M3 Evo, where to find a good'un...
Discussion
Hey M Power party people 
I'm looking for a nice, straight E36 Evo - but I'm getting frustrated that no new ones seem to be coming onto the open market. I check PH classifieds at least twice a day, same with autotrader and car and classic.
Now, I know for a fact that owners clubs (especially the RO's) are often keen to see cars transferred into good hands, and often know of cars that aren't on the open market. What is the best club to join to help out with my search?
Also, am I missing any good online resources?
I'm being quite specific... Coupe, or at a push a convertible. Leather - to compliment colour, Vaders, 6 speed manual evo with less than about 85k on it. Budget is £6200 <- Is this enough?
Cheers
Oh, and feel free to post porn below (E36 Porn, obviously)
I'm looking for a nice, straight E36 Evo - but I'm getting frustrated that no new ones seem to be coming onto the open market. I check PH classifieds at least twice a day, same with autotrader and car and classic.
Now, I know for a fact that owners clubs (especially the RO's) are often keen to see cars transferred into good hands, and often know of cars that aren't on the open market. What is the best club to join to help out with my search?
Also, am I missing any good online resources?
I'm being quite specific... Coupe, or at a push a convertible. Leather - to compliment colour, Vaders, 6 speed manual evo with less than about 85k on it. Budget is £6200 <- Is this enough?
Cheers
Oh, and feel free to post porn below (E36 Porn, obviously)
KingRichard said:
Oh, and feel free to post porn below (E36 Porn, obviously)
Is this good enough porn for you sir in the meantime to whet your appetite?
M3J.
hi kingrichard
find a good one and you wont regret it! - i bought mine a while back and loved it. thing is i dont drive it that much. I got that sucked into the older M cars i bought another too an M Roadster with the same evo engine in.
Theres something amazing about the S50/S54 engine, amazing range of talent. I think 6200 would buy you a good one. As others have suggested the BMW car club has the best ones - more expensive but worth paying a little more for the right one as your savings will disappear if you buy a duffer
Matt
find a good one and you wont regret it! - i bought mine a while back and loved it. thing is i dont drive it that much. I got that sucked into the older M cars i bought another too an M Roadster with the same evo engine in.
Theres something amazing about the S50/S54 engine, amazing range of talent. I think 6200 would buy you a good one. As others have suggested the BMW car club has the best ones - more expensive but worth paying a little more for the right one as your savings will disappear if you buy a duffer
Matt
Edited by off your marks on Sunday 28th December 12:12
KingRichard said:
I'm being quite specific... Coupe, or at a push a convertible. Leather - to compliment colour, Vaders, 6 speed manual evo with less than about 85k on it. Budget is £6200 <- Is this enough?
To be honest, your wish list seems perfectly reasonable, as does the amount you are willing to spend.Only real difficulty will come from mileage and of course condition. I looked at quite a few before eventually tracking mine down and that was four years ago...
Might be worth reconsidering mileage - enthusiast pampered 100k cars will drive better than most at 85k and the magic 100k barrier will mean cheaper (and more readily available) too.
As an aside, have you considered stretching to e46? Better all round than e36 in standard trim IMHO - depends on what you are looking for.
off your marks said:
hi kingrichard
find a good one and you wont regret it! - i bought mine a while back and loved it. thing is i dont drive it that much. I got that sucked into the older M cars i bought another too an M Roadster with the same evo engine in.
heres my EVO - a GTII or Imola Individual as its known
Matt
I've read the story but other than a regular advert for your business the car seems to be just a garage queen, ideal for concours maybe but too precious to be used as intended by BMW.find a good one and you wont regret it! - i bought mine a while back and loved it. thing is i dont drive it that much. I got that sucked into the older M cars i bought another too an M Roadster with the same evo engine in.
heres my EVO - a GTII or Imola Individual as its known
Matt
Edited by off your marks on Sunday 28th December 11:31
breezy said:
KingRichard said:
I'm being quite specific... Coupe, or at a push a convertible. Leather - to compliment colour, Vaders, 6 speed manual evo with less than about 85k on it. Budget is £6200 <- Is this enough?
To be honest, your wish list seems perfectly reasonable, as does the amount you are willing to spend.Only real difficulty will come from mileage and of course condition. I looked at quite a few before eventually tracking mine down and that was four years ago...
Might be worth reconsidering mileage - enthusiast pampered 100k cars will drive better than most at 85k and the magic 100k barrier will mean cheaper (and more readily available) too.
As an aside, have you considered stretching to e46? Better all round than e36 in standard trim IMHO - depends on what you are looking for.
I've been talking to a sound guy with a yellow 3.0 that is a really good price and seems extremely pampered. I haven't driven a 3.0 so I can't compare the two. It's been modified (all nice, tasteful stuff I may add). It's also got the spec I'm looking for but it's done 115k
You wanna see the ad?
I was in a similar position to you a few months back and what I've learnt since buying my M3 is to buy on condition, not mileage - there are some real dogs around with 75k and really good, solid cars with 120k.
I don't think 115k is a problem if the car has been cared for. If I were looking now and saw a high mileage M3 with the problem areas addressed and wear and tear items recently replaced (Shocks, Bushes, Vanos, Air con problems, Exhaust flexi pipe etc) I wouldn't think twice about buying it. I've got one with 85k that needs some of the above doing - whilst not all urgent it's likely to cost me at least £2k to get it right.
I would have a look on e36coupe.com - check out the member journals to see what the common problem areas are, that'll give you a good idea of what to look for when buying one.
I don't think 115k is a problem if the car has been cared for. If I were looking now and saw a high mileage M3 with the problem areas addressed and wear and tear items recently replaced (Shocks, Bushes, Vanos, Air con problems, Exhaust flexi pipe etc) I wouldn't think twice about buying it. I've got one with 85k that needs some of the above doing - whilst not all urgent it's likely to cost me at least £2k to get it right.
I would have a look on e36coupe.com - check out the member journals to see what the common problem areas are, that'll give you a good idea of what to look for when buying one.
off your marks said:
i agree mate - its difficult though as if i did use it then it would soon lose its condition - picking up chips and the usual stuff associated with normal driving. I do drive the roadster though as its less precious and a right handfull.
My post came across as a bit harsh, not really my intention but unless you actually use the evo you're just looking after it for the next owner, in which case you may as well cash in now.
Does look good but too floppy as a drivers car. Get the coupe! Not that I am biased of course.
As to the original post, only the Coupes come with Vadar seats. The 'loons and 'verts have the standard sports items. Which to be fair are still extremely comfortable.
Only advice I could give whem looking is to research the car properly. I wouldn't buy one without good service history unless I was a mechanic. Which I am not. I did a lot of research before purchase and in 2 years and nearly 20,000 miles (car is a 97P bought on 72k miles now on 91k) she has been faultless save for a battery and the ABS sensor that have needed replacing. Just had inspection 2 done and clean bill of health given so keeping for the indefinate future. Needs touching up here and there but for me it's about the driving, not the polishing.
As to the original post, only the Coupes come with Vadar seats. The 'loons and 'verts have the standard sports items. Which to be fair are still extremely comfortable.
Only advice I could give whem looking is to research the car properly. I wouldn't buy one without good service history unless I was a mechanic. Which I am not. I did a lot of research before purchase and in 2 years and nearly 20,000 miles (car is a 97P bought on 72k miles now on 91k) she has been faultless save for a battery and the ABS sensor that have needed replacing. Just had inspection 2 done and clean bill of health given so keeping for the indefinate future. Needs touching up here and there but for me it's about the driving, not the polishing.
KingRichard said:
breezy said:
KingRichard said:
I'm being quite specific... Coupe, or at a push a convertible. Leather - to compliment colour, Vaders, 6 speed manual evo with less than about 85k on it. Budget is £6200 <- Is this enough?
To be honest, your wish list seems perfectly reasonable, as does the amount you are willing to spend.Only real difficulty will come from mileage and of course condition. I looked at quite a few before eventually tracking mine down and that was four years ago...
Might be worth reconsidering mileage - enthusiast pampered 100k cars will drive better than most at 85k and the magic 100k barrier will mean cheaper (and more readily available) too.
As an aside, have you considered stretching to e46? Better all round than e36 in standard trim IMHO - depends on what you are looking for.
I've been talking to a sound guy with a yellow 3.0 that is a really good price and seems extremely pampered. I haven't driven a 3.0 so I can't compare the two. It's been modified (all nice, tasteful stuff I may add). It's also got the spec I'm looking for but it's done 115k
You wanna see the ad?
Broadly the 3.0/3.2 cars are very similar. BMW made some changes to the chassis to make the car a little safer on the limit but I don't think these will be night and day, particularly if you start upgrading.
My preference is generally Evo simply because the cars will be newer and have more toys. Rust does affect the e36 (check rear arches on any car you go to see) and obviously older cars are more susceptible.
I wouldn't get too hung up on mileage. Any car 75k+ is going to need suspension refresh at a minimum and most enthusiasts find themselves heading down the aftermarket route at that point.
My car is sitting at 117k and drives extremely well, I would say better than when I got it at 74k - but then I have renewed suspension from top to bottom and spent a lot of time getting the geometry right. Don't forget, as cars start to get cheaper, the cost of modifications/refresh could esily exceed the cost of the car...
As an aside, don't forget to check insurance for modified cars if that is the route you go down.
No objections to posting a link to the 3.0 but experience with PH tells me that it will get hacked to pieces, nice car or not!
I'm keeping my eyes peeled for an E36 M3 Evo coupe in Atlantis Blue with Black interior and Champagne Leather... Saw a beauty S reg with just 56k on the clock and they only wanted about £6k for it... but it was a bloody SMG. 
The problem with later E36 M3 Evos, particularly highly-specced 'individual' examples, is that they were clearly bought new by people who weren't short of a bob or two and specced the SMG because it was a fancy gadget that they could boast about... but to the used M3 buyer it's just an expensive piece of nonsense to go wrong and is best avoided.
The problem with later E36 M3 Evos, particularly highly-specced 'individual' examples, is that they were clearly bought new by people who weren't short of a bob or two and specced the SMG because it was a fancy gadget that they could boast about... but to the used M3 buyer it's just an expensive piece of nonsense to go wrong and is best avoided.I've got a 1999 convertible on a "V" plate
6 speed
85k with FSH
New vanos @ 73k
Carbon black
Modena with electric heated leather
Climate
Eibach pro kit / poly bushes
Scorpion exhaust
Induction kit
Harmon Kardon
12 months MOT
Mail tjw110@hotmail.com if your interested, I'm buying a low milage E46
6 speed
85k with FSH
New vanos @ 73k
Carbon black
Modena with electric heated leather
Climate
Eibach pro kit / poly bushes
Scorpion exhaust
Induction kit
Harmon Kardon
12 months MOT
Mail tjw110@hotmail.com if your interested, I'm buying a low milage E46
Edited by tjw110 on Monday 29th December 10:57
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