|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 17:02:59 GMT
|
Right, just been to have a look at the actual vehicle thats caused all the inital excitement. Its a 520iSE on a G plate, no idea on mileage, cloth interior etc.....up for £875 or near offers... NOT GOOD *DO NOT BUY* for that wonga you should expect the good engine, and the leather interior the 525i is the best to get i reckon. it offers a useable power figure without the mpg that comes with the 53's and 54's, obviously though the 540 is waay powerful but thirsty, the 535 (530?) was barely more powerful that the 525. The lator 16v Vanos ones are best. Avoid 518s and 520s, they're weak, only 4pot and suffer terribly from cracked heads. h/g don't go often, if you find a non start with low compression the head is gone and the blocks useless (lost mucho money this way on my 520) tds diesels have plenty of grunt and economy is decent, watch out for smokiness though as parts for them are expensive and harder to obtain 2nd hand tourings are HUGE inside cloth is sumptious. leather is ultra sumptious. 500 rough mot's. £1k minter. 525iSE touring in black, free to me  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 17:15:10 GMT
|
|
I was pretty much decided that we WOULDN'T be getting that particular one......seen about 20 of the things today, so its not as if we won't be able to find what we want.......I reckon a carefully spent £1000 should get us something lovely...??
|
| |
|
|
Si
Part of things
(OO [][] OO)
Posts: 203
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 17:55:27 GMT
|
£1000 should get you a good one for sure.. 530 & 540 are V8's, introduced around '93/'94 to replaace the aging 535's M30 motor - be slightly wary of Nikasil issues, but on the other hand if it's lasted so far with a Nikasil block there's no reason it shouldn't continue happily if looked after. Wider front kidney grilles came in at the same time, easy enough to swap from narrow to wide if you really wanted - just grille & bonnet needed, personally I prefer narrow grilles The later 525i's with the M50/M52 24valve 6-pot lump are just about as powerful as the earlier M30 3.5, there's not a lot in it in realworld driving, although you're more likely to find a manual 'box with a 2.5.. |
| |
Unseen Jersey---------------- Delica Super Exceed 2.8 Delica Super Exceed 3.0v6 "Project Bully" e36 M3 e36 318iT e36 328iT Always looking for the next project, and somewhere to put it!
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 18:11:04 GMT
|
|
I paid just under £350 for mine with the head problem about 3 year ago now. That was a a 525i with full black leather interior. The car was pretty much unmarked. Cost me £150 for a 2nd hand engine (just bought it for the head) and all gaskets, belts, and getting the radiator reconditioned.
Quick enough for most needs, relaxed on the motorway. I used to average very low 20mpg`s but most driving was on B roads.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:18:40 GMT
|
the 535 (530?) was barely more powerful that the 525. 525i 12v was 175bhp, 24v 525i was 192. 185 roughly for the 3.0 six, 210 ish for v-8. 3.5 6 pot was about 215 as said by others earlier. 286bhp for the 4.0 The lator 16v Vanos ones are best. vanos engines are 24v, mate  Avoid 518s and 520s, they're weak, only 4pot and suffer terribly from cracked heads. h/g don't go often, hey  520i is a six cylinder engine. 1.8s blow headgaskets when people don't check the water level. the head then melts and the liquid aluminium runs down the bores, nuking the engine tds diesels have plenty of grunt and economy is decent, watch out for smokiness though as parts for them are expensive and harder to obtain 2nd hand not from me parts are expensive new and pattern parts are scarce, that pushes the used price up. don't get too hung up on smoke, make sure it starts relatively easily, in tank fuel pumps pack up. so do glow plugs but at least they're cheap! also watch for erratic idle and low rev misfires. it will often mean that the injection pump is on the way out. fly-by-wire diesel pumps are VERY expensive, £350-500 s/h. if you check the fuel economy of a 5 properly, not looking at the stupid "swing-o-meter", petrols tend to be in the 30s, big engines- low 30s high 20s. diesels 40mpg+ |
| |
|
|
Si
Part of things
(OO [][] OO)
Posts: 203
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:30:36 GMT
|
|
My 535 averages 15-16mpg most of the time, thanks to never really leaving traffic..
Bearing in mind the only chance of doing a 'long' run over here is to drive around the island - only 40 miles then, and the longest single stretch of road is around 4 miles..
Having said that, on the occasions I've taken th car out late at night whenthere's no other traffic, a 'steady' cruise brings back 25-ish mpg (equivalent to UK's B roads over here really, that and a 40mph speed limit..)
|
| |
Unseen Jersey---------------- Delica Super Exceed 2.8 Delica Super Exceed 3.0v6 "Project Bully" e36 M3 e36 318iT e36 328iT Always looking for the next project, and somewhere to put it!
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:31:37 GMT
|
Steering boxes are indeed expensive - although they can be adjusted for play pretty easilyEurocarparts list a steering box for £525 for example, so if worst happens the stealer can be cut out of the loop easily you can't adjust the play out when the splines wear  also most steering boxes run sloppy for such a long time (people don't notice it) then they won't adjust up enough. £525 from ECP? £125+ vat s/h from my works word of warnng about tourings, If you buy one with a twin sunroof, don't expect it to stay working forever. also, don't expect too many people running to do the job of repairing it, they are a complete PITA! you asked about servicing? about £60+vat for oil service from my works, £120-140 inspection 1, inspection 2 is about £200+ vat. £30+vat for annual check (change brake fluid). cambelt, only applicable to pre 1991 520i and 525i, is about £70+vat, if you want a tensioner add £25. fianlly, my mate jakes 540I touring around the nurburgring. just over 300 bhp, love it! clickety click! |
| |
|
|
Si
Part of things
(OO [][] OO)
Posts: 203
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:36:07 GMT
|
£125? I'll be coming to you if/when mine gets bad then!! (and no vat over here either  ) Now I think about it, I should check on mine - it's getting a little bit of slop in the steering - not enough to be a problem, but as you say - best keep on top of it! And that 540 rocks a huuuuuge phat one - seen that clip a few times now, never fails to make me drool! Any pics/more info on that car? |
| |
Last Edit: Nov 15, 2006 19:36:54 GMT by Si
Unseen Jersey---------------- Delica Super Exceed 2.8 Delica Super Exceed 3.0v6 "Project Bully" e36 M3 e36 318iT e36 328iT Always looking for the next project, and somewhere to put it!
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:36:25 GMT
|
Steering boxes are indeed expensive - although they can be adjusted for play pretty easilyEurocarparts list a steering box for £525 for example, so if worst happens the stealer can be cut out of the loop easily you can't adjust the play out when the splines wear also most steering boxes run sloppy for such a long time (people don't notice it) then they won't adjust up enough. £525 from ECP? £125+ vat s/h from my works word of warnng about tourings, If you buy one with a twin sunroof, don't expect it to stay working forever. also, don't expect too many people running to do the job of repairing it, they are a complete PITA! you asked about servicing? about £60+vat for oil service from my works, £120-140 inspection 1, inspection 2 is about £200+ vat. £30+vat for annual check (change brake fluid). cambelt, only applicable to pre 1991 520i and 525i, is about £70+vat, if you want a tensioner add £25. fianlly, my mate jakes 540I touring around the nurburgring. just over 300 bhp, love it! clickety click!Right, this is getting better and better.....if you hear of a lovely 525 manual going....holler in this direction, cash waiting !  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:38:38 GMT
|
£1000 should get you a good one for sure.. 530 & 540 are V8's, introduced around '93/'94 to replaace the aging 535's M30 motor - be slightly wary of Nikasil issues, but on the other hand if it's lasted so far with a Nikasil block Not entirely true. I know of someone with a 3-series coupe with a Nikasil affected block that lasted to several tens of thousands of miles before it started showing signs of being buggered. |
| |
Prius T-Spirit, Alfa 156 Sportwagon, Alfa 75 TSpark Veloce, Mazda MX-5 1.8iS
Honda VFR750FT, Ducati 750SS, BMW R100RT, Hongdou GY200
|
|
|
|
Si
Part of things
(OO [][] OO)
Posts: 203
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:43:20 GMT
|
|
|
| |
Unseen Jersey---------------- Delica Super Exceed 2.8 Delica Super Exceed 3.0v6 "Project Bully" e36 M3 e36 318iT e36 328iT Always looking for the next project, and somewhere to put it!
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:43:52 GMT
|
jerseysi- jakes 540i, aka the shagonwagon, was a 530i auto touring he converted into a 4.0, new ebay sourced block, its got a full supersprint cat back 'zorst and a stateside type air filter kit (think its bnp). air filter is fully cold air and about a foot long! 17" snitzers, sports bumpers, 850i brembo 4 pot calipers and 540i discs, eibach roll bars, polyrace bushes, bistein and eibach (I think) suspension. h to look at him, you might be fooled into thinking hes a sedate man, but 105 round blind corners?!  bonkers behind the wheel. |
| |
|
|
Si
Part of things
(OO [][] OO)
Posts: 203
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 19:48:45 GMT
|
jerseysi- jakes 540i, aka the shagonwagon, was a 530i auto touring he converted into a 4.0, new ebay sourced block, its got a full supersprint cat back 'zorst and a stateside type air filter kit (think its bnp). air filter is fully cold air and about a foot long! 17" snitzers, sports bumpers, 850i brembo 4 pot calipers and 540i discs, eibach roll bars, polyrace bushes, bistein and eibach (I think) suspension. h to look at him, you might be fooled into thinking hes a sedate man, but 105 round blind corners?! bonkers behind the wheel. See, I've driven a standard 540i and it felt lovely as you'd expect - much more 'refined' than my 535, but to me that took the fun out of it a little... This Jake dude seems like he's definately got the right idea! And so much the better for doing it to a Touring - always upsets people when they're blown away by an estate car! Fair play to him, in the extreme! |
| |
Unseen Jersey---------------- Delica Super Exceed 2.8 Delica Super Exceed 3.0v6 "Project Bully" e36 M3 e36 318iT e36 328iT Always looking for the next project, and somewhere to put it!
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2006 20:43:59 GMT
|
good man, I'm easily confused on non-skoda factoids! should have remembered its 24v valve, I knew that, a simple mistake oh btw, as regards touring doube sunroofs, mine work perfectly sorry I feel like making people jealous if I can! was basing parts being expensive on relative scarcity of them, i've seen many a 5 in scrappies and roads here, almost always a 518/520, cant find diesel ones broken anywhere. and bmw genuine parts don't seem too plentiful, maybe thats just the "local" dealers though... ps why are the fuel and brake lines such a Royal PITA? mine need done  my two before the 520 was sold for a track car due to cracked head, and before I replaced the grille and trim and gave it new rubber |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ps why are the fuel and brake lines such a Royal PITA? mine need done they're not that bad as far as bmw's go. e36s are the worst, they run over the fuel tank and assorted other nasty stuff |
| |
|
|
hammoj28
Part of things
Old skool BM
Posts: 321
|
|
Nov 16, 2006 10:13:58 GMT
|
E34's are brilliant. the M5 estates are going for around 5k now which is great money for the car. But 535's are quick enuf and can be picked up for not much. 540's are even better. Love the e34 shape. Oh and M-parrallel wheels look brill!   |
| |
Last Edit: Nov 16, 2006 10:21:00 GMT by hammoj28
|
|
520i is a six cylinder engine. 1.8s blow headgaskets when people don't check the water level. the head then melts and the liquid aluminium runs down the bores, nuking the engine
also most steering boxes run sloppy for such a long time (people don't notice it) then they won't adjust up enough.
)
Clicky meeeeee!
Bargain basement - but it's Alpine White! lol 
bonkers behind the wheel.
