1997 E36 Sedan Value?

[2002bmwm5]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum and thinking of trading my 2004 Lexus LX470 (land cruiser) with 223k for an E36 M3 Sedan with 145k. My Lexus has a pretty good maintenance history and has been very reliable over the time that I've owned it but has a few scratches and a tear in the front seat. The M3 seems to be in good shape with the exception of some wear on the leather and rock chips on the front bumper. I'll attach the seller's description belows. What do you think it's worth? He wants $2k on top of the Lexus but NADA has the Lexus actually being worth more and I know that a swapped drive train limits the collectability factor.

Selling my BMW M3. It is a M3/4/5 in estoril blue. 145k miles. No lowballers! Car has been meticulously maintained by an engineer and at solo motorsports (local performance shop).I bought the car from an employee of another shop, EuroFed, who had drivetrain swapped the car with a slightly lower mileage drivetrain and 5spd as it had all the existing modifications already completed. The swap was performed at Eurofed. The car has many period correct mods that are extremely rare to find now and are genuinely worth a lot of $$. I have a full maintenance log to provide and the summary build/maintenance sheet is below.Overall the car runs fantastic, everything functions, and is extremely reliable.2017--Schrick camsSchrick intake manifoldDinan BBTB 3.5 to intakePorsche mafAfe intakeBimmer world tuneFully aluminum radiatorUuc exhaustRear adjustable springsBBS wheelsUuc spacersE46 m3 front seatsAlcantra wrapped Zhp shifter, boot,ebrake boot, arm restNew motor mountsNew solid trans mountsNew polyurethane RtabsSilicone coolant hosesNew thermostatAluminum thermostat housingNew waterpumpNew valve cover gasketNew flex discNew center support bearingNew slave cylinderE36 Euro Sport WheelNew Windshield Cowl Cover from ECS and Driver corner light bulb socketRegistered and taggedIntake filter cleaned via K&N Cleaning kitSteering Column replaced and rebuilt - steering guide tube, compression spring, spring, backup ring, steering shaft bearing, steering column bearing, upper steering spindle - Solo MotorsportsNew steering wheel slip ringAlignment - SolomotorsportsOil Change Kit - Liquimoly 5w30, checked spark plugs - goodNew Front Control Arms and Bushings"New Motor Mount - Passenger Side - Lemforder - FCP Euroand Misc. Clips - door, steering column, hood insulation"New BMW OEM passenger side Motor Mount NutsNew BMW Hood Roundel and Estoril Blue Touchup PaintNew Lemforder Tie Rod Assemblies, Both Sides and OEM BMW Locking Plate/Washers2018--New Driver Door Side Molding, New Driver Mirror, New Driver Door Emblem for Molding, New Full Paint Driver SideAlignment - SolomotorsportsNew Windshield wiper nozzles 61601384859New Rear Tires Kumho PS91 - Tirerack, mount and install at NTBBMW M3 Floor Mats - ECS TuningCabin Air FilterBMW Sway Bar Link - Lemforder [hidden information]3New Motion Motosport underpanelNew rear O2 sensors bank 1 and 2 -NGK 25013 - AmazonNew Front Tires Firehawk Indy 500 - Tirerack, mount and install at NTBNew Center Console [hidden information]2Aero voyager wipersRear Brakes - Akebono pads and Meyle rotors2019--Oil Change Kit - Penzoil Ultra Platinum Black Label 5w30New Coolant Resevoir, New Coolant Level Sensor, New Coolant Cap - SoloMotorsports 2 yr warrantyBrake fluid flushTransmission fluid flush - bmw oil2020--Oil Change Kit - Penzoil Ultra Platinum Black Label 5w30New spark plugs - ngk Plug Set Laser Platinum NGK OEM 3199

[Eric93se]

Most of that shit is basic maintenance, so it was stupid of him to list all that. And I don't get why people are putting 5w30 in an M3.

[mystreba]

He had it listed for sale. How much is/was he asking?

[gdavid]

I'm a big e36 fan but keep the Lexus/Landcruiser, wait till winter and you can find a nice M3 for a good deal. The e36 may be worth more to you right now, but the market reflects popular opinion and value which is ultimately what matters.

[Sieffy]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum and thinking of trading my 2004 Lexus LX470 (land cruiser) with 223k for an E36 M3 Sedan with 145k. My Lexus has a pretty good maintenance history and has been very reliable over the time that I've owned it but has a few scratches and a tear in the front seat. The M3 seems to be in good shape with the exception of some wear on the leather and rock chips on the front bumper. I'll attach the seller's description belows. What do you think it's worth? He wants $2k on top of the Lexus but NADA has the Lexus actually being worth more and I know that a swapped drive train limits the collectability factor.

Selling my BMW M3. It is a M3/4/5 in estoril blue. 145k miles. No lowballers! Car has been meticulously maintained by an engineer and at solo motorsports (local performance shop).I bought the car from an employee of another shop, EuroFed, who had drivetrain swapped the car with a slightly lower mileage drivetrain and 5spd as it had all the existing modifications already completed. The swap was performed at Eurofed. The car has many period correct mods that are extremely rare to find now and are genuinely worth a lot of $$. I have a full maintenance log to provide and the summary build/maintenance sheet is below.Overall the car runs fantastic, everything functions, and is extremely reliable.2017--Schrick camsSchrick intake manifoldDinan BBTB 3.5 to intakePorsche mafAfe intakeBimmer world tuneFully aluminum radiatorUuc exhaustRear adjustable springsBBS wheelsUuc spacersE46 m3 front seatsAlcantra wrapped Zhp shifter, boot,ebrake boot, arm restNew motor mountsNew solid trans mountsNew polyurethane RtabsSilicone coolant hosesNew thermostatAluminum thermostat housingNew waterpumpNew valve cover gasketNew flex discNew center support bearingNew slave cylinderE36 Euro Sport WheelNew Windshield Cowl Cover from ECS and Driver corner light bulb socketRegistered and taggedIntake filter cleaned via K&N Cleaning kitSteering Column replaced and rebuilt - steering guide tube, compression spring, spring, backup ring, steering shaft bearing, steering column bearing, upper steering spindle - Solo MotorsportsNew steering wheel slip ringAlignment - SolomotorsportsOil Change Kit - Liquimoly 5w30, checked spark plugs - goodNew Front Control Arms and Bushings"New Motor Mount - Passenger Side - Lemforder - FCP Euroand Misc. Clips - door, steering column, hood insulation"New BMW OEM passenger side Motor Mount NutsNew BMW Hood Roundel and Estoril Blue Touchup PaintNew Lemforder Tie Rod Assemblies, Both Sides and OEM BMW Locking Plate/Washers2018--New Driver Door Side Molding, New Driver Mirror, New Driver Door Emblem for Molding, New Full Paint Driver SideAlignment - SolomotorsportsNew Windshield wiper nozzles 61601384859New Rear Tires Kumho PS91 - Tirerack, mount and install at NTBBMW M3 Floor Mats - ECS TuningCabin Air FilterBMW Sway Bar Link - Lemforder [hidden information]3New Motion Motosport underpanelNew rear O2 sensors bank 1 and 2 -NGK 25013 - AmazonNew Front Tires Firehawk Indy 500 - Tirerack, mount and install at NTBNew Center Console [hidden information]2Aero voyager wipersRear Brakes - Akebono pads and Meyle rotors2019--Oil Change Kit - Penzoil Ultra Platinum Black Label 5w30New Coolant Resevoir, New Coolant Level Sensor, New Coolant Cap - SoloMotorsports 2 yr warrantyBrake fluid flushTransmission fluid flush - bmw oil2020--Oil Change Kit - Penzoil Ultra Platinum Black Label 5w30New spark plugs - ngk Plug Set Laser Platinum NGK OEM 3199

Lmao he listed the spark plugs and oil. Just make him hold out. These cars especially us spec idk if it’s us or eu are not gonna jump in price quickly if anything it will be a very slow rise in value. That’s worth just waiting on.

[galuple]

If you’re looking for collectibility factor, the 4 door is probably the least desirable of the E36 M’s, and a lot of the mods he threw in actually decrease the value, like E46 seats, mismatched VINs on the engine and tranny...

[blckstrm]

If you’re looking for collectibility factor, the 4 door is probably the least desirable of the E36 M’s, and a lot of the mods he threw in actually decrease the value, like E46 seats, mismatched VINs on the engine and tranny...

A car with 145k is not a collector. Hell, a car with 80k is not a collector. 40k? Maybe...

Having a stick makes this worth more than an auto. No one cares if the engine has been replaced if it runs well and has good compression.

This take is patently false - a vert is the least desirable. Go check prices on BaT.

Sedans hold up well, and are less common than coupes. Many here (including myself) would argue they're more expensive because there are fewer of them, and unlike the convertible, they carry no performance penalty compared to a coupe.

This car is a very good color, it is a stick, it has cams, and it has a Schrick intake, which is indeed rare and expensive. 145k is relatively average mileage these days - not too high, but not low enough to be a collector.

Assuming no hidden issues, and all the maintenance listed is relatively recent, I could see this going for as much as $15k, maybe even listed as high as $18k. Maybe the seats knock it down to $12k if they're bad and the rest of the interior is a little rough, too. I wouldn't call E46 M3 seats a problem at all, it's really more about their condition.

But decent M3s are starting to get expensive. He'd be crazy to list this for less than $12k.

What's the asking price? What do you think your Lexus is worth?

Keep in mind NADA and KBB will book an E30 M3 at $5k. You can use those sites all day long, but if they're off by an order of magnitude, no amount of arguing will change the fact that the E36 M3 they claim is worth $5k will sell on BaT for $15k. They're terrible at valuing special cars.