What's my M3 worth?

[SoTexM3]

As the title states, I am wondering what my M3 is worth. My wife and I are trying to decide if we should keep it or sell it, and the possible sale value will be a huge deciding factor. What are your thoughts?

1995 BMW M3, Cosmos black, black interior
149,3xx miles

euro vis carbon fiber hood, cf shark fin, and cf lip spoiler
20 Piece Carbon Fiber interior
white faced gauge cluster that illuminates green or blue at night.
Keyless entry
Hamann black out grill
hid angel eye headlights, clears on 4 corners
AFE 3.5” short ram intake with heat shield
3.5” MAF and bimmerworld 3.5" to 3.0" silicone TB boot
24lb injectors
TMS performance software
HKS Super Drager Catback Exhaust
Carbon Fiber strut bar
X-brace
5 speed swap
UUC RK5 shift knob
3.38 LSD
18" Staggered (18x8 and 18x9) RPM wheels wrapped with BF Goodrich KDWs. The rear tires are brand new with less than 100 miles on them.
UUC red poly motor mounts
UUC red poly tranny mounts

I have used LubroMoly 5w40 synthetic motor oil since purchasing the vehicle in 2007. The previous owner used Fully synthetic oil as well (Mobile 1).

In February of 2009 I upgraded to a 3.5” MAF, AFE intake, 24lb injectors with complementary software, and new spark plugs.

In April of 2009 I swapped from an auto trans with 3.91 LSD, to a 5 speed manual with a 3.38 LSD. At this time I also installed the UUC motor mounts and tranny mounts. I have Royal Purple fluids in both the transmission and diff.

In April of 2010 I performed the fan delete mod and also installed a new Waterpump with metal impeller, T-stat and aluminum T-stat housing, new belts and radiator hoses, and coolant. The car had the cooling system overhauled before I purchased it in April of 2007, and the new parts weren’t necessary, but I chose to do it while I was doing the coolant flush.

What needs work: The hood needs a new coat of Clear, the wheels have slight curb rash, the front door panels are in need of repair, and it needs a new windshield. I am going to replace the windshield this month, so assume it is brand new when making your assessments.

Pics to follow...

[gk325is]

5 bucks to me! Ha

Mods tend to not add to the value of a car if anything they may detract form it. I would say you would get the standard going rate 7-9k depending on the shape of the car and the buyer.

[realjones]

You will get more money net if you return the car closer to stock...if you have the hood, exhaust, and stock wheels you can put them back on and the car will still be worth the same plus you can sell your aftermarket items.

I would also remove the CF from the interior if possible - I assume that 20 pieces means it is an ebay type sticker kit.

Realistically you can list the car for $8K and hope for 7. Sell off your aftermarket stuff and you might net 8.

[Moron95M3]

want to know the best thing about your car?






...it's a TX car. (no rust I presume).

Bring it up to the rust belt and watch it sell for over 10k...

[Fasterthanyou]

Seems like a sweet car, only thing holding it back would be the high miles, i'd say 7-8k.

[ilya1585]

Maybe 5 or 6k tops. It would make mroe sense to keep it. You will take a huge loss if you sell it, an even bigger loss if you trade it in.

[asinapple8805]

i'd say 6 at the most. 5 if you keep the interior as it is. it's a 95 and there's no real advantages to having obd1 anymore. (i hope i don't get flamed for that last comment). but like someone else said, mods don't add to the value unless you have a supercharger or brand name turbo kit.

[Fasterthanyou]

Id like either of you to find an M3 in decent shape for 5-6k, its not gunna happen. Atleast theres non within 500 miles of me on the auto trader or craigslist.
Id go as far as to say that 6k is the absolute basement price for an E36 M3 in decent shape (clean title, clean car). If its cheaper than that, its got some serious problems or serious miles.

[jvit27]

The car is pretty riced out. You'd get more for it if you took some of the junk off..

[SoTexM3]

I appreciate all of the great feedback so far.

I believe the carbon fiber kit is the Milos Klakos kit. I don't have the stock hood or exhaust, etc. so I can't return it to stock.

At this moment, I think I am going to get the windshield replaced, have the hood painted Cosmos to match, and have the door panels professionally recovered. At that point I'll see what the wife says.

Thanks again for the feedback everybody.

[gk325is]

^ you might be better off trading someone for a stock black hood and some cash. You will get more in the long run and wont have to pay for paint

[langley]

The car is pretty riced out. You'd get more for it if you took some of the junk off..
This.

Keep the car, its not worth selling.

[asinapple8805]

Id like either of you to find an M3 in decent shape for 5-6k, its not gunna happen. Atleast theres non within 500 miles of me on the auto trader or craigslist.
Id go as far as to say that 6k is the absolute basement price for an E36 M3 in decent shape (clean title, clean car). If its cheaper than that, its got some serious problems or serious miles.

true, but it's hard to say what a car is worth without me going through it with a fine toothed comb on all the common maintenance items, and even the longterm wear items. this is a german auto and it is expensive to fix, even if my labor is free. since i got my m3, i've put close over $2500 worth of parts into the car, all of which were to address issues that needed to be addressed.

in addition to that, i know this car has been raced so i can expect a shorter life span on other parts that were meant as long term wear items. normally i'm nice to the PO when i buy a car and i don't include the cost of labor, but the cost of parts (even at their cheapest prices available) still cost something. these should be, at the least, subtracted from the amount that i would pay for the car if it were in excellent condition. also, you need to worry about the previous owners technical knowledge of their car if they claim to be a weekend warrior mechanic.

i don't claim to be a mechanic, but because i'm not i document all of the projects that are done to the car.

@ SoTexM3, i'm sorry if my opinion seemed a little bit of a lowball. it wasn't meant to offend you. FYI insurance just covered my hood (i had a fiberglass one) and my windshield, both of which were cracked due to a small incident on the freeway involving a rock. i replaced the hood with metal OEM, and the front glass with an OEM equivalent (not my choice). total repairs would have cost me $1800. OEM hoods are expensive if they aren't used. Like everyone else said, if you want to get more money for your car, then you're going to have to part it out.

[graywolf316]

8k

[twitchE36]

Id like either of you to find an M3 in decent shape for 5-6k, its not gunna happen. Atleast theres non within 500 miles of me on the auto trader or craigslist.
Id go as far as to say that 6k is the absolute basement price for an E36 M3 in decent shape (clean title, clean car). If its cheaper than that, its got some serious problems or serious miles.


You are right but I just found a m3 with 148k for 5000 im going to check out this weekend so there is atleast one lol. Its clean and runs great but has e46 front seats

[Volf]

The car is pretty riced out. You'd get more for it if you took some of the junk off..

+1

[alanilil]

Depends a lot on maintenance and cosmetic condition. If the car is in tip top shape you might be able to get $7-8K for it.

As a buyer I would want to know the last time the cooling system had been redone, shocks and struts, control arms, rtabs, flex disc, and any items that need attention. Like others have pointed out deferred maintenance can quickly add up to thousands.

The casual buyer won't know any different, but an enthusiast will offer you a better price if the car isn't a money pit.

Cosmetic mods like the hood probably aren't a plus for most buyers.

The best way to find out what it's worth is to put it up for sale!

[Rayban]

5k, why would i pay 8k for yours when I can buy a 98/99 with 100k and no mods for same money..?

[Fasterthanyou]

5k, why would i pay 8k for yours when I can buy a 98/99 with 100k and no mods for same money..?
Its probly beat to hell.

[gk325is]

Its probly beat to hell.

Agreed, I had a guy how couldn't believe I spent 7500 on mine because he spent 5k on his. I looked at his interior and it looked like Wolverine was running around in there with a sand paper suit on and the paint was showing signs of UV damage. You get what you pay for most of the time.

[ChuckDizzle]

Service records and receipts? Maybe ask for $8000 as a starting point but don't have high hopes to sell at 8 as most likely some negotiating will occur between you and a potential buyer

No service records and receipts, I'd offer 4k based on what you "say" has been serviced and replaced. If it comes with the owner's manual and original flashlight in the glovebox and full toolkit in the trunk - $4200

Bring her close to stock and round up as much maintenance history as you can. Usually that will help retain as much resale value as possible.

[realjones]

The casual buyer won't know any different, but an enthusiast will offer you a better price if the car isn't a money pit.


No they won't. An enthusiast will want a PPI and then nickel and dime every little thing they can to get the price down as low as possible. This thread is proof of that.

Maybe on a super low mileage or rare car you'll get more, but on a run of the mill high mileage 95 you'll definitely get more from a casual buyer.

[SoTexM3]

To address a few things that have popped up in the thread: I have not been offended. I appreciate all of the feedback, and I have thick e-skin. The car hasn't been "raced." It's been to 3 auto-x events in its life, it was an auto at the time, and it was in 2nd gear the whole time. Shocks were replaced 10,000 miles ago. A used flex disc was put on when I did the 5 speed swap, but it was in good shape with plenty of life left. Everything in the cooling system was overhauled 11 months ago, except the radiator which was done a few years back and didn't need it. I have receipts and records for everything I've done to it, and several receipts from the previous owner. It's in decent shape, the engine is strong and it pulls hard.

Thanks again to everybody that's posted.

[asinapple8805]

Id like either of you to find an M3 in decent shape for 5-6k, its not gunna happen. Atleast theres non within 500 miles of me on the auto trader or craigslist.
(http://honolulu.craigslist.org/mau/cto/2245158550.html)
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/mau/cto/2245158550.html

"My '97 BMW M3 has just over 86,000 miles. The engine, exterior and interior is in beautiful condition. This is a must see! Call me anytime at _____ for a test drive. Serious inquiries only! "

two years younger, almost half the miles, and it's a sedan, and hawaii has a really expensive used car market due to the additional costs of shipping a car from the continental US. $8,300
(http://honolulu.craigslist.org/mau/cto/2245158550.html)

[RobH]

To address a few things that have popped up in the thread: I have not been offended. I appreciate all of the feedback, and I have thick e-skin. The car hasn't been "raced." It's been to 3 auto-x events in its life, it was an auto at the time, and it was in 2nd gear the whole time. Shocks were replaced 10,000 miles ago. A used flex disc was put on when I did the 5 speed swap, but it was in good shape with plenty of life left. Everything in the cooling system was overhauled 11 months ago, except the radiator which was done a few years back and didn't need it. I have receipts and records for everything I've done to it, and several receipts from the previous owner. It's in decent shape, the engine is strong and it pulls hard.

Thanks again to everybody that's posted.

The audience here is an enthusiast community so what they would pay would be very different than what some 19 year old with his first paying job and who wants a cool car would pay. List it locally and see what happens. Good luck.

[Andryuha]

Yeah the car sounds like it's riced out, but $5-$6k? Please find me a deal like that on a car that hasn't been trashed to hell. I actually bought my car for $6k and it needed interior work and had some rust and even that took me months to find. And how is the mileage high? Under 10k per year is actually pretty low..........

I also agree with Moron. Bring this car up to the rust belt and you will be able to ask top dollar.

[alanilil]

No they won't. An enthusiast will want a PPI and then nickel and dime every little thing they can to get the price down as low as possible. This thread is proof of that.

Maybe on a super low mileage or rare car you'll get more, but on a run of the mill high mileage 95 you'll definitely get more from a casual buyer.

I would personally pay more for a car that had been completely gone through.

Like others have said, there could be a 3-4k range in value between a clean well maintained car and a beat one.

I doubt your average buyer would pay extra for a well maintained one, they would just buy a cheaper, worse maintained example.

[DaveAZ]

I appreciate all of the great feedback so far.

I believe the carbon fiber kit is the Milos Klakos kit. I don't have the stock hood or exhaust, etc. so I can't return it to stock.

At this moment, I think I am going to get the windshield replaced, have the hood painted Cosmos to match, and have the door panels professionally recovered. At that point I'll see what the wife says.

Thanks again for the feedback everybody.

At that point your wife should tell you that you just invested MORE money into the car. Painting the hood will not increase the value.