Buying a M3
- Thread starter n00bie
- Start date
n00bie, it all depends on the condition of the 95 M3. M3s are great cars, but as it goes with all cars, it all depends on how they're taken care of. Make sure you take it to a good mechanic to check it out.
Check out www.bavauto.com to check on the costs of mods.
Check out www.bavauto.com to check on the costs of mods.
The E36 M3 is a well engineered car that offers a great performance value.
It has a few weak points. If you have at least $15k to spend, you should be able to get a decent one with 80k or more miles. The water pump impeller should have been replaced, the radiator is plastic and leaks over time, the AC/heater can have problems,etc. None is a reason not to buy the car.
One does need to be careful when purchasing an M3, as there are salvage, flood, theft-recovery, etc., vehicles going around. You should have the car checked out by a reputable BMW mechanic and confirm history, etc.
You can tune a 95 to 270 hp fairly easily with a chip, exhaust, intake, etc. People take them to 500-600 hp. on occasion. Most don't exceed 400 hp with forced induction, 350 is typical for a 6psi supercharger. ($5000 or more plus install). A Chip (95) or software (96-99) run $250 and up. Nice exhausts can be had for $650, intakes $200 or so.
Also check out
http://www.bmwcca.org/links/lnkfset.shtml
www.turnermotorsport.com
www.dinan.com
www.hmsmotorsport.com
It has a few weak points. If you have at least $15k to spend, you should be able to get a decent one with 80k or more miles. The water pump impeller should have been replaced, the radiator is plastic and leaks over time, the AC/heater can have problems,etc. None is a reason not to buy the car.
One does need to be careful when purchasing an M3, as there are salvage, flood, theft-recovery, etc., vehicles going around. You should have the car checked out by a reputable BMW mechanic and confirm history, etc.
You can tune a 95 to 270 hp fairly easily with a chip, exhaust, intake, etc. People take them to 500-600 hp. on occasion. Most don't exceed 400 hp with forced induction, 350 is typical for a 6psi supercharger. ($5000 or more plus install). A Chip (95) or software (96-99) run $250 and up. Nice exhausts can be had for $650, intakes $200 or so.
Also check out
http://www.bmwcca.org/links/lnkfset.shtml
www.turnermotorsport.com
www.dinan.com
www.hmsmotorsport.com
ODDferkOUT said:
Hey now...
...repair costs aside, the Disco is a great car in it's own right. Haha. My bro owns one.![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
...repair costs aside, the Disco is a great car in it's own right. Haha. My bro owns one.
LoL dont be so sure.. this car needs to be really well maintained.. We already had to replace the radiator, the pump for the radiator and the tubing because it all failed, we had a broken exaust manifold, the whole exaust pipe with muffler had to be replaced.... front headlights once..
![[?|]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_banghead.gif "Bang Head [?|]"){kind=icon}
![[hihi]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_hihi.gif "Hi Hi [hihi]"){kind=icon}
Yes it is a shame, but remember the US version has different gearing and better low end torque, so it accelerates close to its European brother until you hit extra-legal speeds.
I think the US car is appropriate for the US market, but I am glad we get the real deal now and it would have been nice to have the choice then as well.
I think the US car is appropriate for the US market, but I am glad we get the real deal now and it would have been nice to have the choice then as well.