I know this is E30 speific forum, but I want an E36

[E30Drivah]

The e36 M car is the only one I would consider over an e30.

[rThor432]

They sure do compliment each other well. By compliment, I mean having an E36 with A/C is nice in the summer time if you removed the A/C from your black E30.

[Danny]

My girlfriend has an M3/4/5.

I like it.

[Ral]

^^^
1. buy cubic zirconium
1.5. Put everything you own in an LLC under your sole control.
2. propose
3. tie the knot
4. divorce
5. take M3

[e30e]

I do love the swapped coupe vaders in my e36 m3/4/5 thanks for reminding me

[lennon]

I fell in love with my e36 M3, its everything wraped in one. Trust me, the car performs well in every category. Its a very comfortable car to drive...

aww that baby intake manifold is cute

[Jon325i]

A couple of things working in your favor if you're scouting an E36:

1) The newest one is 10 years old....depreciation has set in, even on really clean & well maintained examples

2) Absolutely insane amount of aftermarket options with the E36

I think the best advice to follow is the saying I've read in Excellence magazine (Porsche rag), and this is - "buy the newest and best condition example your budget will allow". M3 prices are all over the map; some can be had for dirt cheap (i.e. ratted out / neglected) while others are nice garage queens. Thankfully BMW made lots of 'em....so you can be picky.

BimmerForums is probably the most popular site for E36ers....just be prepared to sift through a lot of BS and jackassery.


Jon

[straight6pwr]

drove an e36 m3 enough to know that even though it goes and turns faster than an e30, the fun while your doing it is half. the m3 would be a good daily, but i wouldn't even look twice at a non-m for any reason.

[formula driver]

aww that baby intake manifold is cute

hahaha....

Good stuff! I actually have 2 m50 mani's sittin around. I have an extra s52 with 60k miles on it sittin in storage, thats getting cams, obd1 and the works. So thats my excuse for having an anorexic IM. This motor is coming out entirely.

lol

I agree with you guys 100% though, my first car was an e30 325is, w/ GC's and konis and and it was sooooo much fun, quite a bit more so than the e36.

[91 318is]

sweet my thread got moved...

Anywho, yeah I mean I love my E30 to death, but E36's have just grown on me, at first, I hated them because everyone had one, but if modded tastefully, they look sexy.

I would definitely love a E36 //M, but I just don't have the money to repair it, as I expect everything on an //M car to be pretty pricey.

A few weeks ago another local car message forum had a 96 M3, 115k, lightly modded for 6k, which was a killer price I think.

If I did anything, I'd trade my E30 straight up for an E36, and if I wanted the E36 enough, I'd put a little cash on top.

[rThor432]

The only thing that I can think of that costs more to repair/maintain on an M3 compared to a standard E36 is the brakes. Not having a real M motor helps.. Actually, other than the brakes, maintaining the E36 M3 hasnt really cost any more than maintaining the E30. I've done basically the same amount of work on both, and the difference nothing to even worry about.

I think the expensive part is(/was) getting into one compared to an E30. When I bought my M3 3-4 years ago it was ~$10k. My E30 was ~$1k about the same time. Both were, maintenance wise, in about the same condition and required around $1k in tires and suspension components to safely roll around.

[Kovs]

I think the expensive part is(/was) getting into one compared to an E30. When I bought my M3 3-4 years ago it was ~$10k. My E30 was ~$1k about the same time. Both were, maintenance wise, in about the same condition and required around $1k in tires and suspension components to safely roll around.

E36 M3 prices have dropped noticeably in the last 12 months. Nice ones can be found for around $7K... $6K if you're persistent and lucky. I bought my 4 door for $7K this time last year but probably put around $3K into it overhauling the cooling system, brakes, RSMs, rear shocks, flushed all fluids, new tires, used OEM wheels, etc. Although it needed some big ticket upfront maintenance items, its been dead reliable and the only thing it will need in the future is front shocks.

I know I'm going to get flamed for saying this, and it is my wife's car (really!), but the automatic is a very under-rated DD. Unlike the GM slushboxes in lesser E36s, the ZF 5 speed is a pretty stout unit.

I would say if you want an E36 M3, shop carefully, beware of the maintenance items, and buy it!

[FredK]

drove an e36 m3 enough to know that even though it goes and turns faster than an e30, the fun while your doing it is half. the m3 would be a good daily, but i wouldn't even look twice at a non-m for any reason.

^ what this guy said.

I just sold my E36 328is. It drove smoothly, quietly, and best of all, could pull 31-32 mpg cruising on the highway. It is really easy to work on. I sold the car because quite frankly, it was rather boring, and I found the sport seats less comfortable than the E30 sport seats. The HK audio is leaps and bounds better than the E30 Premium Sound system.

A 96+ M3 has control arms that cost around $70 more per side than non-M control arms. The strut bearings are also more expensive since they are offset on the M.

It's a great DD.

[SamE30e]

Real M car's have ITB's.

[Kovs]

Real M car's have ITB's.

So I guess the E12 M535i is also a "fake" M car? The ITB cars are all interesting in their own way - and some of them even have racing pedigree to stand behind their Motorsport badge - but that alone does not make them lesser or greater than other M cars. This is a reoccuring arguement that has little merit IMO.