E34 525 or 530 v8

[robsbmw]

Hi, I'm from the uk and am currently looking to buy an e34 bmw. I'm not too sure whether to go for a 525 or 530 V8. I want to find an unmodified, manual version and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what i need to look for or whether someone has one for sale.

Thanks

Rob

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

Hi Rob,

I looked long and hard for a manual 530i Touring - rare as hens teeth! But I found one, and relatively unmolested. It's absolutely gorgeous! The previous owner added an original M5 body kit and throwing star wheels but other than that it is as BMW intended. So if you can afford the extra mpg I'd go for the V8 anytime, but it is widely recognised the 525 is the best all rounder (in the UK at least).

If you do go for the V8 make sure you see it started from cold, and with the drivers door open just rest your hand along the top of the door frame. Any more than a slight tremor then just walk away. Nikasil! To be honest though if you're looking at a 530 and it's done more than 70k miles chances are it'll be OK anyway.

Do get an FSH, make sure the air con freezes your fingers (if it doesn't you're looking at £600) and any wobble from the front wheels probably means new suspension bushes not just wheel balancing.

Good luck with your search and I hope you find a good one.

[Elekta]

The previous owner added an original M5 body kit and throwing star wheels but other than that it is as BMW intended..

This I gotta see. Please post pics of your Touring
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/DSCN1373.jpg

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

This I gotta see. Please post pics of your Touring
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/DSCN1373.jpg
:p Ok, as requested - apologies for the poor quality, I've got one of those camera 'phones. The car is gleaming (honest!). And before anybody tells me off, I know it's badged M5, but it is a 530, and I never tell anybody different, but it is noticeable how people treat you with so much more respect . . .

http://www.geocities.com/forsd_t/photopagebmw.html
http://www.geocities.com/forsd_t/photopagebmw2.html

Cheers

Toby

[ryan roopnarine]

those are htmls that you linked to, you need to link to a picture file (like .jpg, .bmp).

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

Follow these links for photos of my UK 530 Touring

http://www.geocities.com/forsd_t/photopagebmw.html
http://www.geocities.com/forsd_t/photopagebmw2.html

[Dick Schneiders]

Follow these links for photos of my UK 530 Touring

http://www.geocities.com/forsd_t/photopagebmw.html
http://www.geocities.com/forsd_t/photopagebmw2.html

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

Yup, it's a good 'un. Both body kit and wheels are genuine, 'though when the kit was re-sprayed to match the car it was decided to leave it all one colour (as opposed to the M5's lower sills/spoilers being painted silver). I'm not sure about this 'though and may yet change it.

Latest changes include a UUC short-shifter, an auto-dim rear view mirror (once I've worked out the wiring. Seperate thread methinks!). Full overhaul of the a/c system, oh and it's coming up to its' next inspection service . . . and the wife is running out of patience!

Interior wise it has a genuine M5 illuminated gear knob and gaiter (all-in-one), genuine 3 spoke Mtech steering wheel, and Mtech instrument binnacle.

I wanted a 4.0 Sport Touring, but every one I looked at was knackered in some way or another. And although petrol costs nearly £5 a gallon (over $9) and insurance has set me back over £800 ($1400+) I'm a very happy chappy! Don't think I could ever go back to running Ford's again . . .

[Elekta]

S'what I'm talkin bout

Find me an M5 kit with the rear bumper for the tow package, and I am in your debt.

I am looking for
bumper covers front and back
sideskirts
headlights
rear passenger window shades
Throwing Stars

have you considered the rear clear project yet?

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

If ever I see any I'll let you know - but then shipping from the UK???? As for the rear window shades I'm with you there! Clear rear lights? Hmmm, dunno. Quite like the contrast against the darker gray. But then again!

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

Thanks Dick!

[Elekta]

If ever I see any I'll let you know - but then shipping from the UK???? As for the rear window shades I'm with you there! Clear rear lights? Hmmm, dunno. Quite like the contrast against the darker gray. But then again!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/wagon_rear.jpg
The clears have to be homemade using these.
http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/ggil/clears.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/12c65971.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/5257622e.jpg

I put some liquid window tint on the inside (a few drops, spread around and then wiped out with a paper towel and found the right tint) I'm sure you could get similar results.

Get a www.photobucket.com account (free) and upload your pics so you can paste them directly into a post. You have one of the sweetest tourings I've seen. We need to see more of it.

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/wagon_rear.jpg
The clears have to be homemade using these.
http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/ggil/clears.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/12c65971.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/5257622e.jpg

I put some liquid window tint on the inside (a few drops, spread around and then wiped out with a paper towel and found the right tint) I'm sure you could get similar results.

Get a www.photobucket.com account (free) and upload your pics so you can paste them directly into a post. You have one of the sweetest tourings I've seen. We need to see more of it.

Where did you get the clear lenses from? And I'm checking out photobucket now . . .

[Elekta]

Where did you get the clear lenses from?

http://www.reproglas.com/engbmw.html

http://www.touringklubben.com/whiteBlinkEng.asp (intructions in English; I have some other tips too)

Touring nectar to drool over (http://www.touringklubben.com/picNav.asp?what=list&type=E34&sort=year&sortOrder=DESC) If you click the medlemar link it has a list of 540iT owners as well, but I have yet to find a swedish-english translator to ask them some questions.

[Phil M]

i love the car, but i just have one minor gripe... take the M5 badge off! :P

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

i love the car, but i just have one minor gripe... take the M5 badge off! :P

Been thinking about it, as I didn't put it on there in the first place . . . but I never tell anyone it's anything other than a 530. And if they can't be bothered to ask then I'm kinda tempted to leave it as it is - after all I know what it is. And all the styling is M5, and I don't see a huge degree of seperation between having an M5 stick shift (with badge) and an M5 badge on the trunk. Sorry ;)

[Phil M]

understandable. on another note though I think that since you have the whole "clean" look going with the mtechnik body, turbines, lowered susp. that you should debadge it too and keep that rear end clean as well :) is that thing shadowlined? if not, id say you should look into that. as well as the blacked out grill!

just a few cosmetic suggestions.. shes already fine as hell! :)

id wish id looked into tourings.. but being 18 and a driving "station wagon" isnt too socially acceptable round here.


Been thinking about it, as I didn't put it on there in the first place . . . but I never tell anyone it's anything other than a 530. And if they can't be bothered to ask then I'm kinda tempted to leave it as it is - after all I know what it is. And all the styling is M5, and I don't see a huge degree of seperation between having an M5 stick shift (with badge) and an M5 badge on the trunk. Sorry ;)

[Elekta]

id wish id looked into tourings.. but being 18 and a driving "station wagon" isnt too socially acceptable round here.

Put a Peevy and a les paul gold top in the back and I doubt there'd be too much trouble. Bikes load easier, wake boards, more room for the subwoofer
http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/ggil/rearfogs.jpg
de badge it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/DSCN0956.jpg

then there's always dove season
http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/ggil/DSCN0306.jpg

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

understandable. on another note though I think that since you have the whole "clean" look going with the mtechnik body, turbines, lowered susp. that you should debadge it too and keep that rear end clean as well :) is that thing shadowlined? if not, id say you should look into that. as well as the blacked out grill!

just a few cosmetic suggestions.. shes already fine as hell! :)

id wish id looked into tourings.. but being 18 and a driving "station wagon" isnt too socially acceptable round here.

Good grief - you're 18 and have a 540!! I'm 31 and have only just been able to afford the insurance on a 530! Wish I lived in the States! On styling - I like the odd touch of chrome (eg grill) just to give it that visual lift (now I'm getting pretensious! (spelling?)). And believe it or not it has not been lowered! In fact there's quite a gap on the front (my pictures are terrible, I will try and get some decent ones done over the weekend). And I do appreciate the comments about debadging, that is probably the way I'd go (i.e. not back to 530). I do object to people trying to pass ordinary 5's off as M cars. I ran into one when looking for my current car, the guy had no idea, had spent a few bob on eBay (badges etc) and thought that he could charge an extra $7k for his 540 Sport (slightly different beast in the UK). oh and it'd been clocked . . . And I repeat, I never tell anyone mine is an M5, in the UK telling them it's a 3.0 v8 is more than enough to get jaws dropping!

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

Hi Rob,

I looked long and hard for a manual 530i Touring - rare as hens teeth! But I found one, and relatively unmolested. It's absolutely gorgeous! The previous owner added an original M5 body kit and throwing star wheels but other than that it is as BMW intended. So if you can afford the extra mpg I'd go for the V8 anytime, but it is widely recognised the 525 is the best all rounder (in the UK at least).

If you do go for the V8 make sure you see it started from cold, and with the drivers door open just rest your hand along the top of the door frame. Any more than a slight tremor then just walk away. Nikasil! To be honest though if you're looking at a 530 and it's done more than 70k miles chances are it'll be OK anyway.

Do get an FSH, make sure the air con freezes your fingers (if it doesn't you're looking at £600) and any wobble from the front wheels probably means new suspension bushes not just wheel balancing.

Good luck with your search and I hope you find a good one.

Any response Rob? (and there's a lot more to this thread, click into it and follow the links down!)

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

Put a Peevy and a les paul gold top in the back and I doubt there'd be too much trouble. Bikes load easier, wake boards, more room for the subwoofer
http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/ggil/rearfogs.jpg
de badge it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/bmw/DSCN0956.jpg

then there's always dove season
http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/ggil/DSCN0306.jpg


haha! LOL!! I like it!

[toby_forsdyke@hotmail.com]

http://www.reproglas.com/engbmw.html

http://www.touringklubben.com/whiteBlinkEng.asp (intructions in English; I have some other tips too)

Touring nectar to drool over (http://www.touringklubben.com/picNav.asp?what=list&type=E34&sort=year&sortOrder=DESC) If you click the medlemar link it has a list of 540iT owners as well, but I have yet to find a swedish-english translator to ask them some questions.
Thanks for the links - and there is some nice stuff on there. 'Though I think you guys have better taste when it comes to modding 5er's. I'm no good at Swedish either!