Adios ol' Paint - 533i down the trail

[calmloki]

After 9 months of owning the 525iT and letting the '83 533i languish in the garage I finally did the mature thing and sold it. Tough deal - it had better paint, better performance, and more smiles per mile than the station wagon with slush-o-matic does. Problem is the station wagon makes more sense.

Kid came for a test drive and I fired it up on it's 9 month old gas - instantly. Pulled it out of the garage and let it sit at a low stable idle. Told them i would drive it first - took it out of town and turned onto a local bridge - accelerated up and over the bridge to 90, pulled to the side and let him drive. Sat in that sweet car for the next 25 miles and wondered if i could get away with claiming a misprint in the ad - $2100? nah, that shoulda been $7100 - oh, you don't want it? ok.

Dunno what i can do with 2 grand that will make me as happy as that 533 did when i was driving it - spiffy wheels on the wagon? pffft. Catch a flight to Papeete? Maybe go back and revisit soaring? Motorcycle?

Anyway, hope the new owner enjoys that car as much as i did the last 6 years - and if this E34 farts or looks at me crooked i'm gonna leave it out under the pitchy tree and only wash it at Clem's automatic carwash and surface abrader. frigging logic.

[brosher]

Swap a 5 speed into the wagon and a higher ratio LSD differential. Prob still have cash left over for a chip. :D

[ricola]

You must admit, the "T" is a stylish car. I really like mine and wouldn't trade it for the old styling. But I do still miss my E28 too. But I miss my E12 more. White, Lowered, 5sp, fresh motor with L-Jet conversion, etc...

[ILoveMPower]

Tough to watch them go, you had a nice one for sure!

Enjoy the iT :)

[Russell]

Yea, loved my old 528e 5 speed. Wish I still had it. Still the 525 made more sense for my daily commute.

[calmloki]

Don't think that a 5 spd conversion will do the trick - although the 525 has about identical HP and torque numbers to the 533 it drags around a bunch more weight. Plugged in an EAT chip way early - and it helped. Difference is the 533 was... eager, the wagon, not so much.
Tom

[brosher]

Well if it's a little more stomp you want:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=554106

[calmloki]

Yah - I watched that well done project - mass quantities of work even with the perfect donor car, still slinging the same or more weight around, and I would have to convert from the load leveling rear to improve handling. If I'm going to that much work I think an E30 with an M50 would be mo' smarter for me. Of course a touring conversion WOULD give me fun and function in one package. With only 3 holes in the garage a scooter might be smarter still, though I feel kinda brittle compared to the old '57 Triumph days.
Tom

[Elekta]

know the feeling. just sold the wife's 535ia a few weeks ago, and sure do miss the stomp of the 3.5

lets see the 56 wagon

[calmloki]

lets see the 56 wagon

Here's the current progression:
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/Chevy/c01.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/Chevy/c08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/Chevy/C30.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

Been in Sally's family since '59 or '60, down in the desert by Joshua Tree National Monument in Cali. It went through some hard use serving Sally, who hit 100mph as a point of honor every time she drove it, getting airborne off of road humps, etc. Then it hauled water for her baby sister's horses, which didn't do the interior much good. We brought it up to Oregon and garaged it about 15 years ago, and are involved in a full redo now. Outside paint all aligatored, a few floor panels rusted, some rocker panel replacement - pretty solid overall.
Tom

[calmloki]

Try this again:
3718

3719

3720

Been in Sally's family since '59 or '60, down in the desert by Joshua Tree National Monument in Cali. It went through some hard use serving Sally, who hit 100mph as a point of honor every time she drove it, getting airborne off of road humps, etc. Then it hauled water for her baby sister's horses, which didn't do the interior much good. We brought it up to Oregon and garaged it about 15 years ago, and are involved in a full redo now. Outside paint all aligatored, a few floor panels rusted, some rocker panel replacement - pretty solid overall.
Tom[/QUOTE]