'91 M5 Project

[TGreene]

The other day I was browsing craigslist and came across an add for a "one-of-a-king" '91 M5. This is what the seller wrote:

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Sonderlach one of a kind BMW factory paint job for e34 M5, blue/purple color mix from factory!
Champagne Sport seat leather/power/heated front seats, one of a kinda combo! Back seat split with arm rest.
This M5 can be daily driven all year long, it has no issues that effect the daily use of the car. A/C Blows cold!
Interior leather/seats are 20 years old/worn!! Door panels suffer from common delaminating problem.
Headliner sagging, Interior needs the most help, fully driveable but not doing the M5 justice.
I am the second owner, the first owner custom ordered the car from BMW and drove it to 180k and spent plenty money on the car!
186k Mileage
Power everything, original Turbine Blades and Wheels in great shape.
Motor pulls like new...ITB I6, clutch feels new.
Factory Stereo-CDchanger, A/C climate control, ALL LIGHTS AND ELECTRONICS WORK FLAWLESSLY Sunroof, spare wheel, remote keyless entry, original books....
$15k Reciepts of Restoration work by Korman Auto 30k miles ago.
Also installed at Korman during restoration:
1. Koni Adjustable Shocks
2. Korman Short-Shifter
3. Korman M5 E34 S38B36 Performance Chip
Plus a huge list of work done!
ASKING 5k....pretty damn cheap for a one of a kind M5.
GIVE OR TAKE THE INTERIOR ISSUES, no parking lot dings or dents, usualy rock chips on the front common on e34s.
CLEAN CARFAX CLEAN TITLE.
CASH ONLY, TITLE IN HAND........I have plenty of pics just trying to get the ball rolling!
MAY TRADE FOR e36 M3......email me!
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Naturally I got very excited and called him. He was a young guy whose family owned a used car dealership. He said that he had bought the car a few months ago and had been driving it around as a dealership car but now had to sell it. We talked a bit about it and agreed to meet the next morning.

When I saw the car I fell in love with the color combination. It was a sort of blueish purple that NikoSX says is Madeira Violet. The interior was once a full leather Champagne, but in very bad shape. The door cards were all wrapped in leather that was seriously delaminated and falling apart. The seats were faded and ripped. The headliner sagged too, but I got in and I loved it. The engine had just under 185k on it. I don't know much about S38s but the idle sounded awesome. We took it for a test drive and I was not really impressed with how fast it was. It did not blow my mind like I had expected it to, but I was not pushing it much above 5k. The gearbox was really tight - even too tight. It took me a long time to feel comfortable between gears before I let the clutch pedal back out.

I really liked the drive though. The front brakes were bad, but aside from that it felt very solid and well made. I was suprised that at 187k it did not have much driveline clunking or a loose rear-end.

We got back and he told me that he had bought it at auction from the dealer who the original owner traded it in to. He was big into VWs and said that when he saw it at the auction he just went for it. He showed me records from the previous owner from 2005 and 2006 that he had found in the glovebox after the auction. There were receipts for $15k on things like the timing chain tensioner, rear subframe bushings, center bearing and guibo, a nearly complete climate control rehab, a new gas tank and gas lines, replacing all of the dash lights, etc. He had wanted to keep the car but was pressured by his family to sell the car and make the money back before leaving the country (to be a translator in Afghanistan for six months) instead of leave it on the lot.

I was really weary of an S38 with 187k and not much service history, but I figured that if I parted it out I would be able to make back a few thousand easily so it would not be too much of a risk to buy it. I offered him $4,000 and told him that was all I had in cash (the truth) and that I could buy it that day or maybe wait a few days and try and scrouge up a few more hundred or maybe even take out a loan.

Immediately upon leaving I was hoping I would get the car and was upset that I did not have more cash. I knew somebody would come around and pay him the full asking price so I went back and thought about all of the ways I could get the extra thousand to buy it. I was about to cal him the next day and ask if it had sold yet when he called me and said he wanted to sell it to me for $4,000 plus $200 in fees for the temp tags. I told him I would do it if he would take $3,900 cash and $300 in a personal check that he could not cash until the next day =p

He delivered it and when he walked away I had $38 in cash and $2 in my bank account. I spent $20 on gas and it was totally worth it. This thing is awesome and has tons of potential. I am at the will of the S38 so hopefully it won't die on me. It feels strong but I know it needs a lot of work. I won't really be able to work on it until I get rid of one of the 525is though. Three cars is stupid, but all three have been the kind of deals you can't miss out on.

Pics:

015 by TrevorGreene, on Flickr

016 by TrevorGreene, on Flickr

013 by TrevorGreene, on Flickr

[DUDMD]

Nice score

[redimension]

Score. Having a new baby is always nice, who cares if your broke!

[SC David]

Definitely a cool car. The interior needs work, for sure, but that's an awesome color combo. Hopefully you can bring it back to its former glory. You'll definitely have to ditch one or both 525s though...

[mottati]

very nice, love the color. Interior is rough but champagne is so nice when it's good. Extended leather too, very rare for a US car.

[Brake_L8]

He brought that car to the Fair Lakes meet a while back. From what I can tell, it's pretty beat. But, if anyone's the one to fix it back up I think you are. I recall it had a lot of door rust which was the turn-off to a lot of people.

Gorgeous color combo. I can't wait to see progress (and call me if you need help turning wrenches!).

[e34moneypit]

What're the last 7 of the VIN? Maybe someone can pull the build sheet for you

[TGreene]

What're the last 7 of the VIN? Maybe someone can pull the build sheet for you

Dan (e34croak) got me this:

VIN: WBSHD9314MBK05310
Chassis Number: BK05310
Line Make: 01 - BMW
Model Year: 1991
AG Model Code/Desc: HD93 - M5/4
NA Model Code/Desc: 9151 - M5
Exterior Color Code: 490 (Special Order Color)
Interior Trim Code: 0312 (CHAMPAGNE FULL LEATHER)

[Bluesman]

If the engine is tight the other things are fixable and not anymore than any other e34 except the front seats. Really for 4k it's a steal. hell you can get a third of that back selling the rims and tires. It looks like Royalblau I had a 535is that looked like the same color. The upkeep on the s38 is expensive so stay on top of it. Good luck and if your interested in a trade???

[chunkster]

Congrats on the acquisition and welcome to the S38 club! The colour looks like lazerblau metallic as it shimmers from blue to purple in certain lighting. Definitely a custom colour on an M5!

[e34Croak]

SICCC!! Hence the 490, it all makes sense now.
Congrats dude!

[mpaganr34]

Every thread I see makes an E34 M5 seem that much more attainable... Beautiful color combo, if you can look at what it will be instead of what it is now. Love it. Congratulations.

[ChiTownTy]

its cool to see the diff options that were available on these cars back then....those leather wrapped door panels are sick! I bet that interior looked precious in 1991.

[orangeamcs1]

Dont give up on the door panels i have a interior guy that may be able to fix them for you, a real deal interior guy who does riddler cars thats not that expensive

[Elekta]

nice find. I'm sure someone on the m5board can get you the entire build sheet and source that individual color. Madeira Schwarz Metallic is more purple, unless your light was such that it photographed more blue. Saliya has an M5T in that color with extended buffalo leather. It is my favorite color

[Sam Son]

mmmmmm turbines

[TGreene]

He brought that car to the Fair Lakes meet a while back. From what I can tell, it's pretty beat. But, if anyone's the one to fix it back up I think you are. I recall it had a lot of door rust which was the turn-off to a lot of people.

Gorgeous color combo. I can't wait to see progress (and call me if you need help turning wrenches!).

Yea this thing has been around the block. I called the original owner and got his office voicemail. I left him a message so hopefully he calls me back on Monday for a chat.

The only rust I have found is a bit on the inside of the driver's door, but none showing on the car. Hopefully it is in good shape when I get underneath of it. The gas tank was replaced in 2006 because of a leak but I doubt it was rust. The car spent it's life in Richmond.

very nice, love the color. Interior is rough but champagne is so nice when it's good. Extended leather too, very rare for a US car.

Yeah the extended leather and split rear seat really got me going. It will be impossible to source good replacements but I think it is the kind of thing that I would not feel to upset about spending some serious money on in the future.

its cool to see the diff options that were available on these cars back then....those leather wrapped door panels are sick! I bet that interior looked precious in 1991.

Yeah I bet this car was quite the looker right from the dealer. Have you seen the M5 on ebay with the nearly new champagne interior? It looks excellent. I love the bright leather standing out between the dark carpet and the upper trim/headliner.

Dont give up on the door panels i have a interior guy that may be able to fix them for you, a real deal interior guy who does riddler cars thats not that expensive

I will have to give him a call and go talk to him once I get the engine bay sorted out within reason (ie: short of tearing it open).

mmmmmm turbines

I love the subtle look of the turbines that only enthusiasts would recognize but I will probably end up buying a set of Stars or going naked with them.

Every thread I see makes an E34 M5 seem that much more attainable... Beautiful color combo, if you can look at what it will be instead of what it is now. Love it. Congratulations.

Yeah, they are coming down in price a bit but only because they are so expensive to maintain. I really try and limit the amount of money I spend on cars but after seeing and driving this one, I don't know if I will be able to help it.

I have always loved E34 M5s. I was really big into cars when this these things ruled the world. Then I just stopped caring until I needed to learn how to fix them so I did not get raped by the local mechanics. Then I fell back in love with the same generation of cars.

I did not think I would own one until later in life, but this thing came around and it was a no-brainer. This car is seriously a dream-car of mine. I get in it and embrace all of its faults. I can't believe I have one.

I should be able to afford it and improve it for at least a year if I am lucky =p

[googone20]

Great pickup!! I would just keep your eyes out for a hurricane interior off of Ebay DE to get your insides looking right again. Color is very sharp.

[MikeHsu]

you beat me. I just saw this on craigslist and posted in the classified ad.

[AquilaBMW]

Congratulations TG... Great Find! If the engine is solid, you are off to a good start.

Good luck with the resto work on this.... and welcome to my kind of madness!

[e34moneypit]

Congratulations TG... Great Find! If the engine is solid, you are off to a good start.

Good luck with the resto work on this.... and welcome to my kind of madness!

Ohhhhhhh, the madness.

[NikosX]

Looks great man. Not so confident on the madiera violet now that ive seen the pics. Looks too blue. Still awesome and has great potential.

[MC Hammered]

Nice find! If the engine is solid then you can fix up the rest over time.

My M5 was the same sort of deal, for the price the seller was asking I was amazed no one bought it so I grabbed it.

I look forward to seeing you restore that M.

[91e34M5]

Great find and good luck. I've never seen a US 91 M5 with headlight washers. What's that all about?

[desertpir8]

Very nice find!!! Super jealous!

That interior should come back pretty easily. For the seats, consider recovering them. I was looking at leatherseats.com for mine.. about $850 to redo all the seats and door inserts with matching leather.