Looking at Buyer an e34...?

[Topasbraun]

Hi,

I'm looking at buying an e34, and not having bought one before, I thought I'd see what others in the know could add.

1994 530i
5-Spd Standard
Black on Black
85k kilometers (50k miles or so)
purchased at local BMW dealership, serviced its entire life at dealership;recent trade in.
BMW dealership selling car - not a third party lot.
Very good condition - one dent in rocker from PO hitting curb or such.
100% stock

- Any thoughts on a good price, given its a dealership, in pricey West Coast local (where everything is expensive) and documented history?

- Any thing I should be in particular looking for with this model?

- Do these cars rust, if not exposed to harsh eastern winters?

I'm looking for something with decent power that won't rust out in the rain of the north-west. I've owned an e28, and currently own two e12s, one of which will probably have to go if I buy this one (sniff!)...

Thanks,
Chris

[mattyb]

welcome! sounds ok for the age/ miles ratio. I dont ever believe in paying to much for a vehicle due to geographic circumstamce so dont let em put that one on you. these cars do not rust as a rule unless serioulsy neglected. as for the 530 5 speed, I assume your talking manual. These are not to common and if u have found one in good nic well then thats good luck for u! I am ot in the states so i cannot comment on what is a fair price for the car but give it an hour or so and I am sure plenty of our american cousins will be able to have a go at geustimating the price. You fail to mention the price so what is it? we dont give to easily to being fukd about with here so how much is it????? dont get me wrong we are a friendly and forgivng bunch but u ask many questions and the only one that really counts to make all it relative is the price isnt it ?

best of luck and again welcome!

[Ross]

Welcome
I can't comment on price as I don't know where you are or what is being asked.
A dealer will always want top $$ so make them give you value for your money by making any required repairs like perhaps the dent in the rocker.
Even though everyone here will testify to the longevity of our cars there is no substitute for low mileage, expect to pay a premium.
In my part of the world this car might realisticallyfetch 6 k USD, more if they could get away with it of course.
Usually the first place to rust is the door bottoms.
Examine the records carefully to be sure it was maintained and not just fixed when broken.
If you browse the forum you will quickly aquaint yourself with the typical E34 foibles that you can expect in another 70k or so.
Good luck, sounds like a nice car.
Ross

[Topasbraun]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

1. What about the Nikasil issue?
2. As for the price, the dealer is asking 14,800 Cdn (plus taxes), which is of course wayyy too much - I was thinking of offering in the 10-11k range, with stuff thrown in to boot, which is about 9-10k USD.
3. It is a manual transmission, an absolute must!

Thanks,
C

[Fetch]

Nikasil Info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M60
& search for Nikasil on this forum you'll find stuff ad nauseum.

That car is at a low enough mileage where I would still be worried about the nikasil problem appearing. Although it can appear at any time on a nikasil engine, it is more likely to happen during 'low' mileage.

Price is very high for the car, I understand the low mileage and manual trans (mine was priced pretty high because of manual trans as well), However, if I were in your position and had 9-10k to spend, I would personally be looking for a 540i 6 speed, which are also rare, but one could be had for the price range you're talking about. Gas mileage is barely worse and it has boatloads more power & another gear! lol

If this one has been very dealer maintained they should know about nikasil, or at the very least, know if the engine was replaced with alusil under bmw warranty. Since they are a dealer, have them throw it up on a lift real quick and have a guy report the # that is stamped onto the block right above the starter, then compare it to the numbers on that wikipedia page to check for yourself if it's an alusil or nikasil engine. If it's a nikasil engine, it would be best to get compression & leak down tests to see the condition of the engine.

[Topasbraun]

Hi Fetch,

Thanks. I think this is a big enough issue that if there has been nothing done about the issue in its service records, I may have to stay away. As for the 540i/6spd, if in good shape/well maintained they routinely sell for the 15k region, so that gives some ideal of price point.

Nikasil Info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M60
& search for Nikasil on this forum you'll find stuff ad nauseum.

That car is at a low enough mileage where I would still be worried about the nikasil problem appearing. Although it can appear at any time on a nikasil engine, it is more likely to happen during 'low' mileage.

Price is very high for the car, I understand the low mileage and manual trans (mine was priced pretty high because of manual trans as well), However, if I were in your position and had 9-10k to spend, I would personally be looking for a 540i 6 speed, which are also rare, but one could be had for the price range you're talking about.

[Fetch]

Hi Fetch,

Thanks. I think this is a big enough issue that if there has been nothing done about the issue in its service records, I may have to stay away. As for the 540i/6spd, if in good shape/well maintained they routinely sell for the 15k region, so that gives some ideal of price point.

Ah OK. It does sound like this one's gotten a lot of pampering though, and I am a little jealous lol, black on black with 100k less miles than me!!

In the US the location of the car had a lot to do with the Nikasil issue: Gas on the east coast had more sulfur in it, so there were many more Nikasil problems, Gas on the west coast was much cleaner, so many less Nikasil issues came up, but nowadays the gas has so much less sulfur, people predict if a Nikasil issue did not show up, it is very unlikely to. Because I have a Nikasil, I'm hoping this is true!

[Fetch]

In checking for rust, MANY E34s/BMWs of this era, rust at the door sills, Check there for sure!

[Topasbraun]

Hi Fetch,

Thanks for this info as well - much apprecaited as I was planning an offer soon. A little background - I love older BMWs - e28s, e12s and e3s in particular. Hence the fact that I own two e12s! Saying this, I live in the Pacific NW, so I want to replace one e12 while still in good shape (a CA car) with something that won't rust at all if cared for (the other e12 is to a fair weather friend only!). How would you say the e34 does vs. the e30 and e36?

Thanks,
C

In checking for rust, MANY E34s/BMWs of this era, rust at the door sills, Check there for sure!

[Fetch]

Hmm, I don't know the answer to that, I'm sure somebody else does, but I'd guess the e36 fairs way better. :shrug: