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About to buy first bmw. 535i help?
Hey guys, I've done some reading up on the 1990 535i as I found a very nice one with a manual shift that I may pick up. Any problem spots I should look at? Are these m30 engines pretty bulletproof? What would you pay for a nice 535i manual with about 100k miles?
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Welcome; you will love the car. I believe all the info you need is stickied.
King of the low budget sig
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Originally Posted by wally05
Here's an old page from years ago on Bruno's site
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if by nice you mean a very good condition with records, then about 3-4k. bought mine for 600, never by a bad condition e34 on a budget
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Wow, thanks for the quick replies, guys.I'll do some reading. It's very solid car, rust free, just beautiful shape. I like wrenching on my own cars, so it seems like a natural choice.
racecar
With such low miles, up to 5 grand.
btw, Trust me, it is far better to buy that car than one with twice the miles for half the money ... you'll just end up paying more to fix the beater back up.
btw, the m30 really is a robust engine; if it has oil and water and isn't overheated, it will probably outlast your will to live. lol
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or one with low miles that has "cosmetic issues"...
If she checks out... buy it!
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If you can do your own repairs, I wouldn't worry too much about the little stuff. The front end will need to be rebuilt with new control arms, etc at some point. That's life, and not too awful to do yourself.
If you AREN'T doing your own repairs, get it to a mechanic for a full checkup before buying. Any European car will nickle and dime you (or hundred dollar bill you) to death, which is why it always makes sense to get one in the best shape you can find, IMO.
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Anybody drive theirs in the winter? lol, I'm a firm believer that if you have the proper tires and are properly taught how to drive a RWD car in the winter, you'd be fine. I've been driving my new 2008 mustang "Bullitt" and it's been fine, but I'm trying to kind of keep the miles down. So, I went searching for a 2nd vehicle that I can kind of drive in the winter also. (i keep my vehicles salt-free)
I had to have a stick shift and I been a closet-case beemer lover ever since I drove them to deliver them two summers ago. I did it all summer, driving new or 1 year old bmws to be delivered to a small dealer back home, mostly 3 series, but I got to toy with a newer M and some other stuff. I wasn't hard on them, but I really learned to appreciate the build quality of a bmw then.
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Sure, lots of people here drive them in the winter. As you said, a good set of real winter tires will help a lot. Unfortunately we've lost a few e34's here due to the wrong tires in the snow.
Later e34's can be had traction control, which will also help if it gets really nasty.
No current BMWs.
1994 Roadmaster Wagon
1974 Alfa Romeo Berlina
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I recently acquired a 90 535i and find its awful to drive in the winter, I put snows on, it improved things considerably but it doesn't even come close to the benz with all seasons.
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BMW CCA Member
Anybody drive theirs in the winter? lol, I'm a firm believer that if you have the proper tires and are properly taught how to drive a RWD car in the winter, you'd be fine. I've been driving my new 2008 mustang "Bullitt" and it's been fine, but I'm trying to kind of keep the miles down. So, I went searching for a 2nd vehicle that I can kind of drive in the winter also. (i keep my vehicles salt-free)
I had to have a stick shift and I been a closet-case beemer lover ever since I drove them to deliver them two summers ago. I did it all summer, driving new or 1 year old bmws to be delivered to a small dealer back home, mostly 3 series, but I got to toy with a newer M and some other stuff. I wasn't hard on them, but I really learned to appreciate the build quality of a bmw then.
Pictures of bullitt?!
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Haha, I'll get some pics of my bullitt up here.
Doing an oil change.
GT500 seats and steering wheel, engine turned design dash
Not all the best pics, but these are some.
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^^^FTW. How is handling with the rear axle?
King of the low budget sig
Your E60 sucks.
Don't buy this 535i manual. However, you should tell me exactly where this car is and the seller's preferred method of payment so I can buy it RIGHT NOW. If I don't find a good running one soon, I'm just converting mine to manual.
It's MAF'd.
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Where the hell have you been?
-M30 | Miller W.A.R. Chip | Miller MAF conversion | S3.73 | Single Mass flywheel | e60 ssk | 25,20mm Sways | Vogtland Springs | Glasspack ~RIP~
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+1, you put some illegal engine in your car or something?
Go ahead and bite. Plenty for everyone.
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Which Benz? Ours has handled just fine in snow, it's actually hard to get it to do anything stupid.
No current BMWs.
1994 Roadmaster Wagon
1974 Alfa Romeo Berlina
Member
A BMW with good quality snows and a limited slip diff kicks proper snow ass in the winter, hell.. I've taken mine out this winter a couple of times on bald low profile tires and slipping autotragic and it hasn't got stuck.
A manual is a huge plus in the snow, and just about every other aspect too.
Buy eeeet !
Member
The live rear axle is fantastic on the straightaways and starting from dead stops. The suspension setup is SLIGHTLY softer than the Shelby GTs, so it makes up for the live rear axle's disadvantages quite well. It's a very tight handling car. In fact, it beat the SGT at the Ford Racing track several times... for 4 grand less. It's definitely a niche car, but it's the best overall performing GT yet. It says something when ford decides to put the suspension and intake setup on all 2010+ mustangs about how well it did.
As for the 535i, lol, I'll probably be getting it, I hope. Just have to have the funds fall in line and it's mine. I think with good snow tires it will do fine. I'll definitely go through the whole car in my garage, though.
Do 1990 535i cars have limited slip diffs?
Last edited by wally05; 02-05-2009 at 08:15 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Refusenik
Love the Bullitt Mustang but I'm amused by the comment "kinda trying to keep the miles down." Another expensive car that's too good to drive. If I were making payments on that bad boy, I'd be driving it into the ground!
I drove my wife's 535 automatic w/ LSD in the nastiest weather we've had here in Oregon for a long time and I was impressed how well it did. I would drive it anywhere, no worries.
Member
hAHA, don't worry, I'm driving it hard. I've put 14,000 miles on it in less than a year... that's a lot, lol. I'm just trying to make sure it will last awhile.
MORΩN ΛABIA
BMW CCA Member
Most 535i's did not come with an LSD, though the "cold weather package" included one, and it isn't too hard to find a used one. I'd suggest either the stock ratio 3.46, or the 3.64 (which seems to be fairly common in LSD).
With all-season stock-sized rubber and no LSD, mine was a bit of a handful in any meaningful snow. With narrower (205) snow tires it should fare reasonably well.
Member
+10000000000000+1, you put some illegal engine in your car or something?
I was starting to wonder where the e60 hater dissappeared to. now that we found him we can get back to work...
btw e34mekanik, if you want 535i manual swap parts i have a whole car i'd sell you. its in california and all but its all good
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