Things you wish you had noticed before buying your M

[m3f_Synenergy52]

Mine was a pretty solid buy. I've replaced so many things on it though that wasn't totally necessary, but now I have some peace of mind.

[m3f_Guam135i]

Mechanically sound but interior is a different story

[m3f_JitteryJoe]

That E30 M3s were still affordable.

[m3f_aa240sx]

to be honest and not in a good way, buying the e36. a year and half later i ended up buying another m3, but this time an e46 which is really what I wanted in the first place


buuutttt.... no regrets at all, it's sweet that I have two M3's and can split the drive and thus limit the miles between them. Keeps the values strong on resale time and limits the maintenance work too and gives me a backup when one car is down.


plus the e46 was totally emotional purchase, smg but alpine white and a price I couldn't pass up. makes me appreciate the 5sp of my e36 m3.


it's a juggle to keep 3 cars in a 2 car driveway/2 car garage, but we manage.

[m3f_shrspeedblade]

That the RTABs were shot, didn't notice it on the test drive but it didn't take me long to figure it out once I'd bought the car!

[m3f_WestCoastin]

R-Dot on the left front fender... PO did not disclose it, my fault for not checking panels... but they still should have told me about it.

[m3f_hakentt-mss54]

to be honest and not in a good way, buying the e36. .

Congrats on that guy for waking up 4 year old thread. It is getting harder to find nice E36. In general buying old car you will find things that will bother you.

[m3f_matty.]

I never see them anymore.. it's becoming a bit of an accomplishment to have a clean and well running e36 ///m nowadays..

[m3f_Dr. DC2]

FPFQ - Falling Price Falling Quality


When a higher end vehicle depreciates below its original target market and people with lower income can afford entry into the vehicle but can't honestly afford to maintain it properly, the quality drops significantly.


I have absolutely no regrets in my M3 purchase. However, I was looking at the low mileage/original owner/complete maintenance records vehicles - the top of the market. I paid significantly more than the average E36 M3 owner but it did take over two years to find the right car.

[m3f_Tock172]

FPFQ - Falling Price Falling Quality



When a higher end vehicle depreciates below its original target market and people with lower income can afford entry into the vehicle but can't honestly afford to maintain it properly, the quality drops significantly.



I have absolutely no regrets in my M3 purchase. However, I was looking at the low mileage/original owner/complete maintenance records vehicles - the top of the market. I paid significantly more than the average E36 M3 owner but it did take over two years to find the right car.

It's quite refreshing to hear of another person sharing this viewpoint. The same thing is happening to E46s and it's always painfully obvious when you come across an individual or car that clearly are not a wise financial match for one another. People do not buy the car, they buy the image.



I've witnessed individuals with E46s and newer BMWs giving E36s owners guff for driving what they claim to be the worst and cheapest BMW ever. I find these people are the exact type who buy the image, not the car. These same people neglect their cooling systems and believe their BMW handles like new on it's original blown suspension. I owned 2 newer and 2 older BMWs before I bought my E36 and it is my favorite, without question. If one can't appreciate the handling and driving experience of the E36, you are missing the point of BMW's design philosophy.



As for my E36, nothing has really surprised me so far. I was aware of her flaws the day I bought her and I was well aware of what I was getting into. My 5th and favorite BMW.

[m3f_Pierre i am]

It's quite refreshing to hear of another person sharing this viewpoint. The same thing is happening to E46s and it's always painfully obvious when you come across an individual or car that clearly are not a wise financial match for one another. People do not buy the car, they buy the image.



I've witnessed individuals with E46s and newer BMWs giving E36s owners guff for driving what they claim to be the worst and cheapest BMW ever. I find these people are the exact type who buy the image, not the car. These same people neglect their cooling systems and believe their BMW handles like new on it's original blown suspension. I owned 2 newer and 2 older BMWs before I bought my E36 and it is my favorite, without question. If one can't appreciate the handling and driving experience of the E36, you are missing the point of BMW's design philosophy.



As for my E36, nothing has really surprised me so far. I was aware of her flaws the day I bought her and I was well aware of what I was getting into. My 5th and favorite BMW.

I did the exact same thing. I purposely bought an E36 M3 that was at the top of the market. Good news is that since so many of these cars are being bought and destroyed, it is raising the value of the clean examples.

[m3f_Tock172]

I bought one that I thought was clean and in decent shape for the mileage, but not the most immaculate example available. My last BMW was absolutely immaculate and my S4 was even nicer, so I was actually seeking something that I wouldn't stress about too much when I bought my M3. Unfortunately I've found out that it's in better shape than most so naturally I've become quite attached and obsessive.

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

The M3 is a nice car, and I'm spending a lot of money to keep it nice when I want to track it at the same time. If I had bought a 2002 first, I wouldn't necessarily be concerned with the cosmetic condition as much, and I'd be racing it every chance I got since they are dirt freaking cheap to modify and maintain.



I love the M3, but I wish I had started with a different car at my age and budget.

i agree with you on this one. I really want to get into racing properly but I have a hard time keeping up with the things the car needs let alone paying for track days. I should have gone with my old FC rx7's. the engines may blow up but its still cheaper to rebuild than most general jobs on our cars.

[m3f_shaft9ii]

For me just the purchase price. I still got a decent deal on it, but with all the knowledge I have now, I probably coulda saved another 500-800 bucks.

[m3f_pDubs]

Too much to name. Also don't like thinking about it. I got screwed over. Let's just put it that way.