1998 BMW M3

DINAN Convertible

3.2 In-Line 6 Cylinder

Manual

WBSBK9333WEC42043

Clear

Gasoline

Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE I realize this description is ridiculously HUGE but please read it all, there are some really amazing things to be read here!! This auction is for a true dream car, a 1998 BMW M3 Dinan Cabriolet (convertible). This is the stunning E36 Body-Style and boy, is it ever gorgeous. As many of you already know, 1998 was the first year for this legendary body-style M3 to be released as a convertible. As such, they certainly stand out!! They only made the M3 Cabriolet for two years, so they are quite rare by E36 standards. So, this is sure to be a unique, one-of-a-kind car for its new owner! If you didn’t know this already, an E36 is BMW’s designation for any 3-Series produced 1992-1999. I have owned four E36 convertibles (22 BMWs total) as of now and this one is by far and away my favorite! As you can see, I have always been a BMW guy (I have four of them at the moment), as such I know how to take care of them and always give them the proper care and respect that they deserve. The car in question is a Cosmos Black Metallic (that is the factory BMW name for this color) over a stunning and sophisticated Black leather interior. It has every single option / option package you could get on this vehicle (except the hardtop)! When I bought this car, I selected it because of it’s excellent original condition and darn near flaw free appearance. When I purchased this car, it was all 100% original, right down to the original Cassette Player! Every addition you will hear described below, I had professionally done myself! Before I get into the additions on this exquisite vehicle, let me explain my vision to you. I fell in-love with the E36 Convertible right when they came out in 1994. I pined away for a one with all the options. At that point in time, it was far out of my price range. I never forgot about that beautiful car. Years later, I bought my first E36 Convertible. It was a 1994 Bright Red over Sand Beige 325i convertible and not too many options. I always wanted an ///M3 but none were to be found (too rare). I sold my 94’ and later bought a 1995 Montreal Blue with Dove Grey interior 325i convertible. Again, I had tried to find a the M3 of my dreams but again failed. I ended up parting ways with that one as well. My last E36 acquisition was a flawless and stunning 1999 Avus Blue over Sand Beige. It was a jaw dropping example in every possible way and I knew that even thought it wasn’t an M3, I would keep it ‘forever’. A while back I decided to add a brand new Z4 Roadster to my collection. I went down to my local BMW dealership and selected my new Roadster. While I was there, I couldn’t believe that they had a 98’ M3 Convertible on their lot!! BMW centers typically won’t sell a car over five years old. It was so gorgeous and loaded that I couldn’t help myself……I bought it and my new Z4 together!! That was an amazing day!!! After bringing it home, I sat forth in making it the cleanest, most modern looking E36 M3 Convertible around. So I made the following exterior enhancements: New Smoked Front Turn Signal Lenses New Smoked Side Marker Lights (to match the new signals) New Red & Clear Crystal Tail Lights Factory Style Rear Lip Spoiler (very modest and discreet appearance) With the exterior completed as far as I wanted to take it, it was time to bring some fresh factory components and some tasteful personal touches to the interior. I kept with the same formula I used on the exterior to handle the interior. Wow, does this interior look amazing!!! With the interior already looking nearly new, it was time to complete the job! That being said, here are the interior additions: OEM Chrome E-Brake Button OEM Chrome Gauge Rings OEM Chrome Interior Door Handles Chrome Shift Bezel OEM E46 ZHP Package Leather Shift Knob (specially weighted, short performance knob that only came on E46 style 3-Series with the rare ZHP Performance Package) OEM Embroidered Floor Mats (purchased form the dealer 1 month ago!) AUX Port Installed into the OEM Stereo (I wanted to keep an original look but be able to listen to MP3 Music, this was the perfect solution. I will also include a new Aux Cable) Now for this particular car, I did something I hardly ever do with my vehicles. I had it tuned up and customized mechanically for the sake of performance! If you are a BMW enthusiast I am certain that you have heard of the legendary, internationally renowned BMW only performance company, DINAN. DINAN is the only company in the world that actually is recommended and supported by BMW (they are not BMW owned however). DINAN items are so highly respected and revered they do not void the original BMW warranties. That is how amazing they are!! Now, with all of these accolades, I am sure you know that DINAN items are just about the most expensive modifications and performance enhancements you can purchase for a BMW. I always wanted a DINAN tuned BMW but they were always so ridiculously expensive. Well, when I bought this M3 I wanted it to be perfection. No expense spared. So, I took it to DINAN themselves to be enhanced and improved upon. Most people order items from DINAN and have them installed at a local shop or install them themselves. That wasn’t good enough for my M3!! I actually shipped the car up to DINAN in Los Gatos California (San Francisco Bay Area) for them to install all of the items themselves!!!!! Try finding another BMW for sale where the owner actually did that! I have all records at receipts from DINAN to show / prove what I had them do. Although I had the car’s performance enhanced, it has never been raced, tracked nor abused in anyway!! Speaking of which, here is what was done: Removed the electronic speed limiter (governor) Re-Program the main engine computer using DINAN Stage II Software Install complete DINAN Cold Air Induction Install complete DINAN Cat-Back Dual Exhaust System DINAN Suspension Upgrades DINAN Aluminum Performance Pedals DINAN Performance License Plate Frame (chrome & black to match the car) I want to say there may be more DINAN enhancements on the car, but I can’t recall at the moment. If I do remember or am able to find the time to go through all of the records, I will post more information here in the listing. I think that is about it for Mechanical, Exterior and Interior Additions. I really wanted to keep it all original, clean and beautiful. After giving this car some updated looks, both inside and out, it was time to make the most reliable E36 on the road. That means some new Parts and Maintenance! Here is what has been done to this stunning car during my ownership. I apologize for the long list but I am very, very anal and insist everything be flawless. I do have records and receipts for everything mentioned in this list!! I am also anal with record keeping. It is quite a long list but please do read it thoroughly. Anyway, onto the list! I have also included the dates of installation and/or purchase. April 25th 2012: Four New Performance Tires April 25th 2012: Oil Change, Service April 25th 2012: Differential Service April 25th 2012: Transmission Service April 25th 2012: New Alloy Wheel (replaced due to hairline surface crack) June 12th 2012: Factory M3 Floor Mats ordered June 13th 2012: Headliner Fix (common dog ear replacement) June 13th 2012: Purchased & Installed Red and Clear Crystal Taillights June 13th 2012: Purchased & Installed Smoke Clear Side Marker Lights June 13th 2012: Re-Mounted & Tightened CD Changer into Bracket June 14th 2012: Convertible Top Tension Strap Adjustment June 14th 2012: Convertible Top Lubrication (all pivots & hinges) June 14th 2012: Convertible Top Rear Section Adjusted June 14th 2012: Ordered new Convertible Boot Cover Strut June 14th 2012: Ordered new OEM Trunk Cargo Straps June 14th 2012: Ordered new Passenger’s Side Seatbelt Trim Piece June 14th 2012: Ordered new Driver’s Side Seatbelt Trim Piece June 15th 2012: Ordered new ‘///M’ Logos (4) for Alloy Wheels June 17th 2012: Ordered new Driver’s Side HK Speaker June 17th 2012: Ordered new Driver’s Side Tweeter Speaker June 17th 2012: Ordered new Passenger’s Side HK Speaker June 17th 2012: Ordered new Passenger’s Side Tweeter Speaker June 17th 2012: Car washed (vacuumed, tires cleaned, tire dressing, wheels polished June 17th 2012: Cleaned and Conditioned all Leather (seats, door panels, shift boot, brake boot, brake handle, steering wheel) June 17th 2012: Polished, Cleaned & Treated Rear Window. (all scratches, hazing and marks were perfectly removed) June 18th 2012: Ordered OEM ‘BMW Motorsport’ Plaque June 19th 2012: Installed Convertible Boot Strut June 20th 2012: Tightened Driver’s Side Skirt June 29th 2012: Purchased & Programmed new Keyless Entry Remote July 1st 2012: Installed brand new Passenger & Driver side Tweeter Speakers July 1st 2012: Installed brand new Passenger & Driver side HK Door Speakers July 1st 2012: Installed new Soft Top Roof Trim Cap July 1st 2012: Installed brand new Passenger & Driver Side Seatbelt Trim Pieces July 2nd 2012: Purchased & installed new ‘smoked’ front Turn Signal Lenses July 5th 2012: Car washed (vacuumed, tires cleaned, tire dressing, wheels polished July 9th 2012: Coded & installed new Ignition Tumbler July 9th 2012: New Drive Shaft Flex Disc Installed July 9th 2012: New Exhaust Hangers (all of them) Installed July 11th 2012: Installed ‘BMW Motorsport’ badge on front ashtray July 16th 2012: Replaced Headlight Knob / Fog Light Button illumination bulb July 31st 2012: Applied factory BMW ‘Gummi Pledge’ on all rubber seals August 10th 2012: Had all windows tinted August 25th 2012: New Passenger Seat Recline Gear Installed August 28th 2012: Car washed (vacuumed, tires cleaned, tire dressing, wheels polished August 28th 2012: Cleaned and Conditioned all Leather (seats, door panels, shift boot, brake boot, brake handle, steering wheel) August 28th 2012: Polished, Cleaned & Treated Rear Window. (all scratches, hazing and marks were perfectly removed) September 22nd 2012: Car washed, vacuumed, tires cleaned, tire shine, wheels polished October 1st 2012: New Chrome Shift Trim Purchased & Installed October 1st 2012: New OEM Chrome E-Brake Button Purchased & Installed October 1st 2012: New Factory E46 ZHP Package Shift Knob Purchased & Installed October 1st 2012: New OEM Chrome Interior Door handles Purchased & Installed October 1st 2012: New Chrome Gauge Rings Purchased & Installed October 21st 2012: New OEM lower Seatbelt Trim Cap ordered & installed October 24th 2012: Valve Cover Gasket Replaced October 24th 2012: OEM Side Skirts better attached with all new factory retainers October 25th 2012: New Factory Stereo (with Aux Port added) purchased & installed October 28th 2012: Car washed, vacuumed, tires cleaned, tire dressing, wheels polished October 28th 2012: Cleaned and Conditioned all Leather (seats, door panels, shift boot, brake boot, brake handle, steering wheel) October 28th 2012: Polished, Cleaned & Treated Rear Window (all scratches, hazing and marks were perfectly removed) November 20th 2012: DINAN Cold Air Induction Purchased & Installed (Install done by DINAN itself) November 20th 2012: DINAN Stage II Engine Software Purchased & Installed (Programming done by DINAN itself) November 20th 2012: DINAN Catback Exhaust System Purchased & Installed (Install done by DINAN itself) April 9th 2013: Cleaned and Conditioned all Leather (seats, door panels, shift boot, brake boot, brake handle, steering wheel) April 9th 2013: All interior and exterior plastics treated with protectant/shine treatment. June 21st 2013: Oil & Filter Change performed at BMW Dealership. June 21st 2013: Full 101 Point Inspection performed at dealership, zero issues found June 23rd 2013: Fully Detailed (Hand washed, hand waxed, trim shined, windows polished, wheels scrubbed, tires treated, rear window treated with scratch remover/protectant & polished) June 28th 2013: Purchased and installed new trim attachment pieces on boot cover. You cannot go wrong with this beautiful BMW! First off, it is loaded with all the factory options which can be rare for an M3. It is the much harder to find Manual Transmission. I was able to access some BMW Production Records and was quite pleased to learn that only 100 Black with Black interior Manual Transmission M3 Convertibles were ever made! Who knows how many out of that 100 were equipped exactly like this one. That being considered, there are less then 100 units just like this car originally manufactured!!!! That’s pretty rare and impressive I’d say. I have the BMW print out to show / prove this production number. This M3 looks very original, modern and clean. The interior is all leather, even items like the door panels which on lower equipped cars are just vinyl that looks similar to leather. It has superior handling, a ridiculous amount of updated parts and accessories and plenty of rare and original OEM options!! As for this car’s mechanical and operational condition, it just doesn’t get better. Everything on this car operates flawlessly and just as it should! There is loads of power, an excellently solid ride, no abnormal noises, rattles or sounds of any kind! It has always been serviced as per BMW specifications. I even had the servicing done ONLY at Authorized BMW centers or at the world Renowned DINAN Performance Centers! This car handles like a dream and shifts ultra smoothly, there are no hidden surprises here, what so ever……just a great driving and perfectly reliable M3! In the years since this car was brand new, the car has only traveled 112,500 miles!! That averages out to just 7,000 miles a year. The national average is 15,000 per year. So, this car has less then half of the miles that it should!!! It really is absolutely fantastic. As I mentioned earlier, I have receipts for EVERYTHING I have ever done to it. This beauty has a potent 3.2 Liter, In-Line Six Cylinder with ridiculous amounts of Torque. It truly is a fast car. Now, that was before the DINAN installed enhancements! Now lets talk about the feel after it got delivered back from DINAN………WOW!!! It sounds amazing and screams down the road. It is an incredible sensation to drive this car, rather at speed or in a relaxed and leisurely manner. This silky smooth, powerful engine is mated to a very short throw, performance driven Manual Transmission. Talk about crisp shifting!! Ok, lets talk exterior. This car is straight and true with no body damage what-so-ever. It has a few, very normal, very small chips or little marks from 13 years of driving….that’s it! There are no cracks in the trim, dents or anything like that. The seals are all perfect, you won’t see any leaks on this one! All lights and signals function just as they should. The tires are just like new and as such have many, many miles left on them. The tires are Khumo Performance tires and carry a transferable LIFETIME WARRANTY!! Again, because of how ridiculously anal I am, I bought a brand new OEM Antenna. The original had a small mark on it and that wasn’t acceptable. The one I bought is still new and in the package! All in all, an AMAZING looking and performing E36 M3 Cabriolet! On to the Interior. What can I say? The interior is ridiculously close to flawless! You will NOT find a single scratch, crack, smell, or any other type of imperfection! If you have been shopping for an E36 (especially a convertible), I’m sure you have seen a ton of ripped seats, saggy interior door panels, shabby / sagging headliners, missing trim and the like. Well you are not going to find any of that in my car!! This interior is immaculate! I have conditioned all of the leather every single month! The car also gets washed every other week and gets fully detailed once a month. It has never been parked outdoors. I have never driven the car as a daily driver. It typically gets driven about once every two months. If I’m not driving it, I still pull it out of the garage to detail it and then pull it right back in. I am that crazy about this car!! I know it’s a small detail but it also shows how nit-picky I am with the car, I even have the original cigarette lighter AND the original Black Cap. So you can choose what look you like best for the center console. My Aunt has an 2004 325ci Convertible (E46 Body Style) and I noticed a neat feature it has that the E46 doesn’t have. The back seat has clips that hold the rear seatbelts in place so that they don’t flap around when the top is down. Genius! So, I went to my BMW Dealership and bought a set of them. I had the clips installed by a high-end vehicle upholstery shop. They look 100% original to the car and work beautifully! Lets go ahead and cover this M3’s standard OEM features and specs: Dual Zone Digital, Automatic Climate Control Ice Cold Air Conditioning Power Steering Power Brakes Power Windows w/ Auto Down & Auto Up All Windows Down Function (with Auto Down) Power Mirrors Power Locks with Keyless Entry Power Central Locking Fully Automatic Power Convertible Top Integrated Retractable Roll Bars 4-Wheel Double Wishbone Suspension Alloy Wheels Tilt Steering Wheel AM/FM Cassette Stereo System Leather Interior (seats, door panels, rear seat panels, shift boot, E-Brake boot, steering wheel, etc) 14-Way Adjustable Sport Seats Service Interval Computer Check Control Computer Not too shabby huh? Lets talk about all of the Options & Packages it has. Here we go: Cold Weather Package (heated seats, heated door lock) Harmon Kardon Sound System (12 speakers, Amp, Subwoofer & CD Changer) On-Board Computer (Avg Fuel Consumption, Avg Speed, Outside Temp, Miles till Empty, Clock, Date Display & so much more) Power Driver & Passenger Seats Cruise Control Keyless Entry & Alarm System (will also remotely close the windows and raise the convertible top!!) Factory BMW CD Changer Chrome Contour (factory name for this style wheel) Alloy Wheels Not too bad huh? Just in case you are not super familiar with the M3 model (which I’m guessing you are), I wanted to fill you in on all of the special touches that the M3 has, aside from the powerful M engine, sport tuned short-throw transmission and beefed up suspension. Here are the iniquities that make up the amazing look of the M3, these items were only originally available to the M3: Unique Front Bumper Front Air Dam Unique Fog Lights (with special pattern) Aero Dynamic Lower Side Skirts Unique Rear Bumper Special, Aerodynamic Rear Diffuser Panel Slipstream Side View Mirrors M-Sport Light Weight Alloy Wheels M Door Scuff Plates M Emblem Gauge Cluster w/ Higher RPM Redline M Emblem Shift Knob M Emblem, unique 3-Spoke Steering Wheel Multi-Adjustable M Sport Seats OK, lets talk about a very important subject……the convertible top. Are you tired of seeing ads that say ‘top does not work’ or ‘top needs help to operate’? How about looking at cars that have broken tops, tops that slam into the lid, tops that the lid drags against the roof or even worse things? Stop worrying about it, this one is FLAWLESS ! ! ! ! These cars have four very common problems with their roofs, and they are Worn-Out Tension Straps ($800 – 1,000 fix), Non-Lubricated Pivot Points & Hinges, Broken Struts for the Boot Cover Lid and Sagging / Messed-Up Headliners. I had new tension straps installed a few months ago!!!!! That’s a huge bonus! I have always lubricated all pivot points and hinges associated with the roof assembly. I replaced both of the Struts for the Boot Cover Lid. Lastly, I purchased factory Headliner Repair kits and it is now just like brand new! Every-single component of this car’s convertible system and assembly are either brand new or in absolutely perfect, regularly maintained condition! I guarantee the top will work perfectly for you. You can even raise the top three different ways. You can use the button on the center console, put the key in the door lock and twist it to the right or click a button on the keyless entry remote and it will raise it automatically while you walk away. That last one is a custom touch I had installed on the car!!!! Also on my car, you can also raise & lower the top while driving at lower speeds. That is also something I had added to the car. I dare you to find another one that has these features! I have included pictures of the top at various points in its cycle so that you can see it operates just as it should. Another known touchy area of the E36 is the cooling system. As they age, the radiators are prone to cracking and the cooling fans also crack and fall apart causing the car to overheat which could lead to major engine problems! Well guess what? The cooling system ahs been completely gone through and replaced with better then OEM, upgraded brand new components!! Basically, all known E36 issues have been dealt with before they became issues! I believe in preventing problems before they develop. I have all of the original Owner’s Manuals, Books, Booklets, Records and Receipts for this car. There will be NO surprises with this one. You will get all of the paper work to show you how well it has been loved and maintained! In addition to the above, I have both of the original lighted master keys, original grey colored valet key and even the original flat emergency use key!! I also have three original Keyless Entry Remotes and even the original glove box mounted flashlight and trunk mounted tool kit! What, that’s not enough original accessories for you? You want more? Ok, not a problem! I also have the original sales brochure book for the car (back from 1998), the original window sticker (sold new at Beverly Hills BMW for $50K), I even have the original ‘BMW of Beverly Hills’ License Plate frame (in brand new condition) that will be included, the original BMW Build Sheet, both original trunk cargo straps (new, never used) and probably many more other items that I can’t recall at the moment!! Aside from an utterly amazing, guaranteed reliable M3 you will also get another nicety. As I wasn’t planning on selling the car, I just paid for another year’s registration! So, you will not have to pay a dime until May of 2014. I also had a full service performed at the BMW Dealership just last week!!! I think that just about sums it all up, and then some! Please read the details I have posted above and look at the many pictures below. This really is a stunning and very unique BMW and I will miss it greatly. It literally hurts my stomach when I think about letting it go. You are probably wondering why I am selling such a magnificent piece of machinery. I am only selling it because I just bought a Yacht and need a more practical vehicle for hauling stuff to the Marina. So, I bought a new BMW X5 yesterday. I still have three other BMWs though! I couldn’t stand to let it go except to get something amazing like a yacht (and another new BMW). Please give this exquisite car a beautiful, loving new home. Lord knows it deserves it!! This is an As-Is, No Warranty Sale. I very much welcome ANY and ALL questions you may have!! Please do note that I have a small loan on the car through BMW Financial. Once I receive the cleared, full payment from the buyer, I will pay off the car with BMW and get you the title immediately. BMW Financial will typically have the title to you within one week of receiving the payment. I am happy to furnish the buyer with all of the information on the loan through BMW Financial and give you their information should you yourself have any questions for them directly. After I receive the payment from the buyer, I will also furbish you with official Department of Motor Vehicles Documentation proving that I am releasing my interest in the vehicle to you and that you are the new registered owner. I will work with the buyer 100% to ensure your piece of mind, comfort ability and complete happiness. Look at how many eBay transactions I have and at my 100% Feedback rating. I think they speak for themselves; I am definitely someone you can trust implicitly. Towards the bottom of the photos, I have included pictures of the M3 with some of the other cars in my collection. I just did this to show that I am a real car person and as such take excellent care of my vehicles. While I certainly prefer someone to pick this vehicle up, I am willing to meet shippers to see it off to its new home, wherever that may be. The shipping costs and obtaining quotes will be the buyer's responsibility. I will not ship the vehicle until it has been paid for in full and the payment has 100% cleared my bank and proven to be good. I will also not ship the vehicle unless the shipping has been paid in full. I will not take personal checks of any kind, no money orders......cash or a Cashier’s Check drawn from a major bank (Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Washington Mutual, Chase Bank, Union Bank, etc) ONLY! I have had several issues with people trying to use money orders, personal checks, cashier’s checks drawn from small, unknown banks and things of that nature. I will ONLY accept the two types of payments listed above!!! Sorry, but that's just how it's gotta be. If you have any questions about this rule, please ask BEFORE bidding and don’t just assume I will take any ol’ type of payment after the auction closes!! Upon receiving the payment, I will furnish the buyer with an actual and official receipt from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Good Luck To Everyone!!! On Jul-05-13 at 18:27:13 PDT, seller added the following information: Hi there everyone! I've been asked two questions thus far. I'd like to post them and the answers here. Q) What is the absolute worst cosmetic flaw on the car? A) There is a small, light scuff on the corner of the Driver's side rear bumper. It's about the size of a fifty cent piece. Q) Has the car ever been serviced with aftermarket parts? A) No! All servicing has always been done at BMW and with original BMW Parts. Also, on a side note.....the reserve is close to being met. Someone is quite close to owning this dream M3.