M535 Practical Daily Car or Money Pit ?
Discussion
For the first time in years I’ve been without a beemer and I’m missing it like hell. To add insult to injury I’m currently using a 1.6 Astra daily.
I’ve been looking wantonly through autotrader of late and have noticed a few M535 for sale under £2K. It was a M535 that started my love for BMW when I was about 15. My neighbour had one and it sounded fantastic
.
Anyway to the point, without seeing any of these cars (because I know me and I’ll want to buy it regardless) I wondered what condition they are going to be in. What faults do they have if any, they prone to rust etc ?
It would have to be a car I can use daily but I’m not afraid of rolling my sleeves up and getting my hands dirty working on it.
Any info or experiences would be gratefully received.
>>> Edited by RAW-SEWedge on Wednesday 5th November 20:43
I’ve been looking wantonly through autotrader of late and have noticed a few M535 for sale under £2K. It was a M535 that started my love for BMW when I was about 15. My neighbour had one and it sounded fantastic
. Anyway to the point, without seeing any of these cars (because I know me and I’ll want to buy it regardless) I wondered what condition they are going to be in. What faults do they have if any, they prone to rust etc ?
It would have to be a car I can use daily but I’m not afraid of rolling my sleeves up and getting my hands dirty working on it.
Any info or experiences would be gratefully received.
>>> Edited by RAW-SEWedge on Wednesday 5th November 20:43
Is that the e28 or the e12?
Anything before the e34 will have to be investigated fully to rule out rust (mainly at the bottom of the doors), although I have seen one or two with close to 300k on the clock and it ran perfectly.
As long as it has been maintained properly there shouldn't be a problem. Timing chain/belt and cylinder head gasket are the two areas I would concentrate my inspection on, followed by gearbox and exhaust.
Brakes are cheap enough to replace if they need it.
£2k isn't a lot of money a lot of car, and it will cruise all day at 130+.
Anything before the e34 will have to be investigated fully to rule out rust (mainly at the bottom of the doors), although I have seen one or two with close to 300k on the clock and it ran perfectly.
As long as it has been maintained properly there shouldn't be a problem. Timing chain/belt and cylinder head gasket are the two areas I would concentrate my inspection on, followed by gearbox and exhaust.
Brakes are cheap enough to replace if they need it.
£2k isn't a lot of money a lot of car, and it will cruise all day at 130+.
Friend of mine ran a D reg (I think?) M535i for years and years and years with very little trouble. I think he had a front suspension rebuild at some point, and he only got shot of it when the autobox went bang at somewhere north of 160,000 miles.
Current owner has had the box reconditioned or replaced, and the car's still going. Rust is its main enemy now I expect - the rest of it seems pretty bulletproof.
It was a bit of a larf on a trackday too.
Current owner has had the box reconditioned or replaced, and the car's still going. Rust is its main enemy now I expect - the rest of it seems pretty bulletproof.
It was a bit of a larf on a trackday too.
agent006 said:
The two on autotrader are one of both. The 85 will be an e28, the W suffux is an e12
Ah I C. Thanks for clearing that up for me. So I prefer the look of the e28s (my pref' only).
So rust seems to be the only concern at the moment. Well they are nearly 20 years old so can't complain at that.
Cheers for the feedback.
Engines and gearboxes are bullit proof. Interiors are stong. They are becomming rare cars now. Buy a manual if you can find one. One of the arseyest cars in the wet alive so look for rear suspension, chassi damage. Buy on condition and service history. Look for rust in jacking points, around rear axle, in boot and along wings and doors. If you buy a good one it will last forever if maintained properly. The most important thing is to stay on top of things whether it be mechanical or rust related. The best car will be found on the www.bmwccgb.com
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