new guys.. plan to buy a E36 M3 or similar.. - United Bimmer Community

**rawwl** · 08-30-2007, 08:14 PM

hello im new to BMW's but know they are amazing cars... i would ideally like to buy a 2 door coupe 5 or 6spd..or an M3... im starting from scratch.. what should i look for? what is a good price range? engine upgrades or engine swaps? turbo possibilities? please advise... all ur help is appriciated.. also, are there angel eye conversion kits for these? led tail lights, interior, and turn signals? please advise... thanks...

witeshark · 08-30-2007, 08:18 PM

You'll find a lot right here. Have a look at the search feature

**rawwl** · 08-30-2007, 08:20 PM

what specifically do i look for? im really lost when it comes to bimmers...

**Dudesky** · 08-30-2007, 08:21 PM

How much money you got?

**rawwl** · 08-30-2007, 08:23 PM

none yet.. im looking to save for one.. but dont wanna get reamed... my lil bro has a FC3s n/a and i know i can tear em up w a bmw... LOL not only that really like the body design..

**94bmw325i** · 08-30-2007, 09:10 PM

well I dont see you finding one with a 6 speed unless you find one that has a lot of mods, doesnt seem like a lot of people use e46, or euro e36 6 speeds. If you have any questions in general about e36's let us know.

**xsperf** · 08-30-2007, 10:25 PM

10K for a nice condition M3 is a good deal, you may find one cheaper or more expensive, but thats the ballpark(thats for an e36 m3, from 95-99, for 10k, typically 95, 96 and maybe a 97)

**Numark318i** · 08-30-2007, 11:04 PM

as far as Angel eyes goes just check out our lighting section. those site have everything u need lighting wise.

BMW's are amazing cars. You just have to take care of them.

From what i usually see the car starts off with larger wheels and lighting. From there its basically how much money you have. check out our picture showroom and look at some of the bimmers for ideas on what you like.

**Numark318i** · 08-30-2007, 11:11 PM

btw, why not just get a Pre facelift E46 330ci?

6 speed is no slower then a E36 M3. Or so my shop says. they go for a couple grand more, but your less likely to have problems since it would be newer with lower mileage.

just a thought.

**mullethunter3** · 08-31-2007, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawwl

hello im new to BMW's but know they are amazing cars... i would ideally like to buy a 2 door coupe 5 or 6spd..or an M3... im starting from scratch.. what should i look for? what is a good price range? engine upgrades or engine swaps? turbo possibilities? please advise... all ur help is appriciated.. also, are there angel eye conversion kits for these? led tail lights, interior, and turn signals? please advise... thanks...

You are not going to find an unmodified 6-speed out there in the E36 realm. 5-speed is plenty. Trust me, I almost bought one. They're amazing. You can get a 328i or 328is for less than an M3 and still get ample power. But IMO, you should probably get an M3 if you have the money. As far as what to look for, check out our Knowledge base where Dudesky has written a checklist for things to look for on used E36's. For turbo possibilities, check out our Forced Induction forum or ask NickG, our resident FI man. For angel eyes/lighting, ask habbie, our lighting guru.

Btw, welcome to UB!

**xsperf** · 08-31-2007, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Numark318i

btw, why not just get a Pre facelift E46 330ci?

6 speed is no slower then a E36 M3. Or so my shop says. they go for a couple grand more, but your less likely to have problems since it would be newer with lower mileage.

just a thought.

because, e46s drive like crap and look ugly!

and dont deny it, tell me which one of your cars handles better? between me and my brother's e46, i would take my car ANY DAY

**Numark318i** · 08-31-2007, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xsperf

because, e46s drive like crap and look ugly!

and dont deny it, tell me which one of your cars handles better? between me and my brother's e46, i would take my car ANY DAY

gonna have to disagree here bro. my e30 feels like it handles good. It does handle good, dont get me wrong, ill pwn the noobs with it. But...after learning how to correctly throw around the e46 it is a fucking beast.

never driven an E36...so i cant actually compare it to that. But My e46 will take the twisties alot faster then most people will think to go.

as for the looks...gotta disagree again. you cant tell me a 2 door E46 looks like crap.

**xsperf** · 08-31-2007, 10:30 PM

yea, well i was kinda comparing it to an e36, i dont mind the looks as much, but i think a well maintained and tastefully modded e36 looks plenty better than an e46. and in terms of handling, i could out-handle my brother any day, before i got my car, i would jump in his car and say, wow this is nice, but now when i jump in his car i say, wow this thing is like a boat. his is automatic too, so that definitely kills it

**Dudesky** · 09-01-2007, 04:18 AM

Now here's a comparison I'd like to hear more about. When I had 17's on my E36, I know it handled amazing- without even lowering the car. I don't think I ever heard the tires squeal. And I could only tell a little difference in body roll when I went back to 15's. I've never set foot in an E46, but I know they're more advanced despite sharing very similar suspension components.

**xsperf** · 09-01-2007, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudesky

Now here's a comparison I'd like to hear more about. When I had 17's on my E36, I know it handled amazing- without even lowering the car. I don't think I ever heard the tires squeal. And I could only tell a little difference in body roll when I went back to 15's. I've never set foot in an E46, but I know they're more advanced despite sharing very similar suspension components.

who knows, maybe its those crap continental tires that are on the e46 from the dealer that make it squeal around every turn...