Buying an E34 Touring... What do i need to look out for?

[RiggsyB]

Well guys

Cheers for everything... I went back, checked it over again, along with my mate who knows beemers... Basically the consensus was that he's never seen a 10 year old car in such good condition before! Everything is spot on with it... Cheers for pointing out about how to notice the self levelling models... It's a non self levelling, so i should be fine...

All the Electrics work (apart from the rear window which they're fixing), the rear hatch is all fine, wiper works, heated screen works, split glass/hatch is all fine! The sunroof is all sound, and no signs of any corrosion anywhere!

Here's a link to it on the dealers website (sorry boys, i've put my deposit down!)...

http://stock.autorespond.co.uk/autos...Format=Vehicle

Ok, being only a 520 it's not the quickest of things, but i'm not that bothered... 0 to 60 is about 10 seconds am i right? That's not drastic by my standards, and I want a cruiser...

All i have to do now is wait til he MOT's it and valets it on Monday, then go and pay him the balance and pick the beast up! At least i'm safe in the knowledge that if it fails its MOT on anything, he's got to sort it out for me!

haha

I feel all warm and tingly inside right now! Cheers peeps...

oh, and standard 10w40 is ok? Cool... I can get that stuff for under £5 a gallon through work ;-) I daren't tell anyone what i can buy brake pads for... you'd all mug me!

haha

[Zeuk in Oz]

Congratulations !

Welcome to the club.

Regarding oils, there are many opinions on this board, but on the whole Mobil 1 0W40 probably gets the nod. It is certainly what i use.

Good luck.

[Bruce Kennett]

the final cost was over a grand. this kind of work definitely beyond my skill level, especially with only one arm fully working right now. done by my friend who is owner of competent indy shop (bmws mostly, some mercedes-vw-audi-saab). 7 hours labor, remove self-leveling shocks and install regualr shock kit and springs with factory springs, bilsteins. ride does not seem substantially different, maybe a bit more taut going over changes in road surface. i had not driven the car much before this happened (i've been recovering from frozen shoulder injury since april, so driving is discouraged, and only really started driving the car in may) so i do not have a huge gauge of previous experience to compare it to.

i happened to see some kit listed on a parts site recently while cruising around on the net -- it was something like an undo-your-self-leveling-susp for a lot less money. anyone know what that is for?

in any case, i am very glad to have that outta there and conventional shocks in the back. i'll leave the self-leveling hydraulic stuff for my citroen DS21, whose builders got it right in the first place!

hth,

bruce

[Bruce Kennett]

the guy from whom i bought the car was very classy about this and paid for half of the cost, even though quite a few weeks had gone by since i took possession of it.

[Paul in NZ]

riggsyB please please dont buy the car without getting it checked by a bmw dealer or a e34 knowledgeable mechanic....And dont run 10 40,give it 5w synthetic its extremely valuable protection at start up

[cosmowagon]

I have a '95 520i automatic and I can definitely tell you what to watch out for-steep hills