[bataangpinoy]

Ignore him ^^ . BMW's are not expensive to repair, they require a little more because people don't take care of them. Seen tons of High mileage cars (over 200k) with factory struts and springs still, factory when bearings, etc.

Anyway, the e36 is a solid chassis and finally gaining popularity here in the states. Not exactly childs play to fix like any s-chassis, but definitely a good starter. Like the s-chassis the upgrades are scaleable to your skill level, so you can build it as you grow. An m52 with s50US or riot racing cams and a tune will have more than enough horsepower to keep you satisfied. The best part? You can scoop another m52 for dirt cheap, usually 5-700 bucks depending on mileage.

Downside is that the chassis will need some love before you can send it, make sure that the subframe mounting points aren't cracked. Add in the OE reinforcements if you don't have them already. Also make sure you have fresh bushings in there! You can use poly bushings everywhere except the diff, where I would only recommend using OE rubber. Otherwise you'll keep cracking diff mounts with a welded diff.

I have tons of experience with either chassis, and the only thing that kept me on the s-chassis platform was that I was able to scoop an s14 with nearly all the suspension bits I wanted for basically free. I parted what I wasn't keeping and broke even on the car. If I didn't find this car, I'd have either an e36 or e46 as my current competition car.