newby needs help with M3 purchase

[jmitro]

Hey everybody,
please pardon my complete ignorance of M3's, but I am currently looking at a 96 dakar yellow M3 to be used as my daily driver, and need some advice on what to look for from you experienced people.

i drove it today - 91K miles, asking $15K. power is good, brakes are strong, no ticking noises from the engine, all electrics work, one-owner car since new (driven by older female driver, ie, i assume it was not hammered); tires are new, no body damage or wreckage, paint is in excellent shape, interior in good shape; i am obtaining the maintenance records tomorrow from the local BMW dealer.

aside from the updated water pump, what other maintenance issues should I be aware of buying a used M3? clutch? timing chain? what is the VANOS system and what happens when it goes bad? are engine bearings/tranny/axles an issue? what about brakes? alignment?

any and all advice is welcome....Thanks!

[egreaves20]

Relax, these cars are so durable, you couldn't kill it if you tried! Just get it.....but I'd offer $14K.

[denverlicious]

yea chill out on this reliability issues. these cars are just built to last. unless you are completely reckless with it. just do you regular maintenance and the car will run as long as you want it too.

[clumpymold]

I'd offer $13.5 - $14k max. If it's auto, don't even consider it.

[BigBear]

Dakar yellow is beautiful. Unfortunately, "she who must be obeyed" (wife) didn't like it and we went with Estoril. M3's are great cars and you will love it.

P.S. Hope you stayed clear of the tornados here in OK tonight.

[Luftwaffe1O1]

just take it to a BMW dealership for a presale inspection, you can have them run extra tests etc, it will cost you a couple of hundred bucks, but hey better be out of a couple hundred thant $14k.

[DGI]

Relax, these cars are so durable, you couldn't kill it if you tried! Just get it.....but I'd offer $14K.

I'm in shock.... these cars are durable? Maybe i'm wrong but a car that cant handle an over-rev, constantly blows strut towers (both front and rear), has small electrical gremlins here and there, requires a $6,000 engine rebuild when something goes bad, and has expensive parts isn't too durable in my book.

If I were you, i'd do a full compression/leak-down test. Get the Brain scanned to see if the vehicle has ever been over-revved, take it to a reputable body shop and check for any body work and welding on the strut towers, maybe even inspect the tranny to see how its holding up (its only a small access panel the tech would have to open if I remember correctly).. .then make your offer based on the above results.

I know that the 95s had weak valve retainers... was this problem fixed with 96s?

[Luftwaffe1O1]

I'm in shock.... these cars are durable? Maybe i'm wrong but a car that cant handle an over-rev, constantly blows strut towers (both front and rear), has small electrical gremlins here and there, requires a $6,000 engine rebuild when something goes bad, and has expensive parts isn't too durable in my book.

If I were you, i'd do a full compression/leak-down test. Get the Brain scanned to see if the vehicle has ever been over-revved, take it to a reputable body shop and check for any body work and welding on the strut towers, maybe even inspect the tranny to see how its holding up (its only a small access panel the tech would have to open if I remember correctly).. .then make your offer based on the above results.

I know that the 95s had weak valve retainers... was this problem fixed with 96s?

i would call it durable. It will have small things go wrong here and there, but keep in mind cost of repairing these small things is a bit high. As for $6000 engine rebuild, i don't know what you are talking about, new engine maybe, rebuild is inbetween 2k-3k. I know you own a 330ci, and i don't really wish to make personal attacks, but a mustang owner questioning the reliability and durability of an M3 is kind of ironic.

[jterp]

Wait, a woman owned it for 90k miles?


--Needs a new clutch.

[DGI]

i would call it durable. It will have small things go wrong here and there, but keep in mind cost of repairing these small things is a bit high. As for $6000 engine rebuild, i don't know what you are talking about, new engine maybe, rebuild is inbetween 2k-3k. I know you own a 330ci, and i don't really wish to make personal attacks, but a mustang owner questioning the reliability and durability of an M3 is kind of ironic.

I cant tell you how many times i've bounced off the rev limiter on my Mustang and just slammed it into the next gear... oil change every 3K miles and i have 180,000 miles on the clock right now (granted the engine was rebuilt 50K miles ago...). lets not get into the strength of the good ol' 8.8 ford rear either. You dont see one of my diff bolts snapping and causing close to a thousand dollar repair bill do ya? And durability? 1964 and a half baby... whens the last time you cruised next to a 40 year old M3?

But I digress, dont get me wrong...I'm not clowning on the M3 at all... i'm going to be purchasing one by the end of the summer with a high mileage engine so that I may mold it into my own little track toy... (rebuild and all that good stuff), i'm just putting certain facts out there for the newbies... and the $6,000 price was a quote i was given from a friend who was getting a Stickley engine built (that wasn't going to be that wild either)... Do it right or keep it stock

[Luftwaffe1O1]

well seeing as how M3s didnt exist 40 years ago, but you will see quite a few 2002s, and all sorts of old 3 series and b series around. Cost of maintenance cannto judge durability. A mustang is a domestic car, so the parts are naturally gonna be cheaper, If you want the other side of that story, try owning and maintaining a mustang in Germany.

M3 is a druable car, your mustang might be a rare case, like the occasional lemon M3, but for the most part, i know quite a few people who have problems with their stangs on a weekly basis.

[DGI]

but for the most part, i know quite a few people who have problems with their stangs on a weekly basis.

...and vice versa :clockwise

[clumpymold]

Wait, a woman owned it for 90k miles?


--Needs a new clutch.

Haha! Exactly!!!

[Luftwaffe1O1]

well at least BMWs dont spontaneously errupt in flames, as has been known to happen with fords....

[jmitro]

whoa, guys, easy on the domestic vs german argument! I just wanted some experienced owner's views, and i got some.

i looked at the maintenance records today and it all seems pretty well maintained. the "drive belts" have been replaced several times - are these the camshaft belts or the timing chain or what? other than that, it looks good.

i am applying for a loan and will make an offer once that's approved. thanks again for the helpful responses.

[RUQKENF]

Fox body stang or E36 M3....I cant belive this is even being debated. I have owned both cars and the E36 is just a better built car.
Tony

[DGI]

I never intended to try to make my mustang look better than the M3... i was just giving the author of the thread a heads up... I love both cars, i'm buying an E36 this summer. Both cars have their shortcomings (the mustang has more as it comes from the factory, and some that cant be cured) but both vehicles do entertain their owners on different levels... some people simply enjoy arguing online.

Good luck with the buy Jmitro... you wont be dissapointed if the car has been well maintained. You keepin the P-car? or moving on?

[jmitro]

Good luck with the buy Jmitro... you wont be dissapointed if the car has been well maintained. You keepin the P-car? or moving on?

Thanks. I plan on keeping the 944 and rebuilding the engine then gutting the car and turning it into a track/DE car. it's a pretty good platform to start with, and the normally aspirated engine should keep mechanical failures to a minimum. it was my autocross car, and the suspension has already been beefed up so it just needs some engine attention.

I am excited about the E36. Gotta love that dakar yellow paint

[Luftwaffe1O1]

my apologies i tend to get carried away

the M3 wont break down a lot, but the little things cost about as much as big things on other cars. But as long as you take preventive maintenance you'll be good, check the coolant/oil regularly, get it checked up regularly as well, some problems can be spotted before they happen saving you $$ and beware the moneyshift.