Looking at a 1997 M3. Any suggestions?

[tang-o]

I will be looking a 1997 M3 for sale with 120K miles on it.
It looks like it has been serviced appropriately.
Any tips or particular areas I should be looking out for when purchasing a car like this?
Thanks!
Cheers,
Emilio

[offcamber09]

Jab at the brakes at very low speed and listen for a clunking in the front end. Better yet have someone watch the front wheels dance as you drive/jab past them. Lower control arm bushings are very common.

[tang-o]

Thanks Scott.!

So far I have:

- water pump / radiator
- lower control arm bushings
- strut towers (front and rear) look for cracks / rust
- look for rear suspension tearing out of the unibody (I was unaware that this seems to be a common problem with these E36s!)
-

[paultg]

Hey Emilio,
I thought a friend of mine was considering selling his E36 M3 (that was on this site a few years ago). If you decide to pass on whatever car you are looking at let me know and I can get you his email. - Paul G.

[tang-o]

Thanks Paul. Send me the information if you can. I would not mind looking at other options right now.
Cheers!
Emilio

[Brendan]

Easiest thing is bringing it for a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection) at a shop familiar with the cars. Last time I did it, cost me $100 and it included compression test, and putting it up on the lift with a trained eye looking for trouble spots... There are probably several people on this forum who could do it, depending on where you are call Mario @ VSR1.com in Bow,NH.

[dtlemoine]

Try here: http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=55

And here: http://www.unitedbimmer.com/forums/bmw- ... s-faq.html

[paultg]

Emilio, I sent him an email but his office is probably closed for the holiday. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

[paultg]

Emilio, I heard back from him today. He wants to hold onto the car through the winter and sell this spring, so if you are still kicking tires then let me know. - Paul G.

[tang-o]

Thanks Paul. I'm trying to get something for the winter...
Thanks dtlemoine for those links. Great reading stuff.

[StephanAlfa]

Hola Emilio!
In addition to Brendan good comments also check with NIck F. (user name blindsidefive) who races a '97 M3.
Other sources for consultation:
Mick D
Kevin Foote (who works a Turner)

I think if you keep it stock we may have a Argentina vs. Brazil competition here ...
Buena Suerte!

[savage217]

I consider Jon Cowen and myself extremely knowledgeable e36 guys as we both do our own work and have basically taken our cars completely apart and put them back together at this point. Greg Loupis knows a good deal as well so I would recommend reaching out to any of us.

Is this going to be a street car, track car, or dual purpose? If it is a daily driver you do not have a whole lot to worry about. These cars are fairly reliable overall. Weak points are generally the cooling system. Replace the waterpump, thermostat, radiator, thermostat housing and upper and lower hoses if it has not already had an overhaul. Be sure to go with a metal impeller and aluminum thermostat housing as well. I also recommend an 80c thermostat which opens at a cooler temperature than the original.

Since these are old cars at this point be sure to look for rust. I would also see what maintenance has been done to the car over the years. Like with any car, if the previous owner(s) meticulously maintained it, you are usually in good hands.

If this is a track car there are a ton of other areas you will need to address that I can go into detail on. Good luck.

[StephanAlfa]

I consider Jon Cowen and myself extremely knowledgeable e36 guys as we both do our own work and have basically taken our cars completely apart and put them back together at this point. Greg Loupis knows a good deal as well so I would recommend reaching out to any of us.

Is this going to be a street car, track car, or dual purpose? If it is a daily driver you do not have a whole lot to worry about. These cars are fairly reliable overall. Weak points are generally the cooling system. Replace the waterpump, thermostat, radiator, thermostat housing and upper and lower hoses if it has not already had an overhaul. Be sure to go with a metal impeller and aluminum thermostat housing as well. I also recommend an 80c thermostat which opens at a cooler temperature than the original.

Since these are old cars at this point be sure to look for rust. I would also see what maintenance has been done to the car over the years. Like with any car, if the previous owner(s) meticulously maintained it, you are usually in good hands.

If this is a track car there are a ton of other areas you will need to address that I can go into detail on. Good luck.

Right you are Nick! I think this a club that has vast resources on a number of cars and that is what makes it unique.Cheers!

[tang-o]

Thank you so much Nick and Stephan.

Nick, I was debating what to do to be honest. I don't want to drive the Mustang in the salt so I wanted something fun to drive around in the winter and a good people carrier. But then I thought I would love to have my wife and I be dual drivers of the M3 for NHMS while I continue driving the stand at NHMS and Glenn. So long story short, Yes I would like to prep the M3 for the track. The water pump, thermostat, radiator and housing were in my list. I also talked to Charlie North (Function First Motorsports) and he recommended reinforcing the unibody/chassis where the rear suspension attaches as the track loads can rip the unibody appart (OMG!).

I will be keeping the M3 stock. I love the idea of Brazil vs. Argentina at the track!! That would be so much fun and I'm sure I will learn a lot from following you Stephan!

[savage217]

I assume he means the rear trailing arm pockets where the 3 bolts of the trailing arm attach. That is absolutely a failure prone area that should be reinforced before tracking the car. I have reinforced a few cars and they all had some cracking in those areas. There are aftermarket weld in reinformcement pieces that track guys weld in. You should also secure the oil pump nut as they do spin themselves off from time to time (Ask Pete and Nick). I would also recommend shock tower reinforcement plates front and rear which are cheap, easy bolt in pieces that you can do. Other than that it should be pretty much good to go.