Another one joins the stable!

It’s time for a confession…I’m one of those poor slobs that wastes his day watching [semi] local eBay & CL ads looking for decent project cars. All that time spent watching isn’t a complete waste. Sure, most of this time is wasted (99%?), but not today. Call it what you will: fortune, coincidence, synchronicity, intervention of a higher power, what-have-you. Even someone that jumps as slowly as I do will occasionally catch a bargain. With any luck, I just had that experience. I pulled the trigger on a 1997 M3! This one is the relatively rare E36 M3 sedan. Not the finest example of the breed, that’s for sure. It’s neglected…high-mileage…thoroughly rusted…missing many of the bespoke Motorsport parts…and it’s the [unloved & disrespected] 5-speed automatic. Despite that, I still wanted it. The guttural growl of an S52 (with a Dinan muffler, no less) makes it hard to remain detached and logical. What else can I say? I love new projects!

I’m typing this as logistics are getting planned. I’ll be taking my supplies: ATF, distilled water, motor oil, extra fuel, etc..

The trip home passed without incident. Suspension is worn out, she runs a little warm, brake rotors are warped, much of the interior is gutted, much of the rest is non-functional. This car has two tires in the grave…it’s time for the project phase to begin! I’ve posted a page here to keep track of progress.

While I’m on the topic of CL as a used car superstore, I’m cautiously optimistic about other venues. Facebook Marketplace is still a bit backwards and undeveloped. IMHO it’s mostly not FB’s fault…around here its more about demographics than technique. Many sellers are impulsive, unreliable, shady…the buyers are even worse! Don’t even get me started on OfferUp, 5miles or VarageSale…their models don’t work well for my low-dollar collectibles. To make it worse, our local post-industrial rust belt economy has significantly tightened its belt as compared to many other areas of the nation.

Update: this car is off to a new owner. He’s decided to grab the front suspension and motor for his E30. I’ll post links if he puts up a build thread anywhere.

Update 2: This car was scrapped by the new owner, and he’s decided to sell just the motor. If anyone is interested I can get you in touch. He’s also selling off the intended recipient, an E30 325e.

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