What to do with an E34 535iM

VivP

Member
Decisions decisions.

OK, so I'm now the proud owner of an E39 540iM Individual 6-speed. But, I still have the old girl laying about. She was the reason I got the 540/6. I'm talking about my old '90 E34 535i with a 5-speed box. Full house. And a rather bad dose of coastal cancer.

I no longer have any need for this trusty old nag, so I am left to make a decision. Sell it out of hand for whatever I can get, sell to a second-hand parts dealer, or break it for spares. Another option is to strip completely and kit with a roll-cage, standard seat, etc, and keep as a weekend track-day fun car.

Any thoughts out there? What do you guys suggest? I might just opt along with the majority on this one. :thinker:
 

clutchplate

///Member
no screw that, I've been looking for an E34 535iM for a while now, please send me some pics, I will buy it from you straight :)
just sold my E46 .. so please let me know...

pics :D
 

zaleonardz

Well-known member
Grats on selling the E46 clutchy......

WHat you got planned....

Why dont you buy a body from Uber (the 520 or something, and transplant the 540 (in manual of course))

 

clutchplate

///Member
nah, my e34 540 is running nicely at the moment, don't wanna touch it... hehe. and the E39 I wanna make race spec, not drift spec.
want a 535i manual to turbo and use as a drift car, allready got an LSD for it that will fit right in ...

It's time to play now :)
 

VivP

Member
OK, so I am tending towards selling it as is, out of hand. Pics will follow, as soon as I can get to the warehouse it's in to take some.

Some details, however. This car is OLD. Been through the mill. I bought it as a stolen recovery from an insurance company. The thieves had her for over 6 months. Fixed it up nicely (all OE parts from BMW), and used as my routine runabout.

Did a full motor rebuild around 80-100k km ago. But the rest of the car is pushing close to 500k now.

Front left fender and A-Pillar require some beating and filler. Passenger door glass and front windscreen require replacement. This is a result of a tree running into the road around a sharp bend on a wet day.

Front suspension is shot. Have not bothered to check what exactly is required, but I think ball joints, tie-rod ends, etc, need replacement. Center bearing must be replaced.

Because the body is quite badly rusted in places (specifically around the boot water chanel, below rear glass), lots of water leaks into the car on a wet day. Paint job is buggered.

Bottom line, unless you already have a E34 in fairly good nick, and have a project in mind requireing a donor car, this is not for you. Many parts are good, but it is not a worthy project to rebuild by itself.

Motor, electric seats, electronics, gearbox, OBC, central locking, electric windows, etc etc, is all ok. Body and suspension is buggered.

A decent set of 16" BMW rims [E39 528 I think] (shod with worn 225/55's) gets tossed in also. I paid 6k for the rims. Original 15" rims also.

OK, so that is the details of the car. I will try get pics up over the weekend sometime. I was offered R16.5k for the car 3 weeks ago, before I bought the 540. Unfortunately, the fella had to bale on the deal, as he had to spend his cash to bury his mother. Sad, but true.

So the plan was to break it and sell the parts. A motor from a scrap yard goes for around R8.5k, while the 'box you could pick up for around R2.8k. This is, of course, assuming one can find them.

I am prepared to look at offers of R15k and above, as is, collected (PE). Any interested parties must PM me. Obviously, best offer takes. And it goes without saying, as is, voetstoots, no roadworthy. Licence is valid till November '11.

Pics to follow.
 

VivP

Member
OK - I promised pics. WARNING! Not for sensitive BMW owners :bawling:

I am going to share a link to a photobucket album, I hope this works. Plan is, if anybody wants to make an offer for as is, R15k plus, PM your offers to me on or before Sunday 10 April. If no suitable offers are received, or the car is unsold, I will be stripping for spares. Therefore, from Monday, 11 April, if anybody is looking for bits, PM what you're after. That is, of course, if the car is still available on 11 April.

http://s1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee365/Viv_Pike/Old Beemer/
 

VivP

Member
Right, I am waiting on those final few offers to buy the car. Just a reminder that the selling cut-off is end-Monday 11th. Best offer above R15k on a first cash first sold basis. If not sold by then, stripping for spares will commence. For those of you hoping for some bits and pieces, watch this space from Tuesday onwards.

 
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