what should I look out for?

[bmw wannabee]

Hello Everyone,

I am currently looking for a 5 series BMW from the late 80s to the mid 90s. I really like the look of the older boxy body style, but I am having trouble finding one in good condition. Can anyone tell me if there are trouble areas that I should watch out for in looking for the afore-mentioned cars? I have always owned MBs so I am a little familiar with the German way of engineering. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

Michael

[Presley348]

Originally Posted by bmw wannabee

Hello Everyone,

I am currently looking for a 5 series BMW from the late 80s to the mid 90s. I really like the look of the older boxy body style, but I am having trouble finding one in good condition. Can anyone tell me if there are trouble areas that I should watch out for in looking for the afore-mentioned cars? I have always owned MBs so I am a little familiar with the German way of engineering. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

Michael

================================================== ===

Hi Michael:

I am kind of new to the BMW line up, but I will share, that everyone I talked to in the process of buying mine said most ALL 5 series BMW models are excellent automobiles, with no problems that they knew of over the last couple of years.

Now about finding you a BMW in excellent condition at a good price $$$. Well on mine I diligently searched the www, primarily Ebay, CarMax.com, and I was able to get the Kelley Blue Book Value of today's market for a 2003 530i, which enabled me to better price negotiations at the local BMW dealership in my town.

After a couple of weeks of money/funds table negotiations and www research, I finally was able to buy a brand new 2004 530i at not theirs, but the price that I could afford to pay for my new E60 BMW 530i! $$$

I wish you the best in your Bimmer hunt, and if I can be further help, you can email me privately, or post here at the forum.

Sincerely,

Presley348


CLICK ON LINK FOR KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAR VALUES: http://aolsvc.kbb.aol.com/kb/ki.dll/...&split_aol&ZIP

[camdog9]

Hey Michael,

I'm kind of new at this BMW owning like presley, but I do agree that you really can't go wrong with BMW. I bought a 1990 525i last March and I love it! It has almost 250,000 miles on it and it sounds great, doesn't leak at all, starts first try everytime (even in the cold),.... just a great car.

As far as finding out a little more info... When I was researching before buying I would enter "BMW reviews" or "BMW feedback" into search engines and I came up with a number of site that had huge list of consumer feedback. The best part about it is that most people posted everything that went wrong with the car and at what mileage and how much it cost to fix. I found that info extremely helpful in making my decision so, maybe it will help in yours.

Happy hunting ... you won't be disappointed.

[4-Door Flunky]

Howdy, Wannabee-
I'm the proud owner of a 1985 535i with 203,000 miles. I bought the car less than a year ago, and I've put over 20,000 miles on it since then.
The bad news is, parts are expensive. The good news is, when you buy parts from the dealer and install them, they work and they keep working.
First off, be on the lookout for rust underneath the car. Check the license plate lights very carefully...these cars rust like hell in spots like that, especially around the trunk.
You can get these cars cheap, in my opinion. Mine had good maintenance, but had a bunch of crap not working. The knobs were broken off the heater controls, the on-board-computer didn't light up, the speedometer wasn't working, there's a loud 'bump!' every time I shift...which comes from a worn guibo/center bearing on the driveshaft.
The engines are virtually indestructible, as long as they are maintained. 5-speed transmissions that are used hard and treated roughly usually have to be replaced around 160,000 miles.
I paid $1800 for my car. In a bigger city, with the problems my car had, I could probably have bought it for $1200 to $1500.
I fixed all the stuff I mentioned for about $700. That includes a starter, which was over $150 all by itself. I do my own work, so I don't have to spend money on mechanics. I did spend $43 for a Bentley manual on eBay...which is where I got my replacement OBC, power antenna, and missing heater control knobs.
Good luck! I get sideways in my car nearly every day!
Flunky