1990 535is - A good buy... or not?

[pundit]

Would you buy this car for $6000 USD?

Saw this advertised...
1990 BMW 535iS
Automatic
153,000 kms
(95,070 miles)
Asking price - $16,990 (Aussie dollars)

Now this equates to about $12000 USD.
Before you all have heart attacks at the price, these cars in Australia are 2 to 3 times the price of equivalent vehicles in the US.
Like it or not, that's just how it is! If this vehicle was $6000 US is this worth considering taking into account that it is an "iS"?

I know it's not a 5 speed but I haven't seen an "iS" anywhere auto or not.

It has the 'M' style sport seats, M-tech steering wheel, sports suspension etc.

The Aussie Redbook Car vaulation is as follows...

1990 BMW 535i
E34 Sedan iS 4dr Auto 4sp 3.4i (July onwards)
Trade in price guide* $9,500 - $11,800
National average price - private sale* $11,300 - $14,800
Price when new (RRP) $118,000 - :eek:
All prices quoted are GST inclusive

Here's a crap picture...

http://clients.net2000.com.au/~rowmat/images/535iS.jpg

Will post some more shortly. ;)

[Phil Sanderson]

Pundit, that car looks great (I love red) and it doesn't have too many k's.
For an auto '90 535i the price would be closer to $12K... $17 sounds a bit much.

A 535is could be auto or manual. According to my Sept 1989 price list the only changes from a normal 535i were:
sports suspension,
limited slip diff,
sports (manual) front seats.
The standard wheels were metric cross-spoke. (as opposed to imperial cross-spoke on a standard 535i).

It doesn't mention it in price list but every 535is that I have seen also had a full M Technic body kit with:
body colour M Technic bumpers,
body colour side skirts,
rear spoiler.

There were no mechanical changes to the engine from the factory. If anyone tells you there was, they are telling 'porky pies'.

Still that car looks pretty good and if the service has been kept up to date, go for it.

Phil
Sydney Australia

[Randell]

that car came up on carsales.com.au about 2 months after i bought mine, and i was kicking myself for missing it, it looks great... mine is the same color with the same wheels (1" bigger though), but it's a non-sport and has circled the globe a few more times.. thought it gets lots of looks and chicks love it !

but .... that one has been advertised for AGES, it was originally $19990, then he cut it to $17990 and now $16990, there must be a reason people aren't buying it, cause a stock 535i (non-s) of that year goes for at least $14k

worth checking out though, i wish i had those seats ! they look like they're in good shape too

[pundit]

that car came up on carsales.com.au about 2 months after i bought mine, and i was kicking myself for missing it, it looks great... mine is the same color with the same wheels (1" bigger though), but it's a non-sport and has circled the globe a few more times.. thought it gets lots of looks and chicks love it !

but .... that one has been advertised for AGES, it was originally $19990, then he cut it to $17990 and now $16990, there must be a reason people aren't buying it, cause a stock 535i (non-s) of that year goes for at least $14k

worth checking out though, i wish i had those seats ! they look like they're in good shape too
Well I rang the guy this morning and I'm afraid it's already been sold... in fact about three weeks ago!

I saw it originally on carsales.com.au myself at $17,990. Then it disappeared and I thought it had sold. But then yesterday I saw it advertised on carpoint.com.au at $16,990. The catch was it had been multiple listed on several sites but the ad wasn't pulled from the carpoint site when it sold a while back. BUMMER!! :(

Oh yeah... AND it had a limited slip diff as well!!

[pundit]

I guess the previous owner is the one that lost out. He was the 2nd owner.
He only had the car for eight months and lost his job. Young family etc. Two weeks after he sold it he got another job! :(

[andyman32]

I guess the previous owner is the one that lost out. He was the 2nd owner.
He only had the car for eight months and lost his job. Young family etc. Two weeks after he sold it he got another job! :(

Seems like that's ALWAYS the way the damned cookie crumbles.

And... JEZUZ MAN! I'm gonna start buying E34s here and selling them in Australia! I got almost no interest in my '94 540iA with a great body and 98K on it for $9,000 here in NC. (That was before I decided to keep it and sink $1500+ into parts, several full days into labor, and probably a few hundred bucks more for my indy to do all the stuff I can't do.)

We need to convince the American general public to adopt an Australian perspective on these spectacular vehicles! ;)