i need a little help

[nick922]

hey guys, as many will notice im new. heres the deal, im in need of a car, and i have to say that e34's are where its at. i like the visuals of them, and from what i can tell they handle well and have a little bit push behind them. in my are(tristate) i see them going anywhere from 2-6000 dollars, which isnt a bad price for a highschool kid. im fresh off of christmas cash and looking for a job(the car definitely wont be purchased until i have a steady job, but i gotta do my homework). First question, are 525's expensive to maintain? 2, what is a good range of miles to look for on an engine and how long do these engines last? 4, ive come across an 89 525, little info but body and interior good engine work needed for a price of 700 or best offer as well as a black 92 thats "high miles needs some work, runs and drives, 1000." im sure thats negotiable. are these something to look into? im planning on contacting the sellers and finding out the extent of the work needed to see whats doable and whats not. im mechanically inclined and not new to working on cars, and me and my neghbor paint cars if i need some body work done. another opportunity is that my dads (longtime childhood)friend works at a bmw dealership so hopefully ill get a little bit of a hookup on parts or a mechanic to check out potentioal buys. i live in a rural area with lots of windy roads, so im in need of something that handles well and accelartes quickly, no need for any high power stuff, just a quick fun everday driver. can you guys help me out?
-thanks,
nick

[moroza]

There are two 525i's - those with the M20 engine (pre-93, IIRC) and those with the M50 (93-95). Both are supposed to be quite reliable, if not as spectacularly so as the M30 engine on the 535i. The M50 is also more powerful and more economical. On this board are people with 200k+ on them, maybe even 300k.

What kind of work does the 89 need? 700 is suspiciously cheap for a running one. So is 1000. A priori, I'd stay away unless you want a project car.

Are these automatics or manuals? The slushboxes on these cars tend to start falling apart after 100k or so, and rob significant power from the somewhat sedate M20, and to a lesser extent from the M50.

Und wilkommen im BF.c!

[nick922]

anyone else?

[autophile]

I'd look for a car with a manual transmission (Better acceleration and reliability), lower miles, and some body damage that you can use to lower the price, then repair yourself.

I have a 90 525 auto trans w/ 198k miles. Not the most inspiring performance, but it is reliable. If it had a manual trans, it would be much more fun (i.e. acceptable in the performance area) !

It doesn't take much body damage to quickly drop the price of these cars, so check around, a little patience can pay off big time.

[Itsnotme1988]

There are two 525i's - those with the M20 engine (pre-93, IIRC) and those with the M50 (93-95). Both are supposed to be quite reliable, if not as spectacularly so as the M30 engine on the 535i. The M50 is also more powerful and more economical. On this board are people with 200k+ on them, maybe even 300k.

What kind of work does the 89 need? 700 is suspiciously cheap for a running one. So is 1000. A priori, I'd stay away unless you want a project car.

Are these automatics or manuals? The slushboxes on these cars tend to start falling apart after 100k or so, and rob significant power from the somewhat sedate M20, and to a lesser extent from the M50.

Und wilkommen im BF.c!


M50s began in 91 or 92 not 93. 1993 saw the first M50TU with Vanos and knock sensors. The older M50s require premium as they don't have knock sensors.

[autophile]

see http://www.bimmerforums.com/engine_faq/ for what engines came with what cars what years ...

My 1990 525i has the M20.

[nick922]

also, how long do auto transmissions usually last if i go that route? i have had minimum experience with manual trannies as of yet, so far ive only driven motorcycles and atv's with a standard, i havent driven a standard car, although i wish to learn. as for the being patient thing, i have plenty of time before i can buy the car, i definitely need to find a steady paying job first to have the rest of the money for the car itself as well as gas insurance maintenance etc, right now i only have 1300 that i can really put towards the car. also, is there a better year to look for among the 525i's as far as reliability goes. last question, do they all need premium(lame q i know, i gotta learn somewhere)? thanks alot guys
-nick

[Itsnotme1988]

also, how long do auto transmissions usually last if i go that route? i have had minimum experience with manual trannies as of yet, so far ive only driven motorcycles and atv's with a standard, i havent driven a standard car, although i wish to learn. as for the being patient thing, i have plenty of time before i can buy the car, i definitely need to find a steady paying job first to have the rest of the money for the car itself as well as gas insurance maintenance etc, right now i only have 1300 that i can really put towards the car. also, is there a better year to look for among the 525i's as far as reliability goes. last question, do they all need premium(lame q i know, i gotta learn somewhere)? thanks alot guys
-nick

First off, good on ya for doing your research ahead of time. For $1300 you could get an E34 that would need a decent amount of work. I got my 1992 525iT for $1600 and it needs a good bit of work (click my sig).

Autos typically last 130k-170k in the E34s, which isn't bad considering in E30s and such they only tend to last 100-120k. Of course there are exceptions such as my dad's '89 325is which has 230k on the original auto and it just is starting to die (clutches going). I would definatley go for a stick over an auto any day, as not only do they last longer, you can get better mileage, there is a lot more RWHP, and they are just more fun!

As far as learning to drive a stick, I had started the same as you, on dirtbikes etc. But, after buying my first stick, a 1987 Nissan Sentra:shifty, and taking some practice runs, it came pretty easy. I wouldn't worry about it, honestly. It just takes some practice.

The only differences in the 525i over the years is the transition to the M50 in 1991, M50TU in 1993, standard wood trim in 1993 (I beleive), and the wide hood and grill as seen on the 530i and 540i, in 1995.

Also, you can check out www.bmwe34.net for some information and www.e34post.com (still underconstruction) which is being built by board member atl530i. www.bmwinfo.com is also another good site for information on different generations of BMWs, and includes pictures.

[nick922]

sweet deal, that was very helpful. im gonna try and talk to my dad about learning stick somewhere, he was big into racing(street and track, he even had a 535 for a while) previous to getting married and having kids, and can drive stick very well from what ive seen. since i dont have the job yet i still got plenty of time to research, im just a bit of a noob to bmw, so im still trying to find all of the resources that are out there on the web. thanks
-nick

[Antrieb]

http://www.bmwe34.net/

Read then read again.

[stilljester]

Read then read again.

So true...I'm on my third pass