I should be glad but still I'd rather see enthusiasts embrace the car for what it is. I always liked the M3 regardless of value though. My experience with the S14 is different than most. I did a preventative rebuild, do all my own service and never had any mechanical failures but I also got mine in 99 (from a 325e in 93) and been studying the game a long, long time. I think if people spent some time researching the SIG, S14 archives, the many tech articles written about the car, they'd learn more than a few money saving tricks as old M engines are temperamental and that's the key. Which leads me to my next point...most M3 owners don't work on their own car, especially the original owners and that's adds to the cost exponentially.
Quick story...my M3 was primarily serviced at a BMW dealership. The previous owner paid $1000 for a reman DME, $300 to install it, then another $800 for new pads/rotors, etc etc. I literally laughed at the folder of invoices. They couldn't wait to get rid of the car. I think this is how Blunt and many others got their cars as well. When the cars were 10 years old or around 80-100K miles , many things needed to be addressed and the early owners sold these cars cheap. Then the enthusiast/racers/mechanics started picking them up.
Anyway, it comes down to knowledge but I think few people actually put in the work to research and learn about the car and are quick to swap. I've had a Honda kid come up to me in 2002 saying he liked old school M3's and when he gets one he wants to run a newer M3 engine. I'm thinking....ok, you don't know anything about the car but you know what you want to swap the engine? to me that's a damn shame and insulting. Before my rebuild, I was making 209rwhp from the original 2.3 with 145k from bolt on's...cams, throttles, Alpha N + airbox, stock exhaust. That's S50 HP from a 4 cylinder, without the swap or the extra weight. Granted the S14 "go fast" parts today are a lot more expensive and harder to find so I guess that ship has sailed and I can understand your perspective especially since you said you have a mechanic.
dannyg, I know of the owners you speak of. I know a couple of them personally and it is silly but they have the nicest examples I've ever seen...unrestored. They are the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. They treat them like lifesized models.
Quick story...my M3 was primarily serviced at a BMW dealership. The previous owner paid $1000 for a reman DME, $300 to install it, then another $800 for new pads/rotors, etc etc. I literally laughed at the folder of invoices. They couldn't wait to get rid of the car. I think this is how Blunt and many others got their cars as well. When the cars were 10 years old or around 80-100K miles , many things needed to be addressed and the early owners sold these cars cheap. Then the enthusiast/racers/mechanics started picking them up.
Anyway, it comes down to knowledge but I think few people actually put in the work to research and learn about the car and are quick to swap. I've had a Honda kid come up to me in 2002 saying he liked old school M3's and when he gets one he wants to run a newer M3 engine. I'm thinking....ok, you don't know anything about the car but you know what you want to swap the engine? to me that's a damn shame and insulting. Before my rebuild, I was making 209rwhp from the original 2.3 with 145k from bolt on's...cams, throttles, Alpha N + airbox, stock exhaust. That's S50 HP from a 4 cylinder, without the swap or the extra weight. Granted the S14 "go fast" parts today are a lot more expensive and harder to find so I guess that ship has sailed and I can understand your perspective especially since you said you have a mechanic.
dannyg, I know of the owners you speak of. I know a couple of them personally and it is silly but they have the nicest examples I've ever seen...unrestored. They are the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. They treat them like lifesized models.
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