E36 M3 advice - found a good car, but is the price right?

[Aubec]

Hi guys, hoping some of you E36 EVO owners can give me some advice...

I'm looking at a 1998 M3 Coupe, Estoril Blue with around 75000 miles. Looks to be in good condition, but I know the owner will deal at £5k, but no less and unfortunately is more than wealthy enough not to need a quick sale!

Only negatives I can see about the car are that its only got the main key, and there is a small scratch on the rear bumper. I'm told it drives very well - obviously I'll be checking that, along with the mechanical condition if I go and see it.

What do you think? Is £5k reasonable for a car of this age and mileage, or is there better out there for the money? I would ideally have liked a Saloon, but they all seem to be carrying massive mileage.

Also, how much are BMW likely to sting me for replacement keys? I know my shed V40 was about £130 for a replacement key and fob, I can only imagine BMW will be considerably more...

[rampz]

i wont comment on the price, but keys for the e36 are suprisingly cheap, around £40 from dealers

[scz4]

I would say it's a good price, especially with that mileage. Assuming the service history checks and it drives well I'd go for it!

Go over to www.bmwowner.com to check for common faults to look out for.

[dan101smith]

£5k isn't bad assuming it's as good as you describe. Check the history thoroughly, and make sure it has had all the right maintenance done.

[htid]

sounds like a fair price to me

[Stevo///M3]

I also think that the price is fair, given the mileage, as you will see from trawling the classifieds on this site. Check that you don;t have a big service about to arrive (i.e. the big one that involves adjusting the shims, which can set you back £1k even from a good indy) and that the clutch is good. Otherwise, negotiate this against the price. Scratch on the bumper will be peanuts to sort. Check the aircon works. And all the other ususal checks.
Stevo

[MitchT]

Looks like a decent price to me. I'd buy that tomorrow for £5k assuming it was a manual and had a black interior (not keen on grey).

[unzippy]

If you want a saloon, get one. If it has been looked after, milage isn't an issue.