E36 M3 GT

[E36GUY]

As an e36 Evo owner that is proud to have bought an absolute minter which has cost me fk all over 10000 miles and 15 months of ownership, I wouldn't personally have touched anything that's been neglected. Either the car's been looked after or it hasn't. The 3.2 engine (save for a few (overpublicised) vanos issues here and there) is generally bulletproof so what the hell happened that it needed a complete replacement. It's done 64k miles and had new suspension last year? Shouldn't have needed that yet. Mine's driven hard and on 84k and the suspension is sound. It just doesn't add up for me.

I know the GT2s are rare and look great (I tried to find one myself) but buy with your head!

[Apache]

whitechief said:

Whiters said:

Hi,

A bit late to this, but I agree with one of the previous posts, I'd walk away. The car's only ten years old, has a new engine and a scruffy interior. Service history in its basic form is always a good thing, but the car has clearly been left wanting in the care department if the interior and exterior have been allowed to get as scruffy as you describe on a less than average mileage car.

Getting the car serviced regularly might sound good, but a lack of care between services, coupled with enthusiastic/abusive driving.... What else has been neglected below the surface?

Plenty more fish in the sea with good E36s!

I know what you are saying, and I probably will walk away.
Mechanically though this car is perfect: New suspension all round in the last year, new pads and discs in the last year, new engine(and I know a lot of these engines had problems)Supplied by BMW in the last two years, BMW full warranty for the next 3 months.
Cosmetically, I think it could be done for a thousand pounds. If I paid under £6,000 for it would that really be a bad deal?

Many thanks, for all your input

I've a feeling you're tempted because it needs a bit of fettling. I get like that sometimes, needs a bit of a fiddle here, a bit off ebay there but I could put that right in no time.

Don't do it

[ASBO]

whitechief said:

ASBO said:

whitechief said:

Paul_Dids said:

Any update Mr chief?

sorry - just being nosey

I went to view it today, and drove it. Mechanically it is faultless (brand new M sport supplied engine less than 2 years ago) and the whole car still has 3 months of BMW warranty remaining on it.
Cosmetically it's a different story. The exterior has a few parking dings and the odd bit needing attention, but it is original paint and has not had any repairs. The interior on the other hand is quite scruffy, there are rips in the suede on the drivers seat and the gear knob is ragged. It needs a bloody good tidy up.
I think I could buy it quite cheaply, it's whether I want to make good a scruffy condition but mechanically excellent one or just buy a good all round one for more money.

How many miles has it done? I'll be blunt about this as I think somebody needs to say it, but walk away.

Why did it need a new engine? The S50 is relatively bombproof and will do 150k+ miles without any documented need of attention major attention. Sorry to be so frank, but with the little you describe, it sounds like a dog. If it's been owned by a real enthusiast, then there's no reason why it shouldn't be mint. If it's scruffy, it's because it hasn't been looked after, plain and simple.

Plenty more out there

Thanks for your input. I am fully aware of how to appraise a car, it has done 74,000 miles, 2 owners, with full history, and has a BMW warranty outstanding.
I am not green when comes to BMW I have owned 12 of them.
I might well walk, but I can probably buy it for <£6,000.

Do you think that it is worth it?

Why be so defensive?

The fact that you've owned these things before should tell you all you need to know. From what you've described it sounds rough and with such a relatively low mileage I know I wouldn't touch a car that needed a new engine at that money. Provenence is vital with these things - especially so with the more collectable GT2 and frankly it sounds like your ~£6k could get you a better one. So no I don't think it's worth it.

However, it's your cash, I'm only offering some advise. As an owner of both and M3 and an M5, I know how important it is to buy a good one.

[whitechief]

ASBO said:

Why be so defensive?

The fact that you've owned these things before should tell you all you need to know. From what you've described it sounds rough and with such a relatively low mileage I know I wouldn't touch a car that needed a new engine at that money. Provenence is vital with these things - especially so with the more collectable GT2 and frankly it sounds like your ~£6k could get you a better one. So no I don't think it's worth it.

However, it's your cash, I'm only offering some advise. As an owner of both and M3 and an M5, I know how important it is to buy a good one.

Fair enough, I didn't mean to appear defensive. Thanks for your views, which I have taken note of, and agree with.

[Paul_Dids]

Sounds like an interesting car.

It would be good to know the history regarding the engine swap though and what went wrong. That would have been an expensive old repair for a 7 year old car unless BMW made a gesture or the chap had a decent warrenty.

I guess it depends on what you think you can get it for. I would say a excellent condition example, with those miles, would be around 8.5 - 9k and if the car is HPI clear and you can get a price under 6k then it's certainly a tempter!!!

Let us know what you deciede to do though!

[whitechief]

Paul_Dids said:

Sounds like an interesting car.

It would be good to know the history regarding the engine swap though and what went wrong. That would have been an expensive old repair for a 7 year old car unless BMW made a gesture or the chap had a decent warrenty.

I guess it depends on what you think you can get it for. I would say a excellent condition example, with those miles, would be around 8.5 - 9k and if the car is HPI clear and you can get a price under 6k then it's certainly a tempter!!!

Let us know what you deciede to do though!

VANOS, then dropped a valve, BMW paid in full.

Edited by whitechief on Friday 11th April 00:14

[Paul_Dids]

Hi Whitechief..

Just spotted this in the classifieds so thought I'd post it up..

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/431824.htm

Not sure what a V car is, I assume a Cat D?, so a bit over priced if thats the case. Looks nice though

Cheers
Paul

[whitechief]

Paul_Dids said:

Hi Whitechief..

Just spotted this in the classifieds so thought I'd post it up..

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/431824.htm

Not sure what a V car is, I assume a Cat D?, so a bit over priced if thats the case. Looks nice though

Cheers
Paul

Hi paul,
VCAR is the vehicle condition alert register, meaning written off or stolen at some point. Thanks for the tip, but it seems expensive considering.

[ASBO]

whitechief said:

Paul_Dids said:

Hi Whitechief..

Just spotted this in the classifieds so thought I'd post it up..

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/431824.htm

Not sure what a V car is, I assume a Cat D?, so a bit over priced if thats the case. Looks nice though

Cheers
Paul

Hi paul,
VCAR is the vehicle condition alert register, meaning written off or stolen at some point. Thanks for the tip, but it seems expensive considering.

Avoid like the plague.

[ASBO]

whitechief said:

Paul_Dids said:

Sounds like an interesting car.

It would be good to know the history regarding the engine swap though and what went wrong. That would have been an expensive old repair for a 7 year old car unless BMW made a gesture or the chap had a decent warrenty.

I guess it depends on what you think you can get it for. I would say a excellent condition example, with those miles, would be around 8.5 - 9k and if the car is HPI clear and you can get a price under 6k then it's certainly a tempter!!!

Let us know what you deciede to do though!

VANOS, then dropped a valve, BMW paid in full.

Edited by whitechief on Friday 11th April 00:14

Dropped a valve? Sounds suspicious. Ive never heard of a VANOS 'failure' affecting the valves.

Sounds dodgier than a box of three legged frogs this one.

[Slurms]

ASBO said:

whitechief said:

Paul_Dids said:

Hi Whitechief..

Just spotted this in the classifieds so thought I'd post it up..

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/431824.htm

Not sure what a V car is, I assume a Cat D?, so a bit over priced if thats the case. Looks nice though

Cheers
Paul

Hi paul,
VCAR is the vehicle condition alert register, meaning written off or stolen at some point. Thanks for the tip, but it seems expensive considering.

Avoid like the plague.

Yup seriously over priced.. Insurance write-off and M3 are not two words you want to hear together when buying..