E36 M3 or 350Z advice please
E36 M3 or 350Z advice please
Author
Discussion

thevillage idiot

Original Poster:

28 posts

183 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
quotequote all
Hi guys,

Am after a lowish cost car. Am used to lightweight 2 seaters so something a little more comfortable, but with similar performance would be ideal.

Many descrive the Z as very heavy & underpowered, but the later ones provide 300 BHP and they seem a similar weight to the M3.....

Uses/requirements

Lowish miles- perhaps 8-9k/year
Up to half a dozen track days/year
Perhaps one trip the the ring/spa per year
Local driving but with the occasional long drive
  • Must* be RWD
Reasonable running costs
Easy to re-sell
Budget: £5-£10k- not *that* bothered on the price- more on easy resale as i will probably get bored after a year!

I drove an E36 M3 today and really liked it....

E36 Pros: Pretty quick, v low depreciation if decent one bought, reasonable running costs provided carefully chosen, fairly easy to sell on provided priced correctly.

E36 Cons: Very heavy throttle cable (am sure i will get used to this), steering feel ok not great, chav image,


350Z Pros: Newer, more reliable, more comfortable/pleasant inside,

350Z Cons: Looks not great from rear, heavy on fuel, perhaps not as fun as the M3 on the limit, higher wear & tear costs if tracked frequently, greater depreciation, lower running costs than the M3 which will be 6-8 years older.

So then pistonhead massive- hit me with your verdict & experiences smile

Emeye

9,780 posts

245 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
quotequote all
Do you mean E46 M3?

R60EST

2,364 posts

204 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
quotequote all
Emeye said:
Do you mean E46 M3?
Not with a £5k starting budget

thevillage idiot

Original Poster:

28 posts

183 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
quotequote all
Emeye said:
Do you mean E46 M3?
No, E36

Well sorted E36 is £6k which is where a 350Z starts.

Any E46 less than £12k will need some TLC/attention to bring it back up to its real glory- and whats the point of getting any performance car if shes not working at 100%? smile

Emeye

9,780 posts

245 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
quotequote all
Whoops sorry bit tired - I read it as 6 - 8 years old - Not older.

Watched an older Wheeler Dealer the other night when they sorted out an E36 convertible - they're complicated and expensive if they have any issues - the gearbox change they did looked painful.

thevillage idiot

Original Poster:

28 posts

183 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
quotequote all
Emeye said:
Watched an older Wheeler Dealer the other night when they sorted out an E36 convertible - they're complicated and expensive if they have any issues - the gearbox change they did looked painful.
Indeed, with their age and the type of person who often buys them (young males with the £5k to buy them, but not the £1500/year to run them) then often fall into poor condition and needs lots of work to get them up & running as they should!

homerjay

1,249 posts

247 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
quotequote all
350z for 6k?

maybe a stty imported fairlady. which i would be very wary of tbf.

AreOut

3,658 posts

183 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
E36 all the way...driven both and I know what I'm talking.

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

277 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
AreOut said:
E36 all the way...driven both and I know what I'm talking.
/Thread... He knows what he is talking.

AreOut

3,658 posts

183 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
well sorry I'm not that literate to describe the feelings while driving..but E36 is definitely much more enjoyable, and I think he looks for it..

sleep envy

62,260 posts

271 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
Is that a FACT?

AreOut

3,658 posts

183 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
sleep envy said:
Is that a FACT?
No..if we are looking for facts the TGV is much faster and cheaper(I guess, to be driven in not to own of course).

sleep envy

62,260 posts

271 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
hehe

op - as ever, drive them in order to make an informed decision

TotalControl

8,282 posts

220 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
Blue Meanie said:
AreOut said:
E36 all the way...driven both and I know what I'm talking.
/Thread... He knows what he is talking.
hehe

I imagined this as a demotivational poster.

AreOut

3,658 posts

183 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
sleep envy said:
hehe

op - as ever, drive them in order to make an informed decision
..that would be the best. For me 350Z feels quite heavy and not fun at all..whila also more unpredictable in risky situations. Some me like it, what do I know..

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

277 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
TotalControl said:
Blue Meanie said:
AreOut said:
E36 all the way...driven both and I know what I'm talking.
/Thread... He knows what he is talking.
hehe

I imagined this as a demotivational poster.

AreOut

3,658 posts

183 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
that's really on topic...

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

277 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
AreOut said:
that's really on topic...
I'm feeling chastised...

AreOut

3,658 posts

183 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
Bad boy smile

rash_decision

1,412 posts

199 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
Emeye said:
Whoops sorry bit tired - I read it as 6 - 8 years old - Not older.

Watched an older Wheeler Dealer the other night when they sorted out an E36 convertible - they're complicated and expensive if they have any issues - the gearbox change they did looked painful.
Ed China could make anything look painful!! The gearbox on an E36 M3 is a piece of cake!!