Ebay E34 525i: This will make you sick!

[Happy_Go_Lucky]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Only about 30 miles from me, shame i've not got the money... Though sent my best mate round to have a look at it on his way home from work (he works just round the corner from where it is), and he said it's immaculate... He's also in the market for a new car (just about to sell his current one) and fancies something a bit nicer... Silly fool thinks it looks boring though, and wants to buy some stupid crap like a Mondeo that'll lose loads of money quick!

Anyway, i've told him it'd be a good buy, and there's probably a few bucks to be made in it if he bought it and gave it a good polish, and advertised it right (ie. a BMW mag or forum, not ebay), as it's immaculate...

God, i want it! Someone buy my 95 520i touring off me!

Just a friendly reminder to all the NA folk out there ... this is an international forum with members from all over the globe chatting about GERMAN cars ... so stop already with the "Americanised" talk (yeah, AmericaniSed, not AmericaniZed). There are other places on planet earth other than the US of A. And some of us do drive with wheels on the RIGHT (not wrong) side of the car.

[CarloE34]

Just a friendly reminder to all the NA folk out there ... this is an international forum with members from all over the globe chatting about GERMAN cars ... so stop already with the "Americanised" talk (yeah, AmericaniSed, not AmericaniZed). There are other places on planet earth other than the US of A. And some of us do drive with wheels on the RIGHT (not wrong) side of the car.

Amen

Allso,in germany they say that the best E34 to drive,other than an M5 and 540,is a 525 M50 non VANOS.
I know you guys in the states like the V8 outhere but its to big with so less power comparing to the 2.5 with 192bhp.Put a chip in it and you even have more power than the 3.0 and less weight
It is a nice clean car thought for not much money compare what i see on prices in the UK.

[RiggsyB]

Exactly what Carlo says...

Here in the UK, petrol is so prhobitively expensive that you have to be earning a large salary not to worry about only getting 20mpg (either that or you just don't care!) in something like a 540i... And the 525i isn't actually slow in real terms... Yes it doesn't give you a kick in the ass a 540i will, but it's actually still a quick car... 8 seconds to 60, about 140mph... And it'll return near as dammit 30mpg on a cruise (i'm getting about 30mpg or so from my 520i on average, and i've been told there's nothing in it from the 520 to the 525 cos of a slightly taller final drive in the 525)... I was always confused too at why they did the 530i V8... Approx 200kg heavier than the 525i, and only another 26bhp, with much worse economy!

It may be a low spec cloth interiored "stick shift" to you US boys, and yes the metric alloys are a nightmare (though he's just put new tyres on them, and i have a set of 16" 5 spokes with tyres i would put on anyway, off a 540i i might add), but that's not the point... It's a damn sight nicer than most other things on the road here, and it's individual... You don't find too many E34 enthusiasts left over here, so a lot of them don't get looked after, but at least the used prices tend to reflect that (ie. VERY low... Much lower than a similar age E36 3 series will be) and you get a lot of motor for your money...

Oh, and i've seen some leather interiors go cheap recently in good nick! Nice leather, my 16" 5 spokes, it'd look just like a 540i (at least until i cold afford some nice 17" Rondell's).

And besides, you speak to anyone this side of the pond (ie. anywhere in europe), and they'll tell you an M50 engined E34 5 series is probably the most reliable car you could buy... They don't tend to go wrong, and the engines when looked after will do inter stellar milages! Whilst returning acceptable fuel economy...

[RiggsyB]

Oh, and Green may be the hardest colour in the UK to sell, but Oxford Green is probably my personal favourite BMW colour!

[bagpuss]

Hmmm, I live on your side of pond (UK) and I posted the 'other side to the equation' (above) from the uk and from a uk perspective, but I have to say that most of the Usa guys have got it right (apart from the steering wheel comments :-). Its green, its a 525, and its cloth.

As for economy, I think you might have been misled. I've just sold my 540i and its average gas mileage was 25 and it got 30 on a run, which was really my point. Why buy a low spec E34 when a high spec one is virtually no different in gas mileage. In 'cost/benefit' terms, there's virtually no cost assosciated with the huge benefits.

But each to their own, its not a car I would buy as the economy 'advantage' is virtually non-existent, so I only see negatives if I look at a cloth/green 525 vs a leather 530 or 540.

Plus, why oh why would anyone want to buy a cloth one, and then buy a leather interior. If you're starting from scratch (ie you dont already have a cloth interior to upgrade) then if you want leather, just buy one with leather. Whats the point in this extra 'heachache' and expense when the 'premium' on uk-ebay for ones with leather is far less than buying/retrofitting leather over cloth.

But you seem sold on it, so go for it. A car preference is a very personal thing and it seems you would be happy with it, which is the only thing that matters really.

[Elekta]

the 95 525 with a chip will outrun the 530 in almost every aspect....I've witnessed thru my passenger 530 window.

If you really want the car that badly, go to the bank and borrow the money. If you have any credit at all, you should be able to borrow up to 5K US in about a hour for approval, $ in 2 days.

Better yet, find a low miles 95 525 touring and chip that. Then you'll have the best of both worlds.

I am really suffering thru 525 envy right now, because of the S52 conversion capability. The 530 pig is worthless to me now (engine). It's either a wrecked 540iSport for a donor car or just buy a euro M5 for me. At that point, I might as well save for the 550xiT

[RiggsyB]

I do hear what you're saying Bagpuss, but you're obviously looking for different things in a car to me... My Dad had a 95 540i Sport 6 speed manual from new... He used to get about 22mpg average, and about 24mpg best... And whilst that wasn't being mega light footed, he certainly wasn't driving harshly... And a lot of it was motorway cruising. The V8's, whilst economical compared to other manufacturer similar sized V8's, use too much fuel for me (considering i'm doing approx 400 to 500 miles a week right now). I loved his old car to pieces, but would have to gas convert one for sure...

The cloth interior doesn't bother me in the slightest really. Leather is nice, but i'm far more bothered about the overall condition of a car, and how many more trouble free miles it is going to get me whilst putting a smile on my face. Leather is nice, but it's about last on my priority list.

I will also refer back to my point on the M50 engines... Whilst I love the BMW V8s, the M50 is a much better long term prospect in terms of longevity and cost... I'm trying to run the car on a relative shoestring (i don't have a big budget, and can't afford huge fuel or parts bills).

I'm gonna go check it out tomorrow anyway probably... My hope is it doesn't fetch anything on ebay, and i can have a chat with the owner, and ask him if he'll wait for me to shift my 520i touring...

I also prefer the noise of the 6's too i reckon, as they're so individual. A 525i with a good quality stainless exhaust would be spot on i reckon... Though if i win the lottery tonight, there is possibly the best condition E34 M5 on ebay right now with only 90k on the clock and every conceivable extra!

[bagpuss]

I understand mate, just different viewpoints.

I reckon you should offer him a grand - just use the points we've raised (re: green / cloth as bargaining chips and never ever look excited when you go to buy). The worst he can say is no, and chances are he'll offer a split and you'll get it for between 1100-1300. Let us know how the negotations go

Good Luck with it !

PS: Just noticed its had new tyres (£600 worth if they're metrics ! so no need to worry about tyres for a long time - the metrics actually perform very well IMO, they're just expensive). Point to watch on 525's, in my experience, is overheating/head-gasket so make sure temp guage sits half-way all the time, even hot weather and in traffic.

[CarloE34]

Yeah,Waterpump and front mounting are a weak point.
I have put a metall waterpump in it.The plastic ones are weak.

Further more,watch the brakes

Good luck

[RiggsyB]

Cheers guys

Hopefully gonna go check it out tomorrow morning... And yes, there's plenty of tyre left, which is a bonus of sorts (though i'd prefer it to have near bald tyres, and REALLY have a bargaining tool as i have some 16" 5 spokes from a 540i with tyres ready and waiting). Still, new set of metrics gotta be worth something to someone on ebay perhaps?

And yeah, know about watching out for the head gasket/overheating problem... Same with the 520 though, which I knew when looking for my current car (in which the temp guage has never gone over half way, and it's got 120k miles on the clock now)...

Hmmmm... Can my mate get his hands on the money and help me out here is the question!