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Ok I'm kinda a car newbie but after talking to my buddy (veetak here on SA) a good bit I'm pretty sure I'd like to (once I have a job again) buy a E36 BMW 325iC or 328iC. There's a number of really good-looking ones listed on Craigslist around Seattle usually between $7k-10k. So my questions: 1. Is a fuel economy (of searching around the web a bit) of 20mi/gal street, 29mi/gal highway actually accurate? 2. Am I going to see a significant fuel difference between the 325iC and the 328iC? 3. Would it be worth it to spend a bit extra and see if I can find a E36 M3? How would that affect my gas mileage? I know those are questions about gas mileage but I'm not using this as a daily commuter, I'm just wondering. 4. Am I required to use premium or supreme fuels for this? 5. As long as I'm taking good care of it how many miles can I expect to get out of the engine, and thus what's the max # of miles I should go for within the $7k-10k range? I've seen some with 75-100k miles but I saw one with 172k and that seemed kinda high. I know these are stupid questions but I've never owned a car before and I think it's time to buy one and I want to be sure about things before I get one. Here's an example of one of the ones I wish I could get right now: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/1216461645.html
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Jun 15, 2009 02:05
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 18:37 |
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Carbon Deity posted:1. Pretty accurate, less in an M3 but mostly due to enthusiastic driving. I'm absolutely not going to get an automatic. I hate automatic. EDIT: oh christ I just realized that car I linked is an automatic. EDIT2: oh god why are 3/4 of the ones on CL automatics? Kenshin fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Jun 15, 2009 |
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Jun 15, 2009 02:55
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Ok, so I just got an awesome new job at Amazon.com and start in two weeks. How does this car look: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/1247270405.html It's got 170k miles but looks beautiful... how many more miles would I expect it to last reliably? Or should I look for something with fewer miles on it? It's a 1995 325iC with a 1999 M3 body.
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Jul 1, 2009 09:27
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 so now I have 4 completely different opinions. No worries, that one will probably be gone before I get my first paycheck, so I'll keep looking around.(to be honest I agree with the poster above me, I really like how the interior looks)
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Jul 1, 2009 17:45
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So I'm probably going to buy this: http://www.sacramentoeuropean.com/detail.cfm?V=1999%20BMW%20M3%20Convertible%202D&ID=366762 I talked them down to $10,000. ('course, I'll have to fly down from Seattle). Carfax is clean (it's linked from their site). If I shouldn't do this, tell me now, but it's looking like the best deal I can get, and the ~800 miles back up to Seattle will be a pretty good vetting period to see how it's riding.
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Aug 5, 2009 03:35
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BraveUlysses posted:Drive the whole way back up the 101 till you hit Astoria. It's awesome. The guy is picking it up from the mechanic (had part of the radiator replaced or something) and they did a pre-sale inspection. I need to see the inspection result but he said the thing they'd mentioned is that it will need the shifter bushings replaced soon. He didn't know off-hand how much that would cost. Anyone know how much it should cost to replace the shifter bushings on a '99 M3?
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Aug 5, 2009 19:31
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Crustashio posted:If you can do it yourself, probably sub-100 to replace all the wear parts. I suggest adding in 25 bucks for fancy delrin carrier bushings, or getting your own machined.
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Aug 5, 2009 21:56
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Ok, so I now own a black 1999 M3 Convertible (manual transmission). Not bad for a first car I guess. 
Kenshin fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Aug 6, 2009 |
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Aug 6, 2009 02:17
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Um, yeah, if I can ask a really stupid question: what grade of gas should I be putting in this thing? ('99 M3) I forgot to ask the guy I bought it from what he put in it and he's on a bike trip now.
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Aug 6, 2009 22:00
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Ha, my seat wear is way worse. I'm just going to get some seat covers. I could replace the seats but they are just seats...
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Aug 8, 2009 03:25
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jesus gently caress I love driving this car... especially now that I'm actually driving it correctly. (1999 M3 Conv 5spd) So glad I bought this
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Aug 28, 2009 07:25
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pyrrhus posted:Trouble is, he wants cash. No cashier's checks or anything. Actual cash.
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Sep 10, 2009 21:34
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Overture posted:Nice! I took it out for a test drive yesterday and good god I wasn't expecting that kind of power. It's almost scary. That said, I've been driving my girlfriends Xterra around for a year, so that may explain something. That is an amazing price for something with such low miles. Buy it.
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Sep 29, 2009 16:18
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From what little I know (and I am still learning, this is my first car) those are some very, very minor issues. It's an absolute steal at the price. Mine has the same issue with the airbag sensor oddly enough.
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Sep 29, 2009 23:55
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Brock Landers posted:Sweet Jesus... someone dropped the S85 V10 into an E30: The video of that thing racing the M5 is crazy
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Oct 9, 2009 17:20
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Before you do anything else try and make sure the coolant is filled and bled properly. My 99 M3 did the same thing (would start overheating at slow speeds) for about two weeks after I bought it but once I took my time bleeding the radiator (it was a new radiator that the P.O. had just put in about a week beforehand and hadn't bled properly). I haven't had an overheating problem since.
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Nov 23, 2009 02:48
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BossTweed posted:Thanks for the information guys. The previous owner replaced the water pump, fan clutch, hoses, thermostat, thermostat housing and accessory belts at 37,000 miles (in 2006), and I'm at 68,000 now.
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Nov 23, 2009 05:57
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Just swapped out my valve cover gasket on my E36 M3 today (with a friend who was also swapping the valve cover gasket on his E36 M3 and who knew what he was doing). Seems to have solved my burnt oil problem entirely. First time I've ever done any real work on a car and I had the goddamn engine open. He was impressed that I was able to keep up with him and finish at the same time, just by watching what he was doing. Pretty proud of myself. Honestly not that much different from working in a computer except for a lot more oil I guess.
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Dec 16, 2009 09:15
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Gas Break Dip posted:I am very interested in a certain '99 M3 in my favorite color that is basically my dream E36 and I need everyone's opinion. Is it worth the $13k he is asking considering the mileage? He says he has a lot of service records and that the interior is immaculate which judging from the pictures that seems true. To me the whole car looks very clean and apparently needs nothing. For comparison: I got my Black 1999 M3 5spd conv with 133k miles for 8k (talked the guy down from 9.6k). It had a few minor issues, the biggest which I've since fixed (for $35 + 2 hours of my time), but also had some nice mods on it (Dinan Cold Air Intake, Dinan chip reprogramming). The other one I'd been looking at was a flawless Silver 1999 M3 5spd conv with 124k miles for 10k. Since the car is in such good condition (and is rare), maybe it's worth a bit more, but 13k just seems high.
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Dec 19, 2009 08:52
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Bleh. Looks like my valve cover gasket swap didn't do the trick. I'll have to take a look at the car after Christmas and see where it's leaking from. Hopefully it was just a screwup on my part not doing the sealant correctly or something.
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Dec 21, 2009 03:32
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coq mixer posted:I went and got an estimate to fix the damage from the state trooper incident.
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Dec 31, 2009 19:02
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crutt posted:http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/1525610385.html http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55 Assuming it's in the condition that craigslist ad claims, that's a pretty fair price.
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Jan 1, 2010 19:31
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Robawesome posted:I'd definitely prefer something newer, and looking at them I think I would prefer a 5 or 3 series to the 7. I know BMW has a reputation for durability but I'd still prefer an 01 or newer, probably E36. I'm looking anywhere between $5-15,000 CAD, and would prefer to shop locally (Ottawa area) but could travel within Ontario if necessary. Any particular favourite between a 325, 328, 330? Do you mean E46?
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Jan 3, 2010 04:00
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So, I'm starting to think that the oil leaking onto my exhaust manifold in my E36 M3 is not a leaky valve cover gasket. I put a new one in a few weeks ago but didn't follow the sealant directions very well and didn't give it time to set after I'd applied it. So yesterday I opened it back up, cleaned everything off, re-applied the sealant, and gave it a few hours to set (the instructions said an hour, and 12 hours before heavy usage). Drove it about 400 miles today, and though it's not quite as overwhelming as it was before I did the initial replacement of the valve cover gasket, after a long drive I open the hood and there is still oil smoke coming from near the back. What else could it be?
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Jan 4, 2010 07:05
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BraveUlysses posted:Did your valve cover gasket kit come with the 20-odd o-rings that are supposed do be replaced at the same time?
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Jan 4, 2010 16:48
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:Yes, there are 20 or so little rubber donuts that you'll want to replace. Is there another part in there that can cause leaks near the back? The engine itself runs fine--it sounds fine and provides plenty of power.
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Jan 4, 2010 18:54
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:There is only one other thing behind the valve cover on x52 engines, and that's the SAI tubing that runs along the backside and up the exhaust side of the valvecover/head. It can sometimes get hard and brittle, but that causes driving issues, not oil leaks, but it's something to look at I guess. I'm putting the gaskets in the valve cover because I don't really see how it would fit well laying it on the head first since the gasket slots into the valve cover. I have been tightening the bolts in stages, though I was working from the outside in using a diagonal across pattern. As per my friend's instructions I have only been putting the RTV where the welds and sharp corners are on the head--should I be putting it elsewhere as well? The straight edge thing sounds like a good idea--I'll see if I can find one and if it's still leaking in a few days I'll try measuring it. If that's the issue, what would be the fix?
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Jan 4, 2010 19:26
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flublandDrussiavelt posted:Get yourself a torque wrench, it's useful in a lot of situations, valve cover gaskets, wheels, all that. There's a specific amount you should tighten the valve bolts to that should be in your manual, and if not, you can find it online.
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Jan 4, 2010 20:24
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:The only places, on a good head, where you need RTV are in those little half moon things and where front timing cover bolts to the head. You can put a bead of RTV all the way around as a ghetto stop gap (or really just on the exhaust side, that's the side that leaks). It will work for a while, but it is by no means a permanent solution. I really want to get this figured out, because though it's minor enough now that it won't be a huge deal during the summer with the top down, it's kinda embarrassing when I have girls I'm dating in the car having it smell like burnt oil at stoplights
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Jan 4, 2010 21:04
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Lowclock posted:I put a thin even layer of RTV with my fingers on every mating surface when I did mine and it doesn't leak a bit. Sounds like it could help. Doctor Grape Ape posted:I put a generous amount on my finger and rub it all up in those half moons. I use more around the sharp corners, but I still put a nice thin layer down in the trough. If for no other reason than it helps seat the gasket on the M50.
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Jan 4, 2010 23:47
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So, I was using the torque wrench to tighten down the bolts on my valve cover gasket tonight and... well. This happened to a few of them. Yes, I double-checked the settings on the torque wrench. Looks like a few of the bolts were just really oxidized, because not all of them did this. Will most hardware or autoparts stores have these, or will I need to special order them? Good thing I don't need my car for anything more than fun. If I need to special-order them, what the hell are they called? (E36 M3)
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Jan 8, 2010 08:35
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:Special Order, find the part # from:
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Jan 8, 2010 17:39
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:If you only need a few you might try your local BMW dealer, prepare to laugh at how much it costs, though.
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Jan 8, 2010 20:16
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So... my power steering on my E36 M3 went out tonight. I got into the car after an hour workout, started it up, and started to leave my parking spot and the steering felt... really odd. As if something was slipping (there was a sound like this too), or couldn't quite grip the steering column or something. I shut the car down after a half block and started it up again, same thing... couldn't do anything about it and was only a mile or so from home, so I started driving home and after another few seconds it stopped and my power steering was just completely gone. Sound like the pump, or belt, or what?
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Feb 23, 2010 05:16
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Well, it was slipping like that before it went dead, and then it was just dead the entire way home. It was the oddest feeling, as if when I turned there was a belt in there somewhere trying to assist my turn but wasn't "grabbing" or something, because maybe 1/3 of the turn (stuttering, not the first third) was actually being assisted.
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Feb 23, 2010 05:43
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Ok, turns out the oil burning wasn't either the valve cover gasket (well, mostly, it had a small leak, but not onto the exhaust manifold) or the power steering. The power steering hose and belts needed to be replaced, so I did that. Turns out though that there is some plug in the back of the engine that had come loose, and was leaking oil everywhere. So they plugged it back in and re-sealed it, and now everything is happy. They also took a general look around and said the engine is in great shape. (E36 M3, 137k miles). So I'm good to go. So, now onto the minor fixes. My passenger-side speaker behind the kick-panel is buzzing at mid-ranges, so it either needs to be fixed or replaced. Car Toys says they will replace both front speakers with higher quality ones for $355 including installation. I don't remember the brand. Bavarian Sound Werks has these speakers for $110+shipping, but I'd have to do it myself (I'm pretty sure I can). I could also (maybe) find a spare speaker on craigslist, but that's iffy on quality and a casual glance isn't showing any available in my area. Or, I suppose I could pull the bad one out and have it fixed, but I have no idea where I might do that. EDIT: scratch the fixing, just called a shop that does it and they said it's not worth it unless I have very high end speakers, I should just replace them. Thoughts? Kenshin fucked around with this message at 23:16 on Feb 27, 2010 |
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Feb 27, 2010 23:04
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:Replacing the kick panel speakers is about 10 times easier than replacing the rear deck speakers. I'd go with the $110 BSW. The hole you have to mount the speaker in is pretty shallow if I remember correctly, so while the BSW is more expensive than Craigslist/Finding your own, it is at least guaranteed to work.
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Feb 28, 2010 16:52
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If the temp gauge didn't go up, you're fine.
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Mar 19, 2010 00:27
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SynMoo posted:Considering picking up this E36 M3. Also, owned in the midwest and east coast, check for rust.
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Mar 30, 2010 04:09
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 18:37 |
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Give us a ///M (1-series) and a ///M-roadster and I'll be happy
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Apr 23, 2010 22:00
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