E36 M3

TerryWogan · 4 Sep 2008 at 16:36

Hullo! I'd like to know more about the E36 M3 - is there an owners club online? I can't find one with a bit of Googling. Does anybody own one? I know they have a reputation, but they still look good in my opinion.

Joe T · 4 Sep 2008 at 16:43

www.bmwland.co.uk is a good start. There are others but I cant remember them off hand.

paradigm · 4 Sep 2008 at 16:43

Is there anything in particular you want to ask about them?

TerryWogan · 4 Sep 2008 at 16:48

Well, performance figures are really easy to come by, but I find myself particularly interested in what toys they have. A/C, climate control, onboard computer etc.?

I've had a passenger ride in my mate's M3 Evo Cab and it was pretty impressive performance-wise, but I forget what toys it had.

merlin · 4 Sep 2008 at 16:48

Shopkeepers son's car, one step above the battered unserviced classic Impreza.

Somewhat unfortunate as I absolutely love them

TerryWogan · 4 Sep 2008 at 16:52

I have similar feelings, but with the performance and the (presumably lots of [in comparison to my 205GTI]) toys, I can see past that.

merlin · 4 Sep 2008 at 16:58

Cool.

Presumably you've noted the Evo is susceptible to vanos failure whereas the non Evo isn't (but I'd still take the Evo)?

Be ULTRA careful to get something without patchy/hazy/fishy history.

Undesirable people do undesirable things to the Odo.

paradigm · 4 Sep 2008 at 18:54

I'm still within inches of having one.

I keep telling myself yes, then slip back to dullsville and I have no idea why given that apart from the odd (rare, very rare) jaunt to Cardiff, I pretty much have no commute of which to speak.

Jamous · 4 Sep 2008 at 19:40

I own one, Have had it 3 years, most reliable car I've ever owned, geat car.
Techno Violet, 75k miles.
The VANOS issue is a little over-exaggerated, somecan get noisey but very fewof themactually fail. I change my oil every 3k miles and renew filter as well as VANOS filter, always a good idea.
Get one, you won't regret it, I may be selling mine soon!

[TW]Fox · 4 Sep 2008 at 20:40

Brilliant cars utterly destroyed by the fact that 99% of them are now owned by bling obsessed morons

Maxeh · 4 Sep 2008 at 20:41

^Sadly true

TerryWogan · 4 Sep 2008 at 20:57

[TW]Fox;12434909 said:
Brilliant cars utterly destroyed by the fact that 99% of them are now owned by bling obsessed morons

It's unfortunate that the chavs like them, but I've been having a good look at them recently, and having seen my friend's convertible Evo, I'm prepared to look past it

TerryWogan · 4 Sep 2008 at 20:57

Jamous said:
I own one, Have had it 3 years, most reliable car I've ever owned, geat car.
Techno Violet, 75k miles.
The VANOS issue is a little over-exaggerated, somecan get noisey but very fewof themactually fail. I change my oil every 3k miles and renew filter as well as VANOS filter, always a good idea.
Get one, you won't regret it, I may be selling mine soon!

Well, let me know when you decide to sell up! Got any piccies?

e36Adz · 4 Sep 2008 at 21:34

V. nice cars

A mate of mine use to have a techno violet e36 m3 saloon which was nice and quite rare.

I would get an estoril blue or black one though. They aren't super quick but they aren't about that though. I'd still love to get one tbh.

bigchez · 4 Sep 2008 at 21:42

One of my mates has one and its uncannily fast. Doesn't pin you in the seat, but then you look at the speedo and are doing a lot more than you thought. They are very expensive to insure though, as they are cheap enough to fall into inexperienced hands, and are still at 320 brake rwd car.

NickXX · 4 Sep 2008 at 21:50

www.e36coupe.com is a good resource.

A decent, well kept e36 M3 is still a purposeful and good looking car. There are unfortunately a lot of bad examples and tatty replicas.

Torch [P4] · 4 Sep 2008 at 23:51

dont be put off by high milers, as long as the service history reflects decent intervals.
i bought my old 3.0 one @ 137k miles with full service history (mostly BMW) and it pulled like a train and handled sweet as a nut, rolling roaded @ 287Bhp which is bang on the money for a 3.0.
poly bushes on the rear arms sort out the vagueness which can sometimes be felt when going over bumps.
Goodyear Eagle F1s offer up tremendous rear end grip as well

only common faults i found were the boot locking motor wires can sometimes get trapped and cut stopping the motor from working, rear arches bubbling, rear window seals tend to wear due to poor design
appart from that cracking motors and a hoot to drive

TerryWogan · 4 Sep 2008 at 23:57

Thanks chaps! So, does anyone know what sort of creature comforts/gadgets and toys they tend to have?

[TW]Fox · 5 Sep 2008 at 00:00

Not very many, really. Climate and OBC is about your lot in additional to the usual fayre like electric windows etc. I don't think they've even got cruise? The saloons tended to have more kit.

Scania · 5 Sep 2008 at 05:04

[TW]Fox;12434909 said:
Brilliant cars utterly destroyed by the fact that 99% of them are now owned by bling obsessed morons

And quite possibly a member of the Carpet Warehouse Manager / Truck Driver etc brigade soon........

jonarob said:
Thanks chaps! So, does anyone know what sort of creature comforts/gadgets and toys they tend to have?

Not really the essence of the cars, the best toy tio play with is found under the bonnet.