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Thread: My new DD - 89 535i 5spd

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    sacramento
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    e30 & e34

    My new DD - 89 535i 5spd

    Picked this POS a few weeks ago, took a train out to SJ and got it sight unseen. Let's just say it looked better in photos on CL ad than in person.

    I knew I wasn't getting a perfect car, but if it was solid otherwise I was wiling to put some time and money to save her.





    Had REALLY crappy interior, worn out seats, torn rear seats, broken passenger seat, bad door panels.
    Broken bumper side bracket.
    Not working driver side door latch and lock mechanism
    Broken driver side passenger window (I found metal sliders for the glass was detached from the glass, and laying on the bottom of the door)
    Filthy consoles, and switches as if someone lived in the car and spilled a can of soda or something.
    Not working cluster, non of the gauges would work other than temp gauge and sometimes tach and speedo...


    So far I've done the following-

    - replaced broken dash speaker covers
    - replaced shitty door panels for late model panels
    - replaced worn/ripped rear seat
    - replaced front broken seats for a set of good working/soft heated seats
    - replaced a/b/c pillars for a match tan late model set
    - replaced rear speaker parcel shelf
    - replaced driver side door lock/latch
    - replaced driver side door stop
    - replaced all 4 door seals
    - replaced glove box and trip for matching black with wood trim to match the door panels
    - replaced broken bumper side mounts
    - replaced cracked sun visors for late model versions
    - replaced torn e-brake boot for a good one
    - ordered new shifter boot to replace the worn out one in the car
    - Got trunk carpet (for some reason half of it was missing)


    Used a whole box of baby wipes to just clean the filthy interior.

    Temporary installed my momo hub/wheel from my e30 until I find a good steering wheel for this car.
    Temporary using a late mode gen2/3 535i cluster while working on the gen1 cluster repair (got all the gauges working except for fuel gauge)

    Still to do
    - fix the HVAC controls
    - fix the steering wheel situation
    - fix clutch pedal/master situation
    - need a good passenger side mirror housing.





    Car rides really solid it's on new (last year with receipts) Koni yellow single adjustables and H&R sport springs
    Suspension was done, it's got the adjustable mooshead? front control arm bushing/bearings.
    It's on 17" style 32s with square 245 tire setup.
    Came with a set of 750 calipers in the trunk.
    Last edited by 84318i; 11-28-2017 at 10:38 PM.
    e30 84 340i m6x powered.
    e34 89 535i 5speed - current DD
    e24 89 635csi - maybe a DD?

    e34 93 525i (m50tu) - gone
    e39 540i 6spd m-sport - gone
    e53 x5 4.4l - gone
    e30 89 325i (m20) - gone

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Posts
    1,731
    My Cars
    E34 540i6, E46 323i, E36
    It looks way better than my 535i lol

    This was the other day, trying to save the bottoms of the doors from Michigan cancer...

    Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    sacramento
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    Jees! To be honest they could have been twins, the interior of mine wasn't far off if the seats were twisted. PO replaced the driver seat, and tried to fix the passenger but it was all messed up. Had the early style door panels that had the vinyl STAPLED to the panels..... I never felt so good just throwing all the stuff in the dumpster.
    e30 84 340i m6x powered.
    e34 89 535i 5speed - current DD
    e24 89 635csi - maybe a DD?

    e34 93 525i (m50tu) - gone
    e39 540i 6spd m-sport - gone
    e53 x5 4.4l - gone
    e30 89 325i (m20) - gone

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Posts
    1,731
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    E34 540i6, E46 323i, E36
    Quote Originally Posted by 84318i View Post
    Jees! To be honest they could have been twins, the interior of mine wasn't far off if the seats were twisted. PO replaced the driver seat, and tried to fix the passenger but it was all messed up. Had the early style door panels that had the vinyl STAPLED to the panels..... I never felt so good just throwing all the stuff in the dumpster.
    Sometimes that's the right course of action. Yours looks nice and clean though, no rust

    Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    sacramento
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    e30 & e34
    Thanks man! Sorry about rust That's no fun!

    E34 is so much better with the m30b35 vs the m50... my old one was a 93 525i 5speed black on black and I absolutely hated that engine/chassis combination ....I called her "gutless wonder"
    Good thing new owner still has her in one piece, and went with my recommendation of getting s50/s52 in there instead of the m50tu.
    e30 84 340i m6x powered.
    e34 89 535i 5speed - current DD
    e24 89 635csi - maybe a DD?

    e34 93 525i (m50tu) - gone
    e39 540i 6spd m-sport - gone
    e53 x5 4.4l - gone
    e30 89 325i (m20) - gone

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    193
    My Cars
    e34 525i
    Quote Originally Posted by 84318i View Post
    Thanks man! Sorry about rust That's no fun!

    E34 is so much better with the m30b35 vs the m50... my old one was a 93 525i 5speed black on black and I absolutely hated that engine/chassis combination ....I called her "gutless wonder"
    Good thing new owner still has her in one piece, and went with my recommendation of getting s50/s52 in there instead of the m50tu.
    I have to disagree with that... m50tu are gutless when not maintained properly. It took me some work to bring it up to its original performance though. Last week I took a ride with an m30b35 and yes it is more torquey but my 525i m50tu has a much better top end and I dont think I would lose much side by side.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4dri4n View Post
    I have to disagree with that... m50tu are gutless when not maintained properly. It took me some work to bring it up to its original performance though. Last week I took a ride with an m30b35 and yes it is more torquey but my 525i m50tu has a much better top end and I dont think I would lose much side by side.
    Perhaps I just like the torque curve on the m30, to me it suits the bigger / heavier car more so than the m20 or m50 . I don't mind if it's slower on the top end , it's a daily driver and not a race car by no means

    About the only thing I don't like about m30 is the mpg, that's where m50 wins over it and also of course not needing to do valve adjustment .

    My previous m30b35 I did a full top to bottom rebuild , head was done by a local machine shop and I did the bottom end with oem bearings , bolts, and new piston rings . With a chip that thing screamed in my e30 , I think I still have videos of it on YouTube while autocrossing . She was turning the same numbers as an s50 car, but mine was few hundred lbs lighter .
    e30 84 340i m6x powered.
    e34 89 535i 5speed - current DD
    e24 89 635csi - maybe a DD?

    e34 93 525i (m50tu) - gone
    e39 540i 6spd m-sport - gone
    e53 x5 4.4l - gone
    e30 89 325i (m20) - gone

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    Ojai Oh Hi!
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    703
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    x5 330i 525i all stick
    It's has a good look already. A little elbow grease and I bet it will turn out great.

  9. #9
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    Thank you ! Not a show car by any means , but feels solid when driving . Oh, what a huge difference between bilstein sports vs koni yellow single adjustables. I've had Billy sports with h&r sports on my 93 and current one has same springs but koni shocks and the ride is so much better . I know some of it has to do with wheel / tire difference but not all of .

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    hiss by my window
    Quote Originally Posted by 4dri4n View Post
    I have to disagree with that... m50tu are gutless when not maintained properly. It took me some work to bring it up to its original performance though. Last week I took a ride with an m30b35 and yes it is more torquey but my 525i m50tu has a much better top end and I dont think I would lose much side by side.
    Pretty sure top speed is same for both and I'd wager the M30 car would get there first.
    I've personally driven an M30 powered 7'er to 155 indicated.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    Virginia
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    My Cars
    1995 525i Manual
    Looks pretty good! Glad you're saving her, mine was in similar condition as well when I picked it up, except my paint was (and still is) crap. Where have you been getting your interior parts? I need a glovebox myself

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flyzizzerz View Post
    Looks pretty good! Glad you're saving her, mine was in similar condition as well when I picked it up, except my paint was (and still is) crap. Where have you been getting your interior parts? I need a glovebox myself
    Thanks ! I have an early black one in good condition if you want for cost of shipping .
    e30 84 340i m6x powered.
    e34 89 535i 5speed - current DD
    e24 89 635csi - maybe a DD?

    e34 93 525i (m50tu) - gone
    e39 540i 6spd m-sport - gone
    e53 x5 4.4l - gone
    e30 89 325i (m20) - gone

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    NYC<-->LI
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    '06 X5/6spd 3.0
    Not bad. It's hilarious what the standard of car survival is in California. You view it as a beater buy, but in that condition, a seller from the Northeast would probably be looking for $6-10k for your car. Regional bonus is a couple of "easily repaired" rust bubbles. Good paint and straight body panels like that on a 28 year old car? Forget about it...
    A 535 will barely pull on an m50 525 if at all. A long time ago, a fellow forum member and I spent about 2 years racing our cars non stop and that was the conclusion. The 525 had about 75k miles more than my m30 too, both on the original seals.
    Then I went and bought my own m50 car and wondered why I ever dealt with m30s.....


  14. #14
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    Honestly , not concerned with how it compares it 525 I love the sound , torque and simplicity of m30 .

    Anyone got a glass sunroof for sale ?

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    '06 X5/6spd 3.0
    Moonroofs are really hard to find.
    They do sound good for sure. I tried every exhaust setup I could think of and the agreed upon best one was resonator delete w/ aftermarket muffler out back. Cats in place, of course.
    If you can find a S3.73, it's a really great match for that drivetrain.
    Not totally with you on simplicity, though. Of the design? Yeah. To maintain? Definitely more work. An m50 can go 350k on nothing but oil changes and timely maintenance.
    Cheers! That'll be a fun car to bring back to snuff.


  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    sacramento
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    e30 & e34
    I just got the muffler deleted since I had to drop the exhaust to replace a guibo. I have to say it's a bit on the loud side, I left the resonators and cats in place and deleted on the muffler per someones recommendation. I think I'll have to install a muffler, not stock but something to keep it nice and throaty but not too loud...

    any recommendations?
    e30 84 340i m6x powered.
    e34 89 535i 5speed - current DD
    e24 89 635csi - maybe a DD?

    e34 93 525i (m50tu) - gone
    e39 540i 6spd m-sport - gone
    e53 x5 4.4l - gone
    e30 89 325i (m20) - gone

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