So I didn't buy that 59 Bug

I did go see it, a fair car for the price, not as good as I hoped but well worth the price. But there's a title issue which the seller needs to get resolved so I told him I'd think on it while he worked on that.

Then as always seems to be the case, the karma of cars realized I was being distracted from my DD search so it threw me a good'un

1999 M3, 5 speed, 88,000 miles and minty fresh. All stock, unmolested and owned by someone who truly loves it and babies it. Unfortunately he lost his job. Bought it soooo fast I think it confused him. Put deposit down today, should pick it up in a week.

Nice score! Boston green over tan is a great color combo and you have a few months of summer left to enjoy the top being down.

Summer is top up season here. Enjoy the top down the rest of the year, but in the summer keep the top up and the AC on. Looks like a good catch.

I like 59 Bugs, but this is way better.

I'll admit I wasn't sold on the Boston Green at first when I saw it on some other cars. I'm really partial to Dakar Yellow. But since seeing a few really clean BG cars it grew on me and it's much more likely to fly under the radar with the police.

Sad to say, maybe even sacrilegious but it will mostly be a top up car for me. I'd have preferred a coupe but the condition and price made this a no brainer and the few times a year I get a hankerin for top down driving I'll have the ability. It may mean my wife will steal it more though, she likes drop tops.

Nice POS (E36 M3)

snicker

aussiesmg wrote: Nice POS (E36 M3) snicker

LOL...yeah, was just commenting with another GRMer on FB that thanks to this place I cant look at the car without thinking of the word it represents here, which I can't type out because it would just say E36 M3

Just be glad it isn't a Berkeley

That's a really nice looking BMW, but if I had been in your shoes, it would have been VW all the way. No doubt. But, to each his own, and enjoy your BMW! Take good care of the top, as they are NOT cheap to fix, repair or if you ever have to, replace. Guaranteed to give you a heart attack at the price of a new one installed. But, sounds like you got it from THE best owner it could have had.

triumph5 wrote: That's a really nice looking BMW, but if I had been in your shoes, it would have been VW all the way. No doubt. But, to each his own, and enjoy your BMW! Take good care of the top, as they are NOT cheap to fix, repair or if you ever have to, replace. Guaranteed to give you a heart attack at the price of a new one installed. But, sounds like you got it from THE best owner it could have had.

Yeah, speaking of the top and the owner he gave me his 20 minute presentation on how to put the top up and down and where to help it and move this, push that kinda stuff. He had a little system but it worked and worked well. The rear window looks brand new, nary a scratch. There's nothing wrong with the operation of the top, he just took measures to ensure it stayed that way. He's that kind of owner and exactly the type I wanted to buy from.

I haven't ruled out the Bug but it will require one of the buyers coming through on my truck (93 Chevy quad cab 1 ton dually with a 454, shameless plug) and the seller getting the title issue fixed which may be hell for him. It was a good solid car but I could never have lived with the bodywork and paint on it which makes it a project. Needs a new trans too but that's not a huge ordeal. He proudly showed me the paperwork for the rebuilt motor with less than 10,000 miles on it and all I saw was GEX and had to bite my tongue. It ran well but GEX has a terrible reputation in the VW community so its a bit scary.

Bottom line though is I needed to pick up a DD by december, and I wanted a E36 M3 so I started looking early to find the best one I could and this one ticked all the boxes for being well cared for, unmolested and well priced. Now that I have it early it gives me a few months to repaint my Smart car for my daughter since she wants the same green that is on the 2011 Camaro.

I think this one may go faster. Nice buy!

Well thought out and executed. Solves your problems. Yes, you really did buy from the right owner. Biggest reasons tops fail is from improper folding. (If you live in AZ, and the car is not in a garage or carport, it's #2 on the list)
A misfolded top--even a push the button, never touch it one--can sustain a lot of unseen damage by spending 8 hours crammed in it's boot. Also look at some of the treatments for tops. If came with the owner's manual, see what the ower's manual says about care. Again, well thought out, and seems to be pushing all your buttons in the right places.

triumph5 wrote: Well thought out and executed. Solves your problems. Yes, you really did buy from the right owner. Biggest reasons tops fail is from improper folding. (If you live in AZ, and the car is not in a garage or carport, it's #2 on the list) A misfolded top--even a push the button, never touch it one--can sustain a lot of unseen damage by spending 8 hours crammed in it's boot. Also look at some of the treatments for tops. If came with the owner's manual, see what the ower's manual says about care. Again, well thought out, and seems to be pushing all your buttons in the right places.

yes, the owner really sold it for me. Sometimes you look at a car and it's really clean but you can tell it was cleaned for sale. And then there are cars like this one that you can tell are just plain clean all the time.

I appreciate the tips for the top I will definitely look into the treatments. As much as it goes against my normal DD routine I think I'll actually be clearing out a garage spot for this one. Usually DDs sit in the drive and my toys/projects are inside but some shuffling may be in order for this one.

In reply to JThw8:

nice! when you're ready to sell, i'll be ready to buy. as long as it's about 2 years from now.

AngryCorvair wrote: In reply to JThw8: nice! when you're ready to sell, i'll be ready to buy. as long as it's about 2 years from now.

You know me so well...2 years is about my average :)

I hope he doesn't think he sold it for too low amount and turns around and keeps trying to sell it for a higher price, only to return your deposit and say sorry.

plance1 wrote: I hope he doesn't think he sold it for too low amount and turns around and keeps trying to sell it for a higher price, only to return your deposit and say sorry.

Stranger things have happened but its not like he was tremendously below market. It was a good price but not stolen.

Clarification:

E36 M3s are the E36 M3, not E36 M3.

Are the folding tops really that prone to damage that they have a procedure and there is enough info to produce a 20 minute tutorial on top folding? Makes me appreciate my Miata a lot more.

I can see a 20 minute tutorial on constructing/erecting/dismantling a Jeep Wrangler soft top, but I would've expected a modern BMW would be a simple matter of unhooking a latch or two and pressing a button.

I could spend a long time explaining how to drop the top on my miata.
1) undo forward latches but do not fold.
2) now that the tension is off the zipper, unzip window.
3) standing from outside, cover plastic window with vinyl window protector.
4) fold back top
5) smooth out the pleats in the folded top to reduce wrinkles and wear spots.
6) cover with snap on top cover.

'90 Miata with 95k miles and the factory original top.
My method has always been to allow no chemicals on the top. No armor-all, no soap, etc. Just water.

Every convertible top--except those few cars with metal ones--has to be folded properly to prevent premature failure/wear and damage. Even your Miata top. Yes, you spend 20 minutes learning where and how it's supposed to be folded, then spend a couple of minutes doing what you learned when you lower the top. Easy, peasy. And it makes the top last so much longer. It's really, really important for cars that spend prolonged time in a garage with the top down.(which never should be done). Permanent fold and wrinkle marks, fabric stretched and weakened. A tear will follow....then comes the crying at the replacement, more when they see the labor charge.

Pretty much what you guys said. It doesnt take long to put the top up or down (and you just press a button, slick) but making sure it folds properly and all that takes time to explain. These are steps you can ignore but you will be tearing up your top quicker if you do. I'd rather spend an extra 30 seconds during the up or down procedure and save a few hundred on top replacment.

definatly the way to look at it

Boston Green over tan is an underrated colour combo BTW

Damn! Nice score. I've always kind of wanted an M3, and the E36 is hitting the sweet spot in the depreciation curve right now. Keep me in mind, too, if/when you decide to sell. I'm in the same boat as you, though - prefer a hard top but wouldn't mind being able to put the top down every now and then. (and it would be hard to keep Lisa out of it if I did get a convertible.. ;-)

dculberson wrote: Damn! Nice score. I've always kind of wanted an M3, and the E36 is hitting the sweet spot in the depreciation curve right now. Keep me in mind, too, if/when you decide to sell. I'm in the same boat as you, though - prefer a hard top but wouldn't mind being able to put the top down every now and then. (and it would be hard to keep Lisa out of it if I did get a convertible.. ;-)

Yeah, I debated it with myself a bit but the goal of this car is DD status which is mostly a boring highway slog so sacrificing some of the sporting abilities by going with the drop top was acceptable to find the best example I could.

When peak top down weather hits I think I'll proably be driving a Kia Soul because my wife will steal the BMW.

Depreciation wise they really seem to have come down quite a bit, nice examples like this one are well under 10k now. I saw at least one car for 5k that was a bit long in the tooth but well maintained and would have been a decent driver. There's still a few ultra low mile garage queens out there in the 13-15k range but they dont seem to be selling. For my own tastes, and knowing that I'll be adding 35k a year to a car I definitely wasn't looking for low miles to start, it would have been wasted on me.