e34 530/540 reliability question

[gooten1]

I've decided lately that I love the 5'ers more than the 3'ers. I own a e36 318ti... but that's another story.

How reliable are the e34's? If I were to buy one, it may not be the daily driver, but it would be driven regularly.

I know both shared the same motor (m60?) but the 540 has about 70 more hp. Why? Is the m60 in the 540 a true 4 liter, while the 530 has a 3 liter?

If I were to buy a stock 540 from a private party, what should I look to pay?

TIA,
-Thom

[Chri530]

I have no complaints about mine except the occasional rough idle and I drive it daily. Reliable as hell. I paid $6900 for mine w/65,000 on the new block and 110,000 on the drivetrain. All documents from the first and 2nd owner as well (even original BMW keychain). However, it required roughly $1900 in repair work but we knew about the needed work before buying the car. The average going price I've seen for them is around $8000. As for the block they are either 3.0L or 4.0L.

[prash]

The 540 is a lot faster than the 530. The 4.0 is a strong motor. If fuel milage is important the 4.0 may not be the best choice. I'm getting about 19 - 20 avg. Other than that mine behaves well for the most part.

Look out for the Alusil/Nikasil issue and if you find one you like get the the suspension and tranny checked.

For the most part they're excellent cars.