Yeah the limerock park edition doesn’t represent the general market well. These cars can be had for decent prices, depending on spec. The sedan variant is more rare too.
I'd love to get a 4 door with a manual. Crazy that low mileage, one owner ones cost more than a new Mustang.
Yes, it’s my favorite era. Last N/A M3, only one with a v8, plus it’s F1 inspired. It’s at a sweet spot before downsizing and turbos.
Yeah, and I think it’s better than new mustangs too. The e9x chassis delivers far better driver feel and engagement. The E90 was only made for 3 years, and will hold or appreciate in value and a new mustang will depreciate hard.
I wouldn't say easily fixed to be fair. Main bearing failure has killed many S65's. Just slapping in some rod bearings isn't a guaranteed fix if your engine becomes unhappy. The stock bearing clearances are very tight and the recommended oil change intervals and weight didn't really cut it given the forces involved at those high RPM's.
I can't remember what I concluded from my research a few years ago. Are you saying that the ITB and rod bearings can be a one and done? My assumption is that both expenses will be repeating over time (assuming you actually drive the car).
Rod bearings are a one and done, since you replace the right OEM clearance bearings with slightly larger ones. The throttle actuators are also a one time fix.
Main bearing failures are very uncommon, and there’s a lot of research on this subject. The rod bearing replacements provide larger clearance. Also who actually follows recommended oil change intervals lol.
I used to follow the recommendations when the manufacturers gave sensible 3,000 mile oil change intervals. No way am I extending to 10,000 or something to make my engine wear out more quickly. Especially with all the hydraulic cam actuators, etc. that have tiny openings in them.
The rod bearings are pretty much solved by using BE Bearings with their newer tolerances. There is also a company with the ITB issue that has made more durable gears and supposedly increased the life of those as well. Time will tell. There are still a ton of M3s running around with the original rod bearings with well over 100k miles on them. The ITB issue sooner or later will tear its ugly head. It wouldn't stop me though.
It's not that uncommon. It's the same basic failure mode, but it usually takes longer than the rod bearings to show up. That doesn't mean it's a non issue. I know a guy locally who did the rod bearings and then had low oil pressure 20k miles later. He did a lot of autocross with it.
