhere in that price range. also 10.8 isn't that high it's more around the $8kish range most likely. it all depends on the maintenance and then cosmetics.


this is more spot on.

no offense to other people in this thread, but i don't think most of them know what they are talking about minus maybe one or two of them.

i searched for two years for my e36 m3. heard every single bullshit story out there with all the excuses. the general rule of thumb is you should expect to pay about $10k for a "good" e36 m3. if you don't you will most definitely put that much money into it to get it up to $10k to run properly note that that is not perfect condition for that money. the rule is still pretty true to this day.

maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. this is the key to the e36 m3. there are alot of rubber pieces and in general it's a 16-20 year old car now. most items need to be changed. a quick rundown you should talk with owners about are:

-cooling system
-suspension
-all belts/pullies
-all electrical parts on the car

i know that's very broad, but i'll leave you to do some research

as mentioned before some colors will demand a premium. estoril blue, dakar yellow, techno/daytona violet are a few. last piece of advice i can give you is that make sure you have a budget for this car. i've had mine two years now and i daily it. i've chosen to do all the maintenance work on it so yes the bill has run up, but otherwise it is running as smooth as ever.

the car brings joy to me in a way the e90 can't. i can't explain it, but if i ever would be forced to sell one of my cars it would be the e90 for sure. the e36 is that special. i toss it up to an age thing and all the time and effort that has gone into the car whereas the e90 is much newer and alot less work has been put into it. it is a great daily that will definitely keep you satisfied until you get drive the f80 on the weekends.

go on bimmerforums or m3forum for all the best e36 knowledge. if you have any questions feel free to pm me i'm open to answering any and all questions you may have. best of luck in your search.

Originally Posted by rjd598

i naturally assumed op would want a clean example (not pristine) and definitely something with lower mileage than what you posted. no one wants that $11k e46 m3 you will be plagued with all the problems, but like you said maybe someone wants something of that nature.

Thanks for the replies.
Yes, my main focus is the mechanical and preventative maintenance. Despite being anal with my cars, I don't expect a 17yr old car to be cosmetically perfect unless were talking a different price range/restoration.
The owner of notes: 99% mechanically and 85% cosmetically, which I think is pretty much accurate.

Here's what's been done:
New battery
New alternator
recent brakes
recent tires
new headliner
new cps
replaced heater fan blower
all dashlights working
no saggy glovebox
OEM radiator replaced (from the records, I couldn't find if the water pump and/or thermostat was replaced)
full OEM suspension replaced within last 15k (not sure about the RTABs or RSM)

Current "issues":
1.Owner recently replaced the exterior driver's door handle (cracked internally?) and when doing so, he had to remove the air bag. He needs to reset so the airbag light goes off.

2. Despite "recent battery replaced," car is only driven during the warmer months and the battery died. He's only recently taken it out of storage and had to jump the battery twice. New battery?

3. CEL for rear brake lights. Might just need the bulb contact cleaned, or the wire which runs along the trunk might need replacing? Brake light sensor?

4. Intermittent code 1571 (he thinks). Camshaft, despite a new CPS awhile ago?

5. some bodywork, spoiler screws on left side are loose, some minor rust. a little bit of rust on edge of driver door.

6. interior isn't bad, but the driver's seat would need re-upholstered/cover

7. He also notes a "minor weeping leak on the power steering lines" but the level hasn't dropped during his ownership.

8. sunroof can get stuck open if button is pressed automatically. Showed me how to manual close if needed.

What are your thoughts about my comment earlier on the price:
He paid $7500 for the car 3.5yrs ago and now is asking $10.8K. Much of the work was performed by the 2nd owner (he is the 3rd). The current owner just basically installed the ZHP stick and contour wheels

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by Kief

What are your thoughts about my comment earlier on the price:
He paid $7500 for the car 3.5yrs ago and now is asking $10.8K. Much of the work was performed by the 2nd owner (he is the 3rd). The current owner just basically installed the ZHP stick and contour wheels

the e36 m3 is definitely rising in price solely due to the fact that it is harder and harder to find clean examples. this car isn't worth $10k. it's worth somewhere between $6-$7k imo. i would find something that has less questionable issues. also i wouldn't trust the owner too much since you claim he's done nothing but wheels and a shift knob. not good in my books after 3.5 years of driving.

[kprocivic]

brake pedal switch is a easy fix and it's cheap.

make sure new key handle is coded to old key or you will have two keys. one to open the door, one to start it.


http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...dge-Motorworks

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ere-first!-***

[W///]

The days of super cheap (but good examples) E36 M3's are coming to an end. Sure you can buy a $6000, but I guarantee you'll need to change every bushings, probably has rust, and has absolutely no maintenance.

You can't just look at mileage alone and say that an E36 is worth X, Y or Z. A car this old, regardless of mileage, can need a lot of things. Either way, I don't have much more to add than what has already been said in this thread. But I will say that I've decided to keep mine long term. It's just such a bloody fun car that is so forgiving.

And the color is nice too


P.S. For what it's worth, my buddy sold his MINT E36 M3 coupe, white/black cloth for $16k with 108k on the odo last year. That same car is now FS for $24k by no other than EAG (and it already says sale pending). Not saying that this is the norm. Far from it. But if you pay $6000, you'll probably be getting one that needs a lot of work.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by rjd598

the e36 m3 is definitely rising in price solely due to the fact that it is harder and harder to find clean examples. this car isn't worth $10k. it's worth somewhere between $6-$7k imo. i would find something that has less questionable issues. also i wouldn't trust the owner too much since you claim he's done nothing but wheels and a shift knob. not good in my books after 3.5 years of driving.

Sorry, I didn't mean the current owner did nothing regarding maintenance, he did. I just questioned the appreciation in valve given the overall condition of the car

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by Kief

Sorry, I didn't mean the current owner did nothing regarding maintenance, he did. I just questioned the appreciation in valve given the overall condition of the car

it's not worth his asking price.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by rjd598

it's not worth his asking price.

Gotcha