should i buy

[m3f_volvotech]

I have always loved BMW and now i have the chance to buy a oxford green 1997 E36 M3 with 67k on it. for 13k is this a good deal?

it seams to be in very good shap light seat wear on drivers seat and light curb damage on the wheels

i drove it for about an hour today and loved it but it seamed to run cold at about 80mph in town it was normal.

[m3f_volvotech]

[QUOTE=volvotech]I have always loved BMW and now i have the chance to buy a oxford green 1997 E36 M3 with 67k on it. for 13k is this a good deal?

it seams to be in very good shap light seat wear on drivers seat and light curb damage on the wheels

i drove it for about an hour today and loved it but it seamed to run cold at about 80mph in town it was normal.

and if i do buy are there any ideals on mod

[m3f_Dakhar_517a2ad3bd]

VOLVOTECH



If your name indicates you are volvo owner.... I have owned 4 volvos in my day. If you do get this M3... get some diapers, becuase my freind an M is far from a Volvo. You will love it.



Mods, I tossed almost 1K into a cold air intake, performance chip, and something called euro HFM, which allows more air into the intake manifold.



Also, I put 2500 into the audio system. Yes a wee bit much, and sure I could have done it cheaper, but I have no regrets. I payed 18.5 for a near perfect dakar yellow 1995 with 31K miles on it....



Get it, you will love it.



My car takes about 10-15 minutes to warm up, and your thermo should be at about the middle of the gauge when she is primed and ready.

[m3f_95RogueM3]

Not sure about the cold running condition. It take mine about 4 minutes to get the water temp gauge to the middle range and another 8-12 minutes to get the oil temperature up to 180 degrees.



-Richard

[m3f_volvotech]

no i do not own a volvo i am a volvo technition.

i had some one tell me that was a problem on alot of m3 and that it was the thermostat.

[m3f_salty_80d4b8491b]

Mine heats up very quickly. I'd say it is a good price if the car checks out otherwise. I'd have a BMW expert check it out for E36 specific issues even if you are a Volvo Tech. Good luck.

[m3f_PurpleM3Pursuit]

the thermostat may be stuck open.. no biggie.. pop her off.. put a new one on... for that price that is amazing.. make sure u get a compression check etc before purchasing.. that is a really low price.. is it a manual or auto?

[m3f_Dakhar_517a2ad3bd]

10-15 minutes to warm up in the stinking cold.... I am getting tired of winter!

[m3f_volvotech]

it is a manual with is the only way to go i think. its just not as much fun to drive an auto.

i have a friend that works for BMW and he is going to look at it for me.

[m3f_Antz_March_d75577916d]

With good compression #s, sounds like a great deal. Ask for service history which would be great to have, if not, have it checked over with a fine tooth comb. Good Find, Good Luck.

[m3f_PurpleM3Pursuit]

it is a manual with is the only way to go i think. its just not as much fun to drive an auto.

i have a friend that works for BMW and he is going to look at it for me.

the only reason i asked is because that is an unbelievable price.. get on it! lol eace:

[m3f_Cleveland]

First things first.



How old are you?



How many cars have you bought in your life? (it matters)



Are you buying the car from a:



A) used car dealership



B) BMW dealership lot



C) an individual person (through an ad or friend referral)





It is very important to know where you are buying this car.



Have it checked out to the same standard BMW uses to Certify pre-owned late model cars. Their is a procedure to follow that finds potential problems that a general onceover won't find. Have them print out a complete and thorough check of everything and get a copy of it in writing for your records.



It's a cheap insurance policy against future unexpected breakdowns and costs due to someone "missing" something during the inspection. That oops can cost you dearly. Ask me how I know this now.



$13,000 for a '97 with 67k in the condition you discribe seems a little low to me. :nixweiss:



I noticed you did'nt say whether or not you would get any kind of warranty protection after you bought the car.



Assuming you are buying it "as is", it's even more important to do this right. Don't sign anything until you are completely satisfied that the car is 100% mechanically sound. Some salesman are very pushy and impatient. Don't be bullied into dropping something if they think you're going "overboard". Tell them it's nessasary for you do this or no sale. Please don't be too overanixous. Dealers are looking for that all the time. They have to believe you could walk away at anytime. You have to play it cool. This is the only time you will be in charge of the situation, take advantage of it. Protect yourself as best you can. It's getting harder to do that every day.



If you are interested, I can post a list of things that you should make sure they inspect closely to protect you from buying a car that needs a lot of repairs as soon as you buy it. Once you sign the papers, it's yours. At that point you're on your own.



If it checks out ok, youv'e got yourself a good deal. :thumbsup:



If not, it's a deal that's too good to be true.



Don't get your friend to do the inspection, I know you probably trust him but that could backfire on you later. If anything goes wrong after you buy this car, it could put him in hot water and be considered a conflict of interest. You don't put your friends it that kind of position.(my opinion) It has to be someone you don't know. Remember volvotech, bussiness first.



I hope you will at least consider what I'm saying here, I'm not trying to scare you but these cars are VERY expensive toys. You have to be carefull, not everybody takes care of their cars like they should.



With that said, I hope that everything checks out good and you can start enjoying a car we all know and love. eace:

[m3f_Cleveland]

The reason I asked the first two questions:



If you are an older person, you probably already know a lot of this from buying several cars in your lifetime.



I was not trying to put anyone down. O.K. I am only trying to help. That's all. :wave:

[m3f_WWJDWITHCA_c5c48caf1f]

I agree. That price is low. I assume it's a 4 door, they do tend to go lower, but still. Vanos is $1000 installed. Make sure that is checked. In CA a car like that would go over 20, easy.

[m3f_Cleveland]

...Vanos is $1000 installed. Make sure that is checked.



that's a good example. :thumbsup: