WTB: E36 M3 "drive to the track" car

[zhpnsnv]

All -

After tracking my 135is, I realize a few of things:

A - I really miss being on the track.
B - I've been lucky not to hurt myself over the years driving cars without proper track safety equipment installed (seats, roll bar, harnesses, HANS, fire extinguisher, etc...).
C - The 1er would have to be modded pretty heavily to make it safe for regular track use.

So, realizing I want to continue with the hobby without modding my beloved daily driver, it's time to find a track car that I can (gosh forbid) crunch without crunching myself as well. To me, the E36 M fits the bill perfectly for many reasons which I don't really need to list here.

If you have any knowledge of an E36 M please let me know. Some guidelines:

- modifications are acceptable
- all OEM cars are acceptable, as I'm happy to get a solid core and build from there
- not interested in fully caged, non-street legal race cars
- mileage not a major concern, as it will be a track car
- exterior/interior imperfections not really a concern
- maintenance history is the most important aspect
- looking to pay between 5-8K, but I realize the top cars get top dollar despite what KBB and Edmunds say about them
- will travel to pick up a car if needed

I've been searching m3net, bimmerforums, and the CCA site. Few nibbles, and I'm looking into one fairly seriously right now, but I figured I'd put this out there to the mafia in hopes there might be a connection somewhere.

Sadly, I'm not really interested in using a ZHP for this type of track duty. If I bought another ZHP, I would baby it and love it and nurture it and never let it see the track.

Thanks for any and all help!

mb

[MiniD]

Good luck on the search. E36 M3s make great track cars!

I recommend you find a 6speed and 3.46 rear end once you find the right car. It will feel like a different car.



This was my 98 which had a EVO 6-speed and 3.46 rear end. I miss it so much...it was turned into a track car and promptly smacked in the wall at VIR in the rain.

[Johnmadd]

Too bad your not looking for an e30

[zhpnsnv]

Whatcha got?

[M0nk3y]

SPEC E30 would be a fun car to play with.

Check NASA forums too.

[zhpnsnv]

Agreed. Going to go a little softer than full race prepped car, though. Want to get the safety stuff done first then develop the car as I learn it and get better, ideally.

[brettbimmer]

Marc, you need to get in touch with Cody in York, PA (M3TA5IN) - there was some mention that he may be selling his '99 M3 coupe, and he has already started prepping it to be a track car. I have driven his E36M, and it feels really good on the street. I know he is traveling a bit right now, so if you have a tough time reaching him, let me know. Good luck on the E36 MMM hunt!

[mimalmo]

You forgot one more reason to have a dedicated track car: When you track your DD and break something, it makes it tough to get to work on Monday. Don't even get me started on the topic of crashing a DD on the track. I know a guy that did it and it wasn't cheap (insurance didn't cover it).

[zhpnsnv]

Brett - thanks!!!

Eli - true, crunching the daily puts a damper on the ole Monday commute.

[VaTechZHP]

I've got a couple of e36 M3s in the driveway, one is track ready, and can pass state inspection as long as you don't have to test for emissions. I'm looking for a price in the 11k range though. It has seats, harness, roll bar, extra set of K1s, coilovers, euro coolant tank, 3.5" MAF, swaybars, headers, race exhaust, and a bunch of other stuff.

If you're interested, we can talk more. PM works, or email me directly at vatechm3 @ gmail

The other is a 96 M3 with ~150k on it that has some suspension and engine mods done to it that I'm sort of returning to stock or somewhat streetable. This car was destined to be an auto-x purposed car, but has since been shelved for the time being as I have been focusing on the 95 getting that back in for track duty.