993's will hold there value but the water cooled car will not.
They have way to much plastic bits.
I have seen 996;s that already are coming apart, the plastic parts are failing.
The Pepper? Say away from them.
Just the sensors in the front bumper not the cover or anything else will cost a grand to replace.
When you wife or kid miss judges the car a head and taps that 74 GMC pick up you will be lookibg at long dollars well your insurance company will be.
You know what that will due to your rates.
Plus Porsche Cant even get the proper parts in stock for the Pepper.

Jarad Check the recycler

M3 for me....
 

I've just one question......?....?....? Well only one that I'll ask here. How many M3's have you owned?

We're talking about the E-36 here.... I have the 3.2 and have now driven it for over a year now and I can honestly say that it's the BEST daily driver that I've had in a long while. . . .

The amount of repairs if far less than those of other makes here at Pelican. I've only made repairs for things I have either broken or out of normal wear..... THESE ARE REAL WORLD STATS NOT ASSUMPTIONS.

-Eli

BTW: I thought that book was also discontinued..... Things that people say when they can't have them....



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1098123618.jpg

No way a running 635 in good to excellent condition will be selling for $1500. I wanted a really nice 635CSI and for an example that driveable, ready to go, you're going to spend between $5,000 and $10,000. Even most 633 models are more than $1500.

JCM

I'd not be overly concerned about maintenance on a US E36 M3 - unlike many other M3's (the earlier, E30, for example, or the Euro E36 M3), the US E36M3 isn't that different from a regular E36.

Like someone said above, the plastic impeller, plastic radiator, and a couple of other minor things are the known weak spots. Otherwise, these cars have PROVEN themselves to be very bulletproof (and easy to to work on).

what he said..

That's a lot of car for 10K.

Any German car is expensive to repair and maintain, even a VW Golf.

Have fun with it.:)

Well Eli you bought that car as a Totaled by the insurance company Crash victim. Why was it a total and sold at auction because it was not cost effective for the insurance company to fix.
Therefore you got a good deal on it.
Now I remember that you were having a hard time getting the proper part for it even though Javier ( Fromer Parts Guy at Century BMW) was ordering them for you.
Now if you would of had to pay dealer list it would not have been such a good deal.

Thats my point.

BTW How much is it to replace the gearbox synchros? Always a weak spot in BMWs



Jarad just keep looking you will see some really screaming deals.

How much did it cost to rebuild the engine in your white BMW just for comparison to what you paid $3500.

Now if you paid a shop to rebuild the engine it would far exceed the value of the car.

Now we are talking John Q Public who takes his car to a shop for service.
Not DYI this is a real world look at the cost of purchase vs ownership vs resale.

$500

Of course, I could have also gotten a used motor from Harouts for $300, but I wanted to rebuild mine. Most of the parts onthese cars are priced pretty similarly to that of a domestic car.

Now that was buying the parts at Whole sale much is retail?

What machine work was done? did you do the valves? was the oilpunp replace ? the Chains? The clutch replace seeing tht the engine was out?
The theromstat housings are usally coroded did you replace that also?

Chains?

M20 motors dont have chains...

$300 for a used engine thanks for making my point.
The engine would be far more money if there was a demand for them but there isnt do to the fact no one fixes them they junk them.

What drives the oil pump?

The timing belt and a drive rod

Well thats a step in the right derection. But still the point is when the guy on the streeet who had your car would not rebuild the engine he would junk he car.
Its about value vs repair

I owned older BMW's they used chains to drive the Doch and the oilpump.

The E36 M3's oil pump is chain driven from the crank. The cams are also chain driven.

Well jarad did you replace the Chain ?
I always replaced the oilpump chain as it is the most important chain in the engine. If it break the engine is toast.
Opps we are talking about two engines here.
And I have not looked at 325is repair manual so I have no idea about the layout of the internals
Thanks Mink I was wondering how the pump was driven with a rod.

Well Steve I would say that it’s safe to assume that you’ve “tried” to do your homework before coming to class but I see that’s not the case. Doesn’t a total loss indicate that the car can no longer be operated on the open highway….? What is it that you are really saying?

The car was not a total as a matter of fact the car was bought from “a friend of a friend” who owns a reputable business. He was unfortunately and slid the car into a ditch. I replaced the left fender New “Humm not hard to find at all” and second the door “Humm not hard to find either.” Oh and if you’re speaking about that little part I needed to order from BMW it’s more commonly referred to by most as a “KEY”. Yah I would definitely understand why BMW wouldn’t be handing these items out over the counter. BTW: I don’t care right now how much it is to replace the anything in my gearbox is: If it isn’t broke don’t fix it –John Wayne…..

Resale is trivial, why would you purchase a car based on what you can sell it for?????? I’m not operating a used car lot or a “PICK A PART” from my back yard so I guess it doesn’t matter to me what I can get for the car once I get board of it…..

Nice try Steve, better luck with your buckets…..



-Eli


BTW: You still did not answer my one question: HAVE YOU OWNED AN M3????

I have an M20 motor, Steve. :rolleyes:

Mink is correct about the E36's having chains. The E30 M20's dont

The question is not if but when it breaks.
again how much will it cost for the guy on the street to take to a repair shop and have it fixed and will the repair cost exceed the resale value of the car?