BMW Newbie needs advice on M3

["Mel Silva" <mel.silva@xxxxxxx>]

Hi All,
    I'm an automotive enthusiast from way back thats now got the urge to buy
an M3.  I've owned and done all my own performance upgrades/maintenance on
the 2 Ford Mustangs that I've owned, so I'm not a mechanical klutz.  See
http://www.amt.org/mel/ Mustangs section for background.

    Anyway, I think I'd like to buy myself a '95 to '98 M3 and I'd like to
poll the group on "gotchas" and other "beware of these" that I should know
about before going shopping.  Any other ideas for where to look for a good
candidate would be appreciated as well (like should I stick to dealers for
warranties or look at private party sales as well).

    I haven't decided if I want the coupe or the sedan yet (they're both
sexy, so I might opt for the convenience of 4 doors).  I'd like to stick to
basic colors like white, red, Estoril blue, or silver, but all I seem to
find is black.  A black car in Houston is usually a miserable thing, so I'd
like to avoid that.  I'm certain that I want a 5 speed trans, rather than an
auto just because I prefer sports cars with a manual gearbox.

    I just realized that I'm send this request out and I have never even
driven a BMW.  Does this sound crazy?  I just don't want to be hounded by a
dealer just to get a test drive.  If I'm going to meddle with a dealer, I'm
going with cash in one hand and research in the other.

Thanks for your help,

Mel

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