anyone had a proper BMW M3?
- Thread starter saltyman
- Start date
hova
Retro Guru
saltyman":2d2ibr9x said:It's nice, very nice infact, it's the left hand driving that's putting me off
As many people have mentioned already, I don't think it will be a problem. I've driven both types of cars on both correct and "incorrect" sides of the road, and find the adjustment quite easy either way. Passing is often dangerous but since I started driving with offspring in the back, I tend to make a rule of not passing, in general, these days. It's more difficult to fight the urge in some cars than others, heh. Drive thrus are indeed a betch but I think you'll manage
Park the car and walk off the calories you're about to consume, kkkk. As a slight side note, but an anecdote you may find amusing - In Japan, which is a country that also drives on the same side as the UK, it is somewhat the norm for people to buy and/or order [expensive] cars that have the steering wheel on the left side of the car. Why? Because it's uncommon - so there's an exclusivity about it, of course. :shock: To this day, some 75% of new Aston Martins in Japan are ordered this way... it's hilarious.
So as per your concerns, what do you do at toll booths, of which there are many in Japan? You design them so that payment can be made/taken from either side of the car, of course. As most of the people who chose to drive such expensive cars were also wealthy, they had the power and push to have toll booths made that way!
I think it's awesome. Nowadays, it's all automated anyways and very few people are employed to work at the booths themselves - and what's so hard about placing an extra computer terminal on the other side? Brilliant.
i think that if you are in a position to buy, go for it. if you cant get on with it then sell it on - the demand is huge, even in recession.
if you dont you may regret it.
if you do you may love it.
plus it would definately be one of the best cars on retrobike (behind fmj's golf rallye)
if you dont you may regret it.
if you do you may love it.
plus it would definately be one of the best cars on retrobike (behind fmj's golf rallye)
Good cars if you find the right one. I tracked one down a few years back for a friend prior to our annual Le Mans trip (and yes it did struggle to keep up with my fire breathing Alfa 
).
There are lits of tired and thrashed examples around, but if you know the car it helps. A few things to look for...
Rust! They are 20 years old now and rust can be rampant. They didn't get as much protection as regular E30s. Tricky areas are behind those plastic sill covers. Both inner and outers can rot at both ends. Boot floors can rust out, the bottoms of the A pillars behind the splash panels can also rust- open the door wide and try and lift it up- rot at the bottom can cause flex.
Being a performance car, it will have been driven enthusiastically. Look for accident damage and also stress cracks between inner wing and bulkhead, and between rear inner wing and boot floor. Finally whilst looking at the body, check for water leaks. They can smell musty inside when they have been leaking. Front and rear screens, and boot rubber will be the culprit. If it has leaked then there will be rot under the seam sealer between floors and sills. Check e erything twice as its £££££ to sort properly.
Oily bits. Engine. Most get thrashed. Check for big bills. You are looking at £6000 in parts alone to top and tail that engine. Listen for excessive valvetrain noise- they are not the quietest engines due to steep camshaft ramp angles, but should not be excessive. A little smoke when cold is ok even on a rebuilt motor.
Clutches are weak due to a relatively small size and modern grippy rubber can only exagerate the problem. Gearbox is tough and will do high milage as long as shifts are not rushed when cold. Diff can last for ever if its notbeen abused but driveshafts can fail. Rear subframe bushes and wheelbearings are often overlooked and can make an otherwise good car feel tired. Brakes are weak compared to modern fare and should be kept in tip top condition or upgraded if you want to get the most out of it.
Interiors can look scruffy and don't wear well. Electrics can be bad too on tired cars. Trip computor and check panel often pack up or go haywire, and electric motors for windows often are slow. Whilst on the subject of elecronics, get an extra electric fan fitted infront of the radiator. The radiators are too small when driving too hard or abroad and having an extra fan that cuts in around 75 deg won't go amiss.
All common sense stuff really, but worth thinking about. A good example can be a joy to own and give years of trouble free motoring. A bad one will eat you out of house and home, and when you come to sell you will struggle because most M3 buyers are pretty savvy and know the pitfalls involved.
Cheers
Si
).There are lits of tired and thrashed examples around, but if you know the car it helps. A few things to look for...
Rust! They are 20 years old now and rust can be rampant. They didn't get as much protection as regular E30s. Tricky areas are behind those plastic sill covers. Both inner and outers can rot at both ends. Boot floors can rust out, the bottoms of the A pillars behind the splash panels can also rust- open the door wide and try and lift it up- rot at the bottom can cause flex.
Being a performance car, it will have been driven enthusiastically. Look for accident damage and also stress cracks between inner wing and bulkhead, and between rear inner wing and boot floor. Finally whilst looking at the body, check for water leaks. They can smell musty inside when they have been leaking. Front and rear screens, and boot rubber will be the culprit. If it has leaked then there will be rot under the seam sealer between floors and sills. Check e erything twice as its £££££ to sort properly.
Oily bits. Engine. Most get thrashed. Check for big bills. You are looking at £6000 in parts alone to top and tail that engine. Listen for excessive valvetrain noise- they are not the quietest engines due to steep camshaft ramp angles, but should not be excessive. A little smoke when cold is ok even on a rebuilt motor.
Clutches are weak due to a relatively small size and modern grippy rubber can only exagerate the problem. Gearbox is tough and will do high milage as long as shifts are not rushed when cold. Diff can last for ever if its notbeen abused but driveshafts can fail. Rear subframe bushes and wheelbearings are often overlooked and can make an otherwise good car feel tired. Brakes are weak compared to modern fare and should be kept in tip top condition or upgraded if you want to get the most out of it.
Interiors can look scruffy and don't wear well. Electrics can be bad too on tired cars. Trip computor and check panel often pack up or go haywire, and electric motors for windows often are slow. Whilst on the subject of elecronics, get an extra electric fan fitted infront of the radiator. The radiators are too small when driving too hard or abroad and having an extra fan that cuts in around 75 deg won't go amiss.
All common sense stuff really, but worth thinking about. A good example can be a joy to own and give years of trouble free motoring. A bad one will eat you out of house and home, and when you come to sell you will struggle because most M3 buyers are pretty savvy and know the pitfalls involved.
Cheers
Si
Had a play with one on the Autoroute coming back from Le Mans a few years ago... I was in my Saab900 T16s.
Was fairly surprised in how well I did, but he was either driving a clunker, or not really trying. Admittedly mine was far from standard at the time, but still thought I'd get trounced far more than the mild beating I received.
Had him from 50-90 tho... mid range boost and plenty of torque in 3rd
G
Was fairly surprised in how well I did, but he was either driving a clunker, or not really trying. Admittedly mine was far from standard at the time, but still thought I'd get trounced far more than the mild beating I received.
Had him from 50-90 tho... mid range boost and plenty of torque in 3rd
G
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I prefer driving our LHD car - just somehow seems right.
Took no time at all to adjust to.
Go for it
Took no time at all to adjust to.
Go for it
unkleGsif":1uqjn171 said:Had a play with one on the Autoroute coming back from Le Mans a few years ago... I was in my Saab900 T16s.
Was fairly surprised in how well I did, but he was either driving a clunker, or not really trying. Admittedly mine was far from standard at the time, but still thought I'd get trounced far more than the mild beating I received.
Had him from 50-90 tho... mid range boost and plenty of torque in 3rd
G
They are not as fast as you think in standard form. It was all about potential rather than performance when it came to the road cars. I did a 1300mile round trip to Le Mans a few years back in my Alfa with a mate following in his M3. He admitted that it just didn't have the legs to keep up.
grahame
Senior Retro Guru
What Dr S says.
I had an Evo 1 for a while. It drank money. Bushings, clutch, new upholstry on the drivers seat, etc. The LHD thing was the least of the worries.
The two best days were the day I bought it (very exciting drive home - Newcastle to Harrogate via the Lake District, just for the fun of it), and the day I sold it (much relief that the increase in value almost covered the cost of ownership for the year).
Would I drive one again - absobloodylutely
Would I own one again - no way, Jose.
I had an Evo 1 for a while. It drank money. Bushings, clutch, new upholstry on the drivers seat, etc. The LHD thing was the least of the worries.
The two best days were the day I bought it (very exciting drive home - Newcastle to Harrogate via the Lake District, just for the fun of it), and the day I sold it (much relief that the increase in value almost covered the cost of ownership for the year).
Would I drive one again - absobloodylutely
Would I own one again - no way, Jose.
