BMW People what do I need to look out for on a E34?

forum.bmw5.co.uk

^ Great forum here ^

Rust is the biggest thing, most other parts are cheaply available.

He won't pull the wool over my eyes, if its just a 535i I'll suss it. If in doubt I'll walk away.

Rust in the sills has killed a lot of these, all three of mine went that way. The sills have good thick stonegaurd on them but rust from the inside out so it's not noticeable externally until well advanced. They go around the four jacking points and at the rear of the sills. Give it all a very firm prod, there should be no movement.

Take a look at the 'Project Bratwurst' section of my website (link in sig) for some photos.

The front suspension has numerous joints that wear like any other car. If it shudders under braking it isn't necessarily warped discs. When the joints in the upper arms of the front suspension it causes this symptom.

M5 had a slightly different trim panel around the gear lever, it had a couple of little trays built in where as the standard items are flat. Oh, and that straight six engine on throttlebodies.

I really liked my E34s and would happily have another if the need arose.

The clocks on a 535 will go to 160mph where as an M5 will go to 180mph IIRC.

This was 'borrowed' from another site:
The M5 does not have a miles-per-gallon-swingometer below the rev counter, there is an oil temperature guage instead. A curse word to duplicate, because even if you have a spare cluster lying down the back of the sofa, you have to plumb this unique reading in. Probably the hardest thing to fake apart from engine noise.

I love E34s! If I had the money, I'd be driving another one tomorrow.

Rust was a big problem on my old one. I only found out about it though because it was shunted from behind while stationary and it crippled the back end. It was well hidden!

Great cars, mine had hardly any rust, I think I had to replace the radiator after the top hose fitting snapped (made from plastic) but that wasn't difficult. The steering didn't feel as sharp as I would have liked but I guess that's because of the steering box design. Mine was a 525 SE manual, red with BBS alloys, all standard, beautiful thing!

Based on what you've said, OP, I wouldn't touch that one. If the seller is bulsh1tting about what model it is, what hope do you have of him having looked after it? There are plenty about. Find a good one! Good luck

That's what I was thinking. You're not exactly selling it in your first post. If it was something incredibly rare and needed saving yes, but it's only a rusty old E34 by the sounds of it and the seller doesn't even know what it is.

There's plenty of nice ones available as 30 seconds on Ebay will prove. They not hard to get and prices have bottomed out so why start with a minger?

My money would go on a late M50 engined 525i SE , look for a cherished example , reason for the 2.5 is , similar power to the 535i , revvy engine , decent MPG.

The other's i'd consider would be a 540i , but i'd avoid the M5 as they ain't half expensive to repair properly and if you don't you'll lose saleability , i've had 3 E34's.

It cannot be both an M5 and a 535i. However it may be a 535i Sport.
Condition means nothing. I broke a 525i Sport that was used as a wedding car then parked up, by the time I got it it has rusted in the ROOF.
If it is a Sport (it definitely isn't an M5 by what you've said, but plenty of doddery old boys are clueless) then it will have Sport bumpers, Sport seats with extending knee bolsters, and an LSD. All of which can be added later so get a look at the taxbook.
Foglights were standard on anything except the most basic trim.
Rust is not a common issue on E34s but when it strikes, it strikes hard. The rear of the sills is the critical point - hit them hard to check or you may as well not bother. make sure they are solid. If it is a genuine Sport it will have plastic sideskirts which are traps and help it rust faster.
otherwise, front suspension bushes as per any E34.
Specific to the 535: Check the engine starts and revs cleanly, no sputtering, and warms up to temp and stays there. They are a great engine but a pig to sort out when they go funny. Check for blowouts around the exhaust manifold, and check condition of the AFM pipes. ABS sensors are a pig also so check the light goes out.
At this age, although they are a solid a very reliable car, the electrics, namely the cluster, the light module and the general module can all go bad. They can all be fixed or replaced easily so don't panic, but you will have to be patient in finding the right parts sometimes. Wonky electric windows is a right pain to sort out, as are central locking faults.
There isn't really a great deal else - parts are cheap, the cars are reasonably solid, terrible on MPG, good on fun and usability.
if you don't want it, let me know, I might