1994 BMW 3 SERIES

MOT: 25 June 2027

After eight years of ownership I’ve decided to sell my E36 325i track car, simply because I have several other cars and don’t use it enough anymore (I've done one track day in the last three years....)

I’ve owned it since 2018 and gradually repaired, maintained and modified it into a straightforward, reliable road/track car. The aim has always been something I can drive to a circuit, use all day and drive home again rather than a highly modified car that needs trailering.

I’d be surprised if I’ve done more than six track days in it during my ownership. It’s always been extremely dependable, holds temperature all day, uses very little oil, drives straight, and the clutch, gearbox and brakes are all good. I’d happily drive it a few hundred miles to a circuit tomorrow, do a track day and drive it home. To keep it moving I occasionally take it on a 160mile round trip to my office and I've never hesitated.

Engine & drivetrain:

- M50B25 2.5-litre straight-six with single VANOS, around 190bhp as standard. Engine, gearbox and differential remain essentially stock.

- Factory airbox retained to keep intake temperatures sensible, with a K&N panel filter. Standard exhaust apart from the rear box having had the baffles removed so I could hear the engine through a helmet. It sounds good but isn’t excessively loud and has been fine at tracks with a 100dB limit.

- It also has a Borne to Drift short shifter, which is a great improvement on track.

Chassis, Maintenance & track modifications:

- AP height-adjustable coilovers

- Rebuilt front suspension incl, E30 front lower arms

- Staggered E46 Sport alloy wheels

- Toyo R888R track tyres (fronts nearly new, rears below legal limit, but good for one more dry track day)

- Professionally fabricated and welded-in half cage by Rich’s Fabrication in Oxfordshire

- Sparco bucket seat with harness (no passenger seat)

- Removable handmade seat pads for more comfortable road driving

- Partially stripped interior

- Replacement brake master cylinder and various renewed brake lines

- Like many E36s of this age, it has needed welding over the years. Some additional sill/floor welding was required for the latest MOT and has been completed.

- replacement radiator, water pump (holds temperature perfectly on track and has never given me overheating problems)

Bodywork:

The car has the period M Technic body kit and has previously had inner/outer rear sill and rear arch work, followed by paint. The repaired rear arches are still presenting well with no rust coming back through.

History:

I’ve owned it since 2018. Before me it had been in my wife’s extended family for years. It accumulated much of its mileage earlier in life, including being a company car, but subsequently spent many years doing relatively few miles and being used only occasionally.

I took it on, completely stock, in 2018 thinking I would use it as a donor car for a 318is Coupe, but it turned out to be nicer than the coupe so I stuck with it, modified it for track and just used it.

Known faults

This is a 32-year-old track-used E36 rather than a show car, so in the interests of transparency:

• VANOS rattles when warm. It has done so for years without causing any problems. A fully rebuilt replacement VANOS unit and fitting kit are included in the sale - i just never got round to fitting it.

• Minor oil leak around the cam/rocker-cover area. Replacement gasket/seal kit included.

• Sunroof doesn’t work.

• Passenger window doesn’t work.

• Driver’s window works to around three-quarters down but can then come off the regulator.

• Odometer illumination bulb has failed (mileage is still readable with a torch).

• Both front wings have the expected track-day scuffs/scratches and some surface rust as a result.

• Scuttle trim at the bottom of the windscreen needs replacing.

• Rear tyres aren’t road legal, as mentioned above.

Spares included:

The car comes with the rebuilt VANOS/fitting kit, gasket/seal kit, a spare set of M3-replica wheels (tyres no good) and a second-hand fibreglass boot lid which I bought but never fitted.

I also have a much tidier Cobra bucket seat which I couldn’t fit because it’s too wide for the existing mounting arrangement. This could potentially be available by separate negotiation.

YouTube review:

The actual car has featured on a friend’s YouTube channel. He fitted the short shifter in an earlier video and subsequently made a proper road-test/review of the car, including plenty of interior, exterior and driving footage.

It’s a useful opportunity to see and hear the actual car being driven and to hear somebody else’s impressions of it. He was very complimentary about the handling, sound and overall package.

Watch the E36 road test on YouTube:

Search "TEST DRIVING THE 325I E36 AFTER SWAPPING IN A SHORT SHIFT - I MAY HAVE TO BUY ONE OF THESE!!" and it's on the "Sam's Garage" channel (@SamsGarageOfficial).

Overall:

This isn’t a show car or an all-out race build. It’s a proven, usable and relatively simple E36 track car which you can drive to a circuit, enjoy all day and drive home.

In terms of on-track pace, I'm not the fastest driver and I have no problem hanging out with Clio's, EP3's, RX8's etc. It carries a lot of speed with it's current set up - with some bigger brakes and a bit more weight reduction it would probably lap even faster.

I’ve owned it for eight years, know it extremely well and it’s never let me down on a track day. With a pair of road-legal rear tyres fitted, I’d consider it ready to book a track day and use.

£4,500

Sensible questions and inspections welcome