100000 on an e30 M3... should I take a chance?

[elusive23]

I want a GODAMN bimmer :P .. i wouldnt get anything but an m either. How reliable are these at this rate of milage and how much is maintainace.? :dunno

[332 RustBucket]

this should be on the e30 forum

[JamesM3M5]

If you have no experience working on cars, then an E30 M3 is about the most expensive used car you can buy (other than a used M5 or M6). The right E30 M3 will cost about $13k, and you should have about $2k in savings should anything major happen. If the car you're looking at needs work, it probably needs control arms, lots of new suspension bushings, intake gaskets, valve adjustment, CO adjustment, throttle sync, tranny and diff oil change, etc etc. If you have to go to a shop, count on spending an arm and a leg. As these Hi-PO engines age, they lose compression and leakdown increases. Most engines with over 120k miles are slightly or significantly weaker than fresh rebuilds. Mine has 177k miles, and it is definitely about 10-15 HP short of its original 190.

If you find an M3 with over 100k miles but with excellent maintenance records, you will pay around $14k. These cars aren't increasing in numbers. More and more are being tracked and/or wrecked each week, and the nice ones are getting very expensive, even in today's economy.

If you're dying for an M-car, look to spend anywhere from $15-20k for a used E30 M3, or E28 M5 including maintenance. If you can find a good, used 1995 M3, there are lots out there for under $20k. Remember that ANY car with more than 100k miles will need some work. If you find a cheap E30 M3 or E28 M5, it will require thousands in parts/labor over the course of a year or so.

JamesM