FS: VA 97 M3 4 door 5 speed. Lots of pretty photos

[DrFelix]

1997 BMW M3, 4 door, 5 speed
153,xxx miles
Richmond, Va
$12,500
Contact: PM or email, [email protected]
SOLD

now, I can buy groceries and get my 240 running. Thanks everybody for the kind words.

Well maintained and sound car mechanically and cosmetically. This M3 was previously owned by a close friend. I purchased it a few months back as my daily driver. I'm reluctantly parting with it simply because I can't afford it as I am still in graduate school. I bought it a year too early. I want it to go to the right owner.

My friend purchased it from a guy working for the Navy in Norfolk that had only had it for a few months himself. The guy bought it from the original owner up in the DC area that had put the bulk of the miles on it via highway commuting. When the car changed hands for the first time a post-purchase inspection was done by Mike at Sports and Imports. At that time the entire cooling system was replaced. The radiator, the water pump (now w/ a metal impeller), thermostat, and all hoses. As many know, this is very vital to keep a S52 powered car running happily. During Mike's inspection he found NO other issues and even found that the rear shock mounts had been replaced with upgraded Ground Control mounts. Knowing Mike at Sports and Import's reputation, my buddy bought the car without any worries. The only reason the 2nd owner sold the car to him was because he did not want to keep a black M3 sitting at a ship yard while he was on a ship for countless days/weeks/months at a time. He realized quickly that he couldn't afford to let a nice car go to waste.

The original owner of the car had this M3 maintained by Tischer BMW in DC. It was adult-owned and it shows.

The only modification are the $1,500 Bilstein PSS9s which are the best compromise between handling and comfort. These came highly recommended by many on Bimmerforums.com as well as those at TurnerMotorsport. Everyone claimed this is the best dual purpose street/track combination...and they are right. They are 9-way adjustable and it makes a noticable difference going from full soft to full firm.

On Board Computer (with no burnt pixels), Auto Climate, Cd player with ipod/aux input. This car has the luxury package meaning it came with a different air dam and the luxury seats. And most importantly, the "early 90's power broker" built in car phone. By far this is everyone's favorite feature.

I have records for the car, never wrecked, no paint work, never modified beyond the Bilsteins. The car was dyno'd at a strong 210rwhp/214wtq which is right on par with other E36 M3's.


There are only a few rock chips to speak of (one on the hood) and a scratch on the rear quarter panel. And the drivers side bolster is slightly worn.

It idles a little rough on cold mornings for about a minute, then disappears, replaced only by the satisfying warmth of the kick butt heated seats. (I will miss those.). This was diagnosed as a sluggish Idle Control Valve but has never annoyed any of the owners to actually address it further.

There are no other issues to speak of. This car has served both me very well without any problems.

There are a lot of mystery M3s that are on the market out there, now that they've gotten cheaper. This one has seen only responsible owners that kept up to date maintenance and it shows.