Possibly e34 m5 purchase

[Bmwpower603]

Has anyone had any experience with the e34 m5?

I found a 1991 m5 with 113k miles that I really like.

The guy will take $9500 for it. It is totally stock. Most of the paint is original.

I have an e36 m3 now. But I want to add another classic to my collection before they become extinct.

Any thoughts?

Are these high maintenance ? Are they easy to find information about ?


Cheers

[Butler]

You'll get both sides when you ask this question - half will say they are time bombs and the S38 is weak. The others will say that they are bullet proof and run great. I'm in the second group. I'm about to roll 200k miles and mine pulls hard. Its had lots of maintenance from the previous owner, which is really the most important thing if you ask me.

I hope you get it! These are absolutely amazing machines!

[Jackson42]

I've owned an E34 M5 for sixteen years. It is a marvelous old-school car. It is finicky and high-strung, but if you stay on top of the maintenance (and you can do it yourself), it's a wonderfully satisfying car to have in the stable. Mine is extremely unforgiving of sloppy driving technique - the balance between throttle, clutch and transmission must be exactly perfect or it lets me know about it. But once I get it right and get into that zen state where the car and I are attacking the road as one, it's an exhilarating experience.

[BleedsBlue]

113k miles @ $9500, not much would dissuade me. The condition would have to be very incongruous with the stated mileage to worry me. Always comp/leak-down test an S38, at this point in the market for US M5s, you're still basically paying for the motor with a sport E34 chassis wrapped around it. We're not quite at the premium for the entire car ala E28 M5/E30 M3.

[zubbie]

Other than the drivetrain, sls and a few cosmetic bits it's just a regular E34. Check for rust if it's been in a corrosion area. Maintenance records? Valve adjustments? Engine condition, trans shifts smoothly, sls working or deleted?.

The price is very good for the stated mileage.

The sad reality is that the parts are worth more than the whole for these cars currently.

[sugaki]

Unless there's something seriously wrong (salvage title?) or neglected $9500 sounds like a great deal.

[Smith Jason]

I would agree that $9500 seems very reasonable. This is approximately what I paid for mine as well last year, and prices have gone up. Maintenance is key as other have said. Have you driven it ? There are a few things to look for and 113K is actually pretty low mileage. Good luck.

[XAlt]

$9500 is typical for a car with double the miles.

We just had a member pick up a high mileage 88 M6 for 12 grand with no strings attached, so you might just have stumbled across a good deal.

[jbeinhor]

I know the car -- interesting history. In 2003, it had 30k miles, used in NY for 10k a year up to almost 100k, and then to VT. The 30k in 2003 is the bit I find interesting.

[GregT53]

As was stated above, the E34 M5 has got lots of sensory feedback for the driver, much more so than newer models, making it perhaps the least expensive thrill on wheels in today's market.

Others have already commented on the virtues of this car so no need to repeat. As with any used vehicle do not fork over any money absent a pre-purchase inspection. The most critical elements of this car are the engine and cooling system. A record of maintenance such as oil changes, valve adjustments, and periodic refreshes of coolant is key to knowing a lot about the car's care and feeding. Strict attention to the cooling system, including keeping a vigilant eye on the water temperature gauge is mandatory as the S38 engine can overheat quickly and cause significant damage.

These cars are not particularly difficult to maintain, with much of the work falling easily into the DIY category. Parts are not that expensive, save for some unique-to-M5 components (mostly drivetrain), owing to commonality with the other E34 models. Many of us who own this M5 are proficient DIYers with access to tools and a garage. If you do end up making this purchase you'll find this forum has a high compliment of knowledgeable, friendly members who are willing to help. Some of the oddest issues on the E34 have been sorted here, many with archived DIY solutions.

On to rust. Being that this car has seen several northeast winters the potential for rust and corrosion deterioration is high. This means any inspection must include a thorough hunt for rust. Places to look are jack points, doors, and rocker panels (if possible, under the rocker trim). Also, check the fuel tank straps as they are prone to rusting to the point of the tank dropping away from the body.

Overall, the E34 M5 is a solid car. Maintenance is not over the top crazy and if properly maintained, you can expect many years of enjoyable driving, especially with only 113K miles on the odometer.

Good luck and let us know your decision. Even if you don't make the purchase after examining the car, your reasons for declining would be of interest to forum members.

[jbeinhor]

Totally agree with Greg -- spot on.

[93FIM5]

Pass on it and forward me the contact info .


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[Bmwpower603]

Here's some pictures.

Thank you for the replies.

I'm sure I'll have to go through the cooling system. I looked on real oem. And the t stat seems to differ significantly compared to my 97 m3.

[Kannackas]

The relatively low milage combined with the asking price makes this a no brainer really if you are looking for a car. I don't think that a regular e34 m5 will ever become an expensive classic but its way more car than 9.5k, so you can't go wrong here.

[sugaki]

As far as the reliability relative to other M cars, I'd say it's second to the E36 M3, and there won't be any huge difference in up-keep expectations. As Greg said, cooling is the killer (mine barely overheated and I learned the hard way with $$$), but that's true of most BMWs. The S38 is sensitive to high temperature and you don't want that water temp climbing above the 3/4th mark.

With the pictures one thing that catches my eye is it looks like it has the wider grill--should check and see whether it's due to a collision, or if the person just liked the newer style.

[GregT53]

Another few things to ask about: all four corner light assemblies have been changed, gearshift knob is not original, appears the steering wheel has been swapped (not entirely sure as lighting is bad), and engine is missing the ignition wire cover. If the owner has the original and missing parts make them part of the deal.

[Bmwpower603]

As far as the reliability relative to other M cars, I'd say it's second to the E36 M3, and there won't be any huge difference in up-keep expectations. As Greg said, cooling is the killer (mine barely overheated and I learned the hard way with $$$), but that's true of most BMWs. The S38 is sensitive to high temperature and you don't want that water temp climbing above the 3/4th mark.

With the pictures one thing that catches my eye is it looks like it has the wider grill--should check and see whether it's due to a collision, or if the person just liked the newer style.

The vehicle was in a collision unfortunately. So the front grille was probably replaced. Along with front fenders

[zubbie]

The vehicle was in a collision unfortunately. So the front grille was probably replaced. Along with front fenders

And thus the lowered price. I wonder how bad the damage was? Depending on how serious the crash you could have unibody frame alignment problems.

A good owner would have restored it to stock (narrow grill). Note that original fenders will have VIN numbers on them in North America.

[Bmwpower603]

I'm going to get the vin. And confirm the accident report.

I talked to the owner again, and mentioned the grille issue. Steering wheel, and ignition wire cover.

He has now come down to $9250 without me looking at it.

Note. It also can never get another title.
(Which kind of bothers me)

[wmrcs]

Did he say why it couldn't be titled...?

[Bmwpower603]

Did he say why it couldn't be titled...?

Since he doesn't have a current title registered in his name. I am unable to apply for one. In NH you need the current title, to be able to get an older vehicle titled.

Here's more pics of the accident. The owner just sent them.

[AHenry014]

I am not sure why the title issuance bothers you if there's current paperwork for the car. In CT, i can use a title to reg any car, but unless its newer than 20yrs old, they wont issue me a new one in my name. At that point, a previous registration and bill of sale is the only thing the next buyer would need to reg the car themselves. Having a title to the car that is so old it doesnt need one for reg purposes doesnt make it any more valuable or make you any more of an official owner. I suppose i might be missing somehting here, but im curious about the logic.

The accident damage wouldnt turn me off if it was fixed correctly.

[BleedsBlue]

I would LOVE if certain states (ahem, Colorado) would calm down about titling ancient, rusty trailers, much less cars. I wouldn't mind buying an M5 from one of the no-title states like RI or NH, not one bit.

If it bothers you, investigated bonding for a title. I had to do that for my Touring here, it took 10 months but most of that was California DMV incompetency.

[Bmwpower603]

The body work obviously was not finished correctly of the front grille isn't even Factory BMW OE.

I think I will have to pass on this vehicle.

[BleedsBlue]

If that's the only concern this will sell in a heartbeat to someone else, who will then easily re-sell it for closer to $15k. Again, pending other potential issues, but that price is more inline with a near 200k mile car with the same type of issues.