E34 Touring questions on specifics, options, colors

[flipwils]

Maybe some of you can shed some light on this for me. I'm scouring the classified ads for E34 Tourings (525iT, preferably a '92 so I can do a motor swap and a 5spd). I'm a bit particular on colors though and am pretty firm on a black interior. I've seen a few, but not many.

My question is, does anyone know what colors the 525iT's would have been offered in back in the day here in the US? There seem to be an awful lot of green on tan cars for some reason. So far I've seen white, black, silver, green, gold, and the odd Calypso red car. Any chance that there are any blue Tourings around? What about the wonderful Mauritus (spelling?) blue color that is rare in E34 M5's? Think there's a chance in hell that a Mauritus Blue on black E34 525iT exists somewhere in the US for sale? :)

Maybe I'm being too particular and will have to take what I can get exterior-wise with a black interior.

Oh, and can anyone offer info about what options were available? Seems like every single one has the dreaded double sunroof. Heated seats I guess were optional as well, is that about it?

Thanks,
Adam in Chicago


P.S. Oh yeah, my '94 E34 M5 3.8 liter euro is for sale here in Chicago. Silver on black Buffalo, 72K miles, 5spd, fast as hell, a driver not a Concours car. Some of you saw it at the E34 meet last summer. Email me offline at adw256 (at] gmail doT com

[brick8]

I have a 1992 calypsorot with black leather interior. The car was purchased and driven in Germany until it was imported to the U.S. in 1995. I am also thinking of doing the auto-manual swap this summer. The M50 gives ok acceleration.

[brosher]

Green (both dark and islandgrun) and black seem to be the most common. As far as I can tell they came in any color the sedans did. Is the blue color you are talking about the light bluish/greyish color? Black interior is hard to find on the wagon. The doublesunroof is only a detriment if it's not working or leaking. I think it's the coolest feature on these! I don't think I've seen one w/o heated seats so they are pretty common.

[Elekta]

I have a silber/black interior Touring that will be for sale when my M5T gets here. It's a 3.0 v8 (165km) with a brand new Kirt Koeller 5speed autobox and new accumulators (LAD/SLS) which I must say has breathed new life into the car. Car is tastefully upgraded, Euro spec with oem: shadowline, rear fogs, intensive headlight/foglight washer syst, westfalia towbar (oem installed with fuse panel and hidden with proper M5 cover), M5 bumps and skirts and two tone T-Stars with brand new AVS DB's. Could be lowered, front end stiffened, but that is up to the next guy. It does have recent bilsteins and bushes. It's a one of kind car for the US and has 0 rust and a 3" tall file of superb maintenance. It will take 5 figures to get it from me but the new owner won't be dissatisfied, that's for sure. It also has the oem headunit backed up with new amp/eq/sub/8 speakers which makes it a sleeper thumper too. New headliner and shifter tray too. Euro Manual heated seats are the best imo. It's pretty much done except for the lowering/chip/or 5 speed conversion, if off the line torque is what you're after. Long road trips fully loaded of 500 miles or more....this is the tourer. Could not ask for the better popup trailer towing car camper either.

IMO the only color combination worth getting unless you could find the super rare blue with white leather East Hamptons combo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/DSCN3299.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/Franken%20C/DSCN3319.jpg

[Elekta]

Here's two blue ones, though both 530iT's. I bet you could steal the 2nd one for under $4k.
one (http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=185891183&dealer_id=563216&car_year=1994&model=525IT&num_records=&make3=&make2=BMW&start_year=1981&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&search_type=used&distance=0&model2=530IT&color2=&make=BMW&color=BLUE&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=78703&advanced=y&end_year=1995&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=1752)

two (http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=212695786&dealer_id=58924731&car_year=1994&model=525IT&num_records=&make3=&make2=BMW&start_year=1981&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&search_type=used&distance=0&model2=530IT&color2=&make=BMW&color=BLUE&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=78703&advanced=y&end_year=1995&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=1710)

[brick8]

No heated seats on mine, perhaps because it was sold in Germany. Double sunroof is great once you get it to work.


Green (both dark and islandgrun) and black seem to be the most common. As far as I can tell they came in any color the sedans did. Is the blue color you are talking about the light bluish/greyish color? Black interior is hard to find on the wagon. The doublesunroof is only a detriment if it's not working or leaking. I think it's the coolest feature on these! I don't think I've seen one w/o heated seats so they are pretty common.

[Paul in NZ]

in theory anything is possible.The option list is as long as your arm esp if your prepared to wait.So any combo is possible.

[flipwils]

Thanks for the info guys. That silver Touring is a beauty.

I'm told that this M30 3.5 liter conversion I want to do is best
accomplished with another straight six car, i.e. a 525iT. The 530iT
would be better suited to a 4.4 liter V8 and 5spd/6spd conversion
which I don't want to do really. So that's why I'm looking specifically
for a 525iT, preferably a '92 because of wiring harness issues.

Thanks for the links though. That 2nd link is the blue I think that
I'm talking about and aside from being a 530iT, it looks like a likely
candidate. Man, if only it were a 525iT.......... but the conversion
with the brake master cylinder and other stuff from the 3.0 V8
cars seems like it would drive up the price and complexity of the
conversion quite a bit.

[ILoveMPower]

Here, this might help you out:

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23211&highlight=m30+touring