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View Full Version : Bought a '95


thomn8r
10-19-2004, 11:59 AM
So, I'm dipping my toe into the world of M3 ownership.

I just bought a '95 M3. Artic Sivler/Mulberry 137k miles, one anal-retentive (literally - right down to the "Queer as Folk" CD he left in the changer) owner, good records right down to the original window sticker. The only flaws are one small door ding and a tear in the driver's-side seat bolster. $10,700

This is a totally new experience for me. My daily driver up to this point was a '77 911 cab: 300Hp/2400lbs, stripped interior, no A/C, marginal heat, 80db @ idle, 5-pt harnesses, roll bar, aluminum Kirkey race seat, binary clutch; in essence, a track car with license plates. The M3 feels like a city bus in comparison. But after driving to work this morning in the rain, my ears weren't ringing when I got out of the car, my left leg wasn't wet from leaky top seals, and I didn't have to lay towels all over the seats to sop up the water.

The only mechanical issues are a broken alternator duct, and the clutch seems to release very low, which makes it difficult to engage smoothly.

http://66.34.72.138/gallery/suspense/image/2101046.JPG
http://66.34.72.138/gallery/suspense/image/2101046a.JPG
http://66.34.72.138/gallery/suspense/image/2101046b.JPG
http://66.34.72.138/gallery/suspense/image/2101043c.JPG
http://66.34.72.138/gallery/suspense/image/2101043a.JPG
http://66.34.72.138/gallery/suspense/image/2101043.JPG
BimmerDawg
10-19-2004, 12:02 PM
Looks nice! Now get to modding!

Oh yeah...love the lift! :clap
hinzm3
10-19-2004, 12:02 PM
Nice car, welcome to the club.

btw u stole my bfgoodrich banner :evil2
'96 E36 M3
10-19-2004, 12:15 PM
Nice car - welcome to the joys of M3 ownership!

Sorry to hijack the thread, but you must tell more about the lift in your garage! Did you have to cut the concrete to fit it? Where did you get it? I want one!
thomn8r
10-19-2004, 12:20 PM
Nice car - welcome to the joys of M3 ownership!
Sorry to hijack the thread, but you must tell more about the lift in your garage! Did you have to cut the concrete to fit it? Where did you get it? I want one!
Thanks; it's a Mohawk HR-6. I formed the bit for the lift when I formed up the foundation for my shop. I know of people who've retrofitted them by cutting a chunk out of the concrete and re-pouring the area underneath.

You can see the complete series of pix from building my shop @ http://66.34.72.138/garage/updates/index.html

http://66.34.72.138/garage/updates/image/2100977.JPG
http://66.34.72.138/garage/updates/image/2100981.JPG
Sammyzuko
10-19-2004, 12:32 PM
Awesome pics, looks like that M3 has found a very nice home. I hope you still have that Porsche. That thing looks bad a$$.
Serious
10-19-2004, 12:35 PM
good deal on the 95. time to start modding.

arctic on mulberry is a rare combo.
Speedlimits?
10-19-2004, 12:36 PM
i cannot wait till i get a lift in my shop, except it will be a true rack lift so i can walk underneath, drop trannys, do exhaust...
Speedlimits?
10-19-2004, 12:38 PM
queer as folk huh, i think the first stop i would make would be for a carpet shampoo and major leather doching
thomn8r
10-19-2004, 12:38 PM
The 911 will now become a dedicated track car, so now it get get a cage, hard top, etc.

http://66.34.72.138/gallery/suspense/image/2100555d.JPG
jayhudson
10-19-2004, 12:42 PM
Hey Thom -

Glad to have you on board. Sounds like an awesome deal. Do you think you'll track it, or just a grocery getter?

Jay
Speedlimits?
10-19-2004, 12:44 PM
given his record i dont think he can resist :D sorry thom :stickoutt

Hey Thom -

Glad to have you on board. Sounds like an awesome deal. Do you think you'll track it, or just a grocery getter?

Jay
JeffCupino
10-19-2004, 12:48 PM
Good Buy! welcome to the M3 family! That porsche looks like a monster! Good Luck

JEFF
BimmerDawg
10-19-2004, 12:50 PM
I was out in Cali last month on vacation returning from Lake Shasta and think I saw your 911 outside of Thunder Hill Raceway at a gas station with a silver e36 M3. Was that you? If so...small world! :D
thomn8r
10-19-2004, 12:56 PM
The story today is "grocery getter" and I'm sticking to it, but yeah, the temptation is hard to resist. My 911 was a grocery getter at one time...

I think that's Jay's car behind me in the track picture.
thomn8r
10-19-2004, 12:57 PM
I was out in Cali last month on vacation returning from Lake Shasta and think I saw your 911 outside of Thunder Hill Raceway at a gas station with a silver e36 M3. Was that you? If so...small world! :D

The silver M3 would have been Tom Mink's.
BimmerDawg
10-19-2004, 01:06 PM
The silver M3 would have been Tom Mink's.

Okay.

I guess you aren't as amazed at the chances.

I live in Atlanta and was visiting in California and saw your car and here you are.

Oh well...:az
'96 E36 M3
10-19-2004, 01:09 PM
BimmerDawg - The irony of the situation isn't lost on me - that is pretty amazing.
jayhudson
10-19-2004, 01:10 PM
The story today is "grocery getter" and I'm sticking to it, but yeah, the temptation is hard to resist. My 911 was a grocery getter at one time...

I think that's Jay's car behind me in the track picture.

Was that pic taken Friday? Those don't look like my wheels, but I don't think there was another black M3 out there in advanced.

Jay
thomn8r
10-19-2004, 01:17 PM
I guess you aren't as amazed at the chances.
I live in Atlanta and was visiting in California and saw your car and here you are.

Sorry - I wasn't paying close attention - totally glossed over the bit about you being from Atlanta...
thomn8r
10-19-2004, 01:19 PM
Was that pic taken Friday? Those don't look like my wheels, but I don't think there was another black M3 out there in advanced.

Eh, you know: M3, behind me - it all looks the same after a while... :p
Luftwaffe1O1
10-19-2004, 01:31 PM
Heh its funny who you got your car from. When i bought my 98 M, the guy was pretty damn gay too. Lived in Hillcrest (for SD locals), and there was even a George Michael CD in the trunk.....

Sufficient to say, i washed the carpets and seats the moment i got it. He took good care of the car though. ALL records on hand. I have the receipts for any work the car has had done since it was purchased.
Kitch
10-19-2004, 01:33 PM
Congrats on the new ride. REALLY liking the lift idea. Very slick. My one question would be what kind of clearance between the lift surface and the undercariage is there? What parts of the car are obstructed by it? Basically is it possible to do exhaust and tranny work on the car (the m3) while its on that lift?
BimmerDawg
10-19-2004, 01:37 PM
BimmerDawg - The irony of the situation isn't lost on me - that is pretty amazing.

Thanks!


Sorry - I wasn't paying close attention - totally glossed over the bit about you being from Atlanta...

:drink1
thomn8r
10-19-2004, 01:37 PM
The M3 goes onto the lift easily, lots of clearance.

The VW and 911 are easy to work on with this lift; the M3, well, not so much...

I'll figure something out...
///MacDaddy
10-19-2004, 01:51 PM
Nice car! Looks very familiar.
///Mink
10-19-2004, 03:14 PM
I went with Thom to look at the car and it's really, really, really clean. There's nothing like a one-owner car, it's just too cool to get all of the supporting documentation, window sticker, etc, etc, etc.

And I'm sure this thing has been babied all its life. When I drove it, I took it up to about 6000 rpm and I thought the guy was going to piss his pants. I seriously doubt he'd ever driven it like that. :D

Bimmerdawg - That would have been my M3 you saw that the Chevron in Willows along with Thom's 911. A small world, indeed!