1991 M5 for sale at Charlottesville, Virginia BMW dealership

[GregT53]

Driving by the local BMW dealership today I noticed a 1991 M5 for sale. It's black/black with 96K miles. Asking price is $19K. Can be seen on their website. I'll take a closer look later today and post details.

[TheStigg]

Nice looking car. Did you check the full Carfax report? That thing has been passed around like a cheap whore. VIN: WBSHD9318MBK05990:

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/1991_M5_Carfax.pdf

[GregT53]

I had not looked at the CarFax, but on collector vehicles like the E34 M5 it depends on the frequency of ownership changes. Once every 5-7 years would not bother me as long as there are service records. I'll take a look today and provide a full report.

[ross1]

Nice looking car. Did you check the full Carfax report? That thing has been passed around like a cheap whore. VIN: WBSHD9318MBK05990

Yeah, I'd like to know what all the previous owners do. The car will ultimately speak for itself but it sounds there have been others with stars in their eyes before.
Caveat Emptor

Googled the VIN and found two BAT listings claiming two and three owners.
Also here:http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/car...8mbk05990.html

[BleedsBlue]

Interested to hear your findings, Greg. I think I remember this car as well, and it seemed like every time it went up for sale at a high price, buyers were turned off by actual condition being less than advertised.

I could be convinced a super clean, all original 96k mile car is worth $19k, but not a typical used E34 M that will need a couple thou in work.

[GregT53]

Looked at the car today. Exterior condition is a 7 with typical paint blemishes. No clearcoat deterioration visible. With claybar treatment followed by paint polish and wax I think the car would be very presentable. It's not that bad as it sits. All body panels appear to be original as the VIN tags are all present and matching. No signs of tags being disturbed. Driver side front door has some minor rust in the lower trailing edge. Underside looks good, but I was not able to see it on a rack. The salesman is pretty cool so I'm fairly certain that I could have a better look at the underside if someone is interested.

The black interior is in excellent shape; I'd rate it an 8+. No holes, rips, tears, or worn spots. Especially remarkable is the driver seat bolster. No signs of wear. This tells me the car has seen lots of long distance drives as opposed to short trips. The driver and passenger door weather stripping has typical wear with about six inch sections completely worn and torn. Headliner and pillar coverings are intact; no headliner sag. Dash is free if cracks and fading. Steering wheel and shift knob are both in good shape. Radio is aftermarket and I did not take note of the brand. Door cards are in good shape.

The trunk is clean with no missing trim and includes the net. I did not check the tool compartment, but I could go back and have a look if anyone is interested. The correct spare is present.

Engine compartment is dirty with some surface corrosion on the engine top. Radiator appears to be fresh and is a Behr part. Engine compartment light is present. The engine idles smoothly with no ticking. Compression values are all between 158 and 166 as checked by the dealership service department. The hydraulic fluid reservoir showed the proper fill level with no signs of a leak, although I was not able to see the power steering lines. SLS has been deleted with Bilstien shocks as replacements.

Repairs by the dealership include resealing the differential and replacing the valve cover gasket. Exhaust hangers replaced. New tires installed on original wheels that all show moderate curb rash. There are no service records.

I did not drive the car but was invited to do so. Happy to do this if someone would like to know more.

The car has been at the dealership for a month with not much interest so it has been put into a wholesale status with plans to have it picked up next Wednesday, 9/20. Advertised price is $19,789, but the salesman said they would be willing to let it go for $17K. I think they'd take $16,500 for it. Given its condition and relatively low miles (96K) I think this car could be put into very nice condition for about $1,000 and some serious attention to detail.