Well this has escalated quickly.

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
01/22/2015 at 21:05 • Filed to: None

We're going to look at an E36 M3 tomorrow.

It needs new rear shocks and a wheel speed sensor. Easy fixes.

It's also an auto, but I think I can forgo for an M.

163,000 miles.

Looks clean and I really dig the silver with black wheels. But it has the same damn clear corner markers that 318i had!

Then we've also inquired about an '02 V8 Explorer, a few other BMWs, and a TL Type-S. The search is really heating up and I'm getting excited. I hope the car is good tomorrow though.

Ad.

DISCUSSION (59)

CB > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:07

Dude, go for the TL Type-S for no reason whatsoever other than the fact that I think it's cool.

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:07

is this for you? If so, fuck yeah

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > CB
01/22/2015 at 21:08

The Honda 5-speed scares me slightly. Plus we already ruled it out for being in an accident.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Brian Silvestro
01/22/2015 at 21:08

Yup, 100% for me!

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:08

What the hell is up with those weird turn signals.

CB > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:09

Well that sucks.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
01/22/2015 at 21:09

I HAVE NO IDEA. I can't believe it has the exact same ones.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:10

I'm telling you that you want a 1996 328i, specifically mine.

44444444444 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:10

Psst! Find a V70R or XC70!

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:11

Just watch out for accidents, and how much insurance will cost. I'm willing to bet that it's got a salvage title.

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:11

yis

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > 44444444444
01/22/2015 at 21:12

Can't into boxy Volvos. Plus Volvo reliability scares me more than BMW.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:16

No offence, but people in your area have very poor taste.

I own dead car brands only > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:17

check out Saab 9-3s. I loved my 05

BrownMiataDieselWagon > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:19

Make sure the owner changed the transmission fluid at some point since 163K miles is a significant amount. BMW claimed that the fluid is "lifetime" and many people didn't change the fluid until the transmission blew up (LOL)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jkm7680
01/22/2015 at 21:22

Insurance should be the same as the Safari since we only has liability on it. At least that's what my mom who's done insurance on and off for the last 20-ish years is saying.

I'm pretty sure my dad asked about the title and he said it was clean. It's owned by a 17 year old kid apparently, who maybe just doesn't know how valuable what he has is.

Conan > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:22

S60R is still mad cool.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
01/22/2015 at 21:22

It could be much, much worse.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:23

I dont know much about these... is that a real M? Hate to ask but I thought they had 4 exhaust... It just seems really cheap so be careful

Source: I got burned a too good to be true deal of a V70R

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > I own dead car brands only
01/22/2015 at 21:24

I've looked at them, but every one I find has ugly white-ish leather.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BrownMiataDieselWagon
01/22/2015 at 21:25

Well, it is a GM transmission. At least in normal E36s the auto is.

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:26

Trust me on this one, But it's probably been abused by that 17 year old kid and probably is going to need tons of work done to it. The M3 is not an especially good car to skimp on maintenance with.

I'd check that title out in depth if I were you also. It's not common at all for somebody to undervalue a car by at least $2,000.

I honestly wouldn't recommend an Audi S4 to you, and that's saying a lot coming from an Audi fanboy.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
01/22/2015 at 21:27

It's either real, or an amazingly good replica. I'm going with real because IIRC, those side mirrors alone go over $500 to buy.

E36 M3s had dual exits on one side. E46 started the quad trend.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:28

GM transmissions need love (aka fluid) too!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jkm7680
01/22/2015 at 21:30

We're going to look at it and test drive it, that's the tell tale.

Hell, for all we know the kid babied it, weird things like that can happen. Who would know I beat a minivan within an inch of its life? Those things usually never see over 3000 rpm.

And I just checked, It's worth about $1,000 more in "good" condition.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BrownMiataDieselWagon
01/22/2015 at 21:30

Oh trust me, I know.

Arben72 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:30

I love m3's but a high mileage 'modded' auto e36 m3 is a scary proposition. Price is right if it has no title issues atleast. You should take a look at wrx's. Ton of fun and easily found with manuél. Either way good luck on finding your new car.

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:32

Think you can get a Carfax report or VIN?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Arben72
01/22/2015 at 21:34

WRXs are insanely expensive around where I live, and that's if you can even find one to begin with.

It doesn't look to be modded any further than the (ugly) headlights and black wheels, which look to be plastidipped. And high mileage doesn't really scare me, which is probably a bad thing.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jkm7680
01/22/2015 at 21:34

I could tomorrow, but nothing until then.

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:35

Gotcha, Make sure to check literally everything.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jkm7680
01/22/2015 at 21:36

If the way we went over that 318i yesterday is anything to go by, trust me, we'll check everything.

44444444444 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:37

Reliability depends on the Volvo... There are 2-5 concerns depending on the Volvo and they only appear every 100k miles.

Also, the current Fusion is based on a derivative of the Volvo P3/ Ford EUCD platform...

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:41

I guess it could...

Kinja'd!!!

Arben72 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:46

Get a pdi by a trusted mechanic if you get really serious on this car. The $100 you spend at minimum will give you leverage on negotiation. I'm near your area, there's some good deals hiding if you look for them. The price on that e36 is great and it'll be a hell of an upgrade from a safari.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:47

Pretty sure that has aftermarket headlights, which often means it's been wrecked. Do yourself a favor and get a pre-purchase inspection. Those cars can hide a lot of issues from you if you don't know where to look. That would be a pretty sweet ride, but I would hate to see you get in over your head on repairs and end up with a dead car.

I own dead car brands only > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:51

i resent that comment. I've had three Saab's and every one of them was PARCHMENT leather.

Gray does exist though

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
01/22/2015 at 21:53

The 318i I looked at had the same lights and was 100% original when it came to the front body panels. More ricer boy than botched repair, at least in the 318's case. I'll check all the panels just like I did the 318's, if any of them are aftermarket and missing a metal stamp/sticker indicating it's a BMW part, we'll peel out faster than you can blink.

As for a PPI, my dad knows what to look for and where and what caused it. He was a mechanic for a number of years and knows a potentially big issue when he sees it. And we've done extensive research on the E36 and know what could go wrong and what causes it.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > I own dead car brands only
01/22/2015 at 21:54

I can't stand anything grey or "Parchment." Tan is as light as I can go, and even that can be too light in some cases. Black, red, or saddle are what I want.

Trunk Impaired 318 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:54

Clear corners were an option on '99 model years and later in the US so there were a lot of people who went out and got aftermarket ones to be all "Euro"

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Trunk Impaired 318
01/22/2015 at 21:55

Well these are shitty aftermarket ones for sure. The thick black seal that runs around the whole thing is hideous.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:56

Cool. I'm no BMW expert by any means, those headlights just look ricey to me somehow. And the one partially smoked tailight doesn't help (maybe just the lighting?).

Big Bubba Ray > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 21:58

If you're looking for a good shop to get a ppi, check out Bavarian Enterprises . I brought an 325xi E30 to them for a ppi last August and it cost about $60, but was worth every penny. A ppi is a good idea with any car and is almost a necessity for an M3.

Good luck with the car!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
01/22/2015 at 21:58

I think (and hope) it's just the lighting, because that was the first thing I noticed too. It looks like one is smoked, and rather badly.

Trunk Impaired 318 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 22:02

Kinja'd!!!

For sure, mine are stock and Im even on the fence about them

Clown Shoe Pilot > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 22:04

BMW slush box with 163K in a car famous for deferred maintenance? Also, BMW has been a fan of "lifetime fill" in the slush boxes for a while now, and that's good enough to get the car to the other side of the warranty but not to keep it on the road for years and years. Be careful.

Also - automatic in an M3, so it's going to be a pose car, not an enthusiast car. Poseurs don't change all the fluids on the regular.

On the other hand, it could have been fabulously maintained and still kicking ass. Good luck!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Clown Shoe Pilot
01/22/2015 at 22:07

I'm concerned about a few things, mainly like you said it being an automatic M3 (usually) poseur mobile. But, who knows, it could be babied. We'll find out tomorrow I guess.

Jay Lauer > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 22:16

Most all of the E36 BMW's are junk. They had poor reliability and best and were normally beaten on for a large portion from their life.

I've had one before. The reliability is mediocre at the best of times.

I'd stay away from cheap German cars. Japanese is definitely the better bet.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jay Lauer
01/22/2015 at 22:22

Nothing Japanese in my price range appeals to me, other than a TL Type-S. American cars in this era were shitty for the most part. So I'll risk the German "unreliability."

I know it could be an outlier, but my girlfriend's dad's E36 has been completely trouble free outside of the blower relay.

VonBelmont > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 22:35

163k on a BMW is pretty dicey, so unless everything is absolutely up-to-date and the shocks only just went, run. BMWs can hit 200k+ if you keep up maintainence, but considering the type and owner of the car, ehhhhhh I'd look elsewhere.

Michael Maguire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 22:53

Where are you from...? Ellisville is literally 5 minutes from my house...

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Michael Maguire
01/22/2015 at 22:55

I'm in St. Louis, Maryland Heights to be exact.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 22:57

Did I tell you, or did I tell you?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
01/22/2015 at 22:58

Shh...

(Yes, this is so much better)

Michael Maguire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/22/2015 at 23:07

Nice, I live in Ballwin myself.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/23/2015 at 00:32

Yeah, hopefully he just has crappy pictures. I just did an image search of E36's and the headlights look totally different from the ones on either this car or the 318. Search it and notice the black around the main parts of the lenses, not nearly as white and chrome-y looking as these. At least make sure you check them for BMW part numbers or logos. E36's are kind of the Honda Civics of Euro cars so you have to be extra careful. But when you find one that is nice and well cared for it can be one of the best cars around for the money.

JasonStern911 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
01/23/2015 at 00:33

E36 M3 = unless you find one in immaculate condition, they can be a money pit. the American E36 M3 came with a gimped motor, so it's not on the level of the E30 (for its time) or E46. that said, it can be worth it if you love the car. and with a long enough timeline, they have a chance to appreciate.

V8 Explorer = terrible choice. if the other cars are options, why? you don't seem to be hauling ten people. cheap gas won't last forever. visibility is reduced. etc., etc.

Acura TL-S = depends on the year. the early ones are okay. the newer ones are okay. but the ~2000 era ones are only available with an automatic transmission that has a design flaw leading to a failure rate high enough that Honda had to significantly extend the warranty.

personally, unless the M3 is cherry, I'd be more patient. it's better to suck it up for a few months without a car and get the right one than to have to deal with the wrong one for, what is most likely, years.

and, since this is oppo, you realize winter months are when you can get the best price on a Miata, right?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > JasonStern911
01/23/2015 at 06:41

I know the potential for the E36 in general to become a money pit, this is about the 5th one I've looked at and have done extensive research on them. The U.S. motor is still about 80 horsepower up from the motor in my current, much heavier car.

The Explorer is the type of vehicle I'm used to driving. It's about the same size as my GMC Safari, and probably gets better than the 11 highway I'm getting now. And how is visibility reduced? I sit up higher than other people, giving me a better view ahead. Plus, this model on has two rows of seats.

This one already got ruled out due to it being in an accident. Plus the auto scares me.

flying lap > JasonStern911
01/24/2015 at 08:31

Perhaps the most reliable BMW in existence,and, much quicker around any racetrack than an E30 M3. I've owned both.

Gimped compared to the euro version, sure. But so lots of US spec shit is gimped