E36 M3.... which 1??

[Steve Barrett]

Coupe or Saloon
Evo or non evo

I had a E46 CSL in the past, plus an old E30 325i and E28 M535i so do enjoy an older BMW.

I'm trying to decide on the above and failing miserably

I'm only buying as a pure sunny weekend toy and really am unsure what I want (apart from reliability). I'm very very handy with the spanners so will maintain myself.

Pros and cons of each from owners/past owners.


Thanks for any help
Steve

[M5 London]

Steve Barrett said:

Coupe or Saloon
Evo or non evo

I had a E46 CSL in the past, plus an old E30 325i and E28 M535i so do enjoy an older BMW.

I'm trying to decide on the above and failing miserably

I'm only buying as a pure sunny weekend toy and really am unsure what I want (apart from reliability). I'm very very handy with the spanners so will maintain myself.

Pros and cons of each from owners/past owners.


Thanks for any help
Steve

Non Evo, coupe ! A bit more raw than the Evo and a less fragile engine, in terms of Vanos etc.

LHD ideally too, seem to drive better with better pedal placement also.

Well anyway that's what I'd go for and I am no real expert on the E36s

PS : I had one back in 2000 for a couple of years before it was stolen

[MarkwG]

Sunny weekend toy? Cabrio then

Otherwise, coupe if you don't need the rear access or to carry people in the back, saloon if you want something stealthy & quick with practicality. Evo or not doesn't matter, buy on condition & spec - the advantages & disadvantages of one over the other are exaggerated anyway, good examples of both are fine cars, poor ones will bite you.

[Steve Barrett]

Thanks for the replies...

There's a red 3.0 coupe on PH for sale which looks very promising.

[CRA1G]

MarkwG said:

Sunny weekend toy? Cabrio then

Absolutely..when the sun comes out this comes out..

[Steve Barrett]

I'm leaning towards a cabrio... Dakar being my favourite choice but hard too find

[RossOCD]

Yep if it's a sunny weekend car it's has to be a convertible! Handles well for a cab, reliable, 4 seats, love mine more and more nowadays!

[crashley]

Steve Barrett said:

Thanks for the replies...

There's a red 3.0 coupe on PH for sale which looks very promising.

He's up in Glasgow. Looks really clean in the photos. I was bitterly tempted but the prospect of trying to buy that (and traveling from Essex) and moving house on Wednesday i fear would tip Mrs Crash over the edge!

[mark.c]

I've had a couple of each flavour, 3.0 and 3.2. All saloons oddly enough. I preferred the Evo if I'm honest, my last one in particular was very strong. I've got a CSL now and feel that the Evo version had a power delivery more akin to that than the non-evo. Having said all that, given that prices of these cars have risen of late (remember that those doggy cars of a few years ago and just now more expensive) I would just go for the nicest car possible whatever the version. I certainly wouldn't choose a tired Evo over a nice 3.0. Some of these cars have had a very hard life when they were worth buttons.

[Crackie]

I had an EVO saloon and coupe but not tried a non EVO. Best to try several examples to get a feel for what a good example feels like; plenty of poor examples about. I tried 10 before choosing my coupe.

Non EVO 5 speed box is allegedly more robust than EVO's 6 speed; never heard of having an issue with 6 speed box though....... Single VANOS on non EVO is more robust but people like http://www.mrvanos.com/ make any issues far less expensive to fix than they used to be.

Many seem to feel that apart from the relatively minor EVO 'box and issues, the newer car is the one too have. More powerful engine with stronger conrods, big floating discs from E34 M5, revised suspension, fixed ratio steering. EVO steering isn't good but non EVO variable ratio rack seems to be universally disliked.

Edited by Crackie on Tuesday 14th June 18:26

[161BMW]

I am also possibly thinking of changing my E30 325i Sport for E36 M3 Evolution Manual later in the year. Hopefully a Coupe.
What are these like to drive compared to E30 325i Sport ? Are they more tail happy in the wet ?
I have seen Car Throttle's video where they bought E36 M3 and there was quite a lot wrong with it even though it cost £6900.

Are there many good ones left for reasonable money sub £8k ?
What is insurance costs like on these ?
What are these like as a daily driver ? I would be looking to use one as a daily to replace my E30 325i Sport.

I remember seeing E36 M3s brand new in the 1990s. They did look good. However, a lot of replicas out there. Also I do remember when a lot of E36 M3s got modded. I have a soft spot for a clean OEM Evolution model.

[pat_y]

Have owned both types, 1x non-evo and 2x Evo's, all coupe manuals. to be honest i felt the overall package of the Evo was better (particularly the engine). My only gripe with the Evo was the dredded 'V' word. Both Evo's had issues with that system.

[e21Mark]

Really don't get the whole cabrio M car myself. (Just personal and not looking to offend) Why take what is supposed to be a performance car and compromise said performance, by chopping the roof off?

My money would go on a non Evo 4 door, without a sunroof and preferably in white.

[Schermerhorn]

Stock Evo coupe. Estoril blue is my favourite colour but black is very nice also, very cool and understated.

[bennyboysvuk]

161BMW said:

I am also possibly thinking of changing my E30 325i Sport for E36 M3 Evolution Manual later in the year. Hopefully a Coupe.
What are these like to drive compared to E30 325i Sport ? Are they more tail happy in the wet ?

My E30 325i Sport Touring was more of a handful than my E36 M3 non-Evo. I think the E30 was set up more for oversteer than my M3 and sometimes, on a wet surface it was impossible to save it from spinning. It felt like a 911 sometimes, once the rear was coming round, it was coming round no matter what you do. The M3 was much friendlier, but still a massively oversteery car if you want it.

[161BMW]

bennyboysvuk said:

My E30 325i Sport Touring was more of a handful than my E36 M3 non-Evo. I think the E30 was set up more for oversteer than my M3 and sometimes, on a wet surface it was impossible to save it from spinning. It felt like a 911 sometimes, once the rear was coming round, it was coming round no matter what you do. The M3 was much friendlier, but still a massively oversteery car if you want it.

Was your E30 325i Touring stock ?
If not what was different from standard ? Just trying to establish whether any mods would have made it more oversteery or not ?
E30s and E21s have semi trailing arm rear suspension
E36s have BMW Z axle as debuted in the BMW Z1.

[Steve Barrett]

For me.... Evo, Coupe, Techno Violet with black vadars, saying that with age etc it's more of condition condition condition that's the big factor.


Steve

[rb5er]

Evo 100%. Manual 100%.

Body, whatever you prefer.

[iguana]

E30 325 far far more tail happy than an e36.

Which 36, I'd say a 3.0 coupe. Sort the suspension for something less compromised, run slightly better- more aggressive geo, refresh a few bushes & they are great.

[bennyboysvuk]

161BMW said:

bennyboysvuk said:

My E30 325i Sport Touring was more of a handful than my E36 M3 non-Evo. I think the E30 was set up more for oversteer than my M3 and sometimes, on a wet surface it was impossible to save it from spinning. It felt like a 911 sometimes, once the rear was coming round, it was coming round no matter what you do. The M3 was much friendlier, but still a massively oversteery car if you want it.

Was your E30 325i Touring stock ?
If not what was different from standard ? Just trying to establish whether any mods would have made it more oversteery or not ?
E30s and E21s have semi trailing arm rear suspension
E36s have BMW Z axle as debuted in the BMW Z1.

It was completely stock, with the exception of a Momo Corse steering wheel, which aided the opposite lock application.

It was running Pirelli P6000s which made it ridiculously easy to drift. Throw it in hard at 60mph - get a drift on. It was brilliant fun.