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Thread: 1998 M3/4/5 174k $8750 Cosmos/Magma

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5

    1998 M3/4/5 174k $8750 Cosmos/Magma

    • 1998 BMW M3 Sedan – 5 Speed Manual (Located in Cleveland, Ohio) $8,750 / Best offer
    • WBSCD9326WEE08190
    • Cosmos Black/ Magma – Power/Heated
    • 174k Miles
    • Sunroof

    I am putting my car up so sale. No significant reason other than it's time to move on to something different. I purchased this car in February 2010 and am the third owner. This was my second and is currently my third car and is not driven frequently anymore. It has been stored indoors throughout my ownership. I have never tracked/auto-crossed it. It has been a weekend toy/occasional drive to work car. I've put about 20k miles on the car during my ownership.

    I have all records from my ownership and some records prior to my ownership obtained from BMW and Carfax. This car is interesting in that it has a somewhat rare interior color and has a fixed rear seat.

    Overall the condition of the car is average to above average. It is mostly in original condition with the exception of a few modifications listed below. The car runs well and I would not hesitate to drive it anywhere. A/C blows cold, cruise works, all of the windows work. There is no rust on the car, all original panels with VIN stickers in place, undercarriage is very clean. The car spent most of the first part of its life in Baltimore. It has been stored in the winter months and has never been driven on a salty road during my ownership.

    The exterior is in average condition for a 22 year old car with 174k miles on it. Soon after purchasing I had a PDR done on the exterior of the car. A few of the more complex dents can still be seen. As seen in the photos the car looks very nice from about 20 feet away. The front bumper/hood could use a respray, however, it's not really noticeable unless you are looking right at it. I do have the Dr. Color chip kit but I never applied it.

    The interior of the car is in average shape. All seats and leather surfaces look nice with the exception of the driver bolster, which does have some wear. The headliner is sagging and needs to be replaced. The glove box is sagging.

    I want to address the cooling system. When I purchased the car I found evidence that cooling system work had been performed. Most notable was the 2007 date stamp on the radiator. Because I didn't have any records of this I decided that I would perform the preventative cooling system overhaul. However, I kept putting this off. I have always kept a close eye on the temp gauge and it's always pegged at dead center when warm. I spoke to my mechanic about the overhauling the cooling system and he seemed unconcerned about it.

    Work completed during my ownership

    • Oil/Oil filter change (less than 1,000 miles since change)- regular oil changes every 3-
    5k miles – using highest quality oil (typically BMW brand oil)
    • Brembo blank Rotors & Brake Pads – replaced in the last 500 miles
    • Left & Right Front Tie Rods
    • Sway bar end links
    • Sachs Shocks Front and Rear

    • Front Control arms

    • Rear trailing arm bushings
    • Rear Ball joints
    • Guibo
    • Motormounts
    • OE Reverse light switch
    • Brake fluid replaced
    • Transmission oil replaced
    • Windshield cowl
    • Passenger seat gear replaced ( for recline function)
    • All lights replaced in the gaugecluster
    • Cabin air filter
    • Rear wing drill holes and rust bubble spot repaired/repainted on the rear quarter panel

    Modifications

    • Z3 steering rack ( Rebuilt unit from Rackdoctor) – nice improvement over stock
    • Momo Steering Wheel w/ hub
    • Eibach Pro kitSprings - about 1 inch lowering
    • Ireland Engineering Exhaust - very mellow and no drone
    • Turner Motorsport 15mmwheelspacer front
    • Turner Motorsport rear shock mount reinforcements
    • ZHP 5 speed shift knob
    • De-Baffled Airbox
    • De-badged truck lid
    • OE Euro spec exterior lighting -Bosch headlights

    Issues

    • Passenger tail light fails intermittently (due to a short somewhere)
    • Passenger fog light lens cracked
    • Mirror adjustment switch not operational ( I've never tested this, could just be a bad
    switch)
    • Airbag light is on because of a passenger seat airbag sensor failure (also because of
    momo steering wheel )
    • Headliner sagging
    • Glove box sagging
    • Valve cover gasket slight leak (parts included)
    • Clutch master cylinder ( clutch pedal has popped up due to pin failure) – clutch works
    fine (in the process of taking care of this)
    • 5th gear lean (known E36 issue. Goes away when car warms up)
    • Shifter bushings – probably need to be replaced to improve shifter feel)
    • Pulley bearing is noisy
    • Tires (Hankook Ventus ) have decent tread but are close to 10 years old at this point
    and should be replaced
    • Rear passenger door lock sticks sometimes.

    Additional items that will be included with the car

    • Original equipment (OE) Headlights turn signals and tail lights.
    • OE exhaust ( please note that this exhaust will not fit in the car….easily)
    • OE Springs
    • OE Steering wheel
    • OE lighted shift knob
    • OE radio
    • Rear window gasket
    • DR. Colorchip kit
    • Random extra parts - valve cove gasket kit, plugs

    PPI's are welcome. There is a well know BMW specialist (Koala Motorsport) nearby. There are also two BMW dealerships nearby. I am hoping to sell this car to another enthusiast. To that end, I will be complete transparent and honest about everything. If you have any specific questions regarding anything I haven't covered please feel free to ask.

    $8,750 / Best offer
    Thank you for your interest

    48C9DF2E-4DC7-4155-BCD0-1B8BB2FFC72B.jpgIMG_7727.JPGblogger-image-1315186790.jpgIMG_20190614_185442676_HDR.jpgIMG_20190614_185511468_HDR.jpg

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Trades?
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5
    I'm still not sure what is next for me. Considering E90/E92 M3, Miata, S2000... Unfortunately do not have time for a project right now so I am looking for something turn key.

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5
    A 1997 with 135k miles just sold for almost twice as much on BAT. This might be 1/2 the price but definitely not 1/2 the car.

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    usa
    Posts
    12
    My Cars
    1994 325i
    Was surprised to see 16k on that one with the mileage. Paying for the color I suppose, black and silver cars seem slower to sell or bring less for whatever reason. I’m local to you, wish I had the funds right now or I’d definitely have to check this out.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    suburb of Cleveland Ohio
    Posts
    100
    My Cars
    99 M3
    Hey, I'm in Cleveland too. Western suburb actually. I have a 99 Cosmos M3 with about 124,000 miles. I posted mine for sale last summer with a high price so I wouldn't sell it . I really don't want too.
    Good luck with the sale. Excellent price for whoever buys it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    2,181
    My Cars
    S54 E36 M3, E32 740il
    I've been looking for a car for my daughter, but I stumbled upon a mint E32 with only 61k for $4k.

    Once I got it home I realized it was too nice to sentence a life in a high school parking lot, and then I checked recent BaT auctions and realized I could make some pretty good money if I'd just refresh the suspension and detail it.

    I'll get a new headlight for it next week and then it's going up on BaT.

    If this thing is still available in a few weeks once that 7er is (hopefully) sold, I'd really like to do this. I could do all the maintenance in my sleep!

    -Josh: 1998 S54 E36 M3/4/6 with most of the easy stuff and most of the hard stuff. At least twice. 271k miles. 1994 E32 740il with nothing but some MPars. 93k miles.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5
    Update 03/12/2020 - Out of winter storage

    New clutch master cylinder installed
    Shifter bushings renewed

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5
    DSC_1847.JPG

    - - - Updated - - -

    Bump

    I don't "need" to sell this. But, you may need to buy it.

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5
    Quick update. I've had a few conversations with offers in the $6000 to $7000 dollar range. To be honest, at those amounts it's not worth selling this car. On Friday, 4 new (Michelin A/S 3+) tires are being installed. This weekend I am replacing the belts, tensioners, and pulleys. With tires, belts, and the earlier work on the master cylinder and shifter bushing I will have put at least $1000 into the car. Having said that, I will entertain offers around my asking price. However, I may just keep it for now.

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    st louis mo
    Posts
    45
    My Cars
    318is
    No offense but youre asking close to 9gs for a car with a bunch of small issues coupled with the fact you have 175k miles. Lotta money when folks can get a cleaner car for a little more.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Cleveland
    Posts
    21
    My Cars
    1998 M3/4/5
    I understand your point and I appreciate the feedback. However, I think the cars to which your refer for a little more are about $3-$5k more. And, of the issues I listed, I have now addressed the 4 of the most significant and expensive ones. I will continue to work down the list as time allows. I get it though, 175k may be too many miles for some but I don't think those folks are looking at this. This is why the miles are front and center in my title. I think the $6000-$7000 E36 M3's for sale right all need more work than mine.

    Cosmos over Magma -Z3 steering rack - Bosch ellipsoid headlights - Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors - Debaffled with K&N

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    AL
    Posts
    81
    My Cars
    99' M3, 98' M3, 13' X5
    empfader, I feel your asking price is spot on. Honestly, pic a weekend to pull the transmission, replace the shift detents, replace faulty clutch pin, remove the clutch delay valve & and freshen up the shifter all which can be done for under $200 in parts. Spend another $300-$600 to recover headliner, A & C pillars, remove all window film, reinstall your stock steering wheel, head unit and amber lights. Once done, have the car professionally detailed and photographed to get high quality photos of the undercarriage and all interior/exterior panels/bodywork. Serious buyers of these cars know the "issues" you've listed above are non-issues. Overall condition, 10yrs ownership and only 20K miles during your tenure of ownership should attract the right buyer...and my guess is that buyer would be willing to give closer to $12-$13K or more!

    GLWS!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    North Jersey
    Posts
    1,362
    My Cars
    97 M3, 01 S4 Avant
    Very reasonably priced. Most I've seen around that mileage or more are being priced nowadays around $15K. Not sure it's at that price bracket just yet. Too bad you're not local, I just may have taken this off your hands! GLWS though!

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