To buy or not to buy, that is the question....
 

My parents' friend has a car that he wants to sell because his wife can't drive it anymore. He and his wife are an elderly couple, probably in their 70s.

The car:

1997 E36 M3 coupe, black on black
79k miles
5-speed manual

Price: $10,000

Opinions ??

I'm tempted, but I really have my sights on a 'vert, preferably something more reliable and not as maintenance-intensive like a Miata.

I'd rather pay a bit more for a newer Miata, even though it has significantly less power and a bit less fun-to-drive.

(At least, the chances of getting a speeding ticket is lesser, lol).

Appealing - yes, I agree. Could make a fun second car.

One thing - have you priced insurance for the M3? I was surprised when I heard my friend (with E46 M3) paid less to insure his GT2.

Seems now that these cars are 'cheap enough' for the yahoos and wankers to get, the loss rate on them is pretty good (according to my insurance agent).

From my end - I am not a fan of black (either on the outside or interior)... Other than that, would make a fun second/weekend car.

If in good condition you should be able to flip it to make a bit of money.

That was my first thought, assuming it is well documented and in nice condition. Lower mileage M3s seem pretty sought after.

This, and this

Do it.

You didn't say anything about condition and maintenance.

I'm not following the prices of e36s, but at price it seems pretty great though?

Seems like a deal—provided it doesn’t need another $10k in repairs/maintenance.

A 20+ year old BMW? $ounds like $omething that ha$ the potential to lighten your wallet $everal time$ each year. No thanks.

Yeah but for a BMW M car the e36 M3 is very reliable with it's non-M engine and not a lot of electronics.

Buy it.

I didn't price the insurance, but am surprised that it costs MORE than a GT2.

I never had a black car, and it would be a pain in the ass to keep it nice and shiny, that's for sure.

*If* it was a 'vert, I'd be seriously, SERIOUSLY consider buying it.

I saw it last winter, when I was in FL. Judging from the outside, it looks to be in great shape.

Don't really know what the interior looks like though. I'm guessing it's in good shape as well.

The owner says he has a "personal mechanic" who works on it, but am not exactly sure if he has receipts/documentation to prove it has been carefully maintained.

I wonder how much money can it bring in.

Reminds me of my uncle's car.

Tempting....

Looks to be in good-to-excellent condition.

I don't follow prices of E36s either, and I'm wondering if $10k for a car like this is a fair (or killer) deal....

:dunno: :dunno:

Therein lies the $64,000 question....

My sentiments exactly....

Excuse my ignorance, but how can an E36 M3 have a non-M engine ??

Would you, if you had the chance ??

The American M3 had a detuned version of the European engine—or something like that.

Check the maintenance paperwork. If there is a nice, solid stack, buy it. Without it, flipping may get risky as well though $10k seems like a deal. Isn't your e46 getting long in the tooth? You can go backward in time. Nothing wrong with an e36 m3, pretty nice car to have at that price.

I reject black. But if you don't hate black and don't already have an E36, yeah, I'd get it.

The US E36 M3 had a hotted up version of the non-M engine. The only thing that it shares with the Euro model is the displacement.

I think $10k is a good, but not great deal. The 79k mileage is a real value add to resale. If it is perfect you could list it for $13 - $15k and sell it without too much effort.

https://bringatrailer.com/bmw/e36-m3/

:+1


Can you confirm it does not have the luxury package? That will bring down the value a bit. LTW wheels would be a bonus.

What does the luxury package include?

off the top of my head it is wood trim, standard sport seats instead of vaders, puffy leather on the door cards, and different front spoiler.

edit: seems to match what I said :)

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...d-Sport-e36-M3

edit2: I guess the non-twist side sills is another notable change

If you are buying to flip, don't. You're taking a risk on something breaking, there's significant transaction cost, etc. You might end up pocketing 1-2k, but it won't be worth the effort.

If you want an E36 M3, buy it.

I'm interested in learning more about it. Any chance you can get some pictures?

I'm guessing it's a lux package car, which would eliminate any interest on my end, but... it's worth poking nonetheless.

I see.

Thought all M3 engines had the same configuration and hp/torque specs.

:dunno: :dunno:

I can't readily check paperwork, since I live in NV and the car is in FL.

Don't know if I'll flip it right away. I would like to own it for a good couple of years, since I've never owned an M3.

I guess I'm not a True Carmudgeon", getting bored with cars right away and opting to buy something with more power and better handling. My E46 just purrs right along, and I've developed quite a sick liking over it: I'm going to see just how many miles it can get before my driving career is done.

I don't like black cars as well.

The color is probably what's preventing me to "go all-in".

Wow. That's a pretty good flip, imo.

I cannot confirm that it does not have the luxury package, or if it has LTW wheels.

I had this idea of doing an even trade: My deceased parents' 2012 Acura TSX Special Edition for that 1997 BMW M3, both black-on-black, but the TSX is an automatic.

I think my parents would haunt me if I did that, LOL.

I'm not really close to the owner, both in physical distance and relationship.

I could ask him if he still has it and I could give you his phone number/e-mail if you're serious about buying it and driving it back from FL where he lives.

:dunno: :dunno:

Why are we discussing the value of a car for which we don't know the options or condition? I'm confused.