Things you wish you had noticed before buying your M

[m3f_n0n_0perational]

Lol, funny thread!


Not really anything major I overlooked on mine. PO had lots of service history and documentation on the car so every major "E36" issue had been addressed.


Only big drawback for me when buying the car was the condition of the driver seat, which was replaced with bucket seats anyway. Oh, and the wheels were chrome....yuk! I ended up painting em gunmetal to get me by until I found some replacements.

[m3f_Tommy604604]

Nothing..... Love my M3

well the interior needed some love, but got everything sorted out without complaining about it!

[m3f_1BADBMMR]

Glovebox flashlight was broken

[m3f_matty.]

No VTEC =(



Seriously though, single VANOS in an age when the competition has variable timing and variable lift in econoboxes... dammitall.

[m3f_Earthwormjlm]

Trunk had been repainted at some point. At least the paint perfectly matches the factory paint, but the VIN decal was painted over. Didn't think to take the license plate off to check.

[m3f_matty.]

If its just the trunk lid, no big. But it's not common for damage to be on the trunk and not the rear lower cross member or fenders.. Maybe he swapped it out to go slick deck or vice versa.

[m3f_M_Parallel]

No VTEC =(



Seriously though, single VANOS in an age when the competition has variable timing and variable lift in econoboxes... dammitall.

But that is something you knew about when buying the car.



And you're comparing new age tech with a car from another era.



That's like buying a 1930's car and then complaining it has no DSC or auto climate control.

[m3f_matty.]

Not to hijack a good thread but assuming you're calling vtec new tech, when its proably as old/ older than vanos as it had been in development since early 1980's with mass-release on production vehicles starting in '88 in Japan and '89 across the Atlantic.



Unfortunately, when I bought my first BMW I had no clue about the inner workings of the vanos system, inferior as it is, nor that it was only included on the intake side. I loved the car but like everyone else this side of the pond, felt a little cheated by the powerplant.

[m3f_M_Parallel]

Well yes VTech is no real new tech but still.


Vanos is pretty decent for what it is. The double vanos on the EU M3 3.2 at least makes that engine what it is.

I'm happy with it.

[m3f_firedancer414]

wow this is an old thread