Buying my first M3 - Tips please! - BMW Forum

t1blackout · 11-24-2006, 04:21 AM

Hey guys,

I am looking for some information on 1995-1997 M3's. I have been reading quite a bit on this forum but I still need some more information before I go buy one. I currently have a pretty heavily modified 99 Camaro Z28 which is a little rough for every-day driving in DC. I need something for a daily driver. I have enough money to spend but I would like to make a smart financial decision on this one.

Questions:

1.) What is the gas milage like on a 1995-97 M3?
2.) What kind of power are they making at the crank?
3.) What year is the best for performance - I was reading something about the 95 having more power than the other models... Is that true?
4.) How does the M3 drive in the snow? We dont get much here, but the Z28 has drag radials, a stall converter, and some cam surge, so...
5.) What is a good price to pay for a 95 M3, great condition, 87k miles, nice sound system, tint, etc.
6.) Has anyone ever tried 3rd party warranty services? if so, is it worth it for this car?

The car that I am looking at is on this site: link to cars.com

Is this a good deal? Do you guys have any other suggestions for me? I want to make sure I dont waste money. Thanks for all of your advice!

t1blackout · 11-24-2006, 12:53 PM

anything?

///M Power · 11-24-2006, 12:58 PM

First, welcoem to bimmerwerkz.
Second, I wish I knew what any of the mods in your sig meant. Damn american cars.

To begin analyzing this car i'd first want to mroe info on the modifications he's done. This could tell us a lot about the seller. What brand intake/exhaust? I see he went with good UUC pedals. Why didn't he do clear corners on the back, instead of just the front?

Is it a kid? Sound systems? Does he like to drive his car hard? Does he give it war up time? All these can be answered when you test drive.

1) roughly 20-22 mpg - premium octane
2) Factory - 240bhp, 225 lb.ft torque - The car you're looking at, probably 250-255 bhp, 235 lb.ft torque (based primarily on chip, little gaisn with intake adn exhaust) - all in 3100 lb vehicle
3) 95 has slightly less torque, BUT it has it's advantages. Some being the slightly mroe agressive suspension with a nonstaggered wheel setup and offset bushings. It also has the m50/s50 intake manifold as opposed to the 96+ cars with the m52/s52 intake manifold. The m50 manifold is more freeflowing allowing for more performance gains up top. 95 also has the OBDI system, which used to make it easier to modify, but these days it isn't such a big deal.
4) I've driven my 95 m3 in light snow on bald summer only tires. It isn't easy, it isn't fun, obviously RWD becomes disadvntageous. This season should be a more snowy winter for us here in St. Louis and i'm looking foward to trying my new all season Toyo's. I'm a cali guy, so when I drove in snow I took it easy and was very careful each and everytime. If you end up daily driing it in the snow, you've got to eb very careful. I could feel the car is not a snow car. If you get a lot of snow, but a set of extra wheels and put on snow tires. A lot fo people daily drive it in the snow with these tires.
5) Considering mods SHOULDNT add value (but do for the right person), i'd probably pay 12,500 with that mileage. This is assuming good records, well trained previous owner, checks done and maintained well. Great condition.
6) No idea.

It doesn't really look like a good deal at all. He's asking way too much. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to try. It could just be a good owner looking for a good home for the car. Express interest and knowledge about the car and he'll probably cut you a great deal. That's how I got mine.

Good Luck, and ocne again welcome to werkz.

t1blackout · 11-24-2006, 03:52 PM

Hey man,

Thanks a lot for your detailed answers, I really appreciate it. Pretty funny how different the LS1 forums are as far as modifications to cars, etc. My camaro has a racing tranny, gears, big cam (for a daily driver), and a bunch of other stuff, with heads on the way.

I drove the M3 and talked to the owner, he knows he is asking for way too much. the car was in great shape though but it had been in a small fender bender and has a new hood (I couldnt tell, but he was telling me about it). I would rate the car an 8 out of 10 as far as the condition goes. The sound system was nice but I dont really care about that because I have my camaro all hooked up in that department.

The car seems pretty peppy - I really like it, but there is no way I am paying more than 12k for it.

Thanks a lot for your help,