Looking to Buy a 1990 535i - Feedback Please.

[jac1d]

I've read in a number of sports that the E34 535i is a very reliable car.

I'm looking to purchase one and have found an example that purports to be a one owner with books and records from a local dealer. Haven't been to see it yet.

The car is an auto, which is a shame, but won't stop me from buying it if it will be reliable. Its affordable enough that I could do some upgrades within budget if they made sense, and were recommended. What would you do to make it crisper/faster. I'm not interested in cosmetics, I think its a classic machine as is.

Is there a buyers guide for the E34 here or on the web? Are the auto cars good value? I know the engine is widely seen to be "bulletproof".

What are the trouble spots to investigate when looking over a prospective purchase? What parts are expensive/hard to get.

What service is due between 130K and 150K KMs?

Is there a list of recommended shops in the Burnaby/Coquitlam areas?

Lay it on me, bury me in E34 knowledge.

-Jeff

[jac1d]

I am reviewing photos of the E34 535i I am considering and I just noticed the front shock towers are a light bronze colour, whereas the exterior is a silver grey. Is it normal for the shock towers to be a different colour or should they match the body colour?

-Jeff

[Shocka]

Ya, actually on my e28 i was wondering the same thing, its a silver car. But under the hood, it looks like a beige paint. Nixons is great in burnaby, or if you can make it out to surrey look up the euro shop. They both know their bimmers well. E34s are great from what ive heard i have the previous series 533i and in my opinion its worth it to wait for a manual one to come up. Yes the M30 engine is basically bulletproof. Especially with the m30b35 like the e34 has. With this market alot of cars are gonna come out of the woodworks, and good prices. But you could put a chip in, that could wake it up. Or have a limited slip diff put in theyre relatively cheap and relatively easy to install.

Nate

[Cacciatore08]

E34 535i is not bad.

If you're interested in reliability, I would stick with the automatic.

There's definetly not as many manual clean examples as there are automatic.

The E34 530i might be a car to check out as well.

As for power increase... well Headers, exhaust, cam, and chip would do wonders.

Biggest issue with old Bmw's is rust, well at least in my experience.

[nuts4bmw]

That bronze like discoloration on the schock towers could be some of the factory rust inhibitor. You'll see it quite frequently on the valve covers too.

This is just my humble opinion of course.

[jac1d]

Thanks for the feedback so far.

I suspect it is rust inhibitor on the shock towers, thanks for the heads up. It seems to me on the intake manifold as well, which makes sense.

Someone asked if this is the car for sale in North Vancouver - it is.

While twice the price, this is also an option:



http://www.splendidauto.com/viewcar.aspx?carID=185

It's 9 years newer, V8, iL body. E38. Is it twice the car or a likely money pit? I think parking that iL would be challenging downtown, although not a frequent occurence. It certainly is luxurious and the V8 has its appeal...

My spidey senses tell me the 535 is probably a more reliable and usable car, and I could put a few thousand in to it to do plugs, wires, filters, belts, hoses and perhaps do lowered springs and re-do the shocks (if it needs it). Toss in a new head unit and speakers on the comfort side and I think that would be all I do. Maybe a chip if I really get the bug. I don't want to massively over spend as the car is already expensive relative to peers, but I've learned it is usually worth it to pay for a pristine example when buying older.

I'd be in for 10K+ taxes and likely have tight suspension and a reliable ride.

However it us a 19 year old ride... Is this an issue? Is it reasonable to get 3-4 years of moderate daily use out of this vintage of 535 without expecting any major failures?

Also, does anyone have a sense of insurance costs with ICBC for a 535 of this vintage?

Thanks again everyone,

-Jeff

[nuts4bmw]

Hey jeff,

The car your showing from Splendid Auto is a 740il, not a 535i.......It's still a beautiful car. Splendid Auto's sells nice stuff, no doubt. He won't sell a piece of junk to anyone. I bought my M540i there, and a friend of mine bought an Alpina B10 from there as well.

The 7 series is bigger as you've probably noticed. If it's a e34 535i you want, in the long run it will be cheaper to maintain.

Art

[jac1d]

Hi Art,

Yes, I realize they are different series, was more looking at the relative cost increase.

All my research says the tank that will run forever if taken care of is the E34. It sounds like a pinnacle of the previous generation of BMW engineering and not too many electronics or gadgets to break.

I spoke to Ryan at Nixon today about inspection II, front shocks, belts, hoses, ignition etc as well as the 8 series control arm bushings upgrade. I think I have a clear path on the 535i I have my eye on.

-Jeff

[M635]

I just wanted to add that the 3.5L I6 motor is really the most reliable engine you will find in most BMW's. The V8 is definatley something, but can be a pain in most cases. The M30B35 engine is a strong runner and will not let you down. I own a '88 E24 635CSi and have not any engine problems (just when I first purchased the car it had to undergo a complete tune-up- EVERYTHING had to be done) and I'm happy with the results.

The E34 535i is undoubtfully one of the top reliable vehicles that BMW has manufactured. Parts are relatively cheap and easy to locate almost everywhere. I too am considering a E34 535i or even an E34 525i touring (24-valves producing 192HP from what I recall); just because it's something bigger than my E30 325i sedan for longer trips! There price ranges are okay, but because the BMW market is taking a dip, you may luck out and pick up a nice one for quite a fair price.

[rottenal]

Some E34 info that will keep you busy for a bit.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=938227

[Nutter]

Hi there. I have seen a few HVAC problems with BMWs around that age. Pay close attention to that during the inspection.

[bad_azz_bmr]

Originally Posted by Cacciatore08 E34 535i is not bad. If you're interested in reliability, I would stick with the automatic. There's definetly not as many manual clean examples as there are automatic. The E34 530i might be a car to check out as well. As for power increase... well Headers, exhaust, cam, and chip would do wonders. Biggest issue with old Bmw's is rust, well at least in my experience.

I would stay far far away from the 530i models, that is a small V8 model with the famous nikasel block problem.....

540i is a far better car if you want a V-8, but the M30 is probably the simplest and most reliable out of the bunch..

[smithwison4]

I think you should go to the website of the car and then contact the right person and get your query clarified.

[richard6600]

my friend using it a best ride i must say E34 535i