Hello all,

I live in Australia, and am considering the purchase of a 1989 535i, 5 speed manual. The car has travelled 264,000km (165,000 miles) and has plenty of service stamps in the books. When I took it for a test drive, there seems to be plenty of power over 4,000 rpm, and the motor pulls strongly and smoothly right to redline. No smoke is evident from the exhaust under load, and the inside of the exhaust tips are a nice even dark grey colour.

The car idles fairly smoothly, but has a ticking sound that is audible even with the hood closed. Is this the valve clearances, or perhaps the timing chain has stretched (or do they have a timing belt?)

The bodywork and interior is all in good order, and all electrics work.

Are these a good buy? Looking for a reliable involving car to drive, which can also transport my wife and 2 young children in comfort and safety. I have an Audi A4 at present, but this is just a bit small to take another adult with our 4 person family.

Any advice? Anyone else here live in Adelaide, South Australia and can suggest a good specialist mechanic to do a pre purchase inspection?

Cheers,
Nathan