z31maniac wrote:
Not only do I think you missed the point, I've got a hard time believing that decent E36 M3 shells are available "all day long" for ~$1k
I've bought 2 running, driving E36s for less than $1000 in the last year and bought a nicely prepped one with a blown motor (that I'm currently reinforcing and putting a cage in) for $3k.
There is no difference between an M3 and a 325 shell aside from some reinforcements above the rear subframe and there are 6 more that you need to do anyway ... no biggie to do 7. So. Yeah. He is right.
I didn't realize the diff, brakes, etc were the same between M and non-M models as well. 
z31maniac wrote:
I didn't realize the diff, brakes, etc were the same between M and non-M models as well.
you already have those things when swapping in a straight shell to fix your wreck
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
z31maniac wrote:
I didn't realize the diff, brakes, etc were the same between M and non-M models as well.
you already have those things when swapping in a straight shell to fix your wreck
True, but we are dragging this off target. Since he isn't talking about keeping the drivetrain from his car.
Wrecking my only car and likely spending a month finding a shell and swapping everything into it is just not very appealing. Even if it does cost less than $1k, there's this thing called opportunity cost, and swapping everything over will take me quite a long time as it would be my first engine swap. It sounds like a lot of those who enjoy tracking their E36 M3 already have a backup car of some kind, I'm not denying that one can affordably track a M3, but it just isn't as affordable as tracking a Miata.
I've also been thinking of all the wear items/ unique parts in the M3 vs a miata: vanos parts, oil pump nut, more expensive to rebuild heads and motor, more expensive clutch, bigger more expensive tires and brakes, and a notoriously weak cooling system. The list goes on, for my purposes it makes sense to track a car I can afford to run, rather than one I'd be struggling to prep fully.
I really appreciate all the responses. I'm going to enjoy the M3 while I have it, but am preparing it for sale, rather than the track now, unless I come into some serious $$$.
