Crossroads: Track E92 M3 or Build E36 M3 for Track

[Exclusivs]

At a crossroads at the moment and looking for some advice...

The choice is to:
A) devote and invest in the now daily driven E92 for track duties - or
B) search for a relatively well maintained E36 M and build strictly for track days.

Part of me doesn't want to subject the E92 to track abuse - still low mileage

Has anyone done the same or similar? Please advise

[drob23]

I think it depends on where you are in your hpde career. If you are starting out, then I don't think it makes sense to get a second car. Also depends on your wrenching skills (need to be able to work on the e36 imo), whether you have room for the track car, whether you're gonna keep it streetable, get a trailer/tow vehicle etc.

I came to the same crossroads with my S4, was close to pulling the trigger on an e36 m3 (can find a good one for about 6-9k), but decided to do another season or 2 in my S4 and then grab an e46 M3 for a track build. So I dumped some cash on a BBK to make the car reasonably trackable (I think any M3 already is but the S4 is weak on brakes). In a couple years I plan to be a little further on in life and a little more financially stable. But knowing what I know now, I kinda wish I had just got an e46 m3 weekend/track car and ford focus as a DD.

[MSteve5036]

I have an e92 M with low miles and a Civic Si for DD. I would love a track built e36 M but have absolutely no room for another car where I live.

I think you can still track the e92 and keep it in nice shape. HDPEs dont add too many miles to the car and usually you aren't on the track for that long.

What do you mean by devote and invest in the e92? It's pretty solid with just brake pad/fluid for the track and track wheels/tires

[will.c]

I would highly recommend (C) search for a race- or track-ready E36M and just drive it without worrying about anything. MUCH cheaper that way too b/c race cars sell for cents on a dollar in terms of track parts and labor. Typically ranges between $10-20k, an okay-E36M with basic track mods being close to 10, and a well-built GTS2/3 being close to 20. If you built one yourself, it will cost 20 for the former and 40-50 for the latter.

[Exclusivs]

Originally Posted by drob23

I think it depends on where you are in your hpde career. If you are starting out, then I don't think it makes sense to get a second car. Also depends on your wrenching skills (need to be able to work on the e36 imo), whether you have room for the track car, whether you're gonna keep it streetable, get a trailer/tow vehicle etc.

But knowing what I know now, I kinda wish I had just got an e46 m3 weekend/track car and ford focus as a DD.

Starting out - no. But wanting to keep paying track insurance? - NO. In the case of an E36M - or even 328i for that matter - I wouldn't worry about that extra cost.

Originally Posted by MSteve5036

I have an e92 M with low miles and a Civic Si for DD. I would love a track built e36 M but have absolutely no room for another car where I live.

I think you can still track the e92 and keep it in nice shape. HDPEs dont add too many miles to the car and usually you aren't on the track for that long.

What do you mean by devote and invest in the e92? It's pretty solid with just brake pad/fluid for the track and track wheels/tires

Invest: Seats/ cage/ track wheels/ aero - Doesn't quite add up to cost of an E36M - but just about.

Originally Posted by will.c

I would highly recommend (C) search for a race- or track-ready E36M and just drive it without worrying about anything. MUCH cheaper that way too b/c race cars sell for cents on a dollar in terms of track parts and labor. Typically ranges between $10-20k, an okay-E36M with basic track mods being close to 10, and a well-built GTS2/3 being close to 20. If you built one yourself, it will cost 20 for the former and 40-50 for the latter.

This is great advice. I've often wondered about this route- and if in fact you can pick up a great car- or would you be getting a end of it's life - bullied platform. Guess is really dependent car - to car as it would be buying one stock.

[FormulaMMM]

Is part of the dilemma your devoting of the E92 to track duty? i.e. losing daily drivability?

Where are you in terms of hpde experience? Are you at the limit of the E92 in stock, or almost stock form and feel like you need aero, cage, etc.?

Not at all to sound condescending, but you are aware that you can make very meaningful performance/track mods to the E92 and retain daily drivability? Especially where you live. Just skip the aero and cage, although those don't even necessarily prohibit some around town use.

What kind of track(s)? Tight and twisty, or able to open it up and enjoy hp?

I've had a lot of fun with a modded & stripped out E36 M3 on track. Would not trade for E9X experience though.

[MiamiE93Vert]

Since I find myself contemplating the same ideas I will take your question as whether to take the money that you would otherwise spend making your existing M DD more track ready (plus track day insurance, wear and tear, etc) or use that money on buying a track dedicated car. For me as a beginning track driver, 1-2 track days a year are what I am hoping to do, which is good on my DD while slowly adding track mods for that level of use. I don't know if my lifestyle will ever permit more than that, and other factors such as no space for a third car have me thinking twice for a track dedicated car. However, if these factors changed I would go the route you are thinking and buy or build out an E36M. For the price it is a great platform as a starting point and I feel most comfortable with the M platform' pros and cons.

[okusa]

If you are used to the E92 the lack of power of the E36 will be very disappointing.

[will.c]

Originally Posted by okusa

If you are used to the E92 the lack of power of the E36 will be very disappointing.

Power hides mistakes & flattens learning curve though. Depends on OP's level of seriousness I guess. Just nice quick pace laps and have fun? Stock E92 is sufficient. Wanna compete one day? Need to fine-tune the skills & knowledge with a low powered, good handling car.

[bigjae1976]

I'd look for a partially built or built E36 race car...it will be about 1/3 of the price and 1/10 the headaches vs building your own. Unless you just want to build your own.

But the E9X M3 is a fantastic and fun car...I want to turn mine into a track car some day. The only things holding me back is its still a pretty expensive car to put into a wall and I paid $5k for individual paint which will just get raped by stones and rubber boogers.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

I'd look for a partially built or built E36 race car...it will be about 1/3 of the price and 1/10 the headaches vs building your own. Unless you just want to build your own.

But the E9X M3 is a fantastic and fun car...I want to turn mine into a track car some day. The only things holding me back is its still a pretty expensive car to put into a wall and I paid $5k for individual paint which will just get raped by stones and rubber boogers.

What is your individual color. Didn't even realize you had a e9x in addition to your track car.

[OC3]

As much as you hang out on this forum, how did you not know that. He's mentioned the E90 more than a few times. Ban!

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by OC3

As much as you hang out on this forum, how did you not know that. He's mentioned the E90 more than a few times. Ban!

Got e46 on the brain I guess.

[bigjae1976]

lol...still have it...

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

lol...still have it...

mines jet black and has battle scars on the front. nothing a respray cant fix. but then again it was the cheap no cost added option.

[OC3]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

I'd look for a partially built or built E36 race car...it will be about 1/3 of the price and 1/10 the headaches vs building your own. Unless you just want to build your own.

But the E9X M3 is a fantastic and fun car...I want to turn mine into a track car some day. The only things holding me back is its still a pretty expensive car to put into a wall and I paid $5k for individual paint which will just get raped by stones and rubber boogers.

Put on Xpel clear bra on the front and you're good to go.

Can't protect that paint forever, and it's a shame not to enjoy that "fantastic and fun car" more.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

I'd look for a partially built or built E36 race car...it will be about 1/3 of the price and 1/10 the headaches vs building your own. Unless you just want to build your own.

But the E9X M3 is a fantastic and fun car...I want to turn mine into a track car some day. The only things holding me back is its still a pretty expensive car to put into a wall and I paid $5k for individual paint which will just get raped by stones and rubber boogers.

This is also my conundrum

In a moment of genius I specced the same color as yours, Montecarlo Blue. It's beautiful.
And now I have a cloth seat, 6MT, ZCP E92 that is as close as you can get to a 'track build' with a paint job which I don't want to see hurt.

I had Xpel installed on the entire front of the car 8h after picking it up at Spatansburg, but I still can't bring myself to track it.
Even if I insure it for 70k, I don't want 70k. I want my 2013 with 12k miles on it... yet I also want to see it 'run free' at the track. That V8 must sound stupidly good bouncing off walls and I can envision it with PFC F+R BBK, MCS suspension, CAE shifter and F+R aero playing with GT3s but most importantly, giving me a huge shit eating grin in the words of Bigjae

I'm more likely to buy a truly disposable platform, like an F80, and track that when the E46 M3 which I track today gives up the ghost.

I'm currently leaning towards tracking the E46 M3 a couple more years with the addition of KW CS suspension and then getting a F80 ZCP when they're released.


Regarding streetability as some have mentioned, I think you can have a very fast E9X like I mentioned before but without the aero which is fully streatable. That's the beautiful thing about BBKs and quality suspension components.

As far as skill level is concerned, it depends who you race against. If you are racing E36 M3s then yes, a E9X will not make you a good driver as you can blow past them with power, but if your competition is Turbo S and GT3 cars then you'll have to become a good driver with the E9X.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

Got e46 on the brain I guess.

I knew he had a E9X because on the 'other forum' he talks about it more, but I didn't know it was MCB like mine until recently when I was creeping his forum profile looking for threads he had started.

MCB after it rains and there are drops on it is drop dead gorgeous

[RickyBobby]

I've got both an e36 and e90 similarly prepped (coilovers, brakes tires) and I have to say that it's a toss up. They actually both drive quite similarly in terms of balance and handling. The e36 corners faster and changes direction quicker and the e90 has more power.
Consumables in the e36 cost approx 1/4 less than the e90. Brakes last me 5x longer and tires last 2x longer (and they both cost less to replace). Not to mention that my entire e36 costs less than just the mods on the e90.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by RickyBobby

I've got both an e36 and e90 similarly prepped (coilovers, brakes tires) and I have to say that it's a toss up. They actually both drive quite similarly in terms of balance and handling. The e36 corners faster and changes direction quicker and the e90 has more power.
Consumables in the e36 are approx 1/4 less than the e90. Brakes last me 5x longer and tires last 2x longer (and they both cost less to replace). Not to mention that my entire e36 costs less than just the mods on the e90.

Consumables are 1/4 less than the E90 or 1/4 of the E90's consumables?

[WarrantyTracker]

If you can teach yourself to work on the E36, go for it. Since these cars are getting older, they need TLC, like replacing suspension bushings and stuff. If you wind up paying shop rates for labor every time something needs to be fixed, you're better off just paying track insurance for the E92.

Personally I find I learn more as a driver, and learn it faster, when I get out of my E92 and into a lighter, older, less powerful car. But that's just me, and everybody has to make their own decision about what kind of driver they want to be and how they will get there.

Recently I scored a sweet E36 chassis, and it will be making its track debut just as soon as I get around to putting a V8 under the hood.

If anybody is looking for a good deal on an M50 with a blown headgasket and the tranny, let me know . . . ..

[OC3]

Originally Posted by RickyBobby

I've got both an e36 and e90 similarly prepped (coilovers, brakes tires) and I have to say that it's a toss up. They actually both drive quite similarly in terms of balance and handling. The e36 corners faster and changes direction quicker and the e90 has more power.
Consumables in the e36 cost approx 1/4 less than the e90. Brakes last me 5x longer and tires last 2x longer (and they both cost less to replace). Not to mention that my entire e36 costs less than just the mods on the e90.

More details on those plz (which make/model coilovers, brakes & tires).