I'm sure i've read/heard somewhere the 3.2 has engine probs, vanos probs and gearbox problems, compared to the older 3.0 which is bullet proof?

Anyone know anyhting about this as i've seen a m3 i really like, ticks all the boxes except it's a 3.2 !

 

As long as they don't rattle they are generally alright,

You can get recon units now from DrVanos.

Adam

 

Galbally knows his 3.2 saloon inside and out by now, so I'm sure he can give you some pointers about what to look for and what goes wrong with them.

Rust, gearbox, vanos are the only issues that I've heard they're common for.. but never owned one personally.


Cheers,
Grant

 

in one word

awsome

the 3.2 e36 m3 is a fantastic car and for what they go for at the mo you cant go wrong

rust under bootlid and rear arches are the main areas

stone chips are common as most have just run in at 100,000 miles

the vanos is a easy fix and no where as bad as made out

look for big service bmw history as thats important

stay clear from smg boxes as thats the only real problem really

they tend to eat rear tyres for some reason

i had a 3.0 and loved it
and am looking for a 3.2 my self

lots of people on here will say they are boring but not braking down and having the need to keep spending is in some eyes lol

fantastic car you wont go wrong

 

also keep your eye on the speedo as you will not realise the speeds you will be doing

trust me

vert smooth ride and very comfy with a propper interior

 

had two, no vanos issues, think thats a big scare from the very few it has bburnt and they have spread the word. As said easy fix, little bit rusty on the back sometimes, i had manual and smg, loved both. I had a small prob with getting into reverse when hot, another easy fix, you get an armored??? hose that you change out and it sorts that. would buy another in a heartbeat

 

Cheap to buy, still a £30k car to run and not getting any newer

Buy a mint one with full dealer history and/or be prepared to have your trousers down

 

Never had a 3.2 but had a 3l and I loved it best car I owned

 

Right heres the deal, 3.2 in estoril blue, local to me four door saloon 110k miles history to 2003 then specialist. mot for a few months and no tax on an m3 plate.

in the photos i've been sent it seems really clean, up for 3k

 

oh and 30k car to run?

hmmm what kinda fuel consumption & costs are likely? - Bear in mind i'm in the trade so get parts at cost/free labour.

 

That price seems ok if the car is in good condition inside and out.

Saloons are unloved and difficult to sell on, but that's why they're cheaper to buy than the Coupe/Vert versions... I actually really like the fact they're a little less noticeable in 4dr guise.

A friend had one a few years back, he didn't give it death everywhere, but it didn't lead an easy life and think he was averaging 25mpg... he had come from a modified Impreza, so though the M3 was fantastic on fuel. Depending on mileage that the car does, I don't think 25mpg is too shocking for the sort of performance it offers.


Cheers,
Grant

 

Having run rover v8s and vr6 golfs anything more than 20mpg I class as good on fuel! Lol and likewise I prefer the four door!

 

A few friends have had the 3.2 Evo's. They both still really rate them, rattly Vanos can be a problem but DR Vanos can sort this for not a great deal, rusty arch's and rear quarters can also be a problem as well as flimsy interior plastics that come lose and break.

Also steer well clear of SMG as its plagued with problems, even more so on the E36 than E46 which is pretty well documented.

I would have one anyday, and the people I know that have had them would also buy another.

 

My mate rates them very highly but he loves his beemers but also he works in the trade so dose a have fair knowlege on cars as for fuel I run a v6 2.5 and average 27-30 so if you can get close to that out of a 3.2 then fair play !

 

Well 3.2 is better Of the two.

In tho evo you can get 38mpg on a run.

 

on a run up to scotland i was getting 34 35 mpg and around town any thing from 19 to 24 mpg

 

had 2 of em, one vert and one coupe, both great, had no vanos issues at all on either. One piece of advice though, dont get an SMG one! The SMG1 boxes are GASH!!!!

 

Ive got a 3.0l gt, had it 10yrs now.
Only ever broken down once and that was down to bad luck. (coils got wet)
Coils are a problem, as said rusty rear arches, and boot slam panel.
Also a lot of vanos problems are due to oil. They have a little filter on the front of them (1 on the 3.0, 2 on the 3.2) they are only a £5 each and are not part of any service so never get changed, its the 1st thing i would do when buying one.
And put 10w50 oil in it, this quietens the vanos right up. 10w60 will make it almost silet but rob a few hp due to the drag in the oil.
A braided clutch hose and a cdv delete will make the gearchange better.
Gearboxes also need bearings when they get old.

They are a great car, ive had a 3.0 and a 3.2 and love em both.
Would recomend one to anyone.
The only reason people think they are boring is they dont know how to drive em properly.

 

Great car but feel really boring. They just lack any drama to them when you plant your right foot. That's not trying to say they're slow though as they're really not.

Personally I know find the E36 of any description a little dated and cliche and would far rather hold out and save longer for the E46. In saying that though it's a lot of car available for bugger all cash.

 

Had my estoril blue 4 door for 3 years now a trAck weapon and touch wood no probs at all. Go for the evo, torque and power is better. (alot)

 

Ask jim how much they cost to run. There's a lot more to running a motor than fuel that's for sure

 

i plus 1 that

they aint boring to drive 1 bit

billyyum can vouch for that one

 

as above yes they are a 30k car to maintain.

that being said, if it doesnt break down you're laughing, there arent really any common areas other than wear and tear.

i just got unlucky and bought one that went wrong loads that cost a bucket to fix. now it's fixed i dont expect any problems.

as above bodywork wise the bootlid and rear arches are common rust spots. even mine has now started on the rear arches and thats a late car that was bought rust free!

the car should drive perfectly and as smooth as a brand new car, if it doesnt there's a fault. the gearbox on the 3.2 will be notchy but should still work perfectly

the car should also FEEL slow with no noticeable kick up the arse, power is delivered progressively

 

Just broke mine at York dragstrip yesterday snapped the rear diff mount in half launching it. Only 25 quid for a new one thank god.

 

The only problem with an E36 M3? The fact an E46 is just a few grand more!

 

when the navos went on my cousins 3.2 EVO he took it to a few BMW dealerships who all wanted to rape him - ended up taking it to a family mechanic who stripped it down and found the fault - a washer was needed which cost 2p

The dealerships wanted 1500 back then (3-5 years ago)

 

You can get a 36 for 3-4 grand . A 46 will set you back 8-10 grand. Big difference.

 

Worst bit about the saloons is the seats! Front seats in the coupe are nice, saloon ones look like 318 seats.

Have to lol at the £30k car to run, who in their right mind is going to go to bmw and pay out thousands on servicing etc on a £2 - £3k m3?

I had an e36 m3 back when the average price was about £10k and I managed to run mine for peanuts. You've just got to use your brain and not a bmw dealer, what's the point when they're out of warranty.

 

I'm in the trade and have seen E46's up for £5000. Not saying they will be decent examples but even so

Cheapest on the trader at the mo

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...52rd?logcode=p

 

i will have some E36 interior bits soon which may help out all those worn leather seats

 

i keep saying il buy an E36 M3 3.2 with the vader leathers

 

i agree, in the trade the other week, saw a black 2003 03, black smg with 70k and full bimmer history for 6.5k

 

would you want an smg one though? and that red leather makes me want to puke

 

i like the red leather personally but black is best

its that fucking horrid blue that is sick

 

Totally agree but some punters do want both!

 

when my bro was looking for an E46 (not M3, but a 320d) he specifically wanted the red oxblood leather

 

Perhaps it was because it was a bit newer

Granted if you can find a peach it shouldnt be too bad, BUT the majority of these have had a hard life and old, tired performance cars are not cheap to run. Anybody that thinks so is foolish or blinkered

Ask some cossie owners

 

Not what I meant. I had bills for over £2k in the service history from when it was still a young car so that doesn't fit with your age point.

What I'm getting at is there's specialists (if you can't diy) and parts suppliers other than bmw. I was getting genuine parts off a third party supplier cheaper than bmw. There's no way people should be taking £3k m3's to be serviced at bmw! If you've got that sort of money you won't be buying shonky old bangers.

A lot of people just get scared about the thought of running cars like is because they just think they'll cost the earth to run. They see horror stories about £2k vanos probs etc and avoid them, I'm just making the point I don't worry about things like that because there's always a way round these problems for far less money.