need advice from an e36 enthusiast!

[Andrewforte]

I am at the point where I can seriously consider purchasing a 5 spd e36 M3 Coupe. Any feelings towards what year is the best year to buy? I've heard 95 because its lighter and i've heard 99 because its faster, but how true are those statements? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

[thegman1234]

I am at the point where I can seriously consider purchasing a 5 spd e36 M3 Coupe. Any feelings towards what year is the best year to buy? I've heard 95 because its lighter and i've heard 99 because its faster, but how true are those statements? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!
well 99 would be the newest and most likely the best condition. However, a 7 year old car with 7 year old parts is looking at new parts soon. I'd say like a 97 where a lot of the expensive parts are gonna be fresh, and the car will still be in great condition.

[Dave95M3]

95's are OBD1 which, from what I understand, is easier to find power with. That having been said, check out the E36 M3 specific forum on the main page, you'll probably find more there than you'll ever need!

[thegman1234]

95's are OBD1 which, from what I understand, is easier to find power with. That having been said, check out the E36 M3 specific forum on the main page, you'll probably find more there than you'll ever need!
qft

[Crazy 13immer]

I have a 95 and love it. I got mine with about 80K on the clock and I suprise people when I tell them how many miles the body has on it. Just find a clean one.
As far as maintence goes, I am starting to run into more frequent maintence problems, but so far, nothing major has happened. Just the little things. On a 95, make sure to replace the water pump right away if it hasn't been done already.


The 95 was OBD-1 which makes it easier to tune, but the 96's+ can be converted easily enough.

If I had to do it all over, I might opt for a newer one, because of the growing # of maintence problems, but either way, its still a great car.

[E53BimmerJunkie]

1. Get the newest, cleanest, and lowest mileage one that you can afford. Try and find one with no more than two owners in the past, complete records, and clean title.
2. Purchasing from another entusiast is also recommended because they tend to take better care of their cars.
3. Always get an inspection before purchasing.
4. Take a driver's course.
5. Have fun.

[HiRide]

I used to have a '97 M3, and my little bro has a '99 M3, and now I have an '02 M3. between the '97 and '99 is a toss up. they say the best e36 is a '98/'99 4 door because some how the 4-doors have the most chasis stiffness hence most e36 race cars are 4-doors. But i still prefer a coupe 2dr. If you are looking for monster power, buy a 95 and drop a 3.2 from the 97-99 in it and avoid OBDII restrictions..done most noteably by Dado of DTMPower. If you are looking for something in the middle, stick with 97-99. yes it is OBDII but my '97 was putting around 267HP (no internal mods )to the rear wheels without forced induction and looked clean and handled better than my stock 02 does now. My little brothers '99 had some advantges to my '97..the m-spoke steering wheel, side airbags, and a center arm rest, quite nice if your not driving hard. And like previously mentioned , newer will by design have less miles in most cases. but the key to an e36 is finding one with a strong motor/tranny/ with no accidents. everything else can and will be replaced, and of course if you want to keep the original interior, then thats something that is sometimes hard to find in immaculate condition. Anyway, Good Luck!!!

[ddubb13]

whats wrong with the 96? you only mention the 97-99....??

[M III Pilot]

Ithey say the best e36 is a '98/'99 4 door because some how the 4-doors have the most chasis stiffness hence most e36 race cars are 4-doors. ...center arm rest, quite nice if your not driving hard.

Most stiffness may be true, but when I'm sitting in the 4 door car the B pillar is exactly to the left of my head which I thought makes it a pain to glance to the side making sure it's clear. Also, the center arm rest has never gotten in the way when I'm driving hard!:D

With all the aftermarket tuning companies around OBD II shouldn'y really be an issue anymore. However, here in NC 95's and older only require a safety inspection and not an emissions anymore.;)

So just get the cleanest one you can find with the options you want.

[Jim Bassett]

whats wrong with the 96? you only mention the 97-99....??
Nothing wrong with them. But there aren't too many of them because IIRC '96 was a "transition year" between the OBD-I 95s and the introduction of the OBD-II versions. And the M3 usually lagged the "regular" 3-Series in introduction (my former '96 328is was a 1/96 production car), so there were a limited number of "1996 Model Year" M3s before production turned to "1997 Model Year" sometime in late 1996 (Sept?).

IIRC, due to this "transition" the 1996's share some parts with '95s and some with the '97s&later. One list member on the E36M3 list refers to his '96 M3 as the "bastard child" :)

Jim

[James Bond]

I can not beileve how many times a week this questions comes up, almost every single time it starts a flame war

95: My car is OBD1, I have a quicker steering rack, I dont have to TAP TAP TAP my climate control.

96+: I have more TQ, I have a neato steering wheel blah blah

We need a sticky on the top of this forum? "WHAT YEAR M3 SHOULD I BUY AND WHY?"

[Balthazarr]

I can not beileve how many times a week this questions comes up, almost every single time it starts a flame war

We need a sticky on the top of this forum? "WHAT YEAR M3 SHOULD I BUY AND WHY?"


And I can't believe that most people here attend or have attended college.
Who held your hand for those years?
We have a sticky in the FAQ:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=285872

[shawn5096]

If you are looking for monster power, buy a 95 and drop a 3.2 from the 97-99 in it and avoid OBDII restrictions..
Seems like a waste of money, the money you spend on the new motor could be spent on FI.

Back on topic....i would say go newer, but make to sure just find one that has low miles and has been taken care of, believe me when i say this. I have a 99 i love it, but the previous owner apparently did not take care of it and everything needed to be repaired for the most part.

[HBpredhunter]

my 99 is sick too, but my seats are sunburned... and i got swirls (both of which can be fixed, but still, one more thign to do....)

[James Bond]

And I can't believe that most people here attend or have attended college.
Who held your hand for those years?
We have a sticky in the FAQ:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=285872

Uh huh, it should be at the top of the page listed as I said. Obliviously nobody wants to click on that faq up there. I think that same question is posted here 5-6 times a week.

[LuxoM3]

I've owned a 1996 M3 (OBD2-3.2) and a 1995 M3 (OBD1-3.0)...

Here's my take...

96-99 OBD2 3.2 motor
+ higher torque, better daily driver, more interior amentities, better tire wear
- darn emissions parts, once they get older, love to trip the Check Engine light, 4 O2 sensors, pricier parts

95, ODB1, 3.0 motor
+ higher revving, slight better handling, cheaper to maintain (less emission parts), better street/race starter car
- older, noiser

Overall for me it's a wash. I like how the 1995 is a little more raw overall. But at times, the road noise and such get to me. My 1996 was a little quieter and a littler faster.

What pushed me to the 1995 was the owner was the 1st one, dealer maintained the car and it was silver. But I do like that the maintenance is a bit cheaper in parts than my 1996.

[imola e36]

All years are great cars, there is no bad e36 M3.

The biggest single thing to look for is maint records. If it has been properly maintained, and driven with respect, then it should be a good car no matter what year.

One thing to also look for is a car that is just loaded with every option. Options are expensive new, but on a used market for an e36 M3, they almost cost nothing. having harmon kardon sound, ltw wheels, full power and heated seats, and factor alarm, and having the newer wheel and side airbags on the newer ones are all very nice things when you add them together.

Just take your time if you can and just wait for the right car, don't jump on the first one you see. There's good deal's to be found everywhere, just wait for them and keep looking and you'll find them. Good luck. - aw