This one is a tough one to write: nearly two years ago, I lost my beloved 1995 BMW M3 to headgasket failure. It was by far my favorite car to this point, and I actually preferred the ’95 with its S50 motor thanks to the higher-revving characteristics it had over the later (and albeit more powerful) S52 mill. This OBD-1 ’95 has the interesting anecdote in the listing of being parked next to a post office in Irvine, CA for ten years. Find it here on eBay with bidding over $1K and no reserve.
I’ll be the first to admit the 1995 M3 is perhaps one of the most unloved of all the M cars. It was a barely warmed over E36 3-Series in many enthusiasts’ opinions (which I felt was unfair – it was still a screamer compared to your garden variety 325is or 328i) and astonishingly cheap to run for an M3. Its predecessor, the E30 M3, is worth upwards of five to seven times an E36 generation car, but an engine rebuild will run you $10K or more. That’s essentially impossible on an E36 M3.
The seller claims despite being parked for ten years next to the post office, it runs and drives. There’s evidence of aftermarket modifications, with the red/clear taillights, cold air intake and Momo strut bar. What I’d love to know is if anyone from the Irvine areas remembers seeing an M3 abandoned next to the post office – that would be a sight hard to ignore, and begs the question as to who left it there. Based on the dust in the engine bay, it’s been there quite a while. Fortunately, any parts you may need are widely available.
The sport interior on the E36 M3s were better known as “Vader” seats, and thankfully these are the manual variety. The ones powered by motors tended to have their gears shatter with age and the backrest would be perpetually stuck in a position that was likely less than ideal. Sad to say, this M3 is likely headed to part-out heaven where it’s 3.0L inline-six will go on to power an E30 car, but I wish this weren’t the case. I’d love to find another one someday to restore as a project, but this time, make it a four-door.
Just curious, Jeff: why do you think this will be parted out? Looks like a fairly easy — if spendy — candidate to be put back on the road, and for those who need two doors only, a fairly decent deal. Cleaning, paint, the obligatory replacement of seals, hoses and belts, and some stitching of the interior would do the trick, and should still come in well under any equivalent new car.
I dug these when they were new, and, unless I could manage a first-gen M3, would be delighted to have one now. Happier than I would be if I stuffed the engine into another BMW (although I remember driving a 318 “compact” with one of these powerplants — considerably massaged — dropped in, but that’s another story).
Am I missing something?
The problem is the cost to value. An E36 M3 with this many miles is probably worth six to seven thousand in excellent condition. So this might make sense if the price stays around 2 grand and it doesn’t have a lot of needs. If it does have a lot of needs you’ll be upside down pretty fast.
That’s really too bad because an E30 M3 in this condition would be worth about $30,000. And I think the E30 is an inferior car in most respects, except of course for its big rep among BMW enthusiasts. I guess that’s what matters, at least in terms of money.
I think the E30 is still a nice place to be. Seems more solid than an E36 to me somehow and I like them both, so not anti E36.
The lines of the E30 M3 to me are stunning. A dream car to me anyway from moment I first saw one in the late 80’s.
I wish something like this M3 would turn up closer to home here in TN. I don’t see parting it either especially with the Clean Title mentioned.
Low entry price, rear wheel drive, manual transmission, this will become some kids drift car. Once it knocks down a few walls it will be parted out.
Steve R
I owned a beautiful Estoril blue ’99 for about a year 4 years ago. I had to do the dreaded seat gear replacement when a dear friend returned it saying, “the seat back doesn’t work anymore”. Grrr…… It was too nice a car for me and my lanky 6’4″ body didn’t fit well so I sold it and went back to driving ’91 318is models.
Scrap yards must be full of E36 Motors? Couple of grand and you would have been away I would have thought?
I miss mine too .. have quite the collection of spares in the garage so maybe one day will get another.
I always wanted the orangey colour interior. That looked fantastic.
I’m partial to E36 M3s, and as I’ve said on here before, the one I have owned for 15 years has been the best and also the most reliable car I have ever owned. So I would not necessarily assume the worst about this car, especially since the seller (says he) has R&Rd the obvious things in the fuel system that might need attention, and then the engine started right up.
The risk is that unless you can drive it to evaluate the drivetrain / brakes / steering / cooling system /etc, there is risk here, and not just from sitting for years. Why was it left to sit? Serious mechanical problem that the owner couldn’t afford?
The other risk is that these have gotten so cheap that you might be able to get a better one for less than the buy price + cost to R&R this car. And this car has 132K miles, which isn’t necessarily fatal for these cars since they are built so strong, or mostly….other than the plastic parts in the cooling system.
I have a 1997 M3/4. You bring up a good point. These cars are not hard to work on and parts are easy to find and relatively affordable. I’m hardly Mr. Joe Fix-It but I do all the maintenance and pretty much all repairs myself, and it’s not all that difficult.
I had an older e30 with 260,000 miles on it original engine , never skipped a beat …
Jeff head gaskets can be replaced so that’s no cause to get rid of your “favourite” car
I’d love to have this if it were closer. People really get freaked out over the cost of ownership cost of BMW’s, but I’ve owned a ’95 325is vert for 25 years, and it really hasn’t cost more than any other vehicle I’ve had. Yeah, the coolant system is crap until replaced, but everything else is basic maintenance. The auto tranny died at 80k under warranty, but no other issues with 100k more miles added since then. Now, with the electronics in them in the last 15+ years, the maintenance argument can be justified, but not this generation.
E 36’s Rule! Still driving my ’95 E36 318ic with 328, 000 miles. Other than the super cheap interior trim like the door panels, I think this iteration has the best looking body design wise of the post E30’s.
Speaking of which I traded in my …..wait for it… ’87 E30 325IS for this ’95 318ic in January ’95. Gas had gone to a dollar a gallon! Now THAT was a mistake. 325IS are selling for upwards of ten grand!
Nuttty but C’est la Vie say the old folks.you know you never can tell
Several good points, yes BMWs prior to 2006ish were actually decently reliable cars. I DD an ‘04 330i ZHP, approaching 150k miles, with nothing but regular maintenance. Although my regular and/or preventative maintenance is more than a Honda…
The E36 does have a tough rap for quality issues. BMW did attempt to cut costs with plastics in high temperature areas that don’t hold up, and interiors that didn’t age as well as previous. They took a swing back towards quality with the E46, but still did stupid stuff like the plastic cooling system parts.
They were a huge leap forward dynamically though. While I was working as a race mechanic we got to test a ‘95 M3, and it was so superior to the E30 M3, on and off the track it was shocking.
What a shame… I would love an E36 M3. They are underrated cars. They aren’t quite as crazy as the rest of the M cars, but they still have a little bit of M in them.
Also, those taillights are stock, I’m pretty sure.