betrezra

I wanted a low cost way to get on the track.... so today I landed a E36 M3... 146k miles...... <$9K.... pretty happey with the cost/fun trade-off equation.

It's already got suspension mods, bilsteins, hr springs, and a dinan stage 2 n/a mods..... tune/cai/header/catback.......




Since I've driven my 507 on a couple tracks and autocross.... I'll be building up this E36 for the same duty... and I'll post up impressions etc.....

I pick it up Friday.

BASE-line -
dyno, quarter mile time...... let's see what a 146K mile M product puts down on the dyno and at the track.....

Mods..... roll cage, race seats, BBK, possible coil-overs.... TBD, ... a bunch of cosmetics.. wheels/tires.... etc.. etc......

This thing feels sooo small go-cart like compared to my 507! And shifts so sweet and smooth.

realjones88

I have an E36 M3 as well. They are great cars. Much more of a "raw" feeling. Parts aren't too expensive. Definitely do the cooling system and replace the power steering hoses (weak spots for tracked cars) if not done recently.

The stock contours are really heavy the Kosei K1s are cheap/popular.

Track times are going to come down to how many straights there are as the C63 has twice the horsepower.

betrezra

realjones88 - thx for the feedback.

Depending on how I like the "M" power plant, I plan to visit vorshlag for an LS swap... IF I'm just getting passed constantly on the straights...... by turbo civics et al

I'll have to see if I carried away with all the "M" 100HP/liter hoopla....

pandanoid

Hey betrezra,

Not sure if you know, but check out the Front and rear suspension mounts for cracks. The rear strut mounts (under the liner) are notorious for cracking. If it is good, double check it has some reinforcement plates. Once they are cracked you will need to buy replacements to weld.

Usually, a strut bar does a pretty good job so I think your fronts should be fine.

roadkillrob

Good advice

Turner makes a kit, a must for the E36 and early E46 when used for track duty

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3...forcement-kit/

AMG3.2

Ha! Did the same myself.

Currently installing AKG Rtab/fcab bushings along with Lemforder engine and trans mounts. Diff and Trans fluid too.

Contours are heavy, but I've heard Kosei K1's are a bit too prone to cracking. I'd probably look to Apex wheels if I were going with aftermarket wheels.

Also, OP, I've been told that sway bars make a world of a difference with this car. Are you going with a full cage? or just half cage/roll bar? I've been debating Bride Zeta III's.

Check this guy out for custom roll bars. http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...36-M3-Roll-Bar

betrezra

Pand - I plan to go thru this car top-to-bottom like a singer build. I'll check for any cracks/issues. I'm thinking at this anemic power level all should be good..... but will see soon.

roadkill - will check it out..... what a HUGE aftermarket for this platform! way better than for W204 IMHO... reminds me of qty/price-pt of the old 5.0 mustangs..... I plan to get few mods used for a bargain...

AMG3.2- great minds......""........ I drove an E46 saturday... then this E36 today.... the E36 is just so go-cart-like.. and basic and connected! I'll see how far the little BMW motor can take me..... then LS swap in the future.. perhaps a full blown ballz out wide body dtm LS7 build........ we'll see where this madness takes me........

My 507 is a great daily, grand touring car.... I see this E36 filling a special track niche for me.......

roadkillrob

They are great little cars and not a lot of issues, besides the strut mounts, like others mentioned, cooling system needs some attention typically, motors are pretty stout, none of the s54 bearing issues, read up on the oil pump nut issue, otherwise will be a great little track car once you get the suspension dialed in.

zcct04

Looks like fun! Where do you anticipate driving this beastie?

AMG3.2

COTA

The bolded was my exact thinking as well. The e36 is just to toss-able into a corner. It's an amazing car.

BLKROKT

Much better idea than doing up a track-specific C63.

thesaintusa

Great pick up for a great price

I am hoping to get my 04 STi back on the road today or tomorrow after being in the shop for the last month.

As much as I love driving the C63, the Subaru (nowhere near the handling dynamics of an M3) is a blast to drive, and easier to envision beating on for track duty.

betrezra

If I really fall for this little E36.... and it does what I want... I might sell the 507. They might be duplicate...... more to follow.

AMG3.2

Honestly, I've thought about selling the Benz too. But they're actually polar opposites in my opinion.

That being said, I've driven the C63 about 30 miles since November.

Jasonoff

betrezra

Not hating on the C63 at all. It does what it does very well....... time will tell.... I might change my tune after I get passed in a long straight by a new civic or focus....

Jasonoff

Then... https://www.sikky.com/product/bmw-e3...t-kit-stage-1/

Jasonoff

And...

betrezra

That lsx e36 is BADAZZ

PJmak

Are those going up in value?? 9k for one with that mileage seems like a lot of money.


I dont remember them being that high in prince for a used

AMG3.2

Yes, big time. A good E36 or E46 is going to cost you, but imho the bang for the buck is fantastic. For $8k or $9k, I can't think of another car that you could toss around so easily. And it's got a winning formula, RWD, LSD, MT trans. The only other car I could think of that'd come close is an AP1 S2K, but you need some serious skill to tame that car.

betrezra

PJ - Yup market going up. A minty sub 100K mile specimen will set you back 18-25K.....
I bought the seller as much as the car.... a middle age guy with a serious shop and 4 M cars.... and good records of maintenance.

Just took her home tonight! It's like a little toy compared to my 507..... and the 90's-ness just oozes out...... the light on the bmw key fob for sticking the key in the hole...... the alpine alarm with keyless entry... gotta love it... to the alpine stereo system...... and the cheesy analog diag system on the lower console..... hit the button for "system check"..... so high tech

Time to go through this thing top-to-bottom and get her track ready....... can't wait for 1st track date....... I have a 1/2 day pass for MSR.... from my b-day... will go there first.

Closet _M-fanboy


PS - on the drive home tonight in the little old M car....... my self told me.... "no way in hell will this replace your 507".... ....... fun track toy..... 5 spd diversion...... tinker platform..... but no replacement!!

AA717driver

I thought about doing an LS swap with my 996. Too much coin.

Keep us updated with your progress, betrezra!

TC

skratch77

I miss my e36 m3 and wished I kept it.i dumped over 25k into mine and 10 years later still miss it to this day.

no other car was as fun to drive and more direct than my old beast.to be honest I was running 12psi of boost and made 430whp but that car weighed 3175 lbs with me in it and was insane power to weight vs my c63.

only issue was there was no way to put the power down lol I think I was running 245s in the rear

I was pushing the max I could on the stock compression and blew the head gasket and warped the head.and RMS had the worst tuning ever with there SC kit.

AMG3.2

AHAHA Yes!

I drove both today and the E36 with the new AKG FCABS and RTABS and it's legit a go kart. I adore it!