Talk me out of an E36 M3

I came across a 99 E36 M3 that looks to be in excellent shape other than a missing door panel. But it has 212k miles. Add says that it runs and drives perfectly, has new paint, new lights, new skirts, lip, and diffuser, and new steering rack. 

I had an E46 for a little while so i know about cooling system issues and i think so of it has been addressed. Seems like subframe mounts might not be an issue on these cars? Can’t find a straight answer. 

Currently im driving an 06 Miata but I’ve always loved M cars and a back seat would be nice with my 1 year old. 

Can i get some GRM wisdom on this? Not an easy decision for me. 

AIUI, E36 subframes don't rip out as easily as the later E46 ones, but they are still vulnerable.

I think if you really have to E36 M3, you should just E36 M3. It’s not just an impulse to E36 M3, it’s a biological necessity that no one can talk you out of!

E36 subframes are of little concern. I think putting M3 power in a standard E36 chassis might be more worrisome. I learned about these cars some time ago and don't recall specifics but if it didn't frighten me it shouldn't be scary for anyone as I'm paranoid about such things.

Cooling system is the worst issue. Door trim panels are garbage. Stock shifter sucks. Sometimes the oil pump nut can back off; most guys zap a weld onto them to keep them in check. VANOS may need a rebuild if it hasn't been done. Aside from head gaskets (usually related to the cooling system woes) these engines laugh at mileage.

Anything on the car that is M package will cost multiples more than than standard E36. Bumper cover, mirrors, side trim and so on all have a M tax.

These are by far the most affordable of all the M cars and still retain a pretty high level of reliability. The average guy can afford to run one of these. The E46 M3 not so much. Rod bearings, ripping subframes, window regulators...no thanks.

You came to the wrong place if you want to be talked out of something.

Did i mention it’s a fantastic price?

Maybe i should have put quotes around “Talk Me Out of”. I know y’all are just a bunch of enablers. That’s kinda what i was counting on, you guys saying “buy it and here’s what you’ll have to fix” but from a reasonable GRM perspective. I learned a lot over at bimmerforums, most of all that they blow every issue way out of proportion. 

I recently bought an E36 M3 1999. It's a fun car but it's a frustrating bitch to work on. The interior plastics are nice and brittle (door panels especially), electronics are wonky, but it loves to be thrashed and puts a smile on my face. 

As far as I know, the big thing is that you pretty much need to bring it home, tear the entire cooling system out, and replace it all. If you can't do that in your driveway then it's a rather expensive proposition to have a shop do it. If you're at the mechanical level where that sounds like an ok idea then it's an ideal car for you. 

Define fantastic price; I’m curious what a high mileage one could be bought for nowadays!

I had a 95 ///M and I loved it.  Would definitely rock another E36.

Just bought a 98 M3/4/5.  These are fantastic cars, but if you've been driving newer stuff then jump back into an E36 they are definitely starting to feel vintage-y.  

My day 1 drive consisted of my daughter knocking my coffee cup over onto dove gray leather 3x on the ride to school and a CEL on the way home.

Yep, this car sounds right down my alley.  

Only downside is that you can't search for "E36 M3" on this forum without wading through a lot of E36 M3.  :)

Obligatory "Stuff E36 bros say" video.  -- (NSFW - language) Stuff E36 Bros Say

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

I have no issue doing that. I think the guy has already replaced everything other than the overflow tank though.

In reply to dculberson :

$3,500 asking price 

In reply to Tyler H :

My 06 miata is the newest car that's been my daily. SWMBO drives a 2010 equinox, but it's basically rocking tech from 2004. I actually love older cars, and tried to talk SWMBO into letting me get a sweet 87 325is but she thinks they're ugly.

After about 6mo of shopping these, watch for rust...bottom of doors, jack pads, behhind the fender liners and skirts, in front of the gas tank. 

They're at that stage where the price is volatile, which means there are still deals to be had, but there is also a lot of junk.

These cars will run indefinitely if cared for, but can be horrible if neglected.  

A $3,500 asking price for a running, driving, decent car would  make me a little weary.  Even with 200K miles, that car should have a pricetag nearly double of that.  As noted previously, these engines run a long, long time if taken care of. 

Be sure you get underneath the car to be sure it hasn't been wrecked, or pieced together.   At that low a price, I'd also expect a lot of deferred maintenance.  (Subframe bushings, strut tower bushings, dampers, etc.)  

The subframes on the E36 M3s were reinforced from the factory, so they rarely fail--- more of an issue in E46 cars.

I'd give it a very, very thorough once-over, with a BMW expert if possible.  Either that car has some serious issues / rust / accident damage, or it's one Hell of a deal!  

For reference, I just paid $7900 for M3/4/5 with 140k. 

$3500 is cheap, but I've seen some out there in that range...they usually need work.  They are fairly straightforward to DIY, and often a shop estimate of $8k will scare people into selling them. 

If you're willing to put work and $2k right off the bat into parts and you're still good, then go for it.  Even my car, which check all the 'nice car' boxes, is probably going to need $2k worth of bushings and misc stuff.

It's been my experience with all BMWs.  Budget $2k to get it right and enjoy reliability.

Definitely make sure the transmission is in order, it's very easy to 'money shift' these cars, to the tune that my friend who had one would change the grip on the shifter when he went into 4th to make sure he didn't downshift accidently.  He also had to have the rear subframe fixed on his, before he added extra power. 

Thanks for all the pointers. Trying to get a maintenance history now.

Here's another take on the e36 m3: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/i-thought-i-wanted-an-e36-m3/145190/page1/

Yeah, someone pointed out in there about the auto translate function in our forum...

rdcyclist said:

Here's another take on the e36 m3: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/i-thought-i-wanted-an-e36-m3/145190/page1/

Yeah, someone pointed out in there about the auto translate function in our forum...

I thought it was hilariously when they first did that. Now that I own an E36, it's a lesson in futility. 

My cheap E36 ///M experience

Well looks like the M3 guy doesn’t want to tell me anything about maintenance history. Time to look for some other car that’s manual, rwd, has a backseat, fun to drive, and halfway decent fuel economy. 

It still could be worth it.... not saying it would be but I’d check it out at that price.  

In reply to jfryjfry :

Agreed. Assuming you have the time and space to do a pretty comprehensive catch-up on the maintenance. At that price, you'll have some budget to work with. Mechanically, these cars aren't too bad to work on. 

Tyler H said:

Just bought a 98 M3/4/5. 

A what?

Keith Tanner said:

Tyler H said:

Just bought a 98 M3/4/5. 

A what?

an M3 with 4 doors and a 5-speed.