Thinking of buying a E34

[PdT]

Hi guys, I know someone who is selling a 1989 535I Automatic with 135,000 Miles on it. I might be buying it. Wanted to ask you guys some questions.

* Is Services/Maintaince/Repairs on these cars expensive?

* What kind of reliability should I expect?

* If I put one of these nice performance chips in it, do I have to refuel with 91 octane? Arent there any chips with good performance that can take regular fuel? With todays gas prices I would like to throw the cheapest stuff available in, and this car is quite thirsty already.

* Can anyone guess at the 0 - 60mph and quarter Mile times for these cars?

* How much does it usually cost to respray the car? Would maybe want to change color and get that "brand new out of the factory look".

I must say im impressed with the love you guys have for your cars, even more so than usual car enthusiasts sites, which makes me consider buying this car even more. Thanks for any advice.

[Scott C]

Hi guys, I know someone who is selling a 1989 535I Automatic with 135,000 Miles on it. I might be buying it. Wanted to ask you guys some questions.

* Is Services/Maintaince/Repairs on these cars expensive?

* What kind of reliability should I expect?

* If I put one of these nice performance chips in it, do I have to refuel with 91 octane? Arent there any chips with good performance that can take regular fuel? With todays gas prices I would like to throw the cheapest stuff available in, and this car is quite thirsty already.

* Can anyone guess at the 0 - 60mph and quarter Mile times for these cars?

* How much does it usually cost to respray the car? Would maybe want to change color and get that "brand new out of the factory look".

I must say im impressed with the love you guys have for your cars, even more so than usual car enthusiasts sites, which makes me consider buying this car even more. Thanks for any advice.

If you have not had a german car to maintain before, then yes it is expensive to maintain and do not underestimate that!

Bruno's site has a good guide on what is going to fail - read it - it is very accurate. I can send you a list of what I "had" to do...

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/trouble/what_will_break.htm

[Alexlind123]

0-60 is not where the e34's shine. Quater miles are respectable with the 535i and 540i, but they really come alive at higher speeds. Think autobahn curiser rather than turboed-rice rocket. The combination of a nice amount of power, superb handling characteristics, and powerful braking make the car what it is, a BMW. BTW, the e34 had the best braking of any sedan produced in 1990, this includes cars such as smaller lighter acura integras, etc...

[Kalevera]

A presentable, dependable, somewhat tuned E34 costs $10k. You can spend that upfront, or pay for it as you go along. I'm at ~ $6k and I still have bodywork to do, which will easily cost me $4k -- there's no such thing as a good, inexpensive paint job (unless you know how to and can do it yourself). Granted, I bought a car that sat in a field for a few years.

If the price of gas affects you, it might be smarter to buy a different car. These were fuel efficient for their time; they're not these days -- I get 19mpg, mixed city/rural route driving, running 92 speedway or 93 vpower with an EAT chip and plenty of maintenance and upgrades. Got ~ 16.8mpg on regular with the same habits. One could acquire a later 525, get mid 20s under similar circumstances, but the car still wants higher octane fuel, knock sensors and all.

Maintenance is assrapingly expensive if you go to a dealer. It won't be "cheap" unless you do it yourself. My $6k consists mostly of parts -- I did 90% of the work. Example: thrust arm job costs me ~$200 + time on a good day, but it's a $500 affair from an Indy.

These cars weren't built for off the line acceleration, although it can be found with a little tuning. It's around 8 seconds for an earlier automatic 535

Check the buying guide on http://www.bmw4life.com for other details...

best, whit

[sdlongboarder]

* Is Services/Maintaince/Repairs on these cars expensive?

Yes and No. It all depends on what has been done. At that mileage, there are a few key factors. Suspension and cooling. Chances are that the suspension pieces in the front end of the car have yet to be changed. Upper and lower control arms, and tie rods can be an expensive job. No fault of the car, it just has to be done.

Water pump, radiator, thermostat, new hoses, etc, etc, along with new belts while you're there. Again, if it's been done disregard.

The 3.5 is hearty, you can't kill em. However, in the later years, the 3.5's did not have adequate cooling to the rear of the cylinder head causing what some call pre-mature failure of the head gasket. I know a few M30 engines that have over 300k without the head ever being off, but they are all in e28/24/ and 23's. If the head gasket hasn't been replaced, plan on it.

* What kind of reliability should I expect?

When properly maintained, these things don't die. the only issue you'll potentially have is replacing the transmission. If the fluid has not been serviced regularly, be pre-pared to have to buy a new transmission at any given time.

* If I put one of these nice performance chips in it, do I have to refuel with 91 octane? Arent there any chips with good performance that can take regular fuel? With todays gas prices I would like to throw the cheapest stuff available in, and this car is quite thirsty already.

You should run 91 regardless. That engine is 10:1 or 10.5:1. Motronic 1.3 can compensate a bit for pre-det, but not a lot. So you'll need to run 91 no matter what. If you are in CA, make sure you hold on to your stock chip, otherwise you'll probably fail Smog.

* Can anyone guess at the 0 - 60mph and quarter Mile times for these cars?

If you're concerned about 1/4 mile times an e34 isn't hte right car for you. The 3.5 is good, but the car is heavy and it's an auto.

* How much does it usually cost to respray the car? Would maybe want to change color and get that "brand new out of the factory look".

A very good paint job should cost at least 6k. An excellent paint job should run you about 10k. A crappy job that will look decent can be had for about $1500-2000. These are southern cal prices I'm throwing out there.

Good Luck

[John in CT]

The last iteration of the body style is a 1995, you get the M50 engine 2.5 liter 24 valve and interior upgrade plus traction control if you hold out for the last year. If you want to smoke 'em at a stoplight the 1995-only 540 is the way to go, but remember to bring your wallet when repairing this complex beast or fillin' the tank for that matter. My choice? 5 speed 525 of 1994-5, and forget the stop light grand prix....and yes, German cars can be expensive to fix, especially if you are catching up on somebody else's differed maintenance...

BR,

John

[Kalevera]

You should run 91 regardless. That engine is 10:1 or 10.5:1. Motronic 1.3 can compensate a bit for pre-det, but not a lot.


That's actually not the case at all. Even the late M30 has a 9:1 compression ratio and can run 87 just fine. That's one of the reasons why BMW sells a thicker head gasket for those who've had to shave metal off of the deck. Motronic 1.3 is a single sensor system with no knock sensors or anything to retard ignition beyond what the AFM and O2 sensor tell the DME (and, I might add, that information concerns achieving lambda = 1).


best, whit

[pundit]

Hi guys, I know someone who is selling a 1989 535I Automatic with 135,000 Miles on it. I might be buying it. Wanted to ask you guys some questions.

* Is Services/Maintaince/Repairs on these cars expensive?

* What kind of reliability should I expect?

* If I put one of these nice performance chips in it, do I have to refuel with 91 octane? Arent there any chips with good performance that can take regular fuel? With todays gas prices I would like to throw the cheapest stuff available in, and this car is quite thirsty already.

* Can anyone guess at the 0 - 60mph and quarter Mile times for these cars?

* How much does it usually cost to respray the car? Would maybe want to change color and get that "brand new out of the factory look".

I must say im impressed with the love you guys have for your cars, even more so than usual car enthusiasts sites, which makes me consider buying this car even more. Thanks for any advice.

Whit really covered everything.
Yes a nice, clean sorted E34 will owe you $10k U.S. either up front or by the time it's sorted in the end.
As far a reliability goes, buy a well maintained example and maintain it.
Sure there are some common quirks, thrust arm bushes, expect some auto trans issues over about 150,000miles especially if poorly serviced etc. But the M30 engine will last several hundred thousand miles providing you maintain the oil and coolant changes and don't overheat it.

Yes they are not particularly economical especially in traffic. Highway cruising is what a E34 is really about and the economy is much better. A new chip may give you slightly better economy if you don't drive like it's been chipped ;), but if you chip it you will need to use higher octane fuel.

The autos are not quick off the line (these are heavy cars) but once above 3500 RPM things begin to happen. Manuals are quicker off the mark as you can get the revs up into the sweet spot before releasing the clutch.

As far as a repaint is concerned I wouldn't entertain it unless you have money to burn. Budget $3-$5K for quality repaint in the same colour or $5-$10k for a total colour change. You would be better off buying what you want in the first place.

Be careful of buying a 'bargain' that just needs a little 'TLC'. With these cars there's really no such thing as a bargain. Though spending extra up front on a good example will most likely give you better value for money in the long run.
If buying a well worn example you'de better be able to do most of the work yourself... but if it was me, I'd just look for a decent one! ;)

[angrypancake]

I have an 89 535ia. I've had it since July, and have put roughly 3500 into it, getting the front suspention rebuilt, new brakes, headgasket, among other things. The car is running real well finally, and I'm happy with the money that I had to spend to get it in the shape it's in. The owner of a local body shop thats well known around here told me it would be 5 grand for a color change that wuold be of "show" quality, which meant the entire engine bay, door jambs, everything. For a non color change, 2 or 3. My car isn't cheap to maintain, but it's worth it. Now that I'm learning (slowly) how to do stuff myself, it's helping a lot. Good luck with your decision on the car

[632 Regal]

LMFAO....

Hi Pdt!

:D

you going to return?

[PdT]

Damn the paint job is more expensive than I thought. Was budgeting on around $1000. I have yet to see the car, but its red ive been told. Dont really love red on cars, but depends what kind of red it is I guess?

Went to the local gas stations, they only have octane 87, 89, and 93. I live in Maryland, US. I guess 93 will do for the chip, but damn thats like the most expensive gas there is!

Since ive been doing research on BMWs again have gotten back into BMW "Mode". Used to have a E36 1992 320 in my home country of South Africa, which got stolen and totally put me off BMWs, since they get stolen so frequently there. I think a E36 is a better car for me. The 5 series is overly big for me. Would prefer a smaller car but doesnt look like there are many available in the states. Would like a early model E36 325 or 328 with around 120,000 miles on for around $5000

[wingman]

Forget all that and get down to what tugs your heart strings. A female colleague of mine commented on my car recently, and I quote, "If a man came to pick me up in that he'd already be at second base". Says a lot about the timeless appeal of the E34 I think. Forget the boy racer E36 and buy a grown up car!

[romus]

damn and i thought australia was bad with max 98 octane! I come from germany though. I hear Japan has 100 octane. US got 93 max? I know we need 91 on M30 but i tried running mine on 95 and i noticed lack of power and valves clicked so i went back to 98.

[uscharalph]

Forget all that and get down to what tugs your heart strings. A female colleague of mine commented on my car recently, and I quote, "If a man came to pick me up in that he'd already be at second base". Says a lot about the timeless appeal of the E34 I think. Forget the boy racer E36 and buy a grown up car!
She said that about an '89 525i huh?

[onewhippedpuppy]

I think the way the USA figures octane is a bit different. I think our 91 is similar to the 98 elsewhere?

[632 Regal]

someone wrote what exactly was the conversion on this a little while back.

It really doesnt sound to me that an E34 is fitted for you at this time. If you dont do work yourself you better have a decent job and budget accordingly cause the 10K rule WILL NOT APPLY. I would have to guess that over 90% of the people on this forum do most of the work themselves because even at the dealership they mess stuff up and you will eventually have to have it fixed again. If you dont do the work you will have to find an indy (independant shop) that is well educated with these cars because simply tightening a bolt wrong can cost you thousands to repair damage.

just my 2¢


I think the way the USA figures octane is a bit different. I think our 91 is similar to the 98 elsewhere?

[JAlfredPrufrock]

She said that about an '89 525i huh?

Yeah... kinda makes you wonder...

[wingman]

I you've got it you've got it! The E34 has GOT IT!!!

P.S. she's a good sort and single. I can hook you up if you like!!!

[DanDombrowski]

Well, since no one's answered about the 1/4 mile times, I'll chime in on that.

I can get 15.6 @ 89.9 with my 525, but thats with a stick, EAT chip, and a good bit of weight reduction in the trunk area. Never tested a 535 or even seen one at the track, so I can't say for sure. I'd really like to drag against a 535 and find out!

My 0-60 is about 7.7

[wingman]

do the subs slow you down?

[azale]

Hi guys, I know someone who is selling a 1989 535I Automatic with 135,000 Miles on it. I might be buying it.
How much does he want? Get some pictures when you see it and put them online somewhere so the guys here can tell you what it’s worth.


How much does it usually cost to respray the car? Would maybe want to change color and get that "brand new out of the factory look" . . . .
the paint job is more expensive than I thought. Was budgeting on around $1000. I probably don’t need to mention the contradiction in these two thoughts. You could get some spray paint cans from Wal-Mart and paint your car for about $100 if you wanted to save money, but the guys here already know what you are going to find out after you spend $1000 on a paint job: you should’ve spent more. Just remember: “out of the factory” your car cost someone $40,000, and that was in 1989. BTW- I am currently sanding rust, priming, and painting in some small spots because I can’t afford the paint job that I want, but I’m not going to get it painted unless I know the job is worthy of the car.


I must say im impressed with the love you guys have for your cars, even more so than usual car enthusiasts sites, which makes me consider buying this car even more. Thanks for any advice.Don’t forget about this positive selling point. I was new to this board last month and a dozen guys helped me through an electrical problem that took 2 weeks (yes I was doing it myself, and no, I am not handy [I was using my friend’s garage and my dad’s tools]).


Forget all that and get down to what tugs your heart strings. A female colleague of mine commented on my car recently, and I quote, "If a man came to pick me up in that he'd already be at second base". Says a lot about the timeless appeal of the E34 I think. Forget the boy racer E36 and buy a grown up car! My wife and I fight every day about who gets to drive the e34 (maybe that’s because our other car is a piece of crap old Subaru); we get compliments from our friends just about every time they see it. I drive the only BMW at my church (200 cars in the lot) and I bet it was cheaper than half of the cars in the lot or more. The maintenance is worth it.

What car do you think gets more attention: my friend’s $30k ’04 Chrysler Crossfire, another guy’s $30k ’03 Jaguar X-Type, or my $4000 ’94 BMW 525i?

I’ll give you one guess.

[onewhippedpuppy]

To add to your thought, I've had my E34 about a month now, already put 3000 miles on it, while my wife's '03 4Runner has racked up all of 300 or so in the same span. To put that into perspective, we put 44,000 miles on the 4Runner in our first two years of ownership. She never even wants to take it anywhere anymore, we just drive it weekly to give it a workout.

[SLEX Runner]

To add to your thought, I've had my E34 about a month now, already put 3000 miles on it, while my wife's '03 4Runner has racked up all of 300 or so in the same span. To put that into perspective, we put 44,000 miles on the 4Runner in our first two years of ownership. She never even wants to take it anywhere anymore, we just drive it weekly to give it a workout.

Hey, I can relate to this!

My wife and I have not taken our 02 C180 for 2 weeks now. This reminds me that I have to ask my wife out to coffee about 2km from where we live just to take the MB out so nothing rusts or sticks
;)

I should have discovered the e34 before spending truckloads on a newer benz.

[Robin-535im]

Forget all that and get down to what tugs your heart strings. A female colleague of mine commented on my car recently, and I quote, "If a man came to pick me up in that he'd already be at second base". Says a lot about the timeless appeal of the E34 I think. Forget the boy racer E36 and buy a grown up car!


Maybe it just says a lot about your female colleagues...

:)

[Badkrma]

I have had my 90 535iA since February. Paid $2,500 for it and have about $2,000 into it (now at 167,000 Miles on the clock). I also have a 2003 Ford F150 Supercrew 4X4 ($37,000 and 30,000 miles on it). Since the time I have had this car I have put only 2K miles on the truck and over 10K miles on the car. All I have to say is know what you are buying and know that you will neglect any other auto you might own, because this is one sweet a$$ ride.

Stephen

[guinness]

Badkrma, you hit it on the head, I have a brand new car that I never drive!! the sad part is that I bought the E34 for my wife and i'm the one always driving her!!
Jim