Taking a car that is already worth a considerable amount in stock form and then modifying it extensively is a bold choice. The E30-chassis BMW M3 is one of the more desirable homologation cars to come out of the 1980s, and today, a decent, rust-free driver will set you back $50,000-$60,000 quote easily. Therefore, for anyone who has held onto their project car and/or occasional race car-grade M3 for the last few years, it’s pretty easy to make your money back (and likely then some, depending on length of ownership) in a jiffy. That’s why it’s interesting to see that this 1988 BMW M3 listed here on eBay was supposedly taken down to bare metal for a nut-and-bolt restoration.
The seller, none other than a Lamborghini dealer in New Jersey, notes that the M3 was refashioned by a local Porsche restoration shop known as Gaswerks Garage. This included taking the original “Lachs Silver” paint down to bare metal and refinished with a satin black finish – an interesting choice. While the modifications appear to be well-executed, the paint job leaves me a bit cold – especially given a respray in the original color would likely have helped restore significant value. The flared bodywork, unique to the M3, is one of the trademark features of an E30 M3, and the flat paint job almost seems to obfuscate those lines.
However, the money was still seemingly well spent in all the right ways elsewhere. The interior is more or less stock, but with a smart upgrade to the classic MTechnic-style cloth, a sought-after pattern among BMW nuts. The classic and original 3-spoke steering wheel remains, along with a crack-free dash. The interior is quite tidy throughout, and the previous owner didn’t change much – a good thing, overall. The seller notes no unusual lights on the dash or other signals of electrical or running issues. The M3 doesn’t have a current mileage listing reported, likely because of a complete engine tear-down and rebuild.
Now, I’m thrilled that the owner didn’t replace the iconic S14 motor with a later engine from an E36 M3, which happens far too often. Yes, the S14 is a high-strung, motorsports engine that loves to rev and isn’t a ton of fun to drive in commuter traffic, but that has been resolved with a slick Turner Motorsports 2.5-liter stroker build. The beauty of the work done here is that it likely makes the S14 more pleasant in everyday driving conditions while increasing horsepower and torque across the rev range. This M3 has all the right boxes checked; just change the color back to stock and choose a more sedate wheel design and I’ll call it a home run (but to each their own!) The selling dealer is asking $125,895 or best offer.
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