Fair price for '98 m3/4?

[m3f_BlkchrryDvl]

Interesting thread,



I happened to not own an M3 for now (but am a big fan of it), and I finally got to drive a 99 coupe from a used lot this afternoon. I was so damn impressed I am actually thinking of buying it in the near future. It was listed at about $23k with about 59000mi, but I can tell the car had not been pampered. But it sounded awesome (a catback) and plenty quick (lots of midrange). I personally would not pay that much for it since this particular example was rather abused. But if a good one comes along at a similar price, I would definitely consider it. So if you experts can throw out some good prices for a decent one I would appreciate it (especially in times when e36 m3 prices might start to drop since e46 models are due for replacement soon).

[m3f_salty_80d4b8491b]

I'd say forum member Kid Corrado got a very good deal on what looks like a nice car. He paid in the $17,000 range for a 98 with (in my mind) the valuable forged wheel option. I looked for several months and took two plane rides before buying my 98 sedan. (Cost $21,400... no winters, 23,000 miles and bald original tires) and I would say you can find a good one for around 18 K if you are willing to travel and wait. Going to a remote location where a true enthusiast lives will up the odds of getting a good one for a low price. Deals happen everywhere though. ($12,500 for Serius?? Jeez) Of course they are depreciating quickly, so waiting will pay off. Another forum member figures his car depreciated at $200/month over the last three years. The E36 is no longer HOT among people who just want the Latest car. Hollywood has bought into the Prius. Not always best to jump for the lowest price. Get the best one you can find if you can afford it. Original paint, no accidents, options you want, proven service records, responsible owner.

The car I wanted most was a 98 sedan in white with fold down seats, forged wheels, very low miles. I missed out on a couple before settling on a Black car with standard power seats. It looks amazing freshly washed, but will be hard to upkeep and definately hot in the summer. I was looking into seeing if I could add fold down seats, but noticed that the rear of a sedan is solid sheet metal behind the seats, and obviously structural. So I guess the sedan without fold downs is a little stiffer. keep an eye on Ebay, and Auto Trader.com And you will most likely see a whole country's worth of M3 Sedans.

[m3f_salty_80d4b8491b]

If you have the staggered wheels (Which I think yours has if memory is correct) I would go with the standard tire size 245-40-17 rear. 22545-17 front. I have Bridgestone S03 on the car and can't fault the grip or breaking abilities. The tires are also dead quiet so far. On my other car I have had excellent service from Toyo T1S. I have heard very good things about the GoodYear Eagle F1 and it was my first choice (when considering price) but was unavailable. For a lower priced tire, the higher end Khumo's get very good reviews. I would phone one of three Toronto tire places if you are shopping for price. Wheels Direct, Pickering Tire, Nantucket Tire. Don't buy tires near the weekend, because I believe the price goes down on a Monday in my experience.

I have bought some parts from the dealer, some from Alladina autoparts, and have had the car serviced at Bavarian in Markham (Neat place) and Downtown BMW (Quite an experience..for those not familiar, this 5 story flagship dealer is worth a tourist visit )

[m3f_Edgy_592e912c16]

Apex:



Look up Kid's recent thread. Negotiate and do your due diligence. Get CPO in writing, of course. In the end, it's true there are fewer manual M3/4's out there, so if you really love the car, buy it. Barring any bad inspection news, of course.



General price advice -- do an Edmunds and kbb search with all the particulars like mileage and option, and set a baseline price that way.



gno, you may want to consider going 235 all around. The stock rims can accommodate this. Then you can rotate and save tire life. I'll be doing this when mine needs 4 new ones, and probably going back to Toyo T1-S.



Dark, nice new sig!

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

Apex:



Look up Kid's recent thread. Negotiate and do your due diligence. Get CPO in writing, of course. In the end, it's true there are fewer manual M3/4's out there, so if you really love the car, buy it. Barring any bad inspection news, of course.



General price advice -- do an Edmunds and kbb search with all the particulars like mileage and option, and set a baseline price that way.



gno, you may want to consider going 235 all around. The stock rims can accommodate this. Then you can rotate and save tire life. I'll be doing this when mine needs 4 new ones, and probably going back to Toyo T1-S.



Dark, nice new sig!



Thanks edgy!



Umm. I was under the impression that the m3 rims were phsically different in width between the front and back... or is that just the new ones? I can't remember for some reason. :banghead:

[m3f_salty_80d4b8491b]

My rims are wider in the rear...no matched rubber for me.

[m3f_tuckm3]

$19.5 sounds like a fair price to me. This is only if the car is in near perfect condition and it spent its nights in a garage.

[m3f_Edgy_592e912c16]

Trevor, they are different, 7.5 front and 8.5 rear.



But Salty, I'm almost positive you can still go 235. That size tire fits both rim widths.



I'm sure we have board members running this, but they won't see this thread based on the title. I'll look up some past threads.

[m3f_astan100_7ef66fbe89]

I wouldn't insult the guy and make an offer really low like 16 trying to hit 18.



I would be honest. Just say, I'm willing to offer X (a little lower than what you want to pay) and if you are interested, call me.



Now, if you are willing to pay more regardless, then you'll probably just cave and call him back. It all depends on how rare it is to find these things and how motivated the seller is. You just have to judge that yourself.



My seller was superior motivated. I'm like...look, I'll need new tires right off the bat and that's 500 bucks (he was already offering it for 24,500). So he's like fine...I'll knock 500 off without batting an eye. I did run those tires for another 5k miles though, booya!



Try to judge the seller as well as the car.

[m3f_Edgy_592e912c16]

OK, found it. Lots of people who you ask don't know, so they just fall back on "well, I'd recommend sticking to stock sizes..."



Here's an involved discussion off Bimmer Forum:





http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=167992&highlight=Tire+Width



And here's confirmation from BMWRegistry that the earlier M3's came with 235's all around, and most with different width rims.



What size wheels and tires was the 3.0-liter E36 M3 equipped with?

For the E36 M3 3.0, BMW M specified 235/40ZR17 tires on all four corners. However, each body style was given a unique set of wheels. The coupe (both Euro-spec and U.S.-spec) wears 7.5x17-inch M Double Spoke cast alloy wheels. A lighter forged M Double Spoke version was optional on European-spec models from the start of production, and became optional on U.S.-spec M3s starting in December, 1994. These are always fitted in a staggered configuration, with 7.5x17-inch wheels in front and 8.5x17-inch wheels in back. A polished version of this wheel was standard on the E36 M3 convertible. The sedan has its own wheel design, the M Contour II, also in the staggered (7.5x17-in./8.5x17-in.) configuration. This wheel is also fitted to the U.S.-spec M3 coupe with Luxury Package, though only in the narrower 7.5x17-inch version.





So no doubt it would work.



Sorry for taking us off topic, but wanted to clear this up and not confuse anyone, including myself. eace:

[m3f_DOUGYKIM_04b96b288d]

nice astan...i'm doing the same. ran almost 4K on some pretty worn S-03s already. i'm gonna go ahead and drive it through one more K and change 'em out. owner dropped 500 of the price immediately. rear brakes were on 3 mils as well, so instead of taking another price cut, the guy threw in his peaks tool and like a euro-delivery first aid kit and other bmw goodies.

[m3f_astan100_7ef66fbe89]

very cool. It's all about finding the stuff other people won't notice and sounding like that it is making you not consider the car.



Don't go...oh my gosh, there's a door ding here, a paint chip here. That just pisses sellers off because every buyer sees that. Point them out, and just keep talking. Doin't turn small things into an issue. Low brake pads or shot tires are an issue.



By the way DougyKim, when you do finally replace your bald tires, the difference is amazing. Bald tires are good to commute in though and it'll save you good money, but when you start pushing them, the tires are no good.

[m3f_DOUGYKIM_04b96b288d]

very true...right now there are some april showers so my tires aren't doing to good of a job keeping the rear planted in rain. if i were to buy a car now, i'd make a much bigger safety issue out of it. when i do replace my tires, i'm sticking with S03s. good luck to upcoming buyers, tho. with cherry e36 m3s, its always a hard find.

[m3f_salty_80d4b8491b]

Trevor, they are different, 7.5 front and 8.5 rear.



But Salty, I'm almost positive you can still go 235. That size tire fits both rim widths.



I'm sure we have board members running this, but they won't see this thread based on the title. I'll look up some past threads.



I stand corrected. Thanks. I must say I like the looks of the staggered wheels with bigger tires in the back. I find my car already tramlines a lot more than my Corrado, so I will likely stay with the 225's up front. Can't say I have noticed any understeer so far. Throttle induced oversteer is a new found joy though.

[m3f_apex003]

Thanks for all the replies so far...



I'm trying to talk him to $19K right now, but he's not willing to drop much below that...



Do you think we can expect to see a huge drop in prices with the new generation m3, m2, etc. coming out? Especially with the m2 expected to be more "affordable", I wonder if there will be a flood of people selling their e36's to get the newest models.



i.e. should I wait and buy later (there will always be another opportunity if I'm patient) or even buy the new m2 myself?