An e36 is fairly lightweight, and a superior car in every respect to a 240sx. They are also cheap these days (if you can find one clean, again same story as finding clean 240sx) but you will still have to spend money on maintenance and mods just like you would on a 240sx. They are after all 20 year old cars… still the two are not comparable, the e36 is a better car period. From brakes, to suspension, to chassis, to interior. Bmws are more $$$ for a reason.
When people talk about 240s being great… yes… when heavily modified… but stock it’s not even up for discussion, are you kidding? It’s a marshmellow chassis with everything wrong in the suspension to make it slide not grip, with mediocre interior, crap brakes, etc… The only thing a 240sx is good for is as an entry sports car to fiddle with and learn from… AND if you’re serious enough with a lot of money, a well built track only toy… why? It has a shit ton of potential with the right parts, lightweight, etc… a proven platform after all. On the street, unless you’re older, you’ll probably get harassed to boot by cops.
I’ve got my eyes on an e92 335i… They are a bargain price-wise for what you get.
If not I am still eyeing FD rx7s… maybe even an RHD one (cheaper) but rx7s are also a 20 year old car which will need work and moding too be brought up to speed and they are far more expensive to enter into (no comparison to a 240sx though). FD RX7 are about 500lbs-700lbs lighter than an e92 if I’m not mistaken… but the 335i is newer, better chasis, bmw refined mcpherson strut suspension (even though rx7 is doublewishbone) 50:50, has torque to boot, (no need for silly engine swaps, comes with a 21st century i6 turbo with more displacement from the factory). With some kw or ohlin dfv coilovers, sticky rubber, fmic, derestricted intake/exhaust piping, upped boost… and its a serious contender WHILE comfortable AND a sexy looker that will impress your wife/girlfriend/whoever rather than a 20 year old ‘clean’ car or stripped out track car.
What’s my point? Don’t even bother getting an old used car, plan something out, be wiser, get something newer and pay monthly. In the end you’ll end up spending the same money and want ‘more’ all the time and have a 20 year old car, unless you just want to be different and be able to say hey I’m as fast or faster than ‘x new sports car’.
Maybe I’m just getting old lol.
If you are still bent on getting a 20 year old car then yes an e36 any time of the day over any 240sx. Yes this is a 240sx forum, and who gives a damn what fanboys say. Don’t get me wrong I’ve owned a 240sx for over 7 years and enjoyed every single bit of it, didn’t scrap or go through ten of them like some do either, but a better car is a better car.
Some 30 year old ferraris are slower in some cases than a honda soccer mom minivan today. So quite frankly, I would just get a newer car and I believe 335is are a bargain for all you get for the price, save yourself hassles of dumping loads of money in it and instead paying monthly.