Questions about E36 M3's...
 

Greetings all...ive been lurking on this forum for a while now ( mostly in the Porsche sections..im obsessed...completely obsessed...), and am looking into purchasing an E36 M3. This forum has such a wealth of information..i figured some questions to people on here would be a great place to start...

sooo..Im looking to get as mint an E36 as I can, preferrably a 99. Estoril Blue or black..but color isnt the biggest issue, as long as its not green, lol. Obviously..the lowest possible mileage I can. Im setting a cap of $20k, because i know i can find a great example for around that much.

Ive never really heard of major catasrophes regarding these cars...they seems to be pretty reliable over all...but what are some areas of concern for a new buyer? In terms of modifications..im familiar with Turner Motorsport and Dinan..but not much else. Id like to start with the basic modifications as soon as possible (i.e ECU, CAI, catback, pulleys)...any ups or downs to either company? Any other recommendations?

any help and or advice would be great! Thanks!

Strongly urge you to check out M3Forums.com / Bimmerforums.com ... not only will you find a wealth of info on the E36 M, but you should find a few gems for sale in both the classifieds section.

I think you will find, while there are members here who have owned a E36, this is mostly a porsche forum.



As a side note: I find the E36 to be an incredible platform. You should have a ball with that car. Goodluck in your search!

The only huge problem I've heard of on the E36 is the rear sub-frame failures (apparently on all BMWs though)...

Private message me and I'll set you in the right direction.

Also welcome to 6Speed! Where you from in NJ?

Exactly what he said.

Check BimmerForums.com

The cooling system is the main major issue the e36's face.
I was looking for an e46 and ended up picking up this Estoril E36 instead: https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ad.php?t=83927

I couldn't be happier with it so far- It handles like nothing I've ever experienced.

thanks for all the advice..ive scoped those forums out a little bit. ill browse around alil more and see what I can come up with

I was living in the Wayne/Haledon area for a couple years while i went to William Paterson..but i moved back to south jersey recently. Medford..in burlington county

Thats cool, too bad you should have stayed up here, there is a nice Porsche presence. I live in Butler (Morris County).

damnnn...that is a sweet find. Very tasteful mods. I had a friend who bought those wheels for his bimmer...very light weight

How did the 951 treat you?
I've always wanted to pickup a 951S.

saying it treated me well would be an understatement...lol. I live near a porsche mechanic who gave me a recommendation for that purchase. Overall it ran great, held boost, and handled like no ones business. I didnt touch the suspension, just replaced some bushings and whatnot, had turboback, chip, and intake..man, that thing was an f'ing rocket. you sneeze on that motor and you can make serious power. Insurance was a bit more then i wanted to pay..thats why i "downgraded" to an SLC Corrado

E36 M3's do not have rear subframe issues. They came from the factory with reinforcements. M coupes/roadsters (actually anything Z3 based) have the horrible rear subframe/floor issues.

Overall, these cars are very reliable if you find an example that has been maintained, but they are getting older. Cooling system replacement/upgrade (to metal components) is a must, as is a suspension bushing refresh (esp. RTAB's). Vanos problems do occur but its a pretty hit/miss issue.

If you track the car, make sure to have the oil pump nut welded/wired because they can come loose with hard track driving.

I would stay far away from Dinan. Their stuff is very very overpriced for what they offer, and these cars are out of warranty, which is the only upside to buying Dinan products (usually covered under warranty). I would check out Turner Motorsports, Bimmerworld, and Understeer for aftermarket parts.

If you have any further questions, shoot. I know far too much regarding these cars.... :o

be wary of:
water pump
oil pump nut
fan clutch
radiator
power steering leaks
t-stat
rtab's
lcab's
rsm's
guibo
driveshaft support bearing
differential nut
vanos ticking

-Make sure to check all of these when you will be purchasing.

there are a lot of m3's out there. they are fairly reliable. just concentrate on how the owner maintained it and you should be good.

hissing sounds from the diff indicating neglect of changing it's fluids
DOT-R panels.

LCABS = Lower Control Arm Bushings
RTABS = Rear Trailing Arm Bushings
RSMS = Rear Shock Mounts

The water pump on older M3's tends to degrade because they have plastic impellars, a 99 won't have that issue.

Radiator goes aronud 100k miles

Oil pump nut will back out only if you don't loctite it, some go as far as welding it, it happens rarely.

Thermostat is a wear item, good to be replaced with a waterpump.

Vanos failure is indicative by making a can of marble sound.

Guibo is the weak link in the driveshaft, it's easy to replace though.

If these aren't replaced, they are grounds for dropping the price, all can be replaced for under 1,500 total if you do it yourself. I suggest doing it to familiarize yourself with your car.

Good choice!

Here's mine.

www.mitchelrl.com/rims/tang