Hey guys. I’ve had my M3 for about 6 years now. Bought it with 192k miles and it now has just over 220k miles. Mechanically the car has been excellent. The worst thing I had happen was the plastic clips holding the driver window on the frame broke. It was less than a $200 fix at a shop. Also when below freezing the drivers door won’t latch closed. Greasing it helps. The clutch/transmission and engine are in great shape. It really does run and drive great. I even instructed at a track day (road course) and the car was an absolute pleasure on the track. Didn’t miss a beat. I absolutely love the car.
So here’s the real issue. The interior needs to be replaced. The door cards are beat up from 2 owners ago, the leather seats need to all be recovered, and the headliner is coming down. I would also get a new drop in carpet and dynamat while the seats are out.
So we’re probably looking at $5k? That’s how much I paid for the car 6 years ago. The body is in decent shape along with the paint and there is no rust.
If I were to keep it I would someday do an LS1 (maybe LS2 or 3) with T56 swap. Then I’d have a fresh interior and a super simple and reliable LS engine. But the chassis would still have a ton of miles. I just don’t know if this makes sense.
Ive been really thinking about E92 M3. It’s a lot of car for the money but the complexity of that car is something that I don’t like.
The other option would be starting looking for another low mile Estoril 3/4/5 that’s in much better shape, but I’m not sure it’s worth the premimum I’d be paying for a car like that.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Thanks guys!
If you think you can get done what you want for 5k, I'd say do it. You won't find a car that's more fun for 10k (5 plus your original 5). And if you hate it after tossing 5 at it you'll still be able to sell for about 10k. Put another 5k in for a full OEM suspension refresh and you'll be amazed. And unless you're on a big track, you'll keep up with those pesky e92m.
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My 08 E90 M3 has been very reliable in the 8 years I have owned it. Today they are cheap. A lot of car for the money. I would do rod bearings if you buy one. I did mine myself about 4 years ago. If you can keep the E36 as a project car and want a project, do it. I still have mine and it is my turbo hot rod. I drive each 6-8k mikes per year. The E36M3 is showing wear and tear and will be needing more and more attention.
From what I understand E36 prices are escalating. It will be difficult to find a replacement and it will be expensive…though you might get lucky!!
I’d keep it and make the repairs that will in able you to sell for a reasonable amount.
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There was a 4 door Modena interior (seats, all four door cards) for sale on the Portland Craigslist recently for $1500 that looked like it was in great shape, I should have picked it up. Deals are out there.
CBlock
You should talk to a financial advisor.
The discrepancy in price is immense. You're talking about a 20-30k difference.
An E92 M3 will require more than 5k to keep up and running over the next few years (bushings, clutch, cooling system, etc.)
If you want a reliable car that won't let you down, just oil changes and transmission fluid, grab a Civic. Otherwise cars, including BMW's are just money pits.
If you price out an LS3 swap, you're looking at a bare minimum of 10k to just get the car semi-driveable. realistically 15k would get it done correctly. Not to mention the other thousands needed for the E36 chassis itself (bushings, suspension, etc). So no matter what, you're looking at a huge investment.
Last edited by Hova; 12-28-2018 at 02:20 AM.
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A 10 year old E90M3 can be found for $20k. A 20 year old E36M3 in decent condition is $10k. Both will need work and the more complex car will need more complex work as it ages. If I could have only one, I’d keep the E90M3. It’s in way better shape. It also handles better and is faster than an E36M3. I’d put the E36M3 as being in the tail end of daily driver days and transitioning to project car or toy or weekend antique.
I agree with buying a Japanese or Korean car if you just want reliable transportation. Some are entertaining and some can be nicely modded. I don’t have any but recommend them to most people. I understand the costs of buying and maintaining a BMW. If you DIY, the cost is more manageable but it’s still at a premium.
For not much more money you could get a Ferrari 360.. I mean since you are actually considering dropping a large amount of money into a 200K mile E36, or buying a car that's absolutely, postiviely going to need very expensive repairs... You might as will go baller...lol
No matter where you go, there you are...
Thanks for the responses. So I just got off the phone with a reputable upholstery shop and he gave me a ball park estimate of $1700 for front and rear seats, pillars and headliner. Call it $2k. That’s less than I had thought.
That's a great price. Does that include the padding of the seats? If so, jump on that. IMO E92s are very plain looking right now. They don't look new, and they certainly don't look old/vintage. An Estoril M3/4/5 is a classic and rare car albeit a bit slow. Have you considered a SC?
Also, please tell me you're going to reupholster in Modena. Estoril + Modena is one of the great BMW color combinations of all time.
I agree. I love how my E36 looks. Honestly I love everything about it including the lack of technology. And I agree with you that the E92 doesn’t have the looks. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a sharp looking car, but not on the same page as the E36 or E46. But with the prices of the 46’s, the 92 starts to make sense.
So if I can have a new interior for $2k, I think there worth it. This engine still runs awesome, but someday an LS1 would E what goes in once the S52 gives up the ghost.
SC? Supercharger? Nah, I’d rather put the money towards an LS1.
I’ll have to look up the Modena color. I have dove and I don’t care for it.
I just bought my Alpine e36 M3/4/5, and I considered and drove a variety of e9x M3s. They are wonderful (got to love the redline!), but I found the e36 to be more visceral and simple. While it’s not nearly as fast as it’s more modern counterparts, I find it more ‘fun.’ I’m glad the interior refresh won’t be prohibitively expensive. An estoril/modena color combination would be crazy beautiful!
I think the question is how long do you want to keep it? Or rather, do you intend to keep trading up over the years or are you more of a keeper?
I've got 235k on mine now, and although I agree that most of these are nearing the end of their DD days, I intend to keep DDing mine indefinitely.
Sometimes I do consider getting an E90 (maybe E92 if I could ensure I could swap a 3 seat back seat into it).
This is the exact discussion I have in my head every time.
An S65 is a lot more work and expense to keep up as a DD, especially to get it to the mileage I'm pushing now. The gas mileage isn't exactly a bonus, either.
An LS swap - even at $15k - is less money, more power, and yields a significantly faster car if I ever decide I still need more once I'm done with the S52 upgrade path. Having just finished a head gasket job on my Escalade, I've got a taste for how easy an LS is to work on and upgrade.
Or I can just be content with a solid S52 that I can keep running almost as long as I want. I used to budget $2k / year for maintenance, but I've been a long way from that for a couple years now. And with people like FCP and eEuroparts offering lifetime warranties, the next time around is going to be even cheaper.
If you're going to trade up eventually, none of this makes any sense. Drive an E90 for a couple years and then get an F80.
I drive my E36M3 as much as my E90M3, but the E36 has a fully built motor with a turbocharger and all the usual suspension mods. The E90M3 is moderately modded, but I feel like it could use still more power and may supercharge it. As I have gotten older, comfort has been more of a consideration. The turbo E36 still has heated seats and AC but became a 2 seater a year or so ago when the roll bar went in so it’s not as practical as it once was.
I've long assumed I'd make mine a track car someday, but I've recently realized what a shame it would be to take a sedan off the street and think I'd rather keep driving it or pass it on to my kids than strip it.
I'm not quite old enough to start to care more about comfort, but it's already too rough for my wife's liking and I'm definitely not getting any younger...
I bought the 08 90M3 in 2011 because my wife did not like to ride in the E36 anymore. Now she does not like to ride in the E90M3. Part of the reason is my fault — I mod the motors and suspensions and the cars end up louder and less comfortable.
My wife is the same way, she says the M3 makes her ill. She really likes the C7 Z51.. the magnetic suspension really is a marvel.. (and the multi mode exhaust can be really quiet.)
No matter where you go, there you are...
A lot of variables here. I would never use my E36 M3 as a daily driver. It is a great car but between the Seattle traffic and my daily commute, it would not be any fun at all. I owned an E90 M3 and sold it. Great car but super frustrating to drive in heavy traffic. Now I drive an E90 328i as a daily driver. Pretty good commuter car. I'm thinking of trading the 328i in for an X5.
You might consider hanging on to the E36 and getting something more pedestrian as your daily driver. The E92 is a great car but expensive to maintain. And they are now old enough where the bigger maintenance items start to show up. Anyway, good luck. Your M3 is a nice car. Hope you can keep it.
DCT. 2011 E90 Competition Pack, Gray with Fox Red extended leather interior. No sun roof. Special order car. Beautiful. I was very sad to see it go. But a waste in the way I was able to drive it. The E90/92 M3 wants to GO. 6 months of the year it is wet, cold, dark, which makes terrible Seattle traffic even worse. My 10 mile each way commute was 95% of my driving. Finally said screw it. On nice sunny days I regret it. Right now it is cold, dark & wet.
With the DCT it should be fine to drive in traffic. It the wet made putting the power down a problem, then you want an AWD car. I drive my 6MT E90M3 in NH winter. Sure, in snow I can’t put the power down but that’s not all the time. I’d rather be driving the M3 than a 328i. Now if I had a bumper to bumper commute the 6MT would bother me. Probably few have awesome commutes where it’s slways warm and sunny and they can drive 120 mph or fast on windy roads.
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