Monday 6th January 2014

BMW M3 Evolution (E36): PH Carpool

The M3 lives on as a four-door only in 2014; here's a blast from the past in the same mould

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Name: Neil Magill
Car: 1996 E36 M3 Evolution Saloon
Owned since: July 2013
Previously owned: "2009 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro, 2008 Fiesta ST, 2004 Fiesta Zetec 1.4"

'Sleeper' looks attracted Neil; drive likewise

Why I bought it:
"I 'needed' a driver's car and a project car. Ultimately the A5 while a fantastic car lacks driver appeal. Being a bit of a techie I had been hankering after a project car for some time. I'm keen to learn how to fix, repair and service things as well as find out how they work.

"I'd looked at classic Impreza turbos and DC2 Integra Type Rs. Any examples were well worn and not half the car the M3 is. This low mileage example popped up, I made the initial 'feeler' phone call, then had a think about it. I organised a suitable time to view the car, bartered with the owner over the following week, the man maths calculator was brought out and the car was mine that Saturday morning.

"Going through the history I have since discovered that the car was owned from new (for quite a few years), by my brother's ex-girlfriend's father. What a small world!"

What I wish I'd known:
"If I knew the community was so good, I probably would have made the jump earlier. I don't think there is anything I regret about buying the M3."

'No garage queen' says proud owner

Things I love:
"The engine, it's so tractable, responsive and revs out beautifully. A work of art.

"The subtlety of the package. The saloon body with no spoiler is a bit of a sleeper. Actually the package in its entirety. A superb engine, great brakes, a good chassis with a mechanical set of controls. A very organic car in an ever growing digital age!

"The community that supports the car. PistonHeads [See Neil's project thread here for more - Ed.] and the M3 Cutters forums have been a great help.

"Learning about the car, its history and how it works. Spot the car geek! Switching off from the daily job, faffing about with the car in the garage is very therapeutic."

Things I hate:
"Greedy dealership parts guys and being addicted to buying parts on eBay."

2014 M3 will be saloon only - here's the template

Costs:
"Exhaust mounts, OEM head unit, service items (oil, filters, plugs, etc), subframe x-brace, Vanos upgraded seal and high tensile bolt kit. Pending costs are fuel filter, suspension, brake and wheel overhaul.

"The costs have been minimal so far. Dealerships can be expensive for parts at times, but bartering with the price or looking online can save quite a few quid."

Where I've been:
"I haven't actually driven the car much. Short trips after a fettle or on a nice day are always welcome. The best journey had to be a roadtrip with two mates, me in the 'loon, another in a 348 and another in a Boxster, epic cars and great roads, unbeatable.

"I'm usually too busying working or tinkering on the car to drive it. She is no garage queen, just being anal, I'm just keen to get her looking better than new, then I can relax and enjoy driving it."

What next?
"Continue improving the car... Drive her more, which I definitely will be doing next summer. Another toy to add to the fleet perhaps?"

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Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at [e-mail]!

 

 

[Neil_M]

Thanks for selecting my car for the Car Pool Dan!

Plenty more jobs to do over the winter to keep improving her...

[Neil_M]

matt_knowles said:

Was just thinking this morning about the rear spoiler and if I should fit one.

Think I'm going to leave it without one........might even refit the retro lights!

Looking very tidy

[Neil_M]

AC43 said:

Love that.

For some reason the press were a bit sniffy about the four door at the time.

I could never figure out why - I love the idea of a more practical M3/M3 sleeper.

Very true, though I think alot of the non Evo M3 reviews blend in to the Evo reviews... I believe Car Magazine wrote two great reviews of the evo saloon and they praised it... Eitherway, it was a big "adjustment" from the E30.

[Neil_M]

matt_knowles said:

Thanks , same with yours.

The awful tints have gone now and its completely standard and currently on 69000km.

Need to replace my window seals next, that are looking a bit untidy now.

Mileage is pretty low!

The window seals are a common item I believe.

[Neil_M]

rtz62 said:

Great car, well done Neil

The only thing I never liked about the saloon was the seats, they should have had something like the coupés Vaders or even recaros; those fitted as standard were neither visually pleading nor as good at holding you in place.

Buy a good one, with full history, the vanos done (3.2) and non-rotten wheel arches, and it will be a great ride.

SWMBO still coverts an M3 coupe in Imola blue....

All cars need Recaros .

Don't worry I'm not going on the defensive... But I don't mind the sport seats at all and found them supportive enough.

I do agree re buying a good one. The vanos is over hyped really, catch it early if it is "going" and maintain it and you shouldn't a have a problem.

Wheel arches are a genuine issue, same as the E46. Thats one of my next jobs, properly treat the metal and seal it, so that the rust never decides to appear.

[Neil_M]

rtz62 said:

Agree with you Neil.

I'm sure there will be posts about the vanos, I'm not sure but I thought it affected the 3.2 not the 3.0, and that often updated bolts cure it (I'm sure there's a guy called Mr Vanos who repairs them with new bolts, updated seals etc)

It's nice to see you haven't gone for the later wheels, or out a boot spoiler on it, as I really like the stealth look of the standard car.

It's more common on the 3.2 I believe. I've fitted the seal/bolt kit to mine, uprated seals and bolts, £50 from memory. Peace of mind and a cheap/diy fix. Not quite the end of the world that it can be built up to be.

I'd had a few people ask if I'll be fitting the front splitter, spoiler etc... I agree the stealth look suits the car. The wheels, well I quite like them, so no wish to change them .

[Neil_M]

exgtt said:

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous car.

Thank you

Searider said:

Just a shame they never made an estate :-(

Thats where someone pulls out a closely guarded press photo of one... Would it have the appeal of the RS4 Avant though?

[Neil_M]

The Jolly Todger said:

Lovely car, need to get it out on the road more though

ETA: I'm surprised that no-one has pointed out the difference between bartering and haggling yet.

Thank you .

Those were my words, so blame me for the incorrect grammar.

[Neil_M]

anything fast said:

This age of M3 is one of the performance bargains out there. 5-6 years ago thse used to be the usual fodder of gangster wanabee's, drug dealers and many other unsavoury types. But as they get older they seem to be falling in to the hands of genuine enthusiasts. I am sure as numbers dwindle, low mileage, high spec unmodified cars will only increase in value... and rightly so.

I totally agree. I promise im not a person of ill-repute

It would be nice to see the value shot up. But I've more bought the car as a project car.

Great value for money easily something you could run as a daily driver. The response engine, comfortable ride and fuel economy.

A good one is worth the money. While I make a meal out of most jobs, a good one, daily driven, could easily be improved on weekends or when time permits.

[Neil_M]

rossi1 said:

While we are on the e36 subject here is my 328i sport (With spoiler )
Love the E36 !

Flip me man, clean the thing before you take a few snaps! Looks pristine!

[Neil_M]

scrappycoco1 said:

Whilst on the subject of e36's, here my 328CI I-Sport

Love it, cool colour

[Neil_M]

g3org3y said:

Lovely stuff.

Like.

Want.

Promised myself an Evo (coupe or cabrio) if/when I pass my last exam last this year.

Performance bargain that can only appreciate imo. Finding a god one is difficult though. Plenty of unloved (undermaintained) examples out there.

Thank you... You are quite right, buy with your eyes open. There are stacks of guides and info out there to make an informed decision though.

NelsonR32 said:

It would be rude for me not to post pictures of my 1998 Techno Violet M3 saloon

Spent £4000 since buying her in June, blanketing such things as vanos/gear replacement and new downpipes etc. I don't find the parts prices that bad and at least you can still get them. Audi would have made the parts obsolete long ago on the same car!

Like the coupe the rack is a little slow at commuting speeds but feels great in its element on B roads etc. Sounds incredible on full chat.

They can be a bargain if you are lucky. But if you even have the slightest hint of OCD you can easily spend allot of money very quickly. You'll end up with an interesting and still very capable performance car that at the moment seems to be increasing in value by the month. For the decent unmolested ones that is.

Currently locked away for the winter but coming out around May for a European road trip and return to its birthplace. Absolutely adore her and not for sale

Flip me mate, wow! That truly is a clinker of a car. I love the techno violet too .

Did you get the head unit sorted?

[Neil_M]

jbaddeley said:

Mine below with acs rear spoiler.

Love this car. I had found a thread on your car, prior to mine... It's a target for most of us to aim for .

aka_kerrly said:

A friend of mine had a early 3.0 m3 which had been in his family for a good number of years and to be honest I had far more problems with my 318I. He had the back arches repainted as they were showing signs of age but mechanically as far as I know it only ever had service items and being a early one does that make it a simpler engine?? less Vanos issues as far as i'm aware.

It's single vanos, so less of an issue I believe than the dual/twin vanos.

melvster said:

One of my fave cars on PH, absolutely stunning condition and it is a Saloon. Perfect.

Thank you as always sir .

MGR said:

OP - Great car. Love the 4 door, but went for the coupe myself. The clean look of the rear without the spoiler is really nice.

Its the sharp lines of the car, the lack of the spoiler gives it a nicely raked appearance.

2thumbs said:

I love the e36. Have owned a number of them over the years and now have this evo.

It took me a while to fall in love with the way the m3 drives but I love it now and could never part with it. I have just had new tyres fitted costing a small fortune, and It is due a suspension refresh this year as the front shocks are feeling a bit tired to say the least. The steering rack also needs replacing as it has some play in it, so I plan to upgrade it with an e46 item as I believe they improve the feel.
I am one of the 'buy it but can't afford to run it' brigade so I just put it away for a while & save up if it throws me a bill. I do my own spannering so this saves me a small fortune.

Very very tidy car... I try to do as much as I can myself too. But I do have an specialist 15mins down the road from me.

161BMW said:

Lovely looking M3 OP.
I remember seeing these brand new in 1997-1999 in Loughton, Essex.
I really got a soft spot for E36 M3 Evolutions now esp the Imola Edition GT2.

Best buy and find decent well cared for E36 M3 Evolutions now before there are none left in 5 years time

Thank you . I do agree too!

jimbop1 said:

Where would be the best place to find one of these? There isn't many on PH classifieds.
Really should not have looked at this thread, I want one now as a keeper. Would use it solely for weekend blasts and to practice my polishing on.

Good question. I'd say owners forums, M3Cutters, E36 Coupe etc. Otherwise you can luck out in the local or national classifieds.

VinceFox said:

I bought my estoril coupe four years ago for 3500. I had no idea they're such strong money now.

Hopefully they get even stronger money .

RedBull said:

I have a cabrio E36 M3. I was supposed to sell it when I bought my Corvette but just couldn't bring myself to part with it. It's in near mint condition and just clocked up 43K miles. It's also a rare colour, violet blue, which is a love it or hate it colour, naturally I love it
I just know that if I had sold it I would really struggle to find such a nice low mileage example again. I accept that most prefer the coupe but for me the convertible adds an extra level of enjoyment when the sun is out.

Lovely car. I guess you get to hear the car that bit better too.

Leins said:

Lovely E36 OP, like that a lot! The Contours are such a good wheel on these too

Thank you, I love them too... Can't wait to get them refurbed, new M stickers and new centre caps...

Ag51bye said:

I have had me Daytona violet 3.0 for 5 months now.

Other than having the worst private plate I have ever seen (my anal) it hasn't put a foot wrong.
For the money I can't think if anything that comes close.
The previous owner had it 16 years, in that time it never gave them a large bill. Can't see myself being so lucky!

Fingers crossed, sounds like a well maintained car. Keep that up and you should do well... Spend a few quid on preventative maintenance and you should be onto a winner!

[Neil_M]

GS88 said:

E36 looks better than the F80.

I haven't seen one in the flesh to say either way.

[Neil_M]

alfa aficionado said:

one of the ones that got away...think I ended up with a Saab 9-5 instead (although modified with Abbott Stage 1 kit!)

I'm never sure with these older cars whether it's worth going back or are you just going to be disappointed coming from newer machinery - my biggest regret is getting rid of my 156 GTA Sportwagon although again I'm not sure whether I'd get another at this stage (after 6yrs have elapsed)

I know exactly where you are coming from. Never meet your heroes and all that?

The M3 still impresses me any time I start or drive it. It doesn't feel old to me, it just has a character and rawness many more modern cars don't have. Arguably the same for many older cars. However I still find the M3 drives very well.

I've driven a few heroes and found them awful too...