E36 (1992–1999)

These can seem to be rather shabby and a bit neglected and, of course, there may well be rust. Timing chains were standard from 1994 but that doesn’t mean you are safe from disaster because the tensioner can fail. The main reason to shop for an E36 is that the M3 versions are still real-world money. Without trying too hard, find yourself the relatively rare four-door with the exciting engine and feel like you are winning by paying just £9995.