Lets play, NITPICK THIS AD!! (BMW E36 M3)

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1552382

Looking forward to feedback, seems like a pretty darn solid deal if it is as he says it is.

Would hate to fly up there however and get a surprise.

Front bumper, signal light, hood, fender (left) panel gaps look tweaked in this photo. No service records. Good price but not a smoking hot deal. If it was local, I'd take a look but long distance???

OK, 40 minutes from Boston AND 40 minutes from Hartford? Sure. Yeah, That means I'm only an hour from Boston, here in Ct River valley..... 6k? Non stock seats, what's with the red "A/C..." markings that are usually only seen on junkyard parts. Other than that, it looks clean; get more pics. Especially of the underside, have him pull a couple of wheels off and get suspension pics. I don't know the pricing on these, but it seems a little high with the mileage.

double post - disregard

Its a 2 door and a luxury package :-(

bludroptop wrote:

triumph5 wrote: OK, 40 minutes from Boston AND 40 minutes from Hartford? Sure. Yeah,

Hartford to Boston is under two hours, there has to be a mid-point. That wasn't a red flag for me.

Is the "little sorting" a reference to the problems mentioned, or are there other little items--whatever that means--that might need attention. A mid point only 40 minutes from hartford and only 40 min from Boston is damned big, like half of Mass, but that's a small point.

1. the red writing--looks very out of place

2. Non-stock seats

3. What's a "little sorting"

4.No pics of underside. Also look closely at the top of the right front shock mount, there's rust. No biggee, but you did want us to pick it apart.

I asked him about the red tag on the radiator support and he said that the previous owner put something there about the AC? Why they would do that I have no idea as it sure looks like junk yard tag to me as well.

He did say a fender and hood had been repainted and the front bumper is out of line on both sides. Just because the vin doesn't show an accident does not mean the car has never been hurt.

I am hoping to find a clean, hard top manual 318 coupe but an M3 would not suck as the rear end and suspension bits would be sorted decently. In a perfect world I find someone who has a solid track car who blew a motor and wants out... I may well keep my powder dry and just keep looking.

Get some more pics. Look them over; you're "only" a couple of states away. Go look at it, and make it a weekend in Boston, too. Win, win.

It's nicer than my beater M3 and costs less. Good luck finding more car for under six grand. If you weren't so far I'd say go check it out and let your gut be your guide. Are there no similar cars for sale closer to home?

In reply to SupraWes:

Here you go - '97 M3/4/5 low miles asking $6500 at a local dealer: http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/2029916871.html

Here's a S52 swapped E30 318i -$6500 http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/2025775667.html

Those look like very minor issues. If I was looking for another BMW, I don't think I'd hesitate. It should be a relatively easy thing to find someone reputable to give it a look-see, if your serious.

Underside pictures or looking at the car in person are a must when looking at a BMW of that vintage (especially one in the Northeast). I wouldn't make the trip w/o some detailed underside pics.

I made the trip down from CT to VA to buy mine, and I'm very thankful to have no rust on the car. If you're willing to make the trip to Boston, I'd consider looking in the DC/VA area as well.

DJ

what is with the strut mounts? Somebody added a LOT of caster

"No major accidents"

I'd ask for a clarification of "major".

Othewise it looks like what's being more and more common with E36 M3s: somebody bought it, did little to maintain it or fix the bumps/scrapes/issues it accumulated over a year or three and is now selling it in worse condition than when he purchased it. I could be reading into this too much, but it seems these cars have reached the point in their life cycle where incompetent douchebag ownership of at least 2-3 yrs. is probable. Not a problem if you're OK with catching up on everything that was missed/not addressed.

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but it's been hit (fairly hard) in the right front. And repaired poorly, as few body shops can successfully put the fender, headlight, hood, and bumper on crooked at the same time.

I would say run, or at least take some suspension reference point measurements.

Yeah, everything seems point towards a front end collision. I'd look elsewhere.

In reply to pigeon:

Is this near you? I sold my '95 coupe a few months back and the M3/4/5 looks like something that might work for me. I'd like to get it checked for rust etc, but live down in Northern VA. On the surface it looks like a pretty good buy, but I'd hate to drive 7 hours up and find it not as advertised.

Brust

In reply to Teh E36 M3:

Yes, it's near me, probably about 1/2 hour away. If I were you I'd call and ask for more pictures particularly interior. If you want I can take a look at it, just let me know.

Thanks dude, I've got an email in to the dealer. Trying to convince the wife that a trip to Niagara falls would be good for the family (with a side trip to Rochester to pick up the M3!). What's a 14 hour roundtrip for a look at the most storied waterfall in the world?

The M3 I sold was really clean, but I felt it was worth too much to try and keep. I'm really looking for something cheap(er) along these lines. Really want a white e30 325is, but they are hen's teeth, and for a couple thou more, I can get an e36 M3.

Is it just me or do the strut towers and other metal under the hood look white? If so that would seem to point further that it was possibly wrecked, repaired, and repainted.

Couple of comments:

• The driver's door is closed, the window is down 1/2 and inch. A good indicator that you need to ask if the window motor/switches are bad.
• The corner lights all break and fall out, especially the cheap, crappy ebay clears (factory ones were yellow). The radiator support looks square and that is some flimsy tin so I would not be too afraid of crash damage. The car has been lowered and the bumpers tend to twist on speedbumps. You need to check the bumper shocks to see if they're compressed but that really does not look scary.
• The hats have been swapped (note castor/camber), there is Nurburgring sticker on the rear glass, and an extra set of wheels behind the work bench. The seats are from a lux package but the bumper/skirts/wing are not - and lux seats are cheaper than Vaders when you swap out your Sparcos. I bet it has seen some track time, maybe a tire wall. An identical parts car tells me it needed some parts.
• It has painted front calipers, drilled rotors, and upturned exhaust. All signs that the owner is a clueless sot with bad taste.
• The underhood paint never gets clear coat so it always looks lighter gray in photos. I would not worry about that.

You really need to go over the car in person - its a fair, but not a super deal so... all the usual. It has 135k on it so compression, leakdown. Pay attention to the drive line. The trans should be like butter and there should be no clunks from the shaft, axles etc. Check all the bushings - they are either replaced or aftermarket by now but if it had track mileage they could all be toast.

Check the rear swaybar to see if the tabs are ripped off, repaired or reinforced.

I can think of more... but... gotta go back to work.

pigeon wrote: In reply to SupraWes: Here you go - '97 M3/4/5 low miles asking $6500 at a local dealer: http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/2029916871.html

DOES WANT!!!

Oh My Yes. . . .rare color with my favorite interior . . . dove gray

In reply to Strike_Zero:

WhenI first looked at that I was on my iphone and didn't realize it was TechnoViolet - love that color. I don't love dove gray. I lived with that interior for 3 years with my old E46 328i with M3 seats swapped in, and it never really looked good, just different from the usual black.

Could the A/C have been changed to R-134 in 2003? I'm not sure on dates for the changeover from freon.