E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

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Metrics
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by Metrics » Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:00 am

hap wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:32 pm
What’s your price limit Paul to even consider this pls save it
hap, you are the automotive equivalent of Cilla Black/Paddy McGuinness :lol:
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

ScooBeeFive
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by ScooBeeFive » Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:12 am

hap wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:32 pm
What’s your price limit Paul to even consider this pls save it
I can’t even think about it. I really am dreaming.

I was 14 when the E36 M3 launched, and despite the luke warm reviews, it was just the ultimate for me. I remember staring through the window at an Estoril Blue one in Rydales on Broad Street in Birmingham.

A B3 increases the desirability massively, but I pushed the boat out purchasing the B5 so I’m really in no position to be buying a project.

I do hope someone on here can save it though, it really deserves it.
Paul

2013 F11 B5 BiTurbo Touring #135 - Alpina Blue
2017 F33 B4S BiTurbo Cabrio #235 - Tanzanite Blue

Bob
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by Bob » Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:16 am

Metrics wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:00 am
hap wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:32 pm
What’s your price limit Paul to even consider this pls save it
hap, you are the automotive equivalent of Cilla Black/Paddy McGuinness :lol:
That made me chuckle, nearly spat my brew out! :lol:
B3 3.2 TOURING #062

hap
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by hap » Wed Dec 02, 2020 8:17 am

No likey no lighty
I’d describe this motor as a leggy blonde with a lot to give was once loved and had heart broken and now needs someone to fix cue Coldplay and show the ex lover what there missing out on
I am a humble type and I along with bob like to help people spend their money on alpinas
Unofficial brand ambassadors 😂

Metrics
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by Metrics » Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:18 am

CaesarBob wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:16 am
Metrics wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:00 am
hap wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:32 pm
What’s your price limit Paul to even consider this pls save it
hap, you are the automotive equivalent of Cilla Black/Paddy McGuinness :lol:
That made me chuckle, nearly spat my brew out! :lol:
:lol:
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

Metrics
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Location: Berks

Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by Metrics » Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:19 am

hap wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 8:17 am
No likey no lighty
I’d describe this motor as a leggy blonde with a lot to give was once loved and had heart broken and now needs someone to fix cue Coldplay and show the ex lover what there missing out on
I am a humble type and I along with bob like to help people spend their money on alpinas
Unofficial brand ambassadors 😂
Hilarious :lol:

You're a quality ambassador mate 8)
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

JASV8S
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by JASV8S » Wed Dec 02, 2020 8:35 pm

CaesarBob wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 3:53 pm
JASV8S wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 1:13 pm
A friend of mine who lives in Port Elphinstone near Inverurie has/had an Alpina Green B3 3.2 with beige/tan leather. I am not sure if he still has it as I have not spoken to him since the Covid crisis started but he was using it regularly until 2015/16 when the area was affected badly with flooding a a couple of his classics were affected. I need to get in touch with him as it has been a while and find out about his car. I did know the number but can'y remember.
Any info you have John would be gratefully received. I only know of five 3.2's (across the bodystyles) in any shade of green with a tan interior. I wonder if the one you know is saloon #046? That one's last MOT expired in 2016.
Hi Bob, Received some info from my friend and his car is a 3.2 manual coupe with a light tan interior and he is sure the colour is Forest Green. I thought it was Alpina Green but it has been 5 years since I have seen the car and looking back I think it might have been a flat colour rather than a metallic. He can't remember (he thinks his memory is going) the plaque number and can't get access to the interior to check as his garage is crammed with an old 911 plus other stuff after the flooding. The car needs some welding and he hopes to get active on the car in the spring. Once the vaccines have been rolled out a bit I might get the chance to run out and see him and encourage him. If I remember I am sure he had a private reg on the car with MAL.
John
Alpina Blue B10 V8S #54 Saloon
Montreal Red F20 M-Sport
Sparkling Bronze F30 Xdrive (sold)
Titan Silver E90 325iSE (sold)
Blue Mini Cooper (sold)

Bob
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by Bob » Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:27 am

JASV8S wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 8:35 pm
CaesarBob wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 3:53 pm
JASV8S wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 1:13 pm
A friend of mine who lives in Port Elphinstone near Inverurie has/had an Alpina Green B3 3.2 with beige/tan leather. I am not sure if he still has it as I have not spoken to him since the Covid crisis started but he was using it regularly until 2015/16 when the area was affected badly with flooding a a couple of his classics were affected. I need to get in touch with him as it has been a while and find out about his car. I did know the number but can'y remember.
Any info you have John would be gratefully received. I only know of five 3.2's (across the bodystyles) in any shade of green with a tan interior. I wonder if the one you know is saloon #046? That one's last MOT expired in 2016.
Hi Bob, Received some info from my friend and his car is a 3.2 manual coupe with a light tan interior and he is sure the colour is Forest Green. I thought it was Alpina Green but it has been 5 years since I have seen the car and looking back I think it might have been a flat colour rather than a metallic. He can't remember (he thinks his memory is going) the plaque number and can't get access to the interior to check as his garage is crammed with an old 911 plus other stuff after the flooding. The car needs some welding and he hopes to get active on the car in the spring. Once the vaccines have been rolled out a bit I might get the chance to run out and see him and encourage him. If I remember I am sure he had a private reg on the car with MAL.
Thanks for the info John, that's great to know. If it's a manual and green then it seems most likely it is #079. Hopefully you can encourage him to get it back on the road one day soon.
B3 3.2 TOURING #062

500E
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by 500E » Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:00 am

Hello gents, seldom visit this great forum since I sold my B3 3.2 Coupe E36 in 2012 (with regret), 8 years and many cars later, I still have a soft spot for the B3, more specifically the E36 3.2. Base line is: I am very interested in this car given it is a late car 1999 and Estoril blue cab. I did receive further photos from the seller and to be honest, it seems like a once loved example but the car is frankly in dire need of a full resto.

From what I can see, the car would (at the minimum) want a full repaint at some point, welding to the underside and full underseal, new brake and probably fuel lines. Then a refresh of all the 'usual' service items, brakes, fluids, etc. After that - the interior! Seats really want replacing, suppose you could find replacement seats but these do look Alpina specific in terms of colour and piping (or are they normal grey leather sports seats from a cab?). Steering is also ripped up so would want recovering.

End of the day: it can all be done as a DIY project (I live in Dubai, UAE so would simply keep the car parked in the UK for now) but demands a substantial budget, minimum 5-6k GBP. That said, today the asking price is 10,750 GBP, what is the car really worth as it stands? I am sure I have seen good examples of B3 3.2's go from 8-12k GBP, that would suggest this is worth 5k GBP max, if that? Oh, seller has also told me the soft top needs attention and leaks, so it probably would want a replacement top and screen.
Alpina B3 3.2 Coupe - Number 076

E24man
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by E24man » Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:35 am

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Last edited by E24man on Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

500E
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by 500E » Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:14 pm

Point taken, I do appreciate that, I am thinking it might be better to find a well-loved example. I run an MB 94 E500 as a weekend car here in the UAE, although it was a very very good example when I first bought the car, bringing it up to *my* standard hasn't been cheap, much of that work has been regular maintenance and replacement of parts you would expect at this age. The other issue is parts are becoming NLA for these old cars, not sure if that is the case with these motors, but given Alpina is quite a niche brand I would expect the original, period correct parts for the B3 3.2 to be quite difficult to locate, especially those unique parts.

The other issue is: I am not in the UK and my family lives in London, the car is at the other end of the country which makes a proper inspection and viewing challenging, particularly in the COVID-19 era we now live in. My concerns from that perspective is really the running gear, engine, gearbox and diff, ensuring they are running properly and that the car is still capable of its 150+ MPH without serious issues. I suppose I could get an inspection done but in my experience they don't tell the full story, particularly for specialist cars like these. The mileage is quite high at over 150k so there is a risk a fair amount of the underside is tired.

I have to say, the odds are stacked against this one but: a 1 previous owner, Estoril blue B3 3.2 Cab with what appears to be fully optioned, is very tempting proposition, I'm sure with the right TLC it will make a very desirable car that I could hold onto and enjoy for the foreseeable! Values for these have certainly gone up in the last few years, although not substantially. I would certainly not buy this as an investment (I do not consider it economically viable at this point in time once you have done the repairs) but with an initial low outlay and 12 month ticket on it, it is an attractive proposition to enjoy every time I am in the UK (two weeks a year!), even in its current state (soft top replacement and a major service is a must though - service items are driveway DIY jobs for me, brakes, fluids, etc.).

Another thing that weighs on my mind is the ULEZ October 2021 and extension of the congestion charge: the UK government unfortunately does not make owning and driving these incredible cars friendly from a cost PoV, particularly in London. Decisions, decisions.
Alpina B3 3.2 Coupe - Number 076

Bob
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by Bob » Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:38 pm

I'd be inclined to agree that this one is almost guaranteed to never be a viable project if you purely consider purchase price plus the amount of work that will likely be needed versus a pristine example's resale value. Some of the learned folk in the E36 communities, with experience of Cabs in particular, reckon there is quite a high chance of internal rot within the bulkhead/a-pillar areas which is only really visible by inspection through the jacking points. Many tidier looking cabs have suffered there apparently.

As an example of possible values, last summer #052 was for sale at £15k with 62k miles and it does appear to have sold, but quite what the final price was I don't know. It was a nice Individual example in Aqua with Champagne Nappa with contrast piping.

Parts availablility of ALPINA specific parts is still pretty good for the B3 3.2's from what I've seen. #062 has had all new springs and shocks (plus all the BMW bushes, etc) and a new 3.2 specific intake elbow but fortunately not needed to do anything else to the engine/transmission. Parts that are NLA include C93 Softline wheels from later E36's (But you can get C88 Hardlines) and the extra gauge cluster for oil temps/pressure & gear selection.
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3-023-1_B3_3-2_CABRIO_[E36_LCI]_#052_02b.jpg
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B3 3.2 TOURING #062

ScooBeeFive
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by ScooBeeFive » Thu Dec 17, 2020 8:31 pm

Does anyone know what happened with this one? The advert ended up at £10,750 but it’s no longer listed.
Paul

2013 F11 B5 BiTurbo Touring #135 - Alpina Blue
2017 F33 B4S BiTurbo Cabrio #235 - Tanzanite Blue

Bob
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by Bob » Thu Dec 17, 2020 10:30 pm

Not seen or heard anything since the ad disappeared. Assumed it was sat on your drive next to the B5. :wink:
B3 3.2 TOURING #062

simon13
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Re: E36 B3 3.2 Cabrio #83

Post by simon13 » Thu Dec 17, 2020 11:21 pm

its no more than 5k people just bank on the Alpina bit and think thats some gold standard to print money, without stepping back and thinking i've hammered this into the ground got my moneys worth.... They are quirky hard to sell cars at the best of times!

Some people with old broken Alpinas are a special breed. The guy i bought my E36 b3 3.2 touring off was special price wise also. When i pointed out the market for a 16 year old Alpina touring with 189,000 miles on it and an engine running on 5 cylinders and no idea to the problem is kind of very small he came round. Took him 2 months but he did. We lived in the same town and he never did like seeing me drive around town in it. Stopped me twice to ask how it was. I said after the deal don't you want to see it fixed he said no not really as he had paid his mechanic to fix it already!
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