Need help with buying e34
I am in the market for an e34, was looking for a 535, 530, or 540 (all manual). I drove a 89 535 yesterday and it was very nice. But there is a 1995 530 I am looking at in San Jose. First I wanted to know if there was anybody that could look at it for me (I am in Santa Barbara). Second if you could do that would you mind taking it to a shop for a pre purchase inspection.
I also wanted to know peoples thoughts on the 530, having a v8 and all, should I just wait till I can affort/find a 540 manual? Any thoughts on what I am getting myself into. I sold my e30 m3 because I couldnt afford the maintainace anymore, so thats where I am coming from.
Elliott
He's talking about an E30 M3 though...
I came to the E34 from the same car for the same reason: it was a monster as far as maintainence is concerned. Definately not a daily driver $800 in parts for the timing chain components!!! $189 per control arm and finding people to work on them is tough and costly. I think if low cost of ownership is a priority i would go with an E30 325i or 318. However, since we're talking 5's I would say go with the 535i too. I dont see the advantage to the V8 in the 530. The numbers are extremely close for power and performance. If you can afford one, the 540 would be the most satisfying to drive. For the most part, you will be affected by the common E34 problems. The engines are all pretty good (nikasil issues aside) but the M30 is known for being "bulletproof." The M30 will undoubtedly require less attention than the s14 and since its not an ///M car the other parts will be less too. Robin is absolutely right though, once the car is sorted you should figure 1-2k/yr on maintainence. youre gonna need a bentley manual too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin-535im
I'm partial to the big six in the 535, and for maintenance costs I believe the 535 engine is cheaper to maintain than a V8. In fact, when I was looking for my first one, a local indy advised getting a six cylinder and a manual transmission because the maintenance would be cheaper.
I have to say though, that if the E30 was too expensive, the E34 will surely be moreso. Most of us do our own work to keep the costs down, but many spend upwards of $1k - $2k per year just on parts.
If you find the right E34, i.e., with good maintenance, you might be on the lower end of the repair bill spectrum, but the car will probably cost more. My first 535 was $6k and I put another $3k into it, and the one I just bought was $10k, but I haven't done a single thing except adjust the valves since I bought it, and everything on it is in tip-top shape. I'd be wary of spending your last penny on one because *something* expensive will surely break!
EDIT - my 535 has 220,000 miles and still runs like a champ. Kent's looks pretty sharp from the pictures I've seen, and the price he's asking is great assuming it runs as well as it looks - and there are others on the board who might be able to vouch for it.
HTH,
Robin