Well, she's treated me well, but now it's time to say farewell (though she's staying in the family -- my sister is taking her over)to my sweet princess of the night, my Maxima:


And time to say HELLO SEX MACHINE!



Finally, my dream has come true: a BMW M-series. It's a 1995 M3, 63K miles, immaculate condition, and I'm getting it for a steal: $17,500. It's waiting for me up in Detroit. Monday I send the deposit on it, and a week or two later, depending on when financing comes through, I fly up there and drive it back down to Atlanta.

It's been a nice run, folks. Thanks for the great community, and best of luck pushing the envelope with your cars! I'll stop by every now and then. Oh, and I'll post a couple high quality shots when I take delivery of the new ride.

 

Very Nice!...Good luck. I love the M series. Great mileage too.

 

Very nice. I've always thought the E36 M3 was sweet and the prices are really coming down on them, my only hang up with them is that engine failures among the Ms is common and they aren't cheap to replace, 7K-10K Be careful with that sweet ride.


Dave

 

Beautiful!

Good Luck with the "M" (Remember to take pity if a Max comes revving up to you at a light).

Shaydz

 

Believe me, I will be careful. It's gonna be my baby, and will be pampered accordingly. Although, engine failures aren't too common, but mis-shift over-rev engine failures are. Basically, you miss a shift and, say, go into second instead of 4th, and BOOM!

Anyway, if I do blow an engine, no biggie -- I'll just get a eurospec motor in there. (can you say 320hp?)

 

Pity? HELL NO! You 2k2 6pd guys can hang with a '95 M3 no problem. Just don't try and follow me around on the twisties. I'll show a little mercy on (read as: toy with ) the other Max's.

 

nice exchange

Auto or stick?

 

You've got to be kidding, right? An M3 is NOT an M3 without a stick. A manual, my friend, a manual.

 

*(%*(^)(&(%*&(^*&(^)*()*&*((^&^ I was waiting for your photos to download and I was expecting a E46 2k2!!! But don't get me wrong, the E36 M3 is better than any Maxima nonetheless. The drive is simply different. Though you see some crazy 2k2 Maxs doing 1/4 mile times similar to the E36 M3.

Did you ever consider a 96? It's nice to have the 3.2 litre. I'd say your price is on the low side, I saw a 95 last summer going for 15k but the mileage was over 100k which was too much for an M3. How come it takes so long for the financing, doesn't that usually take only a few minutes or next day at most? My dream car is an Audi A4, 4 or 6 cyl. With the big mortage I probably have to wait until I'm 40....ahahahaha plus the feds bumped the thing up to 84,900 now squeezing yet another $279 from stones

 

Congrats! have fun with you new car!!


Enjoy!!

 

I envy you man! I plan to do the same thing when i get the cash when i graduate from school. Good luck with the M3.

 

Yes, I definitely considered a '96. The reason I went with the '95 is two-fold. First, it's just plain cheaper. I got a DEAL on this car, believe me. Most M3's in this condition are at least a grand more. Secondly, the '95 is OBDI while the '96 is OBDII. Basically, even though it's got a smaller engine, it has a lot more lax emission restrictions, so it responds a lot better to mods, specifically a chip. I could have gotten a '96 and converted it to OBDI and then had a real monster, but the total cost of the newer car and conversion was just out of my league. I'm stretching it a bit as it is, and I just felt a lot more comfortable with some breathing room. Besides, after a chip, a Euro HFM, headers, and a full exhaust, the M3 is going to be way more car than I handle.

As far as financing, basically I can get it easily, but I'm just trying to find the best deal. I've got the money to send the deposit, and the guy will hold the car for me, so I'm going to make sure I get the best deal possible. A good interest rate can make quite a bit of difference in a car payment, and as a not-so-wealthy college student, I want to go cheap, cheap, cheap!

 

wow~~~ have fun on turns!!!!









and straight line tooo!

 

You need to lower that bish.

 

I too would get the 95 over the 96+ as you are able to mod that thing with bolt ons to a little over approx 260+ rwhp or 300+hp at the crank, look at the one that European Car is doing. Also about the misshifted engines, one of the ways to prevent it is to us the beefier transmssion mounts which are pretty cheap, which stiffens it up, the main cause of the misshift engines is that the tranny twists and most people will downshift to 2nd gear instead of 4th gear. Also for 2002 maxima's keeping up, wait till you mod that thing, also you have to admit though that for early 1990's technology( that engine design actually came out in 1990 in the BMW 525 as a 2.5 liter engine)that the BMW 3.0 liter engine is really doing well even for today's standards almost 10 years later.

 

Yeah, the plan for mod order right now is: radar detector > stereo > clears > tranny mounts / short-shift kit > suspension / wheels > power adders. It's probably gonna be a while before I even come close to power adders as this car is going to autocrossed, and since I'm a semi-broke college student, I'm probably going to be spending most/all of my money on tires. I'll just have to rack up some cash this next summer.

And yes, I DEFINITELY agree with you that the engine is amazing for its time. Hell, if you think the US spec motor is impressive, take a peek at the Euro M3 engines. 321hp out of 3.2 liters in 1996!

 

not to rain on your parade but earlier you said a 2k2 would hang with a 95. Sorry a 2k2 would BEAT a 95. 95's got the 3.0 liter, lower torque engine. It's actually significantly slower then the 97+.

PS, my friend just bought a 98 m3 4dr for $17K in Houston. His is auto though, dunno why, but his 99 SE 5spd is faster then the 98 auto so he's selling the bmw.

Don't miss that shift, those heads go bye bye easy.

Great handling/braking car though, but personally they don't stand up to the icon of the most recent sports car's coming out. New M3, Z06, etc.

 

Yeah, you're probably right, a 2k2 might hand me my ***. BUT, not after a few power adders. And, it's not RWD, nor is it even in the same league in terms of handling and braking. Honestly, I don't want the car so much because of its power -- I'm looking forward to RWD, a stick, and awesome handling.

By the way, the switch to the 3.2L engine was in '96. That's also when they put OBDII on the car. One of the great things about the '95's is that they're OBDI, and therefore, VERY tunable. It's a lot easier to get HP out of a '95 than a '96 and up (barring a conversion to OBDI on a '96, which is pretty costly), so in the end, it's really a wash in my opinion.

Whatever the case, I'm a happy man. I'm 19, and to be getting a car of this caliber at my age is simply awesome. It's probably more car than I can handle, realistically, so I'm just fine with its shortcomings for now.

 

Congrats..

and remember.. M3 != great in twisties

M3 + Great Driver = great in twisties..

I out handled an M Coupe in twisties.. because he wasn't comfortable pushing the car into turns at speeds of 100 mph..

my cousin' out handled his brother while he was driving an 89 Tercel.. his brother was driving a 93 prelude just so you know...

 

I agree with the handling thing. Going from a relatively large FWD car to a tight RWD car can be unsettling. Driving my S for a couple days & then jumping into my relatively decent handling Maxima can be "interesting".

I'm not the best driver out there, I hit curbs, kids, elderly folk, trees, fences, big rocks, yet I feel a little scared driving the S too hard. Way to many stories of people spinning out & landing into ditches.

Bottom line, don't drive like a teenager in your uber-BMW. Be carefull, because it ain't no Maxima in the twisties...

Zam

 

I would have to disagree about a 2002 beating a 95 M3 and that the 95 is slower than the 96+, but I think it would have to be more about the driver skill. I know it is not good to magazine race but just to make a point, I have seen over the years that the 95 M3 can get 0-60 times anywhere from 5.7 secs to 6.2 secs and 1/4 mile times of 14.1 secs to 14.5 secs. which I believe are the times many 2002 6 speeds are getting. Also remember that BMW are geared a lot better than Nissan's, their engines are also down rated, the 240hp engine dynos regualrly stock from 205rwhp to anywhere of 215rwhp using a conservative 15% drivetrain loss that equates to 240-253 crank hp. I am not trying to start a flame war just saying that I think it will come down to the driver skill.

 

well look who it is

 

WOW im glad to see you moved up a level!!

goodluck with the M3, ill be joining you within a few months, hopefully in a 98.

Ant

 

congrads .. good luck with the new car

 

Not bad but I'd rather a newer max..

 

Dude! It's only got two doors! If you didn't need those other doors, why were you driving a Maxima in the first place? Lots of coupes can beat Maximas in performance.

 

Right you are, good sir. That's why as soon as I've got some dough saved up I'm going to be taking some performance driving courses. I know I probably couldn't outhandle **** at this point. Hell, I can't even drive a stick worth a damn.

Give me time, for I am a young grasshoppa.

 

I didn't have the cash for an M3 when I got the Max. Also, I was a newer driver at that point, I don't think my parents would have gone for it. After proving myself competent and safe in the Maxima, they're ok with me getting the M3.

Oh, and Brian -- as Julian said, there really is VERY little difference in speed between a '95 M3 and a '96+ M3. Anyway, not enough to worry about.

Man, why you gotta rain on my parade and $hit, anyway?

 

that is almost exactly what this guy i worked with said to me when i asked him if his 99 M3 was auto or manual..

he was like "are you serious? who would buy an automatic BMW?"

lovely car
i did get to drive it, so much more fun, handling is amazing.. so much more superior than a 4th gen max in pretty much everything

 

I have owned a few Euro vehicles(3 series and a 5 series bimmer), they will eat up your savings account.

I wish you luck, however.

 

Yeah that can be the downside.


have fun in your new M3 though, stop back in every now and then

SuDZ

 

Nice Choice. Learn how to drive the car and you will really appreciate it. The E36 M3 was one of the best handling cars of the 90's. They are a lot of fun in the turns, especially with a manual.

 

M3's are overrated, I think that they're as common as Civics. This is coming from someone that it's in the BMW community. In any case, I'm happy for you, just get ready to empty your pockets. A 325i emptied mine pretty fast, think what a M3 will do to you. Join up www.DTMPower.net if you haven't yet, I'm under the same name if you want to look me up. Stay away from Dinan also as their products are seriously over-priced and customer service lacks alot of service. Enjoy the M and be careful. We've had alot of deaths and accidents.

 

96 m3's are extremely rare. Dinan is overpriced, but atleast its covered under warranty.... things of note:

STay away from UUC products and stay away from Rogue Engineering products.

First mods should be Clears... heh

www.unofficialbmw.com - Great site lots of "Do it yourself tips"
Ron Stygars Clutch Stop would be a good mod if you are into autoX .. because it looks factory and can help you alot.

i would looking at www.activeautowerke.com for mods...

if you want other opinions of mine just aim me @ stillnmax.

i dont own a bmw

 

I've never heard the get a 95 not 96+ that I've heard on this thread. Roundel I thought is the best BMW afficinado group I thought. I don't own a BMW, never have, but get the magazine because my friend is in with them and told me it saves you $$$$ when you go to buy a BMW. So you may say I've got some eyes/ears on the products. 95 has the 3 liter. If it were me I'd want the extra torquiness and the 3.2, but to each his own. It does cost more for a 96+ than a 95, but well spent when you're spending that much on a used car.

 

Funny, I see about 1/15th as many M3's as I see Civics. Nor do I see anyone raving about the power, handling, or braking of a Civic. Nor has any Civic that I've ridden in come close to an M3. I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous to say M3's are as common as Civics, to compare them on any level, actually. And really, they aren't overrated, or rather, overpriced -- which is the real issue. You get A LOT of car for the money, in my opinion.

As far as the car emptying my pockets, yes, it'll probably be expensive. You get what you pay for. And I know that the mods for BMW's aren't cheap. Hell, just for lighting, suspension, and new wheels and rubber you can shell out well over $5K. But the car is so well set up from the factory that I won't need to mod it too extensively (though I probably will ).

Thanks for the link to DTMPower.net. I've been hangin' around there for a while. I actually started lurking on www.bimmerforums.com since I find the posts and users to be a lot more intelligent -- just a classier group of people, it seems like.

I've also heard mixed reviews about Dinan. I'm more or less under the impession that while they make good stuff and have pretty decent customer service, they're ridiculously overpriced, which is true for sure.

And don't worry -- I'll enjoy the car.

 

It's probably true that if you're not going to be modding the car at all, a '96 is a much better route. It has more torque and is slighly more powerful (it tends to dyno more than it should -- about 260hp at the crank, actually) than a '95. However, it's MUCH harder to squeeze power out of a '96 than a '95 with bolt-ons due to the tighter emissions restrictions of OBDII that's found on the '96+ cars.

If you're going to be modding the car, and I am (though a bit down the road), a '95 is the right choice. There are plenty of people with very basic bolt-ons putting down 240rwhp and 225rwtq in '95's. I suppose the same is true for the '96, but it costs more to get there.

The deal for the car in this post actually fell through, so I might end up with a '96 in the end. I'm not too worried about what I end up with, because any E36 M3 is great. Besides, with a '96, I can just spend a grand or two and end up with a 3.2L OBDI monster. When I'm done with it, I'll be able to run down Euro M3's.

 

Thanks for the info, man!

 

lucky bastard, good luck with it!!!

 

Thanks.