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View Full Version : Any e30 M owners have e36 as previous car?



Jorge
04-24-2001, 08:17 PM
I have always loved the e30 M3. I have been thinking about selling my e36 325i w/95K miles and getting a '90 or '91 M3. I saw a silver one today and it has put a fire under my a$$! It was sweet even stock.

For those who have owned both models - will I be happy with the switch? Is maintenance a problem with the e30 Ms? How is reliability compared to a '92 e36? Anything I should look for when shopping? In terms of $, will it be an even swap?

Bottom line - it's an M and I know performance wise I will be happy with the switch. I just want to get opinions from e30 M3 owners.

Thanks,
Jorge

michaelab
04-30-2001, 09:12 AM
The performance of an E30 M3 (in terms of 0-60 and top speed) is some way off the E36 M3 but the thing about the E30 M3 and the reason why it's a legend is becuase of the way it steers and handles. It was redesigned from the ground up for racing with little or no concessions to road driving so it's steering and balance are some of the best you will ever experience without a helmet and nomex suit.

Also, remember it's an older car than the E36 so it may not have some of the toys you're used to (OBC and check control are *way* less sophisticated).

Overall though the E30 M3 is very reliable if looked after properly and I've no doubt you'll love it.

I currently have a European (321hp) E36 M3 but I used to have an E30 325i and I've driven quite a few E30 M3s. I'm often very tempted to sell my E36 and go for an E30. Main reason I don't is that I do quite a but of long distance highway driving which is something that wouldn't be such fun in an E30 M3.

Michael.

Mark S.
05-21-2001, 11:46 AM
i had an e30 m3 that got stolen in 1994 and i decided to get an e36 m3 to replace it. i traded the car in 1 year later for a chevy tahoe + cash for me. i wasn't thrilled with the car at all. it lacked the feel of the e30 in every way. i didn't care that it was faster or handled better, it just wasn't the same. it wasn't even close. i currently have 2 e30 m3's and am going to add a 1995 m3 back into the mess. one of my e30 m3's has a 1996 3.2 from an e36 m3. i think it is a good blend of the two cars. if i had to choose e30 or e36, it would be e30 all day.

Bry
05-21-2001, 08:00 PM
Nice m3's. I see the silver one has a rollbar, and some racing seats. Do you take it to the track any? What are the mods on your cars?

Did you perform the e30 to the e36 m3 engine replacement? Was it very hard?

Thanks,

Mark S.
05-22-2001, 10:14 AM
thanks. the silver car is the one with the 3.2 in it. the rollbar is a tc kline and the front seats are recaro srd's that i had recovered in motorsport fabric and naugahyde. it's got a 3.23 torsen diff out of an m coupe. i have done so much to the car that i kind of lose track of it all. the conversion was done by don fields at autosport performance here in northern nj.

the white car is mostly stock. it's got a euro close-ratio gear box, chip, and cam gear. i think that's about it. i don't drive it at all. the car is in too good shape to have some woman in suv slam in into it and ruin an almost mint car.

here is a pic of the recaro. it's an old pic, the interior has since been completed. if your interested, i will take some new pics over the holiday weekend.

mark

<img src="http://www.mindspring.com/~mark_sinclair/recarosrd2.JPG ">

Bry
05-22-2001, 10:15 PM
Thanks for the info! I would like to see some more of your car, but if it is an inconvience, it is okay.

The reason why I am interested is because I am looking at a E30 m3 for sale this weekand. It has 95,000 miles. It has been repainted the original color, has re-uphulstered seats (tan leather). The paint is black, and it has very few problems. A small crack in the windshield, a leaky hose from the airconditioner, and the front driver quarterpanel was backed into, and was replaced. It has two very minor dings in each door, and it includes 17 inch wheels (don't know what type they are) and a supersprint exhaust. The seller at first was selling it for 13,300 I think, but he later reduced his price, and he is down to a low 8,800 dollars.

The only problem is that there is a Trucker guy who is trying to buy this car. He has been trying to buy it for the past week, but his bank won't loan him enough of the money (he sounds sort of iffy). The guy who is selling the car is 18 (I believe) and he is selling the car for money for college. He said that he would much rather sell it to some one who was nearby (I live fairly close to him) and who could actually come up with the money.

Time is running short, and I hope this 'un won't get away. It is a true diamond in the rough. I just hope nothing is wrong when I go to test drive it....:(

If the Trucker guy has allready bought it, my hopes will have diminished... I have been searching for a baby for over a year now (by the way, this will be my first car :D )

I hope everything comes out okay.

Mark S.
05-23-2001, 12:09 AM
good luck with it. i'll get some new pics over memorial day weekend for you.

mark

Bry
05-30-2001, 07:17 PM
I ran a carfax before I went to go look at it.

The mileage was rolled back... It hasn't been registered on carfax as odometer fraud, but as soon as I would have bought the car It would show up as odometer rolling back. The car had over 150k miles two years ago. I never went to go test drive it.

Currently, I have found a black/black 88 in New Mexico. There is a very complicated situation going on, and I will post more info about it later if I learn more about it.

Still waiting to see those pictures Faux!:D

pting
05-30-2001, 07:55 PM
I owned a '89 M3 previously and now own a '95 M3. They are different cars, and drive differently. The E30 is high strung, very balanced, light, and really fun to drive. The E36 has much more torque low down, and while it's also very well balanced, it's noticably heavier than the E30. In everyday commuting, the power of the E36 really helps when passing, and it's slightly more comfortable, although either car on stock setups were fine on long trips for me. On the track, you'll see the E36's pull away on the straights, but the E30's catch up in the turns.

If my E30 hadn't been totaled, I'd probably still be driving it. It was in mint condition and was definitely the best handling car I've driven. The maintenance was pretty stiff though, since I had a good shop take care of it back then. Probably not much different than the E36 in terms of costs, but in general the E36s have fewer problems because they're newer. I can't really compare because I'm now doing much of the work myself (much easier when you have a spare car, don't need to get it fixed right now etc).

All in all, for the type of driving that I do (anonymous freeway point-and-scoot and lots of canyon roads), the E36 is better, but not by far.

Peitao
'95 M3
'90 Audi Coupe Quattro - blows the M3 away on snow

Mark S.
05-31-2001, 03:27 PM
sorry i didn't post any pics yet. we got rained out all weekend here. here are a few older pics to hold you over.

mark

<img src="http://www.mindspring.com/~mark_sinclair/frontint.jpg">

Mark S.
05-31-2001, 03:35 PM
another

<img src="http://www.mindspring.com/~mark_sinclair/rearint.jpg">

Mark S.
05-31-2001, 03:36 PM
last one for now...

<img src="http://www.mindspring.com/~mark_sinclair/Motor.jpg">

Bry
06-27-2001, 12:00 PM
Wow very clean interior. Your car looks very nice!

IMAGE&STYLE
07-06-2001, 12:50 AM
Originally posted by Bry
Wow very clean interior. Your car looks very nice!

DITTO !!

IMAGE&STYLE
07-06-2001, 12:51 AM
Originally posted by Bry
Wow very clean interior. Your car looks very nice!

DITTO !!