Restoring a wreck is a risky proposition unless we’re talking about a car like the E30 BMW M3 that has enjoyed a significant rise in values over the last five years. This example maintains a clear title and is in rust-free condition as a long-term California vehicle. The seller confirms that a frame straightener was not needed to repair the front end damage this car suffered and that the original grills and headlights are included. Find it here on eBay with bidding over $20K and the reserve unmet.
Yes, you read that right – the reserve’s still unmet! Here’s a picture of the accident damage, which the seller confirms damaged the right front suspension along with the steering rack and the strut tower. Impressively, all VIN tags are present other than the driver door and the passenger side front fender. The hood, grilles, and headlights are not damaged and are included with the car. Of course, I’d love to know what happened to the driver’s door, but with a clear title, none of this damage has been bad enough to red flag the car with an insurance company.
The leather interior with the M3-specific bucket seats remains in very good condition, and since this is from the days of no airbags up front or on the sides, there’s no messy deployments to clean up. Getting back to the actual damage, the seller notes the damage to the shock tower did not require replacement of the front frame rail, and that the inner fender structure was easily straightened without replacing the frame rail or shock tower. The only parts that were replaced include the passenger side front fender, passenger side front bumper bracket, and the apron that sits right in front of the shock tower.
The seller notes that the seats were recently re-upholstered and that there’s a large crack in the dash (a common E30 problem). But here’s the kicker – he’ll throw in a crack-free dash for whoever wins the car. This seems like a fair deal all around, and the repairs are well documented in the listing. A lot of new maintenance-related parts have also been thrown at this classic M3, so it’s not just the body damage that’s been corrected. I’m not sure I’d want to spend over $20K on an accident-damaged M3 like this, but given the current values and the detailed nature of the repairs, it may actually be a good buy.
35k? Nope. My mint E36 M3/4/5 with 78k on the clock is worth half this bid. Not possible.
My E36 M3 was bought BMW certified used in 2000. It now show’s 51k miles. And has always been garaged and covered. It dd come off the track at Buttonwillow once. With no damage, Except a tire. What’s it worth ? What ever someone is willing to pay. It’s coming home next week. I lost storage.
Almost exactly the damage that was on my M3… buyer beware. Years down the road, the tower nearly separated from the rest of the car. It looked fine for a long time while the stress fractures were doing their magic out of sight. The only piece that was replaced was the fender, lower control arm, and strut… I guess the good news is no one is going to drive the piss out of this one anymore, though I still do :)
35k and reserve not met. Damn. That passenger seat looks raggedy for “recently reupholstered” too but it might just be a bad pic.
Centreville, Maryland
( a long way from Nashville )
These have been going for $100K in nice condition, with all the accident repair, this one will never bring that. There is room in the price even at $35K to have equity with body repair and paint.
Even at these prices, It could end up being an investment. An investment way out of most people’s leagues though. Long gone are the days of cheap e30 M3 finds. I had my shot around 2001and I blew it. My logic was that there wasn’t a BMW dealer close enough, that parts would be expensive, and I needed a daily driver. The as read something like “needs tlc” asking $2500 obo. I’ve been kicking my ass for the past 10 years or so, I had bought a ’96 Nissan Sentra instead.
Ended: Nov 26, 2018 , 2:27PM
Current bid:US $35,000.00
Reserve not met
[ 31 bids ]