I wanted to share my adventure of obtaining an E36 M3 LTW barn find, and start a full restoration/build thread.
As some of you may know, an E36 M3 LTW race car was posted on Philadelphia Craigslist back in July. I saw the ad a day after it was posted, and immediately called the seller. Unfortunately the seller was not the owner, he was a neighbor of the owner, and really didn't know much about the car. The owner was an older gentleman that wasn't too computer savvy, so he had his neighbor post the ad and deal with potential buyers.
The ad didn't have much info, and the pictures weren't great either. It was a C-Mod race car, and had been sitting on a trailer, under a tarp, in the owners driveway for 16 years.
I stayed on top of the seller, asking him to see the car ASAP. It proved difficult, since he was just a middle-man, and he said it was difficult to catch the owner, who didn't answer his phone or doorbell. Eventually the seller stopped responding to my texts, and then the ad disappeared from Craigslist. So it was time for me to put on my detective hat.
Looking at the sponsor/shop stickers on the car, I was able to determine that the car was serviced by a shop I was familiar with. I knew the shop owner, I had raced with him in the past, so I gave him a call to ask about the car. He said that he hadn't seen the car in at least 15 years, but he did tell me the name of the owner. Step one achieved! Step two was a google search, and I found the owner's address. Then a quick check on Google maps, and in the satellite image, I was able to see a trailer with a white tarp on it sitting in the driveway! A little white pages search, and I had the owners phone number...
I called, and it was an old school answering machine. I left a message, and name-dropped the shop owner and a few fellow racers friends that we had in common, and hoped for the best. Two days later, he called me, and I immediately made an appointment to drive up from Virginia, trailer in tow.
As I pulled up to the house, the owner was waiting for me outside. He had a big smile on his face, gave me a nice greeting, and offered to take me out to breakfast. I recommended we look at the car first, then we could chat over breakfast after.
He walked me back to his yard, and there it was, a time capsule from 16 years ago, still on the trailer as it had been left after it's last race. He gave me a quick rundown of the car, but said there was no way to start it. I told him I brought a jump box and some tools, would he mind if I tried. He said go right ahead. First I dumped some fresh oil in the engine, and attached the jump box. My eyes were on that odometer box in the cluster as I turned the key to the first position. The dash came to life: 23K miles! Then I looked to him, and said, "Should I go for it" He nodded, and as I turned the key, the starter cranked a few times and the engine roared to life! On 16-year old race gas!
I shut it down, climbed out of the car, and within 2 minutes we had agreed on a deal, shook hands, and I told him that I would take HIM to breakfast!
He said before we went to get a bite, he needed to grab something from the house. He came out holding a big cardboard box, and we jumped in his truck. As we sat down to eat, he opened up the box. He pulled out paperwork from every race he had ever been in, a few trophy plaques, receipts, his old race licenses, etc. We sat for two hours as he told some awesome race stories. We realized that we had a few more race friends in common, and had a bunch of laughs. What a first-class gentleman.
We went back to his house, loaded up the car, and I started the long drive back to Virginia. What an awesome experience.
I think he was hoping that I'd bring the car back to it's racing glory, but unfortunately it would be outclassed these days. With only 23K miles, I know it's a gem. It's missing lots of the LTW-specific parts, so I've been searching for those and doing well with acquiring them. So my plan is to turn it into a period-modified street car, like what PTG would have done back in the day. Probably a Euro S50, stock LTW interior and exterior. I bought a complete '95 M3 donor car, and will transfer all of the bits over that I need.
Below are pics as I found it, stay tuned for a build thread!
Last edited by maxxfish; 09-17-2021 at 06:41 AM.
Wow very cool story and pickup. Keep this thread updated!
CBlock
Great story, thanks for sharing. Look forward to following the build.
PS Make sure you add it to the registry if its not already on there. https://bmwmregistry.com/models.php?id=38
Badass!
wow what a find... I know it's been modified. But if you restore it right, this thing will be quite the collectible. I mean it already is.
TRM Coilovers 670F/895R | BBS LM | Corsa RSC36
That's awesome. Shame it doesn't have the original motor, but if you go the Euro S50 route that should be even better.
1999 M3/2/5 - Titanium Silver - Track/Weekend Toy
That's an impressive find, congratulations!
Low original miles, all the previous race records, Stickley-built S52, etc...that's pretty awesome.
Soooo awesome. Did you already sell the 3.2?
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
― George Orwell
I like the Chuck Stickly sticker... I wonder if it's got the full Chuck treatment engine?... Nice find
No matter where you go, there you are...
Hey Max long time buddy! Great find!!
Thanks everyone! Yes, the Stickley engine is a full-blown build, high compression, runs on race gas. It's for sale if anyone is interested!
Very nice Max. Did you source a real PTG modified "Lightweight" wing?
Yes, I tracked down the former carbon body guy from PTG, he bought all of the molds from Tom Milner, and is still in the business! He has molds for 4 different E36 wings, including the Lightweight. Not cheap, but I know the quality will be excellent, and it will have the right provenance.
Last edited by maxxfish; 09-17-2021 at 06:42 AM.
Awesome story! I can't believe the molds for the wings are still out there. I would also like to know if there's more going on there.
His wings with risers are $1950. PM me if you want his contact info!
Yes, I know Randy, he's making our OE fit risers. That isn't the original wing for a Lightweight (but you may know this already so the rest of this is for who do not). The Lightweight used an OEM GT wing that PTG cut up to add the third brake light. The real thing is a really crude piece, whereas the carbon PTG version is a polished example. What you are getting is certainly a beautiful piece (and a bargain price), Randy does great work, but it isn't original and you may run into nitpicking if you ever sell the car. The guys who pay big money typically know this stuff.
A real Lightweight wing.
PTG Carbon replica Lightweight wing.
Last edited by Braymond141; 11-16-2018 at 12:44 PM.
BMW still has the molds and still produces them when demand is there. Some elements are still available to buy new from BMW. The only wing mold that was accidentally destroyed was the GT2/Clubsport mold. PFEBA (they make all the wings for BMW) still has brand new GT2 wings in their warehouse, I purchased one this past year.
Last edited by Braymond141; 11-16-2018 at 12:53 PM.
I'm sure they're nice but $2k is a bit much for me. Post some pics when you get it though.
TRM Coilovers 670F/895R | BBS LM | Corsa RSC36
Randy just texted photos of your new wing, Max. Regardless of the originality aspect, it looks so damn good. Can’t wait for you to share details on it.
Yes, I just got those pics, it's a work of art. Will be a shame to paint it!
I'd buy 2 for a car like this! One in carbon and one painted.
Congrats on the pickup. Its so nice to see them with stories of fun, enjoyment and a real life behind them, over a car that just sat on the shelf for years. Keep us all updated on the build, driving, and work you do with the car. Enjoy it! I bet the PO was happy to see the car go to someone so excited about it.
Here's the wing, too pretty to paint!
Ok, now I want one... The horror...lol Where's this guy located? I'd kinda assume he's near Winchester Va?
No matter where you go, there you are...
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