I want to buy a E30 M3

Looking for a while now for a good car, I am a long time collector of various marques so while I appreciate all the hot rods I think they look better with someone else driving; I prefer a more stock car. I don't mind any tasteful mods that can be easily converted back or sensible ones like the S52 tensioners.

Prefer something under 150k miles if looked after by knowledgeable owner and a black interior. Least favorite colors are the reds but will look at anything if the car is right.

Mostly what I have been seeing are cars that were thrashed or hit for 12k, decent cars with all vin tags but looking and maybe running pretty tired for 15k and over the top redone cars or low mileage cars for 30k-35k. There don’t seem to be any honest no story cars with all vin tags and history in well maintained condition for 20k -22k. I feel with the M3 the most expensive car you can buy is probably the cheapest car you can buy.

I would rather spend a little more for a well sorted car than spend ages finishing someone else’s project; I know from the Porsche world the best cars are not advertised and sell by word of mouth so if there is someone looking for a good home for their car…..

Let me know I have cash in hand.
Thanks in advance

A couple of recent listings are at the top of the page here:

http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/?s=bmw+e30

Check out M3 forums, bimmer forums, 6 speed online etc.
Phil

Hmm

Love these --- The Real M3 . . . owned two, have ~ 150k mi on these cars

If I were hunting, I'd get w/ BMWCCA --- best place to run into/contact a suitable vehicle. Even seen a few sub-20k mi cars listed . . . in the last year (?)

Mileage isn't a Big Deal, to me, anyway. These are tough cars, albeit lighter-weight. But. M3s are the only car I've ever seen that will run/corner so hard, that they'll fold up their bodywork. Look for the dimples in the rear corners of the sunroof opening --- that's where it starts. I'd look the inner/under bodywork over, too . . . very closely --- especially after all these years.

Springs and suspension 'tuning' are almost a given. The stock cars' suspension is fine . . . until you get used/addicted to the kamikaze cornering these cars are so horny for. My 1st M3, I left stock. But my 2nd, I did some tweaking . . . springs, bars, KONIs, bushes, weld-in sub-frame stuff. The car looked/cornered great . . . but lost half its ground-clearance. Fun --- but also had to be careful. As for 800lb/ft springs? On a street car? (And I've seen this.) No. I habitually avoided heavily-modded cars, anyway . . . but the serial suspension abuse is a bit more difficult to diagnose/treat. Usually the first bit to fail --- as in shear-off . . . are the shock mounts. Not a huge problem . . . unless the local friendly/stupid Meineke Auto Center has done the work. Several times. Badly. Sub-frames fail next. Ditto. Hey --- all this nonsense is fixable, but if I've just dropped >$25k on a 2-owner car? . . . last thing I'd want is to do is have to pull everything underneath the car clean off to deal w/ this. And I've seen this happen. More than once. I'd be sure to do a real thorough PPI

Motor stuff is another issue. Almost no one leaves the stock 2.3ls alone. Personally --- I would never so much as touch a car w/ any engine mods whatsoever, but --- w/ some thoughtful work, anybody can get 230+ relatively civilized/reliable hp outta these . . . intake and exhaust changes, mostly. Problem is, these cars' demographic is not all that thoughtful. The cars are tough --- especially the motors . . . but if someone's pulled the limiter off and gone to town in the Bav Auto catalog? . . . keep in mind that's ~$8-15k to re-build the motor properly

And I would not . . . under any circumstances . . . buy any vehicle that's been built-up as a 2.5l. 'Cause, unless a proper BMW Motorsport 2.5l block+crank were used? . . . the stock block will fail --- just a matter of time

And any car that I'd end-up with? . . . I'd budget another $8-10k to sort/tidy

Hi-performance cars live hi-performance lives and have hi-performance needs



Also . . . another place to look . . .

http://www.enthusiastauto.com/

HtH

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LongRanger

And I would not . . . under any circumstances . . . buy any vehicle that's been built-up as a 2.5l. 'Cause, unless a proper BMW Motorsport 2.5l block+crank were used? . . . the stock block will fail --- just a matter of time

---

The hardcore S14 guys drive 2.7 litres with arrows cranks.

Thanks all. Enthusiast Auto: great cars but at the prices they are asking I think the trick is to get to the car BEFORE it gets to EA.

I have been looking for a while now (Rick I met you with my daughter at John Esposito's shop here in LA) and while I have been around cars all my life and owned a very wide variety of them from muscle to a real 2002 tii Alpina I do not think I have come across a model that has been as seriously and relentlessly customized as the e30 M3. I was at the BMW show in Van Nuys last week and of the ten e30s there not one was close to stock. On a car where in stock form you can dimple the metal of the roof from G forces these chaps want more power. Because let's face it, what does BMW Motorsports know with all that testing and the German Touring Car Championships that we cannot improve at Autozone. Duh.

I can find a $35,000 beauty no problem, there are plenty for sale unfortunately as recently prices seem to have spiked about %20. BMW SCCA has several that to hear the owners tell it were assembled manually by Patrick Snijers.

I was hoping to find a nice stock car getting a little long in the tooth that I can DE with my daughter. She is not going to wrinkle the roof quite yet. Then later I can rebuild the motor and make sure it gets what it needs by someone who knows, I have little interest in paying a premium for a rebuilt motor unless I trust the builder.

Sadly though I may have missed the boat, these cars are being snapped up sight unseen by cash investors, each time I arrange a PPI I am told the car sold for full price. I do check all the boards and there are several but if I just can't find one I will go the Enthusiast Auto, they have a great rep and get the cars into primo shape before a sale. If only they weren't all red!

Thanks everyone again for all the tips.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by uai

. . . hardcore S14 guys drive 2.7 litres with arrows cranks . . .

---

Oh, yeah . . . pull the AFMs, CF plenums+ air-boxes, slide-throttles, all the Gr.A valve stuff --- triple springs + Ti keepers + etc . . . then all the crazy exhaust header 'tuning' --- 2 in primaries + 4-6 in collectors . . . barely room under the car for all the plumbing

400 hp?

Something like that won't exactly live long, but . . . it does give pause when you think how much power Porsche got from that same displacement

Dr Gustave Stroes . . .

http://www.e30m3project.com/e30m3performance/

You are scratching a once-very-virulent itch, Uli

;):p:D

Another M3 for sale, probably too spendy for you . . .

http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/198...r+Sale+Blog%29

Thanks but apart from the fact that 50k is just a ridiculous number for that car it is also located in Holland, which is not on my regular beat.

I just missed a silver car in NC with 56k miles for $20k, so I will just have to be patient. It seems there are way more of these on the east coast than here, the ones here are fairly beat and few are stock.

Thanks for the heads up though, beautiful car.

Definitely keep us posted?

Real M3s are great cars. I only sold mine to get into a Porsche . . .

. . . and while I'm waiting? . . .

I'll post the few that I come upon, as well


Meanwhile ---- enjoy your choices