How I Built a Track Ready E36 M3 for $10,334.82

The two takeaways are:

1. A stock E36 M3 can do well on track AS IS — it’s an M car after all — so it really won’t take much more than basic maintenance to get the car prepped. For me, it came down to 3 things: 1) revamping the cooling system 2) a refresh of the brakes, and 3) new tires.
2. The second takeaway is if you’re looking to purchase an E36 M3, do your research. 1 hour of research could save you a few thousand dollars in repairs. You’re going to want to research things like the cooling system, VANOS, and rear shock mounts.

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THE CAR

I purchased a 1999 M3 coupe that was bone stock except for an upgraded alarm and 20 year old 3M clear bra. Thankfully, the car was in great mechanical shape with lots of maintenance records.

As of April 2020, you can find a decent E36 between $6-$10k depending on the condition of the car and what’s available in your area. Let’s use the KBB pricing of $7,835.

KBB isn’t always the best measure of the value of these cars since they’re more collectors items and enthusiast vehicles, so keep an eye on Bring a Trailer as well (along with craigslist and Facebook marketplace).

There are plenty of YouTube videos, articles, and forums that cover in-depth the things you should look for when buying an E36 M3.

THE PARTS

The first thing I did was an Inspection II service because I wanted a baseline for things like an oil change, fuel filter, spark plugs and differential fluid.

$275.88 total

That set me back $275.88 in parts. If anything, this is preventative maintenance — which is the name of the game when owning a BMW.

Over the course of 2 months I began prepping the car for the track. It didn’t take much. I upgraded the cooling system, refreshed the brakes, and purchased new tires.

For the cooling system, I purchased a new water pump and an aluminum radiator. I swear by this list because I’ve ran it at the track for 5 sessions/day, and it has given me zero issues.

I initially planned to run a Wilwood big brake kit from UUC, but I wasn’t happy with the fitment and ended up returning it. And I can make a separate video explaining why I won’t be doing business with UUC ever again.

I’m not the fastest driver, but I’ve done a dozen or so events and typically drive about 8/10ths on the track so I wouldn’t say I’m easy on the car during the sessions either. The cooling system refresh set me back $850.54.

$850.54 total

For the brakes, I refreshed the stock braking system front and rear. I did a high temp fluid and new factory pads. And I was pleasantly surprised at how it performed in stock form. I only experienced brake fade about ¾ through each session. For the beginner driver, you might not need to upgrade the brakes much before a track outing. I do recommend doing fresh brake fluid before a track outing, though. The brake refresh set me back $157.27.

Note: On my third track day with the car I had improved my driving ability so much so that I had reached the limit of the stock braking components. I boiled the fluid and melted the stock pads. I upgraded to Prospeed RS683 brake fluid, PFC08 brake pads front and rear, front brass caliper bushings, and stainless steel brake lines. I haven’t had a brake issue since upgrading to those parts.

For tires, I ran the Bridgestone RE71R’s in the factory staggered set up of 245 in the rear and 225 in the front. That set of tires set me back $680.10.

As far as parts, I spent $2,334.82 to get my E36 M3 ready for the track (at the beginner level).

Now, of course, there are a lot of variables here. And your mileage will vary based on the condition of your E36. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with the E36…

If you purchase an E36 that needs a lot more prep work or maintenance, you’re obviously going to have to spend more money.