[buzz944]

I'm looking to buy a 99 Silver E36 M3 coupe, it has 182k and holds a clean title, the guy have all the maintenance records and he is the 2nd owner. when he bought it, it had 140K miles on the odo. according to him he never replaced the timing chain or had any problems with the Vanos, it has new tires which are worth $700

the car looks clean and drives fine, just needs new emblems and some care

do you think it a good deal? is it reliable?
I'm going to take it to a mechanic to check it on Saturday if no one comes and pays more

thanks for your input guys,
Ali

[Seattle S65B40]

I don't know man, that's a LOT of miles...

Wrong forum btw...

[SamS]

Links don't work, or you probably have to be a member of that forum to view them.

[Grail05]

Originally Posted by SamS

Links don't work, or you probably have to be a member of that forum to view them.

no you dont im a member for 6 years on s2ki and the link dont work.

[rbk1115]

Given the age and miles of the car, $5.5K is a little high. See what comes of the pre-purchase inspection. You mechanic might find a list of things that might need attention. I used to own an E36 M3 and the car definitely needs attention as the miles pile up. I had about 144K miles on my 1996 M3 when I sold it a few years ago.

[mdosu]

$1 Bob

[buzz944]

pics are up sorry

[persian54]

get a PPI

depending on what it found, make a reasonable offer

As it stands, I say 3k is what it's worth, and then give $350 more for the tires

[miiipilot]

I'm getting nostalgic. Still love the look. Those seats were so comfortable. I forgot about the /// on the seats. Had a GF in college that said, "Why do you have rainbows on your seats?" Silly girl.

Sorry I can't help in the $ evaluation, but I hope you find what you want.

miiipilot

[buzz944]

lol @ rainbow on the seat

[CobraR1339]

Those E36 were once honored as the best handling cars in the world. Do your homework these are way better cars than people today think they are. Yeah HP is low by todays standard but so is weight.

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/bmw/m-s...w-ar10589.html

"The BMW E36 M3 is considered to be one of the better-handling cars of all time, and was awarded "Best-Handling Car" award by Car and Driver magazine in 1997. Available as a saloon, a coupe or a convertible it flags the BMW Motorsport badge as a statement of it’s high performance. "

They were still faster around a track than the next gen cars when they came out. A good friend has all 3. The E36 is his favorite at the track. He has been tracking it since new.
He has built one motor for it in all that time. He got hooked on them when they were running T2 Scca and he was on track with them in another class. Always amazed how nimble the car was and how much speed it could carry through the sweepers.


Today they make an exceptional track day car or a great driver. 240 hp feels more like 300 with it's gearing. 3175 lb = Light , Tight, easy to work on, solid straight 6 know for going high miles. Set up like that, the power to weight is very respectable.

The car with some alignment work and sticky tires carries a ton of speed around a track. Not a rocket on exit, but easy to drive fast and carry more speed than higher HP cars. Easy enough to get weight down in the 2,700 range caged.

IMO it's a terrific first track day car. You can use all the power and perfect your skills.

Get it checked first, and if all is well, make your best deal.

"Closing comments
The E36 M3 was a performance masterpiece of it’s times, now is a cool-to-own used vehicle and it is definitely going to be a classic. While engines continue to get larger on today’s standard coupes, few of them can compare with the M3’s superior suspension and overall handling that seem as young and potent as 10 years ago."

This M/// too me is like the early Shelby Mustangs, the first of the breed.

And of course you can buy a Z4M or E39 M motor from a salvage and do a swap when ready for more power. 343 Hp and 2700 lbs ..What's not to like ?

[Sniz]

yup get a PPI, car could be worth what he's asking as the mileage isnt that high on that engine. They will last IF the maintenance has been done.

I paid 13.5k for my '99 M3 w 84k miles with lots of hardware extras but lacking a lot of maintenance. Took around $5k to get her back in shape. Worth every penny. Now I have an easy 440whp pump gas 3190lb monster. Soon to be retuned to over 500whp on pump gas and solid as a rock.

its a rocket. Handling is fantastic but with the ASC eliminated the backend can get away in a flash if your right foot is too heavy.