New to the forum - any tips?

[mdimillo]

Hey guys I recently picked up an E34 and decided to start joining the forums and reading some of the threads and whatnot. Is there a specific place where people kind of "introduce" themselves or their cars?

Any tips for newcomers?

[e34Croak]

Welcome! I'd suggest reading the FAQ and rules of the road. There are lots of good DIY's available. I'd also suggest to use the search function (tricky at first). This will save everyone time and aggravation.

[mdimillo]

Thanks I'm going through those right now. The DIY's intrigue me for sure. Where is it customary to introduce your car?

[jhayregz]

The SEARCH button is most helpful.
Welcome....post some more so you can upload stuff and PM people.

[e34Croak]

If you've got an e34, you've introduced yourself in the proper location! Get some pics of your car up ASAP or start an official progress thread.

[Layne]

Where is it customary to introduce your car?

You're welcome to do that right here.

[ross1]

You've just done it.
Tips? Read the FAQ, do a least a quick search before posting questions, don't make a zillion threads over the same issue and post a follow up/solution if you've solved a mechanical problem you've posted about.
Welcome aboard.

[ShapeShifter]

Pretty good first post, and great advice from the veterans.


Welcome and enjoy the car.

[mdimillo]

It's a 1992 525i with an M50nv swap apparently. ~300k on the body and ~140k on the engine.

Car is near mint, except for some minor rust beginning to form under the drivers side tail
light. The car hasn't been moved down to my house yet so I'm just posting the pictures that were sent to me. Rims come with the car yes. Was apparently owned by a BMW mechanic for just over a year, came certified. Looks like it has a few M5 interior parts but I'm not 100% sure on that. Looked like it had some ///M accents on the seats (barely visible in interior pic).

All in all, albeit my limited experience driving it so far it looks like an amazing car and a great platform to build on.

I'm going to be redoing the sound system, at least the deck at first, most likely a high end Kenwood, and I haven't decided on the subs yet. I'm thinking at least 1000+ watts.

What do you guys think? What would you have paid for it?

http://imageshack.us/a/img43/6127/t2ec16rzue9s38hk9brhbyi.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img805/3753/kgrhqfhjeifenq3slnbrhb7.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img543/5316/kgrhqrhje8fesjb10ewbrhb.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/2550/t2ec16fhjgoe9nuqewvebrh.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img40/7599/kgrhqrhje0feu461ng7brhb.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img571/2207/t2ec16jhjf0e9nmfqg18brh.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img832/3058/kgrhqnhjeifenw3uu0cbrhb.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img687/9180/kgrhqjhjesfeoebqwcbrhby.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img826/9391/t2ec16fhjhqe9nzeyhhbrhb.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img534/971/t2ec16rw0e9sznyhqqbrhby.jpg

For a first car, I think I scored pretty good :)

[thatonedood]

Wow, nice color. And clean. That is some serious wheel gap.

[mdimillo]

Wow, nice color. And clean. That is some serious wheel gap.

Thank you, I love the colour. I looked at the chart and pictures in the FAQ and couldn't figure out which paint code was mine though. What's with the wheel gap I noticed that myself too? After the stereo I think I'm going to invest in some coilovers.

[Leonator134]

wow. I may like this color even more than my own. I just saved a couple of your pictures to my desktop, fyi.

I believe the wheel gap is due to having larger rims with stock springs, so when you put on bigger rims you need to lower the car because it will raise its self in accordance with wheels size. No?

P.S. If you car still has it, you can find the name of the paint in the engine bay on the passenger side strut tower.

Welcome! Love your car!

Leo

edit: Only pic I have of it, but you can barely make out my paint tag at the bottom left of the picture. Look there to see if you have one.
http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t434/leonator134/8711E4D1-D7FB-4FBA-8913-6426CD94808B-2057-00000344C4F7B16E_zps5c05d304.jpg

[mdimillo]

wow. I may like this color even more than my own. I just saved a couple of your pictures to my desktop, fyi.

I believe the wheel gap is due to having larger rims with stock springs, so when you put on bigger rims you need to lower the car because it will raise its self in accordance with wheels size. No?

P.S. If you car still has it, you can find the name of the paint in the engine bay on the passenger side strut tower.

Welcome! Love your car!

Leo

edit: Only pic I have of it, but you can barely make out my paint tag at the bottom left of the picture. Look there to see if you have one.
http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t434/leonator134/8711E4D1-D7FB-4FBA-8913-6426CD94808B-2057-00000344C4F7B16E_zps5c05d304.jpg

That's good to know ;D and awesome thanks for the tip! Car's not quite in my possession yet, but I'll take a look (and definitely some more pics) when it is. As for the wheels + tires yeah sounds about right. It's only raised a little bit and it looks like it could be due to that. I know stock E30 wheels are pretty small I'm sure stock E34 wheels are similarly sized.

[thatonedood]

I believe the wheel gap is due to having larger rims with stock springs, so when you put on bigger rims you need to lower the car because it will raise its self in accordance with wheels size. No?


:confused

OP, what size wheels and tires do you have? Also, you could always ask the seller what's up.

[mdimillo]

:confused

OP, what size wheels and tires do you have?

Honestly I'm not too sure. In another thread somebody told me they think I've got 17 rep's.

[Leonator134]

:confused

OP, what size wheels and tires do you have? Also, you could always ask the seller what's up.

Am I incorrect? I know little about wheels..

[mdimillo]

:confused

OP, what size wheels and tires do you have? Also, you could always ask the seller what's up.

Might shoot him a text, good point. I might just go measure them when I get the car down here. Coilovers will fix that though right?

[SwissCheeseHead]

I believe the wheel gap is due to having larger rims with stock springs, so when you put on bigger rims you need to lower the car because it will raise its self in accordance with wheels size. No?



No, not the case. Plus sizing or down sizing doesn't affect the ride height of the car if you're running the proper tire aspect ratio. Ask the seller what's going on with the suspension. My guess is that he's got springs from a V8 instead of a V6? That's the only thing I can think of.

And welcome to the forums. It's a very clean car. My suggestion, if you plan on keeping it long term, is to take care of that rust before it turns into a hole. With only 140K on the engine, you have plenty of life left.

[Leonator134]

I see. I thought I remembered Jon posting a picture of an E34 on Mpars with stock suspension and said ridiculously high. I guess I made that whole thing in my head. Sorry for fasle info. Wheel noob.

[mdimillo]

No, not the case. Plus sizing or down sizing doesn't affect the ride height of the car if you're running the proper tire aspect ratio. Ask the seller what's going on with the suspension. My guess is that he's got springs from a V8 instead of a V6? That's the only thing I can think of.

And welcome to the forums. It's a very clean car. My suggestion, if you plan on keeping it long term, is to take care of that rust before it turns into a hole. With only 140K on the engine, you have plenty of life left.

Good point. As for the rust, and, I'm no expert but I was told to just wait it out and see if any other spots pop up and get them all fixed at once. If memory serves me correctly, the rust was just bubbling and wasn't like a large patch of rust.

EDIT: Just wanted to throw this in, I'm definitely hoping to keep it long term. Yeah the engine is still reasonably fresh, I think I'm going to end up doing some forced induction or something once my driving skills improve.

[clevertd]

V6 springs eh? Those must be real rare.

[mdimillo]

V6 springs eh? Those must be real rare.

When you guys say V8 and V6 springs, what are you referring to? He did say something about new shocks though..

[clevertd]

Sorry, that was sarcasm. No such thing as V6 springs.

[mdimillo]

Sorry, that was sarcasm. No such thing as V6 springs.

Hahahaha I was gonna say something about engines but I at least knew BMW only makes straight-six relatively speaking. Was the joke on valve springs?

[Aradaiel]

My advice is don't listen to spiritofbavaria. At all.

[gixxerboy63]

Congratulations and welcome! I think your car looks exceptionally nice and I like the color combo. The wheels work for the car too which lends itself a nice clean overall appearance. The only thing that bothers me is that the front end appears to be sitting a little higher than normal... but that is most likely because I am used to seeing everyone else's car in here that has already been lowered to certain degree!

[mdimillo]

Guys you know what it might be, the fact that he swapped in a lighter engine!


Congratulations and welcome! I think your car looks exceptionally nice and I like the color combo. The wheels work for the car too which lends itself a nice clean overall appearance. The only thing that bothers me is that the front end appears to be sitting a little higher than normal... but that is most likely because I am used to seeing everyone else's car in here that has already been lowered to certain degree!

Thank you very much, I appreciate the compliment. I'm glad I've at least got some kind of aftermarket rims on there, so I can hold off on those for a bit. Considering either getting these ones painted, plasti-dipped, or just purchasing the legit Style 65's. As for the front end, I think it's because he swapped in a lighter engine but I'm no expert.

[thatonedood]

My advice is don't listen to spiritofbavaria. At all.
:rofl

... but that is most likely because I am used to seeing everyone else's car in here that has already been lowered to certain degree!

haha I was actually starting to think the same thing.

[mdimillo]

:rofl


haha I was actually thinking the same thing.

Well take into consideration the fact that the rear looks normal for a car, but the front is off. I doubt they'd come factory looking all goofy like that with a raised front end. I dislike it myself but it's not TOO TOO bad, so meh. I'm still kind of on a budget with this car so the K-Sport RR's will come later :)

[gixxerboy63]

...or you could simply swap in a nice set of lowering springs for very little cost.

[mdimillo]

...or you could simply swap in a nice set of lowering springs for very little cost.

I haven't decided yet. The additional options for like camber, damping etc. are pretty nice. I'm going to see, nothings set in stone yet I'm still researching. Is yours lowered on springs? What if I purchased 2 coilovers, fixed the front, then purchased another 2 when I had more money and lowered it all around even more so?

[thatonedood]

Well take into consideration the fact that the rear looks normal for a car, but the front is off. I doubt they'd come factory looking all goofy like that with a raised front end. I dislike it myself but it's not TOO TOO bad, so meh. I'm still kind of on a budget with this car so the K-Sport RR's will come later :)

Oh no. On these cars, the fenders ride a little high up front as it is

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/autoreview/400x266/1990-96-BMW-5-Series-93602061990204.jpg
http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/bmw/5-series/1992/oem/1992_bmw_5-series_sedan_535i_fq_oem_1_500.jpg
http://thebellinghamauction.com/photoalbum/2012auctions/2feb12album/feb12photoalbum/1992BMW525i.JPG

[gixxerboy63]

Mine's lowered on Vogtland springs and Koni Shocks... Vogtlands offer a pretty aggressive drop and I believe that the Koni's are the only recommended shock that are able to withstand the drop... H&Rs may be a better choice, if you plan to run the stock components for awhile.

[Leonator134]

Tim post a couple pics so we can ogle :love1

Give our new pal a taste of lowering ;)

[mdimillo]

Oh no. On these cars, the fenders ride a little high up front as it is

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/autoreview/400x266/1990-96-BMW-5-Series-93602061990204.jpg
http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/bmw/5-series/1992/oem/1992_bmw_5-series_sedan_535i_fq_oem_1_500.jpg
http://thebellinghamauction.com/photoalbum/2012auctions/2feb12album/feb12photoalbum/1992BMW525i.JPG

That's interesting. Never knew that.


Mine's lowered on Vogtland springs and Koni Shocks... Vogtlands offer a pretty aggressive drop and I believe that the Koni's are the only recommended shock that are able to withstand the drop... H&Rs may be a better choice, if you plan to run the stock components for awhile.

What kind of components would need replacing to run a setup similar to yours (with an aggressive drop)?

[gixxerboy63]

Tim post a couple pics so we can ogle :love1

Give our new pal a taste of lowering ;)

Oh, all right then... If I really must. Here ya go;
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8446977220_20bc80bde4_c.jpg

[MazDuh]

My advice is don't listen to spiritofbavaria. At all.

Best advice anyone could ever give.


That is a truly awesome color. Reminds me of my 96 millenia, just on a better car this time. May be aftermarket, too.

You'd never guess that car has 300k. it looks closer to 100k at best.

As many have said, theres LOTS of interesting information for nearly all your questions on this forum. The search feature will lead you to most of your answers.

Nice car, welcome to the forum!

-Eric

[Leonator134]

I am ogling.

[Leonator134]

I am ogling.

[mdimillo]

Oh, all right then... If I really must. Here ya go;
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8446977220_20bc80bde4_c.jpg

That looks lovely :) how many inches was your ride dropped?


Best advice anyone could ever give.


That is a truly awesome color. Reminds me of my 96 millenia, just on a better car this time. May be aftermarket, too.

You'd never guess that car has 300k. it looks closer to 100k at best.

As many have said, theres LOTS of interesting information for nearly all your questions on this forum. The search feature will lead you to most of your answers.

Nice car, welcome to the forum!

-Eric

Thanks! Yeah I've been doing quite a bit of reading. The shell I swear has to be mint, it's amazing. I hope they can fix the small bit of rust without it being painfully obvious...

[gixxerboy63]

That's interesting. Never knew that.



What kind of components would need replacing to run a setup similar to yours (with an aggressive drop)?

When I replaced mine, I bought the Vogtland springs, new Koni Yellow adjustables... while everything was out, I went ahead and replaced the top mounts, spring pads (although eliminating these would give me slightly more drop) and bump stops. I think I was all in for about $1000; The most expensive part was the Koni's, which I bought from TireRack for around $600, the springs were $200 and the other stuff was not that big of a deal...

The car rides great on 18" staggared wheels, doesn't rub even with four adults in the car in a spirited drive down a curvey road or on the track! Pretty compliant and comfortable during normal driving, but tightens up and tracks nice and flat through a turn when pressed hard...

I later added a Racing Dynamics Strut bar and swaybar kit for around $700, which improved the handling even more.

[mdimillo]

When I replaced mine, I bought the Vogtland springs, new Koni Yellow adjustables... while everything was out, I went ahead and replaced the top mounts, spring pads (although eliminating these would give me slightly more drop) and bump stops. I think I was all in for about $1000; The most expensive part was the Koni's, which I bought from TireRack for around $600, the springs were $200 and the other stuff was not that big of a deal...

The car rides great on 18" staggared wheels, doesn't rub even with four adults in the car in a spirited drive down a curvey road or on the track! Pretty compliant and comfortable during normal driving, but tightens up and tracks nice and flat through a turn when pressed hard...

I later added a Racing Dynamics Strut bar and swaybar kit for around $700, which improved the handling even more.

Yeah I mean, 1000 bucks is 1000 bucks. Coilovers would be around there too wouldn't they? K-Sports on andysautosport.com were shy of 1200 bucks. I guess if you roll just the springs you're looking at 200.

[gixxerboy63]

Yeah I mean, 1000 bucks is 1000 bucks. Coilovers would be around there too wouldn't they? K-Sports on andysautosport.com were shy of 1200 bucks. I guess if you roll just the springs you're looking at 200.

Yep... I would just do a set of $200 lowering springs if I were on a budget.
....BC coilovers can be had for around $1000

Check out Shelbyz4u2nv's car. He had Vogtland/Konis before he switched to this setup;
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1548409&page=15

[mdimillo]

Yep... I would just do a set of $200 lowering springs if I were on a budget.
....BC coilovers can be had for around $1000

Check out Shelbyz4u2nv's car. He had Vogtland/Konis before he switched to this setup;
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1548409&page=15

I guess we could agree that both setups would yield some nice results. Just it's a matter of waiting it out for coilovers, or getting springs as a temporary (possibly permanent) solution.

[gixxerboy63]

Here is a shocks and springs guide for lowering our cars;
http://www.bmw4life.com/shocksSpringsGuide.htm

[mdimillo]

Here is a shocks and springs guide for lowering our cars;
http://www.bmw4life.com/shocksSpringsGuide.htm

That's an interesting article, there's quite a few popular combinations. I'm no suspension buff so I think I'm going to wait it out and see what I want to do with the car first. They had some good reviews about the koni's though. Little on the pricey side.

[Chinman]

Great color combo. :thumbup:


My advice is don't listen to spiritofbavaria. At all.

I second this.

[mdimillo]

Great color combo. :thumbup:



I second this.

LMFAO I got a good kick out of his rant about air bubbles in the cooling system being ok.