My new '95 325 conv. pics and questions

[PScalfano]

Hey folks. I had a '95 525 a while back, and unfortunately she was added to the casualty list when a lady ran a stop sign and I T-boned her. Since then, I have kept an eye out for another bimmer, and today I finally found it. Here she is!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b379/PScalfano/DSCF2150.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b379/PScalfano/DSCF2159.jpg

The previous owner had the bottom panels painted black and I think it's a nice touch. It's in good condition save a small seam separated on the leather, and the radio display is not working. (anyone have a stock radio? PM me) The gray honda in the background is my daily driver... this 325 will be the fun car! Anyhow, on to the questions:

She's got the same engine as my 5er so my Conforti chip will work, correct? M50 VANOS

She's running a hair hotter than the middle of the temp gauge (holding steady). Is that normal?

Thanks in advance!

[paul p (chi-town)]

The previous owner had the bottom panels painted black and I think it's a nice touch.Uh, did they give you records of cooling system maint., that’s what counts.
If it’s all original at ~90K miles it’s marginal at best. If you know nothing about that, it’s time for a flush/fill at a minimum. If only as recon before a full recondition (search ‘M50 water pump’)
And what do you mean by a hair, literally <1mm or it’s ¾ of normal ‘range’.
The latter is by no means normal unless teh temp sensor is bout fubar, you are buying coolant today, green if it has to be. Be very gentle with rad plastic, if it’s original it’s probably kinda brittle by now.


Oh BTW, very nice......
I'd pimp that whip, just not in 'arrest me' red (my driving probably gets enough attention at times).


”Hang up & Drive!”
94 BMW 530iT&A 135K, ‘Helga’ ( for sale....WHOOPS, haulin again *confused* )
92 BMW 325i 135K, ‘Rolf’ ( he’s baaaaack *woohoo* )
91 Volvo 740 Turbonium Vagon 195K ‘Thor’ ( where’s my check! *rolleyes* )
93 Datsun NX2000 175K ‘Carla’ ( blown clutch *mad* )
85 Toyo MR2 125K ‘Jerry’ ( dare i drive it *duh* it thumps *grin* )
<Captain Murphy>"Do you want the signature On or Off...............too bad." -- </Captain Murphy>

[PScalfano]

By hair I mean <1mm. If I move my head slightly to the right, the needle appears exactly at 1/2. Maybe it's just the angle at which I am seeing the gauge?

As far as I know it's the original radiator. I had to replace the radiator in my 525 actually when the plastic snapped, so I do know a little bit about the cooling system on an M50. I never had to replace the water pump though. I should check if the fluid is blue or green now that you mention BMW blue fluid.

Finally, as for upgrades, I am going to have to pace myself so I don't go overboard. I'm going to do a sound system upgrade first because the display is not working and my memory isn't perfect from when I was driving the 5 (bass, treble, balance, fade?) I'm debating on getting a used factory stereo because I like the flush stock "don't cut the top open and steal the radio" look. but on the other hand I would like the convenience of a USB input so I can listen to MP3s off a flash drive. Chipping it as soon as I get my chip out of storage. The majority of work to be done on the car will have to wait until I get out of my apartment... but I can always plan, right?

Thanks for the input Paul.

[paul p (chi-town)]

If I move my head slightly to the right, the needle appears exactly at 1/2. I never had to replace the water pump though. I should check if the fluid is blue or green now that you mention BMW blue fluid.
I'm debating on getting a used factory stereo because I like the flush stock "don't cut the top open and steal the radio" look. but on the other hand I would like the convenience of a USB input so I can listen to MP3s off a flash drive.Eh, if your pump is original i’d be worried about that, color of fluid is a minor concern in comparison. The plastic turns to dust regardless of cooler color (the t-stat cover as well).
Watch for a quickly rising needle like a hawk, signaling the loss of circulation, better an emergency pump job than a headgasket or >.
Yeah the needle’s dead on if you look at it straight..........for now.

I wouldn’t spend a dime on stock replacement unless you can get it dirt cheap. And the BMW later 90s in dash CD players aren’t cheap. Nakamichi’s look very stock but unless you are planning a top shelf system it’s prolly not worth it. For $150 you can get a Clarion that’ll play MP3 disks, matches the illumination perfectly, is simple black metal/plastic and even offers low end audiophile sound so that you build a very nice sounding system.

”Hang up & Drive!”

[bmwrp8]

my e36 325i is the same a "hair hotter than the middle" what i did was flushed the coolant and bleed! then replaced the fan switch to 80/88 degrees

[PScalfano]

Short update, gave her a round of lovin'. I got a cover from bavarian autosport along with new hood emblem, A/C microfilter, and I ordered a Bentley manual from Amazon. I installed my Conforti chip and it works great.

This past weekend I drove to and from Lafayette LA from Little Rock AR (about 1k miles round trip) to spend some "quality time" and to visit some family... and I had a blast. Averaged 28.5 mpg too! I missed the ultimate driving experience very much from when I had my 525.

I read about Meguiar's Plastix polish making the rear window look better, so I tried it out. My window now looks brand new! I was really amazed at the results. I recommend anyone with a foggy back window on their convertible to try it out.

I think I will have a radiator flush done and blue coolant put in when I get time to do it. Unfortunately I live in an apartment complex so I can't do it myself in the parking lot... boo.

Thanks all for the tips.

[bmwrp8]

blue coolant?is it ok to put aftermarket coolant in BMW's?