Buying an E36 M3 Evo Saloon

[Geeman]

So... I'm eventually coming back in to the BMW fold, although it's going to be an E36 - sorry!

I've sold my amazing A4 and have my heart set on an E36 Evo. I'm going to look at one on Saturday and apart from rear arch corrosion, rear turret cracks and the hope that it's not a smoker/rattler... what else should I be looking out for.

I've steered well clear of SMG's and Cabbies as they're not my cup of tea. With kids 'in the plan' I've opted for a saloon so I don't have to rush out and sell it when the sprogs start appearing!

Any friendly info (about E36's - not kids) would be appreciated!

Giles

[Barx325i]

Personally I'd get a 3.0l 4 door - so basically no help at all..

much debate, but regardless of these details it's a fine car

[ETERNITY]

be very careful with mechanical issues and high owner ones.

if these havnt been maintained properly your looking at alot of headache, same as any car really but the e36 m3 have mostly been passed about like a whore and have alot of issues.

I couldnt find a good one and heard too many horror stories so stayed away.

[Simon13]

Saloons don't tend to get the abuse/modders and molesters that the coupes and cabs suffer!

[donnyboiler]

It might be worth considering a four door 328i. They are very close to the 3.0 in performance, use less fuel, and tend to have been well-looked after. The engines go on forever and are very low-maintenance. And the 328i is one of the reasons they went Evo...

Having said that, I'd love a four-door M3. You have great taste... I'd go 3.0, and take my time searching for a really good one with loads of history. I get the impression the four doors tend to be looked after better and passed around less.

E36s in general like to eat bushes and balljoints, as well as warping brake discs for fun. Even a doggy E36 will tend to grip and handle deceptively well, so take your time checking this lot. Dampers are well past their best at 100k. I drove my 106k 328i very carefully and thought the dampers were in great shape, but I was amazed at the difference when I went to a 55k example.

Check for rust under the plastic sill covers, broken springs, broken ABS sensors, rusty fuel and brake lines.

I don't have any M3 experience, but I read that a regular KDS alignment check is important for handling. Apparently the double Vanos on the 3.2 can be troublesome, but the single Vanos 3.0 seems to be pretty good. This is all second-hand info - perhaps someone else can chip in?

Don

[Simon13]

328i is just not in the same league as the M power cars. They're quick a good 2.8, but the both M cars are still truly rapid cars even now

Giles vanos dramas are overhyped!

[harry_p]

the vanos issue seems to be massively overhyped in this country, but pretty rare in the rest of europe. maybe it's the way uk cars are used and maintained? maybe it was a way of drumming up business for parts and service departments? maybe it was to put off people who couldnt afford to maintain them properly in an effort to prop up values?

i have an e36 m3 evo saloon and love it. a superb all rounder that's properly quick if you're in the mood, but will plod allong in 6th barely ticking over. in very mixed driving (very little cruising) and a fair bit of thrashing i average pretty much bang on 30mpg.

don't let miles put you off, high mileage but very well maintained is infinitely preferable to low miles but sketchy history. a lot have been thrashed, crashed or stolen, so do an hpi and give it a thorough going over.

[harry_p]

oh, and all saloons came with wood trim as standard which is DISGUSTING! luckily the console and dash trim is all the same as any other e36. i picked up a set on ebay for £10, console surround, both ash trays, glovebox trim and even a lether gearknob which i'm using despite having a 5-speed badge as it still looks better than the wooden one. ill get a proper one someday

[bootyman]

G dont you need a woman before planning for babies mate

I have to agree with the Vanos issue being over-hyped here, but it does haoppen on rare occassions cause i was about to buy a Techno vert whcih the owner reckoned the vanos had been changed on and it sounded more like a diesil. Got my mate to look at it and the vanos had gone or was on it's way out although Doctor Vanos can sort them out! I'd say take a mate who knows about cars with you so you buy with your head and not your heart because if a car looks good you are ofeten temped to convince yourself that things which needs ficing wont cost much and it always does.

Might be a good idea to stick a post on the E36Coupe forum as well as lots and lots of them have M3's so they are bound to know a lot more of what to look out for.

I also have to agree that whils the 328Sport is a great car (I still have one) It's not in the same league as the M3

I saw a 4 door one on Pistonheads a few weeks ago

[Geeman]

My old 328i Sport was a fantastic car, even though it was a slush box. It's no M3 though.

I'm going for a 4-dr for a couple of reasons... non-modded examples are much more common, kids can go in the back without too much effort (Ben - just got married (again) - she's great this time though!) and I fancy a silver one I've seen over in Brum as it looks so 'standard' and doesn't scream "steal me!" - Although with a set of Type5's on and a healthy drop... it'll look a lot nicer! I just can't help myself.

I know the E36 Vanos 'scare' is about as reliable as the 100,000 mile E30 M3 timing chain issue. Just an rumour mongering excuse to make money!

Thanks for the info chaps...

[bootyman]

Woo! Congrats G! See there was a happy ending after all:D

Yeah i agree with you about the steal me bit! My Sport is silver and i have a nice set of Brock B1's waiting to go on as soon as i can get my arches flared.

I wasn't a big fan of the Style 5's as they are a bit like the Alpina rep of the E36 World, but i have to admit the more i see of them on the E36, the more they are growing on me and i'm even thinking of buying my mates blue vert with blue style 5's

[Geeman]

So where are you based now Ben? Are you over in Milan like your info says? Or are you back in the UK now?

Style 5's are like 'pina reps...? But they're genuine BBS's dude. I have a frown on my face while I'm writing this! lol

[cragles]

The evo uses a 6 speed box which I've seen reports that spares for are becoming hard to get, The non evo uses a 5 speed which is shared with some other bmws.

[Ziggy]

Congrats indeed!

[bootyman]

So where are you based now Ben? Are you over in Milan like your info says? Or are you back in the UK now?

Style 5's are like 'pina reps...? But they're genuine BBS's dude. I have a frown on my face while I'm writing this! .

I've been back in London the last year mate! Long story, but i went from Milan to Kazakhstan and thought i'd be made for life as i planned to stay there for years (It's nothing like people think! Yes there are some places which are decades behind, but when you go to the Cities they are amazing and each one is so different and with the Oil they have they will make a big splash like Dubai did in the next 5 ti 10 years. Dont forget Dubai was a small fishing village untill they discovered the Oil) Anyway i was unfortunate enough to be moved from my department and the safety of the boss i'd been working for, for a while and whom i got on well with to go help out some bitch who had just been promoted and whom i had a falling out with a couple of months earlier cause she didnt know her elbow from her arse (She was in the same position as me at the time of the argumet and she got promoted cause of whom she knew and not what she knew) and within a couple of months my contract came to an end because apparently my work wasnt up to Company standard and this was after almost 5 years there and having my contract renewed every year! Anyway i'm hoping my luck changes and i go back there sometime.

As for the style 5's you know what i mean in terms that it seems to be the choice for the E36 boys and you know me mate, i dont normally go for things i know others have, but i'd make an eccepting in this case! To be honest i'd love my mates vert, but money is tight at the moment so it's a case of buying what i need and not what i want

[harry_p]

The evo uses a 6 speed box which I've seen reports that spares for are becoming hard to get, The non evo uses a 5 speed which is shared with some other bmws.

The 6 speed box is one of the major plus points of the evo, makes it so much better as an all rounder. I know they're not the strongest, but last well as long as you're not stupid, and there are plenty of secondhand ones about.

[mabz]

ive also been looking at the 3.0 litre m3 coupes(in dakar yellow of course).i love these

[Andyboy]

It might be worth considering a four door 328i. They are very close to the 3.0 in performance, use less fuel,

You must be kidding. An M3 of any sort would slaughter a 328i. That's what an extra 100 bhp or so generally does...........

M3's are very good on fuel if driven reasonably. You'll be getting the same 25-30 mpg average and the Evo will do 35 mpg on a long steady run.
The 3.0 is the more reliable car. The gearbox is much nicer to use than the clonky old 6 speed (it's only a standard 525i/328i unit) and the Vanos is more reliable. Finding a good example is the hard bit.

I know of a very nice well maintained red Evo saloon, 1995/6 N plate iirc.

[donnyboiler]

Not true. I have an Autocar magazine from 1996 containing figures for both cars (pre Evo).

The 328i has 193bhp and lots of torque (207 lb/ft IIRC). The non-Evo M3 has 286 bhp and comparitively little torque (still more than the 328i though).

So the gap is narrower than you would think. Autocar tested the 0-60 of the 328i touring at 6.1 seconds, and the M3 at 5.4. Top speeds are 139 and 155 respectively.

Although I think the gearing is different on later cars (or maybe saloons/coupes). The best figure I have found for a 328i saloon is 0-60 in 6.6 and a top speed of 149.

I'm sure the extra bhp of the M3 makes itself felt on the road, in-gear overtaking, and most significantly at the top end. I was only meaning to point out that the performance figures are surprisingly close. Close enough to make the M3 look bad value on paper - hence the arrival of the Evo.

I'd still have a non-Evo M3 in a flash, especially with 31mpg economy.

[Geeman]

Well... I've bought a '96 silver M3 Evo saloon now. I've had it for just over a month now and I love it.

Even PacerPete gave it a semi-thumbs up when he saw it a few weeks back, so it can't be that bad!

Eibachs on, Momo wheel on, and all's going well.

Style 5's refurb'd and I've managed to rebuild one yesterday. 3 more to go...

Pre-Eibach lowering...



One of the Style 5's... (just for Ben!)

[Royalratch]

Great idea going 4-Door M. Don;t know about those wheels - the E36 M3 5-Spokes and Evo wheels are ver distinct and look great on them.

[Splondike]

Looks nice G, well done mate

[harry_p]

nice, n-reg evo saloons ftw!

looks like youve got a decent colour interior too. silver non spoiler is very subtle. i toyed with sticking my style 5s on mine, but frankly can't be bothered to look after tham on what's supposed to be a sensible every day car

[mk1junkie]

Can't beat an E36 M3 Saloon....no one see's it coming.

Just to throw my 2p in on the 328i/M3 debate. I've driven both models on many occasions and the 328i is not in the same league as the M3 performance wise.

[Geeman]

Agreed. I had a 328i Sport a few years back, and while it was a very competent car... it is no match for the M3 Evo.

Update... Medic! Coil-pack down! It gave up the ghost on my way down to Edition38 on Saturday. Managed to get there and then limp home on the Sunday. It's in now for a replacement and a good going over.

Just bought another set of stlye5's by accident on eBay. Put in a low offer thinking I would get out-bid... but ended up winning them. Result! Only got 4 sets of wheels for the old girl now. My back yard is starting to resemble PacerPetes magnificent back-yard Theme Park!

[t0ne]

Yup, just to throw my £0.02 in too, I had an M3 Evo coupe in the late 90's and my best mate had a 328 sport. As you might imagine we enjoyed some "spirited" driving and as nice as the 328 was the M3 completely outclassed it on the road.
Lovely looking M3 you've bought btw.