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Thread: Excitement is building up... need to learn as much as I can...

  1. #1
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    Excitement is building up... need to learn as much as I can...

    Hello...

    Having a mixed emotions right now... Although I am not an owner yet, I am looking forward into getting myself a 98 M3 MT sedan in the next 2-3 months time if the stars do align...

    I am currently awaiting for a local person to unload his current M3 when he finally gets his Model 3 in... with that said, I am still unsure if he will eventually keep the car or let go off it...

    As it stands, he does not have a price in mind... I really did not try to extract much information right now since there is no deal to be made and both of us are in no rush to buy/sell... He is the second owner of the car two years after it was bought new and had 25k miles when he assumed ownership... fast-forward to 2018, he now has put over 205k miles on the odometer... the current owner claims that he has kept all service records done including the most recent work which consists of replacement of the water pump and radiator as well as replacement of all the struts and shock suspension... the owner claims that there are no rust whatsoever...

    I've been lurking around, reading some random stuff here and there but I really wanted to have a concrete direction if I am to own an E36 M3...
    with the wealth of information available just on this forum alone, I really don't know where to start... it is like my head is spinning around not knowing where to start... evidently this is a 2 decade old car and there will be tons of nuisances and repairs that will unravel itself... I know that this particular car had issues with rust on the strut tower, but all those are just what I read and I have yet to really see the actual problem with my own eyes and apparently, should be one of those big issues that may break the deal...

    I don't want to end up doing an impulse buy then regret it afterwards... I can do simple DIY things but have done zero work when in comes to engine rebuilding etc... it is a stick shift so at least less worry about the tranny giving out...

    So just by going with what I know per the claims of the owner... 205k miles, no rust, new radiator, water pump, new struts and suspension components on 4 corners, Chassis looks straight and interior is clean...

    should I even consider this car for a price tag of $5k max???

  2. #2
    Pelican Parts's Avatar
    Pelican Parts is offline Senior Member Supporting Vendor
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    Hello - before offering any sort of price. Make sure that you take the car to an independent BMW shop and get a thorough PPI (pre-purchase inspection). This should give you all the info that you'll need in deciding if the car is worth pursuing. I'm also attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles on the E36 platform so that you can see what maintenance and repairs look like. Let us know if you have any other questions and we'll be happy to assist.

    https://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tec...h_main_e36.htm
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  3. #3
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    +1 on the PPI, especially since there doesn't sound like any time pressure. Plus, 205K miles is high. Mind you, that's not all that high for these engines, which can add many more. But in terms of value, that's beyond the threshold where they are expensive. The $5K you throw out is likely in the ballpark of reasonable, given the rust. If it were mostly maintained and had a good body/interior (rust-free) I think it'd be worth more.
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  4. #4
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    He said no rust. Honestly 5k is cheap as hell for that if its well maintained, or ridiculously expensive if it isn't.
    The cost of entry is the cheap part, if you can pay more up front for a well maintained example, it will save you lots in long term ownership.

    - 98 m3, techno/anthrazit cloth, 124k and officially worthless - 89 m3, alpine/black 143k and officially old - 2000 323it, tiag/grey, 169k and officially boring

  5. #5
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    If the owner maintained the car to the level I have mine (234k, 2 owner, all records since new), $5k is dirt cheap in my book. I wouldn't take less than $10k for my car, and its nothing special - just a well taken care of drivers car.

  6. #6
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    $5k would be a steal if the car is at least well maintained enough to be considered a 'driver'. As in, no immediate red-flags needing maintenance.

    At this age/mileage he may not have done some things that may need your attention and will cost some money. Such as full rear suspension overhaul (bushings, RTABS, reinforcements, diff bushing, front end tie rods, control arms, etc.) and if he hasn't done the clutch already (totally possible it's still OEM), that may need to be done in the next 30k miles or so (maybe not) and that's not exactly a cheap thing to do while you do other things... so if you quickly add up these jobs it could be like $3-5k easy.

    However, almost all E36's will need this kind of work if it hasn't been done already. So if it's a clean driver.. at $5k it's a steal.
    TRM Coilovers 670F/895R | BBS LM | Corsa RSC36

  7. #7
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    I have some time to think through it for now... Given the age and mileage, assuming nothing else has been done, will a PPI give me a checklist og things that needs to be done? Will they know anything about the condition of the engine internals?

    I found an Indy around, RRT, in Dulles, VA that conducts PPI... there's also the BMW dealership close by but apparently bringing it to a indy is a better option?

  8. #8
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    I'd definitely consider RRT, those guys should know what they're doing and they're a very trusted shop as far as everything I've heard.

    The PPI should give you an idea of things that need to be done. You can ask them to do compression test on the motor etc. Engine internals on these cars are pretty robust, one item that could fail potentially is the head gasket... not sure if that can be detected before it starts failing, but if it's already showing signs of failure they should be able to tell.
    TRM Coilovers 670F/895R | BBS LM | Corsa RSC36

  9. #9
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    The reading and learning continues...
    Please correct me if I am wrong...

    So on the Non-M e36, the subframe mounting/rear floor area cracks, but the M-versions does not have this issue???
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...me-reinforcing

    Does this mean this is not one area of concern I need to be thoughtful about when looking to buy an e36 M3?

  10. #10
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    Correct, M3's (at least 96+, not sure about 95) came with trunk floor reinforcements above the subframe mounts. This shouldn't be an area of concern, no. The chassis failure points on these cars which people often reinforce are the front subframe beneath the motor mounts, the rear subframe sway bar tabs, the RTAB pockets, and the front/rear shock towers.
    1999 M3/2/5 - Titanium Silver - Track/Weekend Toy


  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by TostitoBandito View Post
    Correct, M3's (at least 96+, not sure about 95) came with trunk floor reinforcements above the subframe mounts. This shouldn't be an area of concern, no. The chassis failure points on these cars which people often reinforce are the front subframe beneath the motor mounts, the rear subframe sway bar tabs, the RTAB pockets, and the front/rear shock towers.
    Thank you... and I suppose all the said reinforcement needs to be welded in place?

    How about as far as the engine internals go? I've read about the VANOS seals which seems to be pretty straightforward process granted I have the right tools... any considerations about the timing chain guides crumbling into pieces similar to the M62s on the E39?

    Also, is there a clear cut way to know for sure if the oil pump lock nut washer has been addressed by the PO, or is this one of those things that I have to dig into myself to know for sure?

  12. #12
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    The front and rear shock/strut tower reinforcements do not need welding. They are just plates that go between the mounts and towers to spread out the load across a larger area.

    - 98 m3, techno/anthrazit cloth, 124k and officially worthless - 89 m3, alpine/black 143k and officially old - 2000 323it, tiag/grey, 169k and officially boring

  13. #13
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    And to add to that, the RTAB pocket and subframe reinforcements which DO require welding aren't strictly necessary for street cars IMO. If you want to there's not harm in it and the subframes are especially easy to do if you ever have them out because you can just take them to a welder. The RTAB pockets are in the chassis so you'll either need to do those yourself or have someone come to you.

    Anyways, unless your subframes or RTAB pockets have damage or you're planning on tracking your car, you can safely skip these. The front subframe failure point is only really an issue with stiff/solid motor mounts, and the rear subframe and RTAB pockets are usually only a concern under multi-g high speed cornering forces which you shouldn't ever find on the street unless you're in a high speed chase.
    1999 M3/2/5 - Titanium Silver - Track/Weekend Toy


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