Cheap BMWs

Dr. Hess wrote: Is this like: What's more expensive than a cheap BMW? A free Lotus.

Yeah. I need to buy myself another cheap BMW to park in the space where the free Lotus used to sit.

Questions on e36s: What strategys do you guys use to get technical help? I'm pretty good at turning wrenches, but don't have any pals with BMW experience to run diagniostics for me, and most of the local Bimmer mechanics seem pretty upscale.

Are non-M3 e36s competitive in any auto-x class?

Are M3 parts way more expensive/rare than non-M3?

Bimmerforums.com has some really good tech on all BMW body styles.

Best tool in your tool box??? Peake Code Reader . . . absolute GOLD!!

The Bentley manual isn't the 100% best . . .but it's pretty dang close

The Pelican Parts forum is pretty good as well.

RealOEM.com is really good for Part numbers and exploded diagrams.

M3 parts are "somewhat" more expensive. I've replaced some parts on my non-M3 E36 with M-Spec parts.

Finally, yes and no My E36 325is was pretty good for DS and DSP. When I moved to SM, I had tighten the nut behind the wheel. The car was good enough to win at any event, however the driver sometimes was a few ticks behind the car.

Soma007 wrote:

Greg Voth wrote: My older brothers 2000 E46 interior was falling apart in 2006 with 100k miles on the car. Still ran great but if you want to keep them perfect it aint cheap. I bought and replaced the window switch, door lock combo and window regulator and put them in myself to the tune of $500 ish dollars. The seats were spliting, the headliner was falling down and the "headlight out" light would not turn off. Their interior quality leaves something to be desired. Hell the 98 Buick Park Ave with 220k miles at the same time had almost no issues compartively.

Sorry, but your brother must have beat the hell out of that car. My '99 E46 interior with 140k looks damn good for its age IMO. The seats look almost perfect, the same for the headlinder, door panels & carpet. Every, and I mean every GM car we had in our family (quite a few) had a sagging headliner within 5 years. Yes, I've had to replace the window regulators but those are a known issue. I'm not sure I'd count them as part of the interior anyways. If I ever bring it to a CFR event you're welcome to look at it (I'm usually in a Miata). Jason S.

Not beat up he just didn't baby the car. Bought it in 2002 with 40k miles. It lived outside and he took it to a BMW specific repair shop for all its service. The headliner for the most part was ok but was separating on the A pillar and all edges only really falling around the sunroof. The drivers seat had the craking on the drivers side from where you slide in. He put 3 or 4 window regulators and went through a couple front bushings or ball joints. I really liked the car and would have bought it had it been a manual. It never broke down just always had annoying issues that never seemed to be cheap to repair.

I am not trying to trash the cars just giving people to think about when they find a cheap BMW. If they want everything functioning it might not be so cheap. I still want a E36 M3 4 door.

Its funny on the GM cars. We were 2 for 3 on the headliners and all the cars lived outside. My Dads 84 Buick Century had the headliner falling down (in 96). The 94 Century never had any issues until he overheated it at close to 200k miles (in 04). My 98 Park Aves only issue was the steering wheel was worn and the drivers window regulator went once. The tranny went at 200k after I ran the hell out of it with my home depot intake and smaller supercharger pulley. Sold it at 220k.

Like was already stated, it really depends on who works on them. My Dad and long time BMW guy recently had a total electrical failure on his 5 series (3 years old), the cost of repair was over 50% of the value of the car, including labor of course, but parts prices alone were massive. Many of the pieces seem to come in modules these days, and the cluster alone was very pricey.

Of course they didn't address the problem where the tail lights cease to function on occasion and have to have their fuse pulled and reset! I haven't looked at it too closely, but it seems an odd problem.

This car has been an electrical problem for a while now, but the mechanical bits have never failed. It still looks like it rolled off the showroom though, no interior problems at all.

My old E36 was different, not much electrical, mainly motor and AC issues.

I do rate BMWs higher than my Porsche experiences when it comes to cost of ownership, but German cars, at least the ones I've owned, have all been more demanding than their Japanese counterparts, condition being equal.

And no car is ever free!!!

racerdave600 wrote: Like was already stated, it really depends on who works on them. My Dad and long time BMW guy recently had a total electrical failure on his 5 series (3 years old), the cost of repair was over 50% of the value of the car, including labor of course, but parts prices alone were massive. Many of the pieces seem to come in modules these days, and the cluster alone was very pricey.

that's nothing megasquirt and a painless wiring harness couldn't fix.

Ha ha ha ha haaa! That's funny.

02Pilot wrote: 02s get expensive when you try to do things like restore the interior to 100% new condition or repair even limited amounts of rust or repaint them. The mechanicals are cheap and easy, but a lot of the cosmetics are quite pricey and labor-intensive.

This is grassroots motorsport? As long as the the car looks good from 20/30 feet what do I care about all the little chrome bits and such. Drive it like you stole it and not like it's a pretty boy on a sunday afternoon...

Keith wrote: As a general rule, most people don't know engine codes. Hell, I couldn't tell you what the secret BMW code for the engine in my M5 is. Then there are all those Hondas, Mitsubishis, Mazdas, Toyotas, Chevies etc with weirdo codes. So instead of figuring people will know engine nomenclature on an "all cool cars" forum like GRM, it's safer to assume they won't.

x 1 Bazillion. Thank you.

granth wrote:

JohnW wrote: And then there's the 2002s I've owened. They're great; just don't try to restore one or make it too nice. That's when you get into $$

What is it that is soo $$, it must be the $20 rotors or the the $40 water pump on the 2002? Stuff is so cheap for these cars and so easy to work on. Yeah for race cars some really built M10's can add up, but what race motor does not? BTW the S14 is an M3 motor not stock lets talk apples to apples not apples to M3...

I wasn't the guy who made the s14 comment.

And, yeah, individual, basic maintenance parts are cheap. That was the whole point of what I was saying. It's when you try to make them perfect with new door seals, all the bodywork and etc. that restoring any 33-plus year old vehicle requires that they get expensive. And where can you get new brake rotors for a 2002 for $20?!? Seriously, I'd like to know.

AutohausAZ has Balo discs for $24/ea.

I. And where can you get new brake rotors for a 2002 for $20?!? Seriously, I'd like to know.

That is right Autohaus AZ cheap, fast and free ship on $50 or more I get all my stuff from them when I can. If you have been around bmw's or any cars you need to know about Autohaus AZ.

BTW this is still Grassroots Motorsports not some not some car show to just look at cars and then put it on the trailer...

I'd like to have another E36 someday! They interior was crap but the heated leather seats were nice. I'd get an inexpensive '93-'95 and drive the snot out of it. On the plus side - E36 cars are starting to show up in the salvage yards around me. A recent car had a set of perfect door panels!

Keith wrote:

M2Pilot wrote:

granth wrote: < BTW the S14 is an M3 motor not stock lets

Good point,figgered most folks here knew that.

As a general rule, most people don't know engine codes. Hell, I couldn't tell you what the secret BMW code for the engine in my M5 is. Then there are all those Hondas, Mitsubishis, Mazdas, Toyotas, Chevies etc with weirdo codes. So instead of figuring people will know engine nomenclature on an "all cool cars" forum like GRM, it's safer to assume they won't.

That's an even better point. Consider me chastised & enlightened. Seriously. Thanks.