e36 costs, the answer

[m3f_Assnolax]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...p=docslist_api





Here yall go, the answer to how much work and money it takes to keep an m3.



I'm not great with tech so thought I would post it here for personal feedback and to answer some questions folk might have. The cost page does include parts I havent installed and insurance paid through next year but it's a start to those wondering if its worth it.

[m3f_98m3s2k]

Wow. You are adding a lot of oil within short periods of time. Some are within 500 miles of each other. Might want to look into that.

[m3f_Assnolax]

Yup shes got nearly 180k probably due for a top end rebuild. When the time grows near ill run a leakdown to narrow it down but for now there's other projects yet on the table.


Main point of thread though is just to give all those folk wondering how much an e36 m3 is going to cost an accurate idea of what it takes since ive kept my records of every dollar spent. Also this is daily driver seeing one of the roughest commutes there is. 17mpg and a quart every 500 isnt too far out of line.


I budget about 250 a month for maintenance.

[m3f_E/M3]

nice...

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

17mpg!! JEEZ all city? my M3 averaged 27mpg 70% freeway/ 30% city on average

[m3f_Jason_lee]

My MPG average according to scan gauge is 18.5 so I am pretty close to the OP

[m3f_Assnolax]

Thats the average over 16k miles. All the data is there on the costs page of my spreadsheet.


I have a terrible commute, downtown la/koreatown.

My obc reads an avg speed under 20mph usually, reset at every fill up.

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

yeh that'll do it. My commutes mainly freeway with some city at either end. I've been logging my gas since i got the car and its been between 23-28mpg depending on what tires i've been running.

[m3f_rehnbergzen]

My commutes mainly freeway with some city at either end.

[m3f_crqflier]

Nice job on the care and maint.

[m3f_Jrrrrrrr]

Nice spreadsheet, I like the service-order-type comments.


I have a similar spreadsheet for my car, minus gas costs. I'm about $4500 in the hole for parts and materials - with the PO having done many big-money repairs within 3k miles of my purchase.


More proof right here that nickle and dime items are the real, hidden cost to owning these (German) cars. That's why the $12k+ rule is more realistic than the old $10k rule - IE, those little things are the difference between a well-sorted car and one that's just daily drivable.

[m3f_egebhardt]

Well tracked. Good job.

It's not the best looking sheet but it's all there.

If I were to guess, that puts you in the roughly the top 5% of well-maintained 36Ms.


For that kinda money you could lease a new 90M, but in the end you would have nothing.

[m3f_freeshot7]

well great job, but thats a lot of money!

[m3f_Assnolax]

since I do all my own work and count that as free labor I could easily lease an asian econobox for what I put into parts/maintenance.

The chasing of rattles and wobbles and ticks is fun to me. But I've used this sheet to off people tempted by the very low entry price of a used e36 m3.


Still lots of projects to do, Shell keep me out of trouble and thats worth something on its own.


Any suggested changes to how I'm logging my data?