just bought my latest bmw, a 1990 535i 208 h.p. 3.5 ltr. with a 5 speed, 110,000 miles. i have only driven it a few times...... WOW what a car. the previous original owner deleted the airbags (correctly) he also added 17x8 in. AC Schnitzer ac3's and the full clear light kit. its black/black interior which is PERFECT, the car was also garaged when not being driven! the best part about it was the price..... 1,950.00 i just had to buy it! i will be posting pics of it within the next couple of days. ifany of you e34 guys have any tips for a new 5 owner it would help me get up to speed, i already own an e36 so this is my second BMW...... ahhh the good life! 1990 535i 1994 318is Love 'em both!
Congratulations!!! Those are awsome cars!!!! Great engine too! Post the pics! A B&B Tri Flow exhaust will sound awsome on this car! My friend had an e28 535is and E24 M6 with this exhaust and it really just makes the car. It is on the louder side, but makes it sound like it has a bigger motor than 3.5 liters! I have three bmws and all of them are Black on Black! It is my favorite!! GR
I owned a 92 535i for 7+ years. Just make sure you turn off the car if the temp gauge goes past the 1/2 way mark. I had two (2) blown head gaskets (seperate times) because I turned it off when it hit the 3/4 mark . The M30 engine may be one of the best BMW engines made, but very fragile when it comes to coolant issues IMO. I had/have several M50 family engines that have gone near the red and no blown head gasket. Many people will disagree with me about the M30's reliability. I spent nearly $12K in 7 years on repairs. Maybe I just got a car that was abused big time before I purchased it. I see that you got a great bargain. Any service records? That mileage is nothing. I hope your 535i treats you better than mine did . Please post pics bumper2bumper. One of the first things I did when I got my 535i back in the day Aug 99 was put bavauto springs and Bilstien sport shocks. I feel that a lowered E34 really makes it look its best. Owning more than 1 BMW means you are a lucky dog . Good luck with your new toy.
By the looks of your signature you got three too! Do you not have the E28 anymore? Yes three are fun to have. But it is also three to keep after in terms of maintenance, but fortunately I like doing it myself and it keeps me out of trouble! GR
I still have the E28. Just pulling your chain. I am learning how to maintain them. I do the oil changes on the curb (big deal, I know LOL). One day AZ will come over and do the tune-up and timing belt on my E28
thanks for the info, i've done some research 0n the 535 and it seems there was a recall on the thermostat housing leaking leading to overheating, luckily the previous owner had the recall repair performed before it ever overheated or leaked. also there was a problem with the oil filter canister draining back all of its oil during overnight sitting which would cause poor start-up oil pressure, this potential problem was also fixed at the dealership with the thermostat recall. these 2 things are the cause of alot failures on these cars, especially the 91 and up cars. the original owner had ALL service records (amazing.... i know!) since he bought it and had it serviced at the same dealership every time. i have posted some pictures on my original post. its a little dirty from the rain.
thanks for the advice, love the 88 M3, they started my BMW addiction, although i have never owned one, i love BMW 4 bangers, i also own a 1994 318is and it has been flawless since 1998 when i bought it. its the 1 in my posting picture. both black/black its also my favorite combo. i hope to add a e28 535is to my stable someday, along with an e30 318is and if my financials permit a black/black 2002 M5.
HOLY crap, you got that 535i FOR LESS THAN TWO GRAND? WTH????? Why the hell don't we have such deals where I live????
Yes I can say the E30 M3 started my addiction too and it was my first BMW. Then I bought the 84 318i to keep my M3 out of regular use. I finally bought a 98 328is to replace my wifes Acura. Fortuantly she loves black cars too! And BMW! All the cars you mentioned are great cult cars. My same friend who had the 535is and M6 currently has an E30 318is. That car really is an E30 M3 lightweight! Your E34 is an awsome find and I am sure will treat you well. It is such a great looking car. Enjoy!
That is what I'm talking about . We men need to have spines and control what our better 1/2's drive .
Her car has Dinan Stage 2 suspension, intake, ecu flash, throttle body and M3 bumpers, mirrors, etc. She loves it! GR
Good but not great. Just kidding . Sharp car indeed. Maybe we'll get the E46 M3 front bumper for the xi spring time. Not sure if we should take that or the E39 to visit Mickey in Feb.
yeah Arash2002tii, here in california everyone is selling off their -30 mpg cars like crazy, the guy i bought it from had a similar situation, his wife went out and bought a toyota highlander hybrid and told him to sell the 535 because of the MPG! bad for him, great for me. i assured him it was going to a good home, but i had to compete with some other buyers on site, but since i was first to call him i had first dibs. the car came with 17 in. AC Schnitzers, springs, other than thatits stock, and with 110,000 miles its hardly been used. nice 325e by the way, e30's are great cars!!
first of all thanks to everyone who replied, this really is a great car club as i have heard!The 535 is replacing my wife's 2000 civic si, its been an ok car but it has been stolen TWICE! we are trying to find her a 4 door e36 while she drives the 535, she said she can't stand to drive the honda after i let her drive my 318is.
Yes it is pretty quick and a lot of fun to drive b/c of the Dinan suspension. Very flat in the corners. The amazing thing is I can get 29 mpg with it on the highway, probably even higher if I could keep the speed down! In my mind it is short sighted to sell a car that is paid for just because of MPG, unless it is really bad and you do a lot of driving. You really have to figure out the cost savings on the fuel side and then weigh that against the higher cost of the new car and see how long it will take to even out. I guess too bad for that guy and lucky for you!!! GR
