Thinking about selling my 90 535i - anyone regret selling their e34?

[Derek A.]

My wife works for Nissan, and we get company cars. I find myself now that I am staying at home with the kids driving the Armada more than anything else. I will go a month+ without touching the BMW. There just seems no reason to hold on to it - if I am not driving it anymore. I love the car, have owned it since 2000.

Its a 90 535i 5 speed, with 255,000 miles on it. I doubt that I will get a whole lot for it - although I hear e34 values are on the rise.

Thoughts?

Derek.-

[bimmer nut]

My recommendation would be to keep it if you have the place to store it. You'll regret selling it. I've rolled through 4 34's in one way or another, and I've passed them on to daughters, and daughters friends and even their friends too (yes all were sticks) and all of us are unanimous in saying we miss those cars. Everyone I know that owned one has loved them. The only thing I did not miss was something called "rust". At least on three of the four I owned I felt it limited its days, both functionally and cosmetically.

[shogun]

I also keep my old E32 750iL from 11/88, although I do not drive it anymore on a daily basis, but when weather is fine and/or a long drive is made, I usually use the comfortable 7 series, always makes fun to drive it and the V12 is still something special for me. As a daily driver we now have a Nissan March = Micra K12 e-4wd built in2004 with electric rear wheel drive, mileage is very good and no trouble.
The e-4WD is quite an interesting concept, kicks in when the ASC on the front wheels senses slip, or can be also permanently used as 4WD http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/DOCUMENT/PDF/ENVIRONMENT/TECHNOLOGY/en_tech_e4wd.pdf

E34 535 5-speed is also something special, if you can, keep it.

[Paul in NZ]

i regret selling mine but i had no where to keep it.I enjoyed my little 120 d but it just not the same

[bimmer nut]

i regret selling mine but i had no where to keep it.I enjoyed my little 120 d but it just not the same

Dang it, I shoulda looked you up Paul. Check it out, I was just down there:
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/list.php?r=category/52-Slab-s-Stories

sry for slight hijak

[mattyb]

worst thing I ever did was selling, haven't found another the same since, regret regret regret x 10000

[ahlem]

I'm in the same boat, 1990 535i 5 speed, 421,000 miles.
It needs some regular wear and tear and maintenance items all repaired at once.
Brakes, drive shaft, diff input bearing, front main seal, struts and shocks, headliner sags......
A bit of rust is just starting to show at some seams.
My wife is not a "car guy" and doesn't understand.

[632 Regal]

I'm in the same boat, 1990 535i 5 speed, 421,000 miles.
It needs some regular wear and tear and maintenance items all repaired at once.
Brakes, drive shaft, diff input bearing, front main seal, struts and shocks, headliner sags......
A bit of rust is just starting to show at some seams.
My wife is not a "car guy" and doesn't understand.

Once at this age and needing maintenance it is worth less than a Honda with similar miles. Be lucky to get 500 bux unfortunately. If it was well maintained in perfect condition with that many miles you could possibly score $800. No one understands the Bimmer.

[Derek A.]

I have a place to store it, but I will go a month without even starting it. I just feel bad I never drive it. It needs a few things done to it, but overall in good shape. Do any of these cars qualify for classic car insurance? I was thinking given how little I drive it - that it might make more sense to try and get the insurance dropped. The Corvette parked next to it has to go for sure, and its only costs $180 a year to insure.

[632 Regal]

Derek, you can get classic license plates at 25 years, I assume the same goes for insurance. 2015 is your 535's lucky year!

[Derek A.]

The license plate in TN is only $48 for the BMW, unlike the $180 I was spending in Michigan, so that is not a big deal. But I pay $70 a month or so to insure it - would be good to drop it down.

[genphreak]

I've always known their too good to offload... that'w why I keep ALL mine, except my first e28 which an insurance company stole from me when I was a kid.

I've still got them all, makes about 5 e34s now, an e39 (going), an e28 and an e46. My favorite is the older 88 e34 535i, like most who own one, it just 'has something' no other car has. The e28 is awesome too, in other ways. The 540i/6, different again.

The e46 is much more refined in most ways, but 'misses something', my guess is that it was a connection and a spirit in which the design and engineering teams did their work back in the 1980s. We'll never have it again, I've driven so many new cars, they all feel like appliances, even the rocketshipfast ones...

[Derek A.]

Hagerty insurance agreed to cover the BMW. $157 a year for full coverage - that makes it easier to hold on to. I doubt I will go as far as an antique plate, don't need any police hassle if I take the thing out mid day on a Tuesday and run into a cop with a chip on his shoulder.

[632 Regal]

The license plate in TN is only $48 for the BMW, unlike the $180 I was spending in Michigan, so that is not a big deal. But I pay $70 a month or so to insure it - would be good to drop it down.

$70.00 Why so much? I'm paying just under $40.00 but only have comp, no full coverage.

Sent you a PM

[Paul in NZ]

I've always known their too good to offload... that'w why I keep ALL mine, except my first e28 which an insurance company stole from me when I was a kid.

I've still got them all, makes about 5 e34s now, an e39 (going), an e28 and an e46. My favorite is the older 88 e34 535i, like most who own one, it just 'has something' no other car has. The e28 is awesome too, in other ways. The 540i/6, different again.

The e46 is much more refined in most ways, but 'misses something', my guess is that it was a connection and a spirit in which the design and engineering teams did their work back in the 1980s. We'll never have it again, I've driven so many new cars, they all feel like appliances, even the rocketshipfast ones...

yes something about a 535.I have driven a e34 540/6 and a e39 540/6 speed the ywere both impresive,the e34 540 my pick but they were just TOO nice .The 535 make you grin!

[Paul in NZ]

I've always known their too good to offload... that'w why I keep ALL mine, except my first e28 which an insurance company stole from me when I was a kid.

I've still got them all, makes about 5 e34s now, an e39 (going), an e28 and an e46. My favorite is the older 88 e34 535i, like most who own one, it just 'has something' no other car has. The e28 is awesome too, in other ways. The 540i/6, different again.

The e46 is much more refined in most ways, but 'misses something', my guess is that it was a connection and a spirit in which the design and engineering teams did their work back in the 1980s. We'll never have it again, I've driven so many new cars, they all feel like appliances, even the rocketshipfast ones...

yes something about a 535.I have driven a e34 540/6(three actually) and a e39 540/6 speed they were both impresive,the e34 540 my pick but they were just TOO nice .The 535 make you grin!

[Paul in NZ]

Dang it, I shoulda looked you up Paul. Check it out, I was just down there:
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/list.php?r=category/52-Slab-s-Stories

sry for slight hijak

that woulda been awesome!!!!

[mattyb]

my 535 now has classic insurance on it, only can drive 9000 ks a year but only costs $100 au full comprehensive with buy back option per year so all good, the 540i is a different story nearly $ 700 a year full comprehensive and not yet eligible for classic insurance. I m going to buy a bigger home soon with a custom large garage specifically so I don't have to consider the awful questions of to keep or not to

[califblue]

Don't do it...the Corvette yes! ( UGLY body and lacking Performance IMHO)

A goods friend who is now retired had a 1991 535 auto with only 80K on it. it was time for radiator, upper control arms, cat & muffler and the rear windows were not working( hard grease in the gears)

anyway she sold it for 3K and bought a Honda Leaf and said the BWN was 100% better in everyway in needing condition


I have a company car too. keep mine on a battery tender and drive it 1-2 times a month. No way am I selling this or these8340

8341

[bennyg]

my 535 now has classic insurance on it, only can drive 9000 ks a year but only costs $100 au full comprehensive with buy back option per year so all good, the 540i is a different story nearly $ 700 a year full comprehensive and not yet eligible for classic insurance. I m going to buy a bigger home soon with a custom large garage specifically so I don't have to consider the awful questions of to keep or not to
Put a narrow grille on the 540i, call it a 89 535i replica.

This strategy worked for a guy I chatted to selling a 535i a couple years ago when it was 22 years old but of course he had to change nothing.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

[Bill R.]

I keep thinking about selling the poor old 89 535 but then i wash and clean it up and go for a drive and ask myself why am i thinking this? Its now at 139k miles with new bilsteins, control arms etc and no rust. It now has the Arizona historic vehicle solid copper license plates that it qualified for at 25 years old. wierd enough the insurance company that costco advertises wouldn't insure it after they looked it up and saw it had the historic plates, said they couldn't determine a value for it.. so i will probably go for classic car insurance if i end up keeping it. Plates here are about 28 a year for it and insurance is under 200 a year.