1993 525i What do you all think?

[NikosX]

1993 Automatic 525i w/ 180k miles.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525i2.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525i3.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525i4.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525i1.jpg

Needs a few things, but hell... whatever. Who cares.

[e39dream]

looks ok overall, needs some body work obviously and I see rust on the passengers doors.

whats the story on it?

[Sam Son]

huh?

[birkire]

green, tan, auto

thumbs down

[kahluastud412]

keep lookin bud

[4500 RPM]

Like I told you, do it. It's pretty clean for what it is...a good clean, buff, and de-pinstripe will go a long way. That interior needs leather conditioner ASAP.

You've got the panels...easy stuff.


green, tan, auto

thumbs down

It will be a cheap beater...find a better $300 E34


keep lookin bud

For $300 it's pretty nice. :cool

[kahluastud412]

what are your plans?

[e39dream]

for 300 bucks you could drive it as is until it dies, part it out at rock bottom pricing and still turn a profit.

[russiankid]

For 300 bucks you can't go wrong.

[4500 RPM]

for 300 bucks you could drive it as is until it dies, part it out at rock bottom pricing and still turn a profit.

It's true...it's at his (and my former) mechanic's in Bloomington. Needed a waterpump...guy got fed up, thinking it needed a headgasket.

Apparently it's mechanically sound, with a few new parts. E34s are such an easy DIY and we have lots of parts and lots of E34s in a close-by junkyard so it's hard to lose with this one.

[moroza]

for 300 bucks you can't go wrong.

QFT

$300 for just about any running, driving, somewhat healthy car is a pretty good deal. Hell, my truck was three times that and it was proverbially dumpsterdived.

[zubbie]

a far cry from your M5, but $300 is an average repair for me so whatever

[NikosX]

Thats what Ive been thinking. I mean, its no beauty, but its gonna be a great snowplow.

[Jcbe34]

I think it looks like shit, but probably worth $300. It would be great for shenanigans

[NikosX]

I think it looks like shit, but probably worth $300. It would be great for shenanigans

That was my thinking exactly. After the spring thaw... a weekly 10 minute E34 torture video would screen. Bwahahahah

[sixerhaus]

how do you get rid of pinstriping??
ugly car by the way.......

[sfgearhead]

Hell if it's a winter beater get it running and drive it. Don't bother fixing it up, the fender will help with merging onto freeways.

[mottati]

how do you get rid of pinstriping??
ugly car by the way.......

laquer thinner will remove it if it's painted on. Heat gun, some time, and solvent if it's tape

[NikosX]

I was thinking it would be great for a youthful game of tree punting in the spring.

[87shark]

Only $300?? I would buy it in a heart beat. I like that interior.

[4500 RPM]

Hell if it's a winter beater get it running and drive it. Don't bother fixing it up, the fender will help with merging onto freeways.

:rofl

I think the Mauritius Blue hood, fender, and nosepanel from our dearly departed parts M5 would go quite nicely with Oxford Green :rofl

[HEEMzE34]

I have the same car but it's a '92. I think they started having variable valve timing '93, not sure. BUT $300?! Wowza. I would.

[sqitis]

93 was the first year of vanos. Dont know why I care to know this information. The only time I drive a 6 cylinder is when I have a misfire on two.

[NikosX]

PSH... my 4 banger'll shit all over your 8.

[sqitis]

Nic had too much gonga last night! I keep telling him to stay off the drugs!

[Binjammin]

laquer thinner will remove it if it's painted on. Heat gun, some time, and solvent if it's tape

You do know that there are pinstripe eraser wheels you can purchase from any decent auto parts/supply store for like $10-15. Put them in any cordless drill and erase the stripe. They work fantastic.

[MacR]

To remove the pinstripe, take a razorblade to it. For those stubborn spots, make sure to dig in with a sharp tip of a pocket knife. Clean off the rest with some steel-wool and give the car a wash.

It'll look perfect.

[Orion525it]

Don't think you can go wrong for $300

I few months back, I was looking for a backup car and something with good space that my dogs would be happy with. Ran through a bunch of possibilities. I was digging through craigslist when I found the iT. Got it for $800. Even if the car only ran for 3-4months, no way I can loose on it. $300 is guiltless.

BTW, I spent some "time" in B-town. Miss hiking and mountain biking in Yellowwood, and of course all the girls!

[NikosX]

Thats the thinking. I just need it to last for 3 months.

[4500 RPM]

Nic, you can either make this car a true POS with your misguided ideas or you can fix it up a bit in a labor of love. I would much rather see you do the latter while keeping it on a budget.

If it were my car, which it's not, first thing I would do is bring it to "stage 0", which is to put on the blue hood, fender, nosepanel, headlights, and a bumper if it needs it. I'll get to it in a bit but also do a baseline tuneup. I would keep a close tally on money spent, just for fun. Figure out your expectations for the car, such as last the winter and sell in the spring. Set a desired budget, keeping in mind how much it will be worth at 200k when you are done. A least keep up an Excel spreadsheet with every cost, every maintenance item, etc. I'd make it a game to see how nice I could make it with $1500...my guess is with some elbow grease you could put 15k on the car for free or turn a small profit when you sell. Only thing I would do is immediately do a baseline tuneup (oil change, O2 sensor, filters, valve cover gasket/spark plug gasket/spark plugs), cheap brake job (swap the 540 stuff over???), swap the cluster and the correct coding chip, the sway link or whatever that it may need, and fix the piddly stuff like burned bulbs. I'd spend some time looking for a <$100 E36 M3 steering wheel (they are definitely out there, and you can reuse your airbag if you find a deal on one without) as that will majorly improve the driving experience.

Worst case is when you're done with it make it a 24 Hours of Lemons car but I'd hate to see that happen, and I doubt you have the cash for that.

It can really be a presentable car. So what if it will have a blue hood, nosepanel, and fender? You're in southern Indiana, that's nothing out of the ordinary. The miles aren't crazy high either, and a manual swap is tempting.

There is no reason to abuse this car, strip it to make a 525i automatic racecar on bottlecaps, etc. You need to learn to be gentle with the 190k mile automatic as well. The fun thing about an automatic 525i is it's a momentum car...I had fun with mine.

I can't wait to see it when I come up sometime. I'll bring my buffer if you promise not to ball up the thing or otherwise abuse it before I get there :) Just remember that you'll be thinking about your S2000 whenever you drive it, so keep it as nice as possible to minimize the longing for the roadster. You won't want to drive a winter in a joke of a car.




BTW, I spent some "time" in B-town. Miss hiking and mountain biking in Yellowwood, and of course all the girls!

I miss Bloomington too, that place was great. Here in Atlanta (in the N. 'burbs) if you want something to eat, go to Best Buy, etc. you have to drive 10 miles, at least. There is an upside to a large town vs. city after all.

[mtechnica]

Extremely similar situation to mine. 180k mile 525ia, Got it for super cheap, needs a few things (major thing being thrust arms). Cleaned it up a bit and am going to use it for a winter beater. They key IMO is to keep it maintained enough to be reliable and don't abuse it too badly.

Before

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a295/1967cutlass/_MG_4976.jpg

Now

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a295/1967cutlass/e34black.jpg

[4500 RPM]

^

This is exactly what I am talking about. Perfect example!

[NikosX]

Nic, you can either make this car a true POS with your misguided ideas or you can fix it up a bit in a labor of love. I would much rather see you do the latter while keeping it on a budget.

If it were my car, which it's not, first thing I would do is bring it to "stage 0", which is to put on the blue hood, fender, nosepanel, headlights, and a bumper if it needs it. I'll get to it in a bit but also do a baseline tuneup. I would keep a close tally on money spent, just for fun. Figure out your expectations for the car, such as last the winter and sell in the spring. Set a desired budget, keeping in mind how much it will be worth at 200k when you are done. A least keep up an Excel spreadsheet with every cost, every maintenance item, etc. I'd make it a game to see how nice I could make it with $1500...my guess is with some elbow grease you could put 15k on the car for free or turn a small profit when you sell. Only thing I would do is immediately do a baseline tuneup (oil change, O2 sensor, filters, valve cover gasket/spark plug gasket/spark plugs), cheap brake job (swap the 540 stuff over???), swap the cluster and the correct coding chip, the sway link or whatever that it may need, and fix the piddly stuff like burned bulbs. I'd spend some time looking for a <$100 E36 M3 steering wheel (they are definitely out there, and you can reuse your airbag if you find a deal on one without) as that will majorly improve the driving experience.

Worst case is when you're done with it make it a 24 Hours of Lemons car but I'd hate to see that happen, and I doubt you have the cash for that.

It can really be a presentable car. So what if it will have a blue hood, nosepanel, and fender? You're in southern Indiana, that's nothing out of the ordinary. The miles aren't crazy high either, and a manual swap is tempting.

There is no reason to abuse this car, strip it to make a 525i automatic racecar on bottlecaps, etc. You need to learn to be gentle with the 190k mile automatic as well. The fun thing about an automatic 525i is it's a momentum car...I had fun with mine.

I can't wait to see it when I come up sometime. I'll bring my buffer if you promise not to ball up the thing or otherwise abuse it before I get there :) Just remember that you'll be thinking about your S2000 whenever you drive it, so keep it as nice as possible to minimize the longing for the roadster. You won't want to drive a winter in a joke of a car.



I miss Bloomington too, that place was great. Here in Atlanta (in the N. 'burbs) if you want something to eat, go to Best Buy, etc. you have to drive 10 miles, at least. There is an upside to a large town vs. city after all.

He has spoken. Haha

I agree with everything you said... well most everything. I will definitely make it presentable and take care of the basics to make it drive decently. No way in hell im putting 1500 into it, but I understand where you are going with this.

Im not going to strip it, dump it to a frame scraper, or otherwise. No modding, just some minor rejuvenation.

Its getting minimal repairs. Only safety issues will be addressed. Obv it will need headlights and a bit of front end body work. All doors open and shut fine and all electricals work with the exception of the cluster information panel.

I just need it to drive ok and last until spring. Ill decide what to do with it then. Im looking forward to enjoing a nice big green couch on wheels for a little while while the S2000 rests and gets some maintenance this winter.

And... Mtechnica. Very nice. I like what youve done with it.

[4500 RPM]

Sounds good then, but $1500 would include paint on the blue panels too. You know how I'm pessimistic with money, so we'll call it $1000. Is that your budget?

I bet even with $1000 you can get the check control screen cleared. That would be my goal. :)

Stuff like how it doesn't have floormats...see if the junkyard has some crappy used fronts. Better than nothing. That always bothered me about the red car...no floormats.

[NikosX]

Updates.

Today I replaced the waterpump and thermostat and thermostat housing. Car stopped running hot.

Headliner is good. Not sagging at all. Front suspension bushings were done less than a year ago with 750il poly bushings. Its got new Pirellis.

Steering is a bit sloppy however there are no vibrations. It needs a headunit and the rear windows need to be fiddled with to get them to work.

ALSO found out that it needs an LKM after I almost got smoked by a Dodge Caravan who didnt realize I had no brake lights. lol

Some good, some bad, but overall its coming together nicely.

[Sam Son]

very cool...id love a cheap E34

[NikosX]

UPDATE

Went to the shop today. Did a little more work on the car. Changed the plugs which smoothed it out BIG TIME. Put my old 540 cluster in the car to replace the failed original one. Swapped coding chips as well. 181,704 miles.

It had platinum +4s. It runs great now. Got an LKM on the way.

AC blows cold and heat is hot. Its also got heated seats which work great as well.

I yanked the bumper and started to take the front end apart to see what all I needed to get.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525iPassengerfender2.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525iPassengerfender.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525iDriversfender.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525iFront.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525iDash.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/NikosxM5/525iHood.jpg

[m60b30530i]

PSH... my 4 banger'll shit all over your 8.

i like s2000's my friend used to have a gt30 in his , it made 380hp but 200lbft lol but it was still fast.

then he got a kinda beat up s2000 that had engine problems and he had trouble keeping up with the 535.

anything done to yours ?

[NikosX]

Ive got gears. Thats my only go faster mod and it'll walk away from a 540i6 from 0-100.

[m60b30530i]

Ive got gears. Thats my only go faster mod and it'll walk away from a 540i6 from 0-100.


cool yeah like i said his motor would misfire and it would pop out of fifth. but the turbo one was fast but was beat by a 540i6 with gears, chip and, cams to 150mph it was a insane race. shortly after that the motor started to loose compression, i should of bought the car from him but i wanted the 535 more :)

[ILoveMPower]

Torque > winning streetraces

I would buy the thing and beat the tar out of it... for $300? How can you say no?

[NikosX]

Im going to fix it. Drive it through the winter. Bounce it off a few trees and then light it on fire come spring.


Torque > winning streetraces

I would buy the thing and beat the tar out of it... for $300? How can you say no?

Too much torque = wheelspin.

153lbft/240hp @ 2700lbs = no wheelspin instant traction and...well, a win.

[AndrewH]

looks like shit, doesn't mean I wouldn't rally that shit through fences in the winter though lol

oh and you need a new wardrobe


























:rofl

[russiankid]

I would put it sideways every turn possible and not care if I smack into a tree.

[NikosX]

Andrew- I know. ;) it just so happens that I was wearing the same hoodie on both days. The jeans however are different. Lol

Im definitely going to have fun with this car though. All the while the s2000 is under a cover warm in the garage.

[AndrewH]

Andrew- I know. ;) it just so happens that I was wearing the same hoodie on both days. The jeans however are different. Lol

Im definitely going to have fun with this car though. All the while the s2000 is under a cover warm in the garage.

Haha, just being a dick man. Definitely get that shit sideways every possible opportunity and don't worry if you run over babies on the sidewalk.

[E34nication]

Ive got gears. Thats my only go faster mod and it'll walk away from a 540i6 from 0-100.

pfft... take it to the track. let's see what kind of 1/4 it runs buddaaaaaayyyy

That's a helluva deal on the 525. Great winter beater.