Agreed---- 165K is just getting started for one of these. Mine has 180K and I wouldn't think twice about tracking it.
I do wonder why the engine popped to being with---- money shift? Lack of oil?
Sounds like a decent car. It likely won't be pleasant on the street, but it'll be a blast on track. Plenty of great sources out there when you need help!
In reply to Joe Gearin :
Awesome- I think it is a pretty cool car. Again, won't be fun to navigate the city with, but the goal is always to leave as quickly as possible :)
Any immediate recommendations or stuff to look out for beyond the usual? I think the price $7500, is fair given the mileage and parts on it.
Ten years is the limit for E36 radiators in my local club; any older than that, and you can't run it on track with the club.
Nice find, nice track car, nice price. You saved yourself an awful lot of DIY time, and parts money too. Now you have time and money for driving instruction. Way to go, man!
Wizard_Of_Maz said:In reply to Joe Gearin :
Awesome- I think it is a pretty cool car. Again, won't be fun to navigate the city with, but the goal is always to leave as quickly as possible :)
Any immediate recommendations or stuff to look out for beyond the usual? I think the price $7500, is fair given the mileage and parts on it.
As noted, the cooling system will need to be looked over. I plan on keeping mine long-term so I bought an aluminum radiator, and Stewart water pump. Do it once...do it right. If the car has been tracked, chances are the bushings will have been replaced, check them anyways--- including the trans bushing. The Active Autowerks rear diff brace is also a good idea, as the diff is held onto the rear subframe by one bolt, and that bolt likes to come loose. (ask me how I know!) As it's a Northern car, I'd look it over closely for rust.
Here's mine and some of what I've done so far--- more updates to come!
The M3's had the rear subframe mounting points reinforced from the factory, so don't let the interweb chatter scare you off. (95s may not have had the reinforcements IIRC) Still, can't hurt to check---especially if the car has seen lots of track time with R-comps.
Clunking is usually shock-tower bushings. Expect the interior to have issues, as most do. ( headliner, door panels, leds not working right)
Mechanically they are stout, but of course check the oil for milkyness (Head Gasket) and if you hear marbles in a tin can, chances are the Vanos system will need to be rebuilt.
$7,500 is a very fair price for a clean, good running, usable but imperfect example.
JBasham said:Ten years is the limit for E36 radiators in my local club; any older than that, and you can't run it on track with the club.
How do they even check that? Do you need to show a receipt or what?
In reply to Joe Gearin :
Thanks! The car is a 96 (not sure if it's an early or later build), but did even the earlier 96s have subframe reinforcements? Good to know. VANOS was rebuilt in 2015 which is great, and the motor mods and compression give me confidence. I'll still check out the oil to see. How much should I expect to budget for cooling and bushing replacement if a buddy and I do it?
And your build looks great - I remember following it a bit earlier before I was even looking at these cars. Great to see one being driven like intended.
Thank you too JBasham!
In reply to Wizard_Of_Maz :
There are many places to purchase the cooling equipment you'll need. BimmerWorld makes it easy and has a complete package that's reasonably priced. They are also great folks to deal with. Be sure to let them know you're a GRM reader / websiter!
The RTAB (rear trailing arm) bushings aren't bad to replace, but the rear subframe bushings are a PITA. Access to a lift makes this much, much more doable. Plenty of good choices for bushings from UUC, Powerflex (BimmerWorld), and VAC, Condor Speed Shops and others. Nice thing is once they are in--- they should last a long time.
Thanks for the comments about my car---- It's been a long-term love affair! It's an older car these days, so there is always something to do. I'm about to drop the gas tank to replace the corroded fuel lines. FUN! I'm figuring the chances that I'll end up covered in gas at about 100% 
Poly bushings throughout? Not a car you want to drive on the street!
In reply to docwyte :
You're right. Fortunately, I walk to work and have no need to drive in the city (other than to leave it) so I think I can deal with them because this will just be a fun car for me. My old car had 'em too.
Thanks Joe- that helps a lot! From my past E36 experience, I know those are the big maintenance focus areas for these cars
Good point Anthony. I still think the E36 M3 is the car for me (although Miatas are so tempting), but my final question is:
Even at 6-8 track days per year, does it still make sense to buy a more hardened track car vs a slightly upgraded from stock car? That's really the ultimate dilemma I'm facing right now. I almost want to see if any GRMers have cars for sale by posting in classifieds.
Thanks again for the help, everyone.
Wizard_Of_Maz said:Good point Anthony. I still think the E36 M3 is the car for me (although Miatas are so tempting), but my final question is:
Even at 6-8 track days per year, does it still make sense to buy a more hardened track car vs a slightly upgraded from stock car? That's really the ultimate dilemma I'm facing right now. I almost want to see if any GRMers have cars for sale by posting in classifieds.
Thanks again for the help, everyone.
Honestly, it sounds perfect for what you'll want it for.
In reply to z31maniac :
Thanks Z31. I think you're probably right. No cage either, so I can still street drive it which is nice
Stock car will be fine. Some suspension work, oil pump nut secured and make sure all the maintenance is up to date. That way you can enjoy the car a whole lot more...
In reply to docwyte :
That's the old-school. Powerflex has a standard performance line and a track line of bushings, and a very high standard of material quality. Mym mother has about 15 years on her E36 with Powerflex bushings - versus the 1 week of any part that makes noise or the car otherwise unpleasant which I have to then remove... And they have a lifetime warranty also.
In reply to Wizard_Of_Maz :
Does the car you have now meet track rules? Rollcage, harness, kill switch, fuel cell, fire extinguisher? Etc?
Then go racing. If you need to upgrade to be allowed to race. Then the question is what to buy. Most used race cars tend to be at or near the end of their competitive life when put up for sale. If you are content to run at the back of the pack with maybe an unreliable car, then go ahead and buy a used race car.
Realize the temptation to go a little faster gets really expensive.
frenchyd said:In reply to Wizard_Of_Maz :
Does the car you have now meet track rules? Rollcage, harness, kill switch, fuel cell, fire extinguisher? Etc?
Then go racing. If you need to upgrade to be allowed to race. Then the question is what to buy. Most used race cars tend to be at or near the end of their competitive life when put up for sale. If you are content to run at the back of the pack with maybe an unreliable car, then go ahead and buy a used race car.
Realize the temptation to go a little faster gets really expensive.
Most of those aren't needed for HPDE, which was his stated intent.
In reply to frenchyd :
Z31 is correct - I just want the car for HPDEs. The focus of the car for me is to really learn more about and improve at performance driving, with the eventual goal of racing. I used to do competitive karting when I was younger, and my appetite for racing is still there :) But I have a few steps before that.
docwyte said:Poly bushings throughout? Not a car you want to drive on the street!
Actually Doc--- My E36 M3 has poly throughout and it's still fine on the street. (at least here in the South!) It certainly gained some NVH, but it's by no means punishing. You do notice those little reflectors on the roads though! Whap, Whap!
I'm still running the stock springs, so I'm sure that helps the ride quality from being unbearable. I like the stock ride height, as I deal with speed bumps and steep driveways frequently.
Not sure if this has been discussed, but FWIW, I had an E36 M3, which I ended up prepping for serious track work over the course of a season.
It's a wonderful car to drive, with handling so benign and a motor that is willing to play ball. It's such a great chassis, and has that classic bmw sound to boot.
If you do end up getting one, be prepared (!)
1) The power steering lines will eventually tear from engine movement (they are short, and each time the motor moves around, it yanks on the lines). The lines actually tore on me during a track session and I ended up spinning (as did the person behind me). Not safe until resolved.
2) The car fuel starves at half tank. It will cut out on you mid corner if you don't have enough gas. Bimmerworld sends a dual fuel sender kit to remedy this.
3) Oil pump not needs to be red-loctite on. It can back off if you spin (it's only tightened down to 10lb/ft or something)
4) Rear trailing arm brackets need reinforcement, or they will tear under high load situations
5) oil starvation under braking. Either get a baffle (not perfect), or get the S54 dual pickup and oil pan. Not cheap, but a worthwhile investment. The faster you go, the more this is a problem.
6) Front subframe also needs reinforcement. BW sells a kit to address. It typically fails around the motor mount area.
7) Shock towers can get punched through - rear and front. A front shock tower brace helps spread the load. As for the rear, get the Z4 reinforced mounts.
Not cheap to make an E36 work, but it's an amazing car and quite easy to work on. Though like everyone else says, driver mod is #1. seat time is more important than the car.
If you do get a car, proper prep is everything. As you can tell from the above list, nearly all the items are safety related (and reliability related)...
I bought a TT track prepped car for $7500 back in February. I tallied up the cost of the parts on the car and it equaled the purchase price. You absolutely can't go wrong buying one already put together vs building one up yourself.
However...remember stuff happens even in HPDE. One track event and now I'm fixing this after a brain-fade moment.
In reply to boro92 :
Thanks for the overview, Boro, and thank you for the opinions and advice to everyone else. I'm worried less about the motor for this car because it has good compression numbers and the dual bumps, baffle, and oil pump nut wiring. A lot of "track" E36s I come across still seem to lack those mods, which is surprising.
What was your remedy for the power steering lines?
In reply to ddavidv :
Geez, hope you're ok. $7500 seems like a pretty sweet deal for an E36 with the requisite track work.
I'm going to start at the bottom of the HPDE latter and really try and learn myself and the car first. It'll be a long time before I'm really pushing it, though I understand stuff can happen at any point.
In reply to Wizard_Of_Maz :
RE: PS lines, stiffer engine mounts will solve it, or replace the stock lines with longer units.
ehh, that'll buff out . . . .
I can tell you for a fact it WON'T buff out. 
So far I've found two doors, a grille panel and a hood in the same color. Got a fender in the wrong color because I got tired of waiting for a silver one. Still need a bumper cover and some plastic bits. 'Fixed' the roof with a dead blow hammer, floor jack and 2x4 because GRASSROOTS, BABY. 
Broke every single engine and trans mount.
When we advise people to 'be prepared to walk away from anything you take to the track' it means YOU. This can happen to the best of us, or in my case the 'competently mediocre' among us.
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