Happiness is a car....

[blindboy]

Bought myself a new car today - E34 530 manual. I'm very happy with her so thought I'd share. I have always wanted a BMW and a V8 - now I have both. If anyone wants to see pictures, I will post them up.

Have been reading this forum from a little while now - and it seems the best for me, with the very helpful, nice people.

Have a great day! I know I am :)

[Dave M]

Welcome blindboy,

Congrats on finding a stick. Post some pics when you get a chance, I'm sure you'll get some feedback.

And you're right, some of us are nice :)

Now go and break something so we can help,

DAve M

[SC David]

Pics are always nice :)

[Incantation]

congrats.. welcome to the forum

[KB535i]

Welcome blindboy.

[blindboy]

I'll post some images of the car before I bought it when it was up for sale.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/images/61619-1.jpg

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/images/61619-2.jpg

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/images/61619-3.jpg

Thanks for the warm welcome.

[pundit]

I'll post some images of the car before I bought it when it was up for sale.
Thanks for the warm welcome.
Welcome & it looks very nice.
How about making us all sick by telling us how little you paid for it the U.K. ;)

[blindboy]

Did the currency conversion - in US money:

4,432.98 USD

How much would the car be in the States?

Here is the description:

BMW 530i SE (1996)
98,123 miles, FSH, 2 previous owners, Metallic Blue with Silver Leather. Air Conditioning, 16" Alloys and 4x New Pirelli P7 Asymmetric tyres. Auto Dip mirror, Wood, Electric Windows, Sony stereo with 10 disc changer. Just had inspection I service (96,279 miles) and new power steering pump. Any inspection welcome. Needs good home.

I was under the impression cars were cheaper in the States - I had a 944 for a while - they were much cheaper over there. There were students riding around in better versions than mine!

[Traian]

Naw, old Bimmers, especially the V8s, are dirt cheap on the continent compared to North America. I don't even look at the classifieds anymore when reading British BMW mags, it makes me cry. 4400US ~ 5100 CDN which here gets you far dodgier 525s with twice the miles. I suppose just about everything else though is more expensive there. Interesting that it's a 96, here 96 is considered the first year of the E39.

[kyleN20]

sweet

[Alexlind123]

Nice car, very shiny. I like the steering wheel too, is that oem?

[digitaldragon03]

Steering wheel, smiley headlamps, 16" wheels, shadowline, your already way ahead of the game. Welcome.

[pundit]

Did the currency conversion - in US money:

4,432.98 USD

How much would the car be in the States?

Here is the description:

BMW 530i SE (1996)
98,123 miles, FSH, 2 previous owners, Metallic Blue with Silver Leather. Air Conditioning, 16" Alloys and 4x New Pirelli P7 Asymmetric tyres. Auto Dip mirror, Wood, Electric Windows, Sony stereo with 10 disc changer. Just had inspection I service (96,279 miles) and new power steering pump. Any inspection welcome. Needs good home.

I was under the impression cars were cheaper in the States - I had a 944 for a while - they were much cheaper over there. There were students riding around in better versions than mine!
I don't know about the US but here they go from about $15-$22k AUD which is about $12-$16k USD.

[blindboy]

I'm no expert - but as I understand it the 16"'s you see were standard with only the 530I's over here and I'm pretty sure the steering wheel was standard too. Smiley headlights - I'm not sure.

Having a chat with a Bimmer fanatic earlier today - he mentioned that there is a school of thought which suggests that even 16's are too big for the car - and that 15's are in fact the best size for the best handling. (hope this doesn't upset too many people riding around on slammed 18's).

I would love a set of deep dish 17's but not much point untill I need new rubber which should hopefully be fore a while yet. Thanks again for the comments.

[ILoveMPower]

As far as I'm concerned, 17's provide the best (not smoothest) handling for the E34. 18's are good too, but provide a bit of a stiffer ride. 19's are way too big.

[Gayle]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/images/61619-2.jpg


I am really impressed with the condition of the interior. Nice purchase.

[Gayle]

Here is the pricing info from the NADA guidelines for the US. This would be from a dealer. You could buy for a lot less from an individual which is the route most people would take. Also these numbers are based on a 95 530. Apparently NADA does not believe there were any 5 series made in 96.


Low Retail Average Retail High Retail

$6,800 $8,375 $9,600

Add $425 for low mileage

Low Retail Value
A low retail vehicle may have extensively visible wear and tear. The body may have dents and other blemishes. The buyer can expect to invest in bodywork and/or mechanical work. It is likely that the seats and carpets will have visible wear. The vehicle should be able to pass local inspection standards and be in safe running condition. Low retail vehicles usually are not found on dealer lots.

Average Retail Value
An average retail vehicle should be clean and without glaring defects. Tires and glass should be in good condition. The paint should match and have a good finish. The interior should have wear in relation to the age of the vehicle. Carpet and seat upholstery should be clean, and all power options should work. The mileage should be within the acceptable range for the model year.

An Average Retail vehicle on a dealer lot may include a limited warranty or guarantee, and possibly a current safety and/or emission inspection (where applicable).

High Retail Value
A high retail vehicle should be in flawless condition. All power equipment should be functional. The paint should match and have a high gloss finish. The carpet and seat upholstery should be clean and have minimal wear. The engine should start quickly and run smoothly. The tires should be like new with a spare and jack. The mileage should be significantly below the acceptable mileage range for the model year.

A high retail vehicle on a dealer lot should be fully reconditioned and is likely to include a warranty, guarantee or manufacturer certification and current safety and/or emission inspection (where applicable).

[blindboy]

Thanks for all the info - just polished the car today - she looks great. I'm still smiling!

[busterb]

Hi bb;
I am the new owner of a 530i as well.
Mine is a 1995, which I thought was the final year for the E34 chassis.......
Anyway bought mine with 98,000 mi.
Also metalic blue (oriental blue pearl metallic)
5 spd. auto.
5 disk factory changer.
All stock.
Very well maintained. Plus I just changed over to Amsoil synth, replaced the o2 sensors, vc gaskets, a/f, & plugs.
Best of luck.
Cheers;
B.G.