I think i'm winning...

[e34.535i.sport]

So i sold my e46 to get my e34 which i've always wanted - i just love everything about them and i'm not regretting it one bit. The missus (amongst others) is on my back as i've needed to fix a few things on the old beast and they keep saying i shoulda kept the e46 - less problems .

I'm thinkin whats the problem, i'm doing the work myself now and was too afraid to touch the other one with it being worth so much more and putting it in the shop! Admittedly things would go wrong less frequently but each time costs more so go figure? And i must say i'm loving every minute with this car whether i'm in it, under it or just looking at it!

The money i've spent on repairs doing them myself so far (3/4months) is about £250 if that. I started by servicing the car myself inc. plugs filters oil etc. This woulda cost £500+ getting done in the stealer's but i done it for <£80 (all original BMW parts). So then the rear subframe bushes need doing - i do it for about £100 (i f*cked up a bit but learnt a lot), when i was quoted £200 in the garage.

Ok, things get interesting on saturday when i discover a broken fuel line and take it to get looked at: Quote - £175 +VAT to sort it (and i have to wait until tuesday). No thanks. So i F-off and go get some fuel pipe for £3.99 and a couple of jubilee clips and fix it myself on the driveway (took a while but no probs now) - sorted. I make that 3-0 to me.

I don't know about you but i think i'm winning here. If you are looking at buying an e34 you obviously know what your letting yourself in for and its well worth it. The more things that go wrong the more i learn and i love that (i dont always love the expense or inconvenience - stuff always goes wrong at the worst times but its all good), and i am much happier to spend time and money on this car which i love rather than on the e46 (which i did like admittedly but not in the same league as this).

Obviously i'll have to take it to the garage at some point, but in the time i owned the e46 that had to have suspension work (£220), a service (£cant remember) and bushes done at the back (twice i think £££) - and i wouldn't have dreamt of doing any of the work on that myself just because it was much newer and more expensive to fix if i f*ck something up.

Long story short - get an e34 if you haven't already got one (if you have get two), when you get it do whatever repairs you can yourself and you'll appreciate the car a lot more and learn a lot about motors (and yourself) in the process.

I am only sad that i know this car is getting older by the day - when it dies i want to stuff it and put it on the mantle-piece.

I hope this thread is of some use to someone... If not i hope its interesting at least...

[LunatiC]

I voted yes, but I am biased of course

Fact of the matter is you would have sold the E46 for a fair bob and E34s are dirt cheap over in Mother England. If the car was maintained well, then there is obviously less things to fix, but even with a more rotten car you can still get it working and running right.

In terms of cost you have one-upped yourself, but I guess most people are seeing how much time you are spending on fixing things and kind of get a bit worried about that. What you said about E46s are right, I'd be too scared to touch one myself (and I'm not very mechanically inclined) in case I break something that costs big $$$$s.

People won't understand how good the E34 is (and how well you have fixed yours) until everything is fixed and nothing is breaking for a little while. Just making sure that it is a clean and "healthy" car will turn heads -- it does for me and I still have a squeaking multibelt.

Good luck with your repairs and start counting the dollars you are saving! And enjoy the E34, they are built like tanks as long as they're well maintained, and it's clear that even if the past history of yours is a little shady, she's going to have sunny days ahead.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

love the build quality , and the over engineering.

You can fix almost anything on these cars!

[LunatiC]

I am only sad that i know this car is getting older by the day - when it dies i want to stuff it and put it on the mantle-piece.

Just on a quick note that I forgot to mention... you can get 1/18 sized Minichamps models of the E34. They're pretty rare though, you might be able to find one on eBay. I was lucky enough to find a guy in Singapore selling about 6 of these brand new never been opened -- he must have found them sitting in a warehouse in China somewhere.

You can see how they look like from my site here: http://acherion.com/blog/?p=89 (yeah I take crappy photos)

[Elekta]

I'm on my second and readying to get my third. I try to have only one on hand each time, but there is usually a two period where I actually have two in the garage.

dunno if I will have the 530iT sold by the time the elekta gets here, but it would be a fine side by side of two solid tourings in silbermetallic.

to winning

[repenttokyo]

good choice on dumping an e46 for an e34, but don't take chances with your fuel system, get that line professionally replaced.

[Ross]

good choice on dumping an e46 for an e34, but don't take chances with your fuel system, get that line professionally replaced.

Good choice. There is no reason to be afraid of the fuel system.
What is a "jubilee clip"?

[Evan]

I've owned two E34 ad I'd buy another if the right one comes along!

[e34.535i.sport]

Good choice. There is no reason to be afraid of the fuel system.
What is a "jubilee clip"?

one of those little round things you can tighten around something, usually with a screwdriver. If you look on any pipes or hoses you have in the car even under the bonnet they'll be held on with them! I'm guessing you guys have a different name for them?!

[LunatiC]

Who the hell is the guy that voted No?!