E36 Dedicated Track Car?

[1M SUSI]

Dedicated Track Car?

Hey Guys. I'm thinking of buying an e36. I do around 5 to 6 track days a year and wanted to get something a bit less expensive than my 993 or the 1M to through around the track. I'm thinking this is a good car as far as cost and something I can learn with, have fun with and grow into. And maybe eventually turn it into a race car. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions. I already know that I'll be getting a PPI and ye old car fax before I decide to move forward. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the link --> E36 ALPINE WHITE BMW M3 M PACKAGE 328i

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/4477662741.html

Thanks

[chris82]

It's probably the most cost effective car you could buy for the track. Sounds like a good idea. Personally, I'd get an E36 M3 for the track, that one is only the M sport package. Also, that one looks damn nice if all you want to do is track it!

[1M SUSI]

Thanks! Chrisar82 I've had a couple of friends comment that its a high mile mint car rather then a low mile car.

If I can get it for $6k, I think it would be a good starting point for an everyday racer.

[Pete_vB]

If you eventually have a dedicated track car in mind I'd consider getting one that's already built. You can spend more on setting it up (cage, etc) than that car is worth- easy to have 6k in it. One of the big advantages of a dedicated car is safety- cage, harness, hans, etc all make tracking a much saner proposition. You might also eventually want to graduate to run it in a series, so you should consider classing.

With all this in mind what about something like a spec e30?
http://spece30.com/classifieds/4-vehicles
Already set up, lots of support, etc... Just a thought.

[Splinterz88]

To OP. If interested in an e36 m3 I know of one in north jersey that is hpde/ race ready built by turner. It has full welded cage is street registered. One of my nj cca instructor's cars. Pm if you want more detail.

[Jay-K]

i'd say when u are in america..
get an M3..
its hard to find one here.

[1M SUSI]

Thanks' for the advice guys!

I'm going to pass on this one.

Pete your right. I should look for something ready to go. And safe.

Jay-K your not the only one who said don't waist your time and look for the m3 instead. I'm lucky to be in the usa.

Splinterz88 I'll be sending a PM.

Thanks again.

[suspenceful]

The E36 is an awesome platform. I loved my '96 328is. Picked it up for about $1,000 and drove it for a whole year, through snow and everything. 235k miles and wanted more. I added a few mods but it ended up needing its 3rd clutch and I sold it as-is...

However, there was never an "M-sport" E36. Only M3 or non-M3. There are sport packages, but that does not include any ///M accessories.

The bumpers were swapped (probably replicas) and aftermarket side-trim was added. The wheels are also probably replicas and you'd have to check on the differential, exhaust, and 330i brakes. I don't know why he is advertising that as an "M-sport"... he doesn't even have ///M side skirts (like he says it has) or ///M side-mirrors.

Unlike the E82 1M, the E36 M3 body parts are all interchangeable amongst the non-M models. It is one of the only "bolt-on" ///M cars that BMW ever made. Everything can be easily swapped over.

In my opinion, that car is overpriced. Plus if he's claiming it as something it's not, what else is he fibbing about? If it actually has an LSD (328i never came with one) and upgraded brakes, those are good modifications for the track.

Go take it for a test drive. Be sure to check out the rear subframe mounting points and look for rust. Ask about the cooling system and if it's ever been changed. The headliner, glove box, and door cards usually sag on these cars. The shifter is usually sloppy. But the motor in that car is stout and provides nice linear power. It sounds good with an exhaust.

PS: Alpine white isn't very rare...

Obligatory picture of my daily-beater E36 (with replica M3 front bumper and side-trim):

[lcrain]

I just bought an e36 m3 track car, coming from a 1m. After tracking the 1M, I began to push it and started to really get into tracking and ask myself if I was truly comfortable tracking my very valuable, only car. The answer was no, so I started to look for an e36. I am of the opinion that on a car of similar vintage to an e36, you are buying the previous owner of the car more than any of the other tangibles (miles, mods, etc.).

I got lucky and am really happy with my purchase. Originally I was looking for a relatively stock car, with intentions of slowly modifying it as I progressed further as a driver. I ended up finding a car that had been extensively modified by a great owner and am very happy I found it as it really is a gem. I would recommend talking with some e36 owners and driving as many cars as you can before you bite the bullet. E36 owners are great. Every DE or auto-x I attend there is at least one other e36 owner. If something breaks, parts are readily available and cheap. Consumables are so much cheaper.

The 1M is fantastic on the track, really is a beast. The e36 that I purchased is very fast as well, but there is a trade off as driving it out to the track isn't as pleasant. The flipside is that if something breaks it is a blip on the radar. When something would happen with the 1M I would get all stressed out and it wasn't ideal for me. Let me know if you have any specific questions, I just went through that process in the past few months.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by lcrain

I just bought an e36 m3 track car, coming from a 1m. After tracking the 1M, I began to push it and started to really get into tracking and ask myself if I was truly comfortable tracking my very valuable, only car. The answer was no, so I started to look for an e36. I am of the opinion that on a car of similar vintage to an e36, you are buying the previous owner of the car more than any of the other tangibles (miles, mods, etc.).

I got lucky and am really happy with my purchase. Originally I was looking for a relatively stock car, with intentions of slowly modifying it as I progressed further as a driver. I ended up finding a car that had been extensively modified by a great owner and am very happy I found it as it really is a gem. I would recommend talking with some e36 owners and driving as many cars as you can before you bite the bullet. E36 owners are great. Every DE or auto-x I attend there is at least one other e36 owner. If something breaks, parts are readily available and cheap. Consumables are so much cheaper.

The 1M is fantastic on the track, really is a beast. The e36 that I purchased is very fast as well, but there is a trade off as driving it out to the track isn't as pleasant. The flipside is that if something breaks it is a blip on the radar. When something would happen with the 1M I would get all stressed out and it wasn't ideal for me. Let me know if you have any specific questions, I just went through that process in the past few months.

I do miss having a cage and seats and harnesses in my track car. Plus I always knew if I wrecked it badly I could pull whatever was good off it and get another chassis and. move on. Course an e30 m3 was about as disposable as a 1m.

An e36 or e46 track car has always been an Excellent choice !


Mark

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by 1M SUSI

Thanks' for the advice guys!

I'm going to pass on this one.

Pete your right. I should look for something ready to go. And safe.

Jay-K your not the only one who said don't waist your time and look for the m3 instead. I'm lucky to be in the usa.

Splinterz88 I'll be sending a PM.

Thanks again.

Plenty of prepped e36 m3 out there. Take your time and find a decent car that is prepped and has either a good owner or a good log book or both.

[hoki06]

If you're thinking about getting an E36 as a track car, think about if you ever want to pursue racing in the future. Do you want to race wheel-to-wheel? If you have even the slightest interest in wanting to race, think about what series your purchase will fall into and mod the car per the rules for that series. Or buy a car already built for that series which will save a lot of money.

Want to race and have a thick wallet? Grab an E36 M3 and plan for NASA GTS or BMW CCA similar classing.

Want to race but don't have a big budget? Get a 93-95 E36 325i and mod the car for NASA Spec3 series which is big and a lot of fun in the Mid-Atlantic region.

I'm saying this because I have an E36 M3 and did not think of these things beforehand. Now I'm wanting to race eventually but don't feel like spending big bucks to be competitive in GTS. For now I'll continue to do NASA Time Trials and re-evaluate in the future.