1985 e28?

[jyl]

I need a commuting car for about 10 miles/day, in traffic, that is reliable and looks respectable, with working AC. Something I actually like would be nice.

Budget about $10K.

Here is a hare-brained idea. Buy this or a similar 1985 535i E28 for $2-3K and put $7-8K into it.

BMW 1986 535i *Clean Classic*

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/5602513192.html

Will I end up with what I need?

Tell me how sensible or how stupid this is, please.

[Jrboulder]

You can't come here looking for a "no"

It seems like you have a strong background in similar vintage German cars so a lot of the systems will be similar. At least you're going into it with the mentality that $$ will need to be spent.

[Heel n Toe]

You could do a lot worse, but before you take the leap, find yourself a good, honest, trusty BMW indy to check it over real good looking at the suspension bits, etc., and to be there when you need an experienced hand to work on stuff you don't want to tackle. Nice looking car... I bet it drives great and those seats wouldn't bother me a bit.

[RANDY P]

HVAC problemsssssssss......Noooooooo.........

[speeder]

Why on earth would you have to put $7-8k into a car like that? I had one about 15 years ago, it was a phenomenal cheap car. I never had to put much into it at all and drove it x-country, up and down the coast, etc. It cruised @ 100 mph like a dream.

[jyl]

Man, you guys are practically lining up to hold the syringe and push the plunger . . . tell me more about the pitfalls.

I should add that I'm not incredibly interested in laying under greasy cars any more, and IIRC replacing suspension bushings etc is unpleasant work. I used the $7-8K figure because that's what would be left over from $10K, and because I'd have much of the work done by others (maybe Gibson Electric?). You think a 260K mile E28 can be made into a decent looking, 10 footer, daily driver, for that budget?

[mgatepi]

I had an E28 back in the day....awesome car and I wish I still owned it!!! I would definitely shop some and not be in a hurry. I have seen very nice low mile examples go for around your 10K budget....

Good luck!
mg

[RANDY P]

There's always something going wrong- some small, some more serious.

Budget for a replacement engine if one day it decides to become a coal roller.

[jyl]

If anyone has a line on a clean lower miles 535 E28 . . . Please let me know. Preferably stick shift. Thanks.

Otherwise I might buy a Honda Accord. You wouldn't do that to me, would you?

(Holding Accord to my head, threatening to turn the key.)

[RANDY P]

What about a W124?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

94-95 e320

[DanielDudley]

You should get an E36 M3 and be done with it. If you need good AC, that is.

I had a Euro spec 633csi It was a nice driver for sure. Euros are somewhat different.

16 inch wheels with 225/50 tires really suit the car, as do Bilstiens and Eibachs.

[eddie914]

My DD is a 1988 e28 M5 (167k).

My previous three DDs were:

1) 1988 e28 M5
2) 1988 e28 M5
3) 1985 e28 535i

I might be biased ...

Well built, reliable, repairable ... lots of character.

[impactbumper]

Originally Posted by eddie914

My DD is a 1988 e28 M5 (167k).

My previous three DDs were:

1) 1988 e28 M5
2) 1988 e28 M5
3) 1985 e28 535i

I might be biased ...

Well built, reliable, repairable ... lots of character.

do you want to sell?

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jyl

Man, you guys are practically lining up to hold the syringe and push the plunger . . . tell me more about the pitfalls.

I should add that I'm not incredibly interested in laying under greasy cars any more, and IIRC replacing suspension bushings etc is unpleasant work. I used the $7-8K figure because that's what would be left over from $10K, and because I'd have much of the work done by others (maybe Gibson Electric?). You think a 260K mile E28 can be made into a decent looking, 10 footer, daily driver, for that budget?

You would not do your own suspension bushing repair, that's what shops are for. Everyone needs a good tire/alignment shop that does that stuff. I'm a huge DIY guy, (rebuild engines), and I don't do my own suspension work, generally speaking. You need a lift, specialized tools, a press for bearings, etc. and it's dangerous to do yourself.

When you look at a used BMW that's a few years old and has miles on it, that stuff has either been done already or you budget for doing it soon. NBD. People here talk like you're just going to buy some old BMW w no records and/or mechanical inspection and step into a big old pile of schit. Well, of course you would. That's not how you buy one.

The engines on the lesser e28s, (528e), have their charm wrt fuel mileage, (which is excellent for that chassis), but they have a timing belt whereas the big 6 has a chain. The chain is a pro/con thing for the first 150k miles or so because it's maintanence free to that point but eventually they need to be changed, along w rails, tensioner, etc. The big 6, (533/535), is a lot more powerful and fun, (final drive ratio was even shorter), but it burns premium where the 528 burns 87 octane and it burns quite a bit more of it. If you're not putting a ton of miles on it and your other investment in the car is cheap, who cares.

The other issue is the weird and unavailable tire size installed originally on the 533/535 cars. The rims need to be changed to regular old 16 or 17" BMW rims and tires. It would be rare to find a car still on its Michelin TRX rims/tires unless the car had been sitting for a loooong time. TRX tires are still available from Coker but they are in the $300+ range per tire plus shipping, mounting, etc.

Most e28s being driven on the road now have been converted. It's something to factor in if it hasn't. They were really outstanding cars. Yes, they're getting old but they crush later BMWs like a grape when it comes to quality. They also sold enough of them and many are in the hands of enthusiasts, so good examples are to be found and they are cheap. I'd probably pass on the 250k car in OP because you can get a better, younger one for not much more $$. NorCal and the PNW is the prime hunting grounds for good cars in general and BMWs for sure. They probably sold more '80s BMWs in CA than the rest of the country combined.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by eddie914

My DD is a 1988 e28 M5 (167k).

My previous three DDs were:

1) 1988 e28 M5
2) 1988 e28 M5
3) 1985 e28 535i

I might be biased ...

Well built, reliable, repairable ... lots of character.

My kind of guy.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

94-95 e320

A well made car but an absolute qualude on wheels compared to an e28 535i w manual transmission. Both in style and performance. Zzzzzzz.

[McLovin]

I had an 87 535is, was in our family since new. We put 200k miles on it, I did around 150K of them (from 50K to 200K).

I also did all of the work on it for my 150K miles.

It was a very good car. It wouldn't have been if I wasn't a DIY'er, though.

Plenty of little (but necessary) repairs and diagnostics over the years, most were not major and were very little work and money for me. But if I had to take it to a shop for every one of them, it would have been ridiculous.

Oddly, HVAC was never an issue. It worked perfectly with no repairs the entire 200K miles.

As much as I love the E28, I wouldn't recommend it for you at this point. It's just too old of a car. And the E28 is more complex than the earlier, smaller BMWs like E21 and E30. For example, there's a ton of soft parts in the E28 suspension, when they wear they need to be replaced or you get shimmies, etc.

Like with most 30 year old cars, they are still totally fine for enthusiasts who want to have some fun, tinker, etc.

But when the purpose is for "a commuting car for about 10 miles/day, in traffic, that is reliable and looks respectable, with working AC" I'd not recommend it.

[speeder]

10 miles a day, traffic or not, is not a very demanding assignment for a car. I'd respectfully disagree.

If he said that he need a DD to do 15k+ miles a year and never break or go in the shop, of course an old BMW would not be the prescription.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by speeder

A well made car but an absolute qualude on wheels compared to an e28 535i w manual transmission. Both in style and performance. Zzzzzzz.

10 miles a day in traffic.