THSCC Forums

Ok, the complete and utter destruction of the Miata is complete and the parts have been scattered all over ebay!

I had my heart set on a 240sx but it just seems the damn ricer/drifter crowd has taken this option from me. So much junk, so high priced. I'd swear those guys think a salvage title commands a 25% premium!

Then I went looking at swapped Honduhhs and slapped myself back to reality. Its in my blood but not right now.

So, as much as I resisted it, I started surfing Bimmerforums for E36's last night. Seems alot like the 240 without alot of the crap. I realise that BMW's have their own form of crap, but it seems much easier to deal with.

Anyone wanna help me with what to look for and to avoid? Budget is probably $7k or so. So the more prepped the better. Remember this is for autox and track. It doesn't have to be spectacular at either, just decent at both.

Will a 17x8 with a 48 offset fit an E36 without drama?

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Ryan - I don't have a lot of time right now but I'll post more later.

93-95 325is coupe will have an LSD. Sedans will all be labeled 325i and you need to check the diff to find if it has sport pack with LSD. 96+ non-M won't have LSD.

93-95 325is prepped to STX should be in your budget depending on what you decide to do. 92 have had issues, avoid them. Or you could start with a 96-97 328is for more HP but throw in a LSD for DSP.

17x8 with 48 offset is too high offset. Need about 40 or could run spacers. Bolt pattern is 5x120 FYI and 56.X hub bore IIRC.

I would recommend you stick w/ E36 chassis and avoid E30. E30s are cheaper but getting rare and have lots more oddities/weak points to deal with.

There aren't a lot of cheap+good E36 cars around right now for sale. I've been watching the classifieds and they seem to be drying up. Give it some time. Look for good maintenance records, and if at ALL possible buy from an enthusiast. If an ad has any of the words like "Mobil 1", "Redline", etc that lead you to believe someone knowledgeable owned it, value it at $1-2k over something with no records or from a clueless owner. Buying an aged BMW from a clueless owner WILL COST YOU a lot of money. Let a good PO take care of all the issues. Look for radiator replacement, water pump, and if >100k miles, front control arms, ctrl arm bushings, and rear trailing arm bushings.

Check out the uber-paranoid edge 75k list. Read it with a grain of salt. Some problems they describe as a disastrous common problem are actually really rare:

http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=55

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

5x120? Crap, wheels wont work.

5x114

There should be a law saying that there can be only 1 bolt pattern per # of lugs.

Here is one I found last night in VA

http://www.vadriven.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202215

What's up with the funky headliner? Is that stock?

Thanks for the info Mike.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

No, that headliner is definitely NOT stock- unless they had a Rod Stewart edition that I wasn't aware of........


Looks like a decent car at first glance.


Bret

Normally I would advise against buying any car advertised with the word "MODS" in the ad, but it looks like he's put a fair amount of "real" work into the car. Guy sounds flighty but speaks real English so the work might have been done right.

I fear you'd spend a lot of time un-doing a lot of stuff that may have been done wrong though. If it's all been done right it looks like a decent deal.

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

You might keep an eye out for a track ready or prepped FC RX-7. The NA's run long and the turbo motors are hardier than the FD. Mark Hughes has a great set up and has been tracking FC's for some time. The parts would be much cheaper than Bimmer bits and you can get Mazda Comp discounts.

Im scared of rotaries

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Ryan,

As far as parts go, buying BMW parts, even from the dealer, is no more than going to Honda or Toyota for parts. In some cases, it's cheaper.

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Phil... Now I miss the ITR and the M3!!!
1990 Honda Civic SI

Don't give up on the 240 yet. We're not all ricers and drifters. You should be able to find something fairly clean for that price. The trick is getting a model with 5sp, ABS, LSD.
Our second car is an E36. Unfortunatly it is an autotragic and since it is the wife's car I don't push it too hard. To me it feels like a tank; I can only imagine what it would feel like compared to a Miata.

If you want to take the 240 for a fun run sometime let me know.

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2003 Subaru WRX Sportwagon = daily driver/boost and booster seats
2000 BMW 540iT = wife's kid hauler
2012 Toyota Highlander = the boring reliable vehicle

I think you're going about this all wrong Ryan.

To me, the solution is obvious. You need to figure out what car would have the most value parted out in a couple of years and go from there. If there are any that are worth more in parts than as a whole, the choice should be clear.

Here to help as always...

Jim

I think this might be generous

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Dustin Fredrickson
-- I'm a nobody --

Do you know Ryan's history with cars? You might want to work out how much your car is worth first... maybe even get a down payment before offering that ride.

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Phil... Now I miss the ITR and the M3!!!
1990 Honda Civic SI

Remind me to NEVER let you drive anything of mine

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Art McDonald
Premier Amateur #518
2008 Dishman Cup
Pivot Cone Snob

Rodney is a waxer (but in a good way)

Here are two off-the-wall ideas:

1. Call Jimmy Vervaeke and ask if Allison was thinking about selling her (my old) 95 325i. That car had all the right maintenance done to it, and as long as it hasn't been crashed or passed 200k miles, throw a set of GC coilovers and an LSD on it and have a great three-purpose car.

2. See if you can find out who bought Keith Q's old 328is and talk him/her out of selling it. That car was a great turn-key properly prepped E36.

FYI, don't be scared off by E36 sedans if you're willing to overcome the LSD "gap" with the coupe (92-95). Sedans are no heavier and are stiffer.

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Clearly I have no idea, so feel free to enlighten me.

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2003 Subaru WRX Sportwagon = daily driver/boost and booster seats
2000 BMW 540iT = wife's kid hauler
2012 Toyota Highlander = the boring reliable vehicle