Fun DD for ~10k

Beer Baron wrote: If you stretch your budget a bit or hunt hard, you might be able to get a '99-'00 M Coupe.

Beat you to it this time.......I am still hunting for one in evergreen. The last one of those I saw had 115k on it and a 9500 price tag.

I'm thinking e36 m3. And the money I have left over will pay off insurance for the year, get it registered, and I will still have a bit left to get some suspension

Anyone know the reliability of the e36 m3? I've been reading a lot about gearbox/ sticky shifting problems.

dooodstevenn wrote: Anyone know the reliability of the e36 m3? I've been reading a lot about gearbox/ sticky shifting problems.

Never had issues with the M Coupe, but I only got it up to about 120k on the clock. Biggest issue I've heard about on the M3 is the cooling system. I believe the water pumps are weak and can cause havoc to the cooling system if they fail. Beyond that, just the usual issues you will see on a car of that age/mileage (hoses, bushings). Never any issues with the gearbox aside from the usual lower-gear synchros getting a little bit weaker with age.

So, it is not a Camry/Accord, but pretty reliable for a sportscar.

Most shifting issues are due to worn motor/transmission mounts on the E36s. If they allow too much movement, you can grab 2nd instead of 4th when downshifting from 5th.

Of course, the shifter can also be rebuilt with new bushings. My shifter/motor mounts/transmission mounts in my '97 328is were all original at 120k when I sold it, and I thought it shifted just fine.

+1 on the advice to refresh the cooling system (radiator, t-stat, hoses, and water pump) if it hasn't been done recently on an E36.

dooodstevenn wrote: Anyone know the reliability of the e36 m3? I've been reading a lot about gearbox/ sticky shifting problems.

+1 baron and dj

The shifting issues are easily resolved with new mounts, bushings, etc....Mine were replaced with aluminum solids by the PO @ 122k mi, 175k now and they'll probably never need replaced again.

As far as cooling system, I think the general consensus is that the cooling system on the E36 is a wear item that you need to do on an interval(idk what that is though)

Sudden change of heart...NB MIATA!

Looking at an NB miata, 160k miles. Everything works, maintenced up to date and everything is recorded and has records for everything. Bilstein sport shocks, MSM springs, Tanabe front and rear sway bars, Team Dynamics wheels, Bride zeta III sport seat, "custom roll bar," nardi steering wheel, leather, bose, etc. asking 5800 in Southern California. What do you guys think? Also any advice on checking the roll bar to see if it's actually any good and safe with good tubing?

dooodstevenn wrote: Looking at an NB miata, 160k miles. Everything works, maintenced up to date and everything is recorded and has records for everything. Bilstein sport shocks, MSM springs, Tanabe front and rear sway bars, Team Dynamics wheels, Bride zeta III sport seat, "custom roll bar," nardi steering wheel, leather, bose, etc. asking 5800 in Southern California. What do you guys think? Also any advice on checking the roll bar to see if it's actually any good and safe with good tubing?

Just ask him what roll bar it is. If it's in SoCal and it's a real rollbar and not a style bar, it'll either be a Hard Dog, Autopower, or a Blackbird Fabworx 9 times out of 10.

Seems like a decent deal. Bonus points if you can get him down to $5k. What year is it?

Oh wait, i just read that it was a custom bar. Errrrrmmmmm....

Got a link to it? There's a good chance with a link we could figure out the specifics on the bar.

1999 Mazda Miata Sport package. Clean Title! Very healthy motor, the car currently has 16xxxx miles and running STRONG! Heater and A/C works great! No leaks of any kind. The car was previously owned by a Mazda Miata specialist. Pink Slip in hand.

The car comes with: Team Dynamics ultra light racing wheels (they are made hubcentric for miatas, wrapped in Falken Ziex ze-912 205/50/15), Tanabe front and rear sway bars, Welded in roll bar for your protection, Authentic Bride Zeta III sport Bilstein Sport Suspension, Torsen Limited Slip Differential (LSD) Factory Nardi Steering Wheel Factory Bose Speakers (Sounds Amazing!) I also have all original maintenance records and manuals. Will also include the original driver seat and brand new Miata floor mats.

Thats the description he wrote and picture of the roll bar. I'm thinking 5k too, but he claims he is firm on the price.

My friend just picked up a NB miata with 100k miles, coils, lighter flywheel, hard top, and new paint for 5k even

and if anything, i could always cut off the welded in bar and weld in a known bar?

bump. What do you guys think?

Eleven grand will buy my 1999 C5 Corvette.

6-speed, Sparco seats, new tires, B&B exhaust, 160,000 miles.

Thanks, but don't really like them

Anyone here have any info about reliability of WRX's?

very good option

I'd buy that Miata. Looks like an Autopower bar, just welded in.

Swank Force One wrote: I'd buy that Miata. Looks like an Autopower bar, just welded in.

I tried to...he is suddenly only looking for trades right now. He is waiting on a s14 and im crossing my fingers hoping it doesn't go through

"Trades only" people piss me off. I sometime feel like telling them, "you know, you can buy whatever you want with the money I'd like to give you, right?". Seems like a PITA way to do business.

Matt B wrote: "Trades only" people piss me off. I sometime feel like telling them, "you know, you can buy whatever you want with the money I'd like to give you, right?". Seems like a PITA way to do business.

EXACTLY! But...I'm guessing this is his only car, and he doesn't want to be car-less for a few days. Which could be figured out pretty easily if he was willing to sell and we agreed on a price, I would just pick it up whenever he finds a car, and schedules a meeting the same day I pick up.

I'm rethinking this. If I had 10k to spend I'd get any solid cheap car for 1,000 and have a 9,000 dollar engine and trans.

FranktheTank wrote: I'm rethinking this. If I had 10k to spend I'd get any solid cheap car for 1,000 and have a 9,000 dollar engine and trans.

I've been doing the same but instead a 1.8 NA miata, and alot of money to get whatever else I might need.

Where are you located? I'm guessing socal? If so, too bad, you could probably talk me out of my E36 (check my member garage) for half your target price if you're cool with 20-25 less hp, slightly smaller brakes and cheaper registration/insurance compared to an M3.