RE: SOTW: BMW 520i Touring

[turbo-ww]

derin100 said:

IanMorewood said:

Doesnt do anything for me, sorry.

Perhaps these would (or would have)?

In ascending order:

1) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/525it/index.html

2) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html

3) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525_saloon_calyps...

4) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/index.php?spg...

(last link is the third from last non-M5 E34 Saloon ever built on the very last day of production)


You can buy E39 5-Series far cheaper than a really good E34 now (I know because my wife and I both have E39 Tourings as our daily drivers) but the E34 is still IMHO the best 'built' 5-er of all.

But these, nice though they are, are hardly shed material, which is what this thread is about...

[dinkel]

I'd buy for this money: just for the wheels!

[rallycross]

It looks ok and I'll bet it drives very well, we've got an old 525 sport thats done 0ver 200,000 miles, its got hardly any history, and yet it drives superbly, nice and precise and says a lot about how well these old E34's were built.

Its a relative bargain at that price because cheap estate cars are always in demand so the prices remain quite strong even when old and high mileage. At £700 you cant complain about things like cloth seats and not fsh, its just a cheap car that still looks quite tidy, ideal for going to the tip in style!

Edited by rallycross on Saturday 11th December 21:24

[Emeye]

Great cars.

I've got a M reg 525i touring Auto that I bought just over a year ago for £1k to use whilst doing up my house. It has leather and is a lovely dark metallic blue. It has 135k miles on the clock and the aircon still works!

I had a bit of a prob with an immobiliser and a slight petrol leak pipe - you need to check all old 5 series for this. Other than that it was fantastic - the engine is lovely.

It's currently sat SORN at the in-laws over winter whilst I use my freelander and then I'll decide what to do with it as it needs a new battery and an MOT which it should (hopefully) pass no probs.

IMO you should buy a 525i as that engine makes all the difference.

In fact, you could always make an offer for mine as it is.

[Nigel Worc's]

dinkel said:

I'd buy for this money: just for the wheels!

My last E34, a 518i estate, came with metric wheels, I bought 6 cross spokes on fleabay, two with good tyres, for £60

[derin100]

turbo-ww said:

derin100 said:

IanMorewood said:

Doesnt do anything for me, sorry.

Perhaps these would (or would have)?

In ascending order:

1) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/525it/index.html

2) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html

3) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525_saloon_calyps...

4) http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/index.php?spg...

(last link is the third from last non-M5 E34 Saloon ever built on the very last day of production)


You can buy E39 5-Series far cheaper than a really good E34 now (I know because my wife and I both have E39 Tourings as our daily drivers) but the E34 is still IMHO the best 'built' 5-er of all.

But these, nice though they are, are hardly shed material, which is what this thread is about...

Fair point.

[sidewaysste]

Not sure it's the bargain it's made out to be. I bought an e39 528SE with the sport suspension two months back for £700. I've now bought an £850 LPG kit to fit to create wonderously cheap motoring and rid myself of the diseasal I seem to have acquired.

[6potdave]

Seriously underpowered! The E36 320i is sluggish so I can only imagine this to be quite a lot worse. Would have to be the 525i IMO to make it worthwhile.

[Alfa GTV]

Now this would have been a better shed to buy

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

[redstu]

^^^^^
now that's the one to have, twice the car for the same money.

[mrnikko]

German money pit simple as that

[Agent Orange]

mrnikko said:

German money pit simple as that

Don't spend any money on it.

Simple as that.

Edited by Agent Orange on Sunday 12th December 20:26

[Evoman]

Agent Orange said:

Best Touring bar none was the E30 325i Touring - that is an untouchable shed.

You are perhaps forgetting the lesser known E34 M5 Touring... now that is an untouchable Touring with handling so agile and nimble that no car of that size has any right to be.

[KM666]

edo said:

My old man got a 520i Tourer in 1994. Manual though.

Whilst not a rocket, that straight 6 was an absolute peach, and as a student at the time, getting to drive round in it was great!

It is a real shame the accountants at BMW have dropped the straight 6 2.0 in favour of the current 4 cylinder offering. For a company that makes some spankingly good engines, the current 4 pot 2.0 petrol engine is a disgrace.

my mates mum had an auto 320 in the previous shape (not sure about E30 numberings, but was the model before this shape 5 and 3 series) the 2.0 six felt fairly rapid considering it didnt have much weight to haul about and would drift a nice roundabout in the wet (obv not at the hands of his mother tho)lol brings back memories of labouring for a neighbour and going for a sideways vist to kfc in his 1.6 seirra! never been so impressed by sierras going sideways and made a change from the escort van

[KM666]

petrolveins said:

I've spent too much time this week looking at various E34s on the interweb, wondering if I could afford one next year as a uni shed...

iv been looking for something sheddy for uni although its a bit too new for me im hoping to capitolise on classic insurance! does anybody know if you need a certain amount of experience before taking a classic policy and weather or not old sierras, jags, or e30 bmws would count as classic? the prospect of paying £160 for a big barge over £1200 for a little hatchback made out of cardboard appeals greatly

[Nigel Worc's]

KM666 said:

petrolveins said:

I've spent too much time this week looking at various E34s on the interweb, wondering if I could afford one next year as a uni shed...

iv been looking for something sheddy for uni although its a bit too new for me im hoping to capitolise on classic insurance! does anybody know if you need a certain amount of experience before taking a classic policy and weather or not old sierras, jags, or e30 bmws would count as classic? the prospect of paying £160 for a big barge over £1200 for a little hatchback made out of cardboard appeals greatly

I had a 1988 E34 525i auto on classic insurance, but, on that policy, you needed to be over 21

[pits]

Agent Orange said:

mrnikko said:

German money pit simple as that

Don't spend any money on it.

Simple as that.

Edited by Agent Orange on Sunday 12th December 20:26

Eh? How exactly, I bought a fairly good condition E34 518i two years ago for £350 it has flown through two mots and owes me a pair of shocks, 4 tyres and an AFM, probably the best car I have ever had, even if it is a 1.8 and dog slow

[KM666]

Nigel Worc's said:

KM666 said:

petrolveins said:

I've spent too much time this week looking at various E34s on the interweb, wondering if I could afford one next year as a uni shed...

iv been looking for something sheddy for uni although its a bit too new for me im hoping to capitolise on classic insurance! does anybody know if you need a certain amount of experience before taking a classic policy and weather or not old sierras, jags, or e30 bmws would count as classic? the prospect of paying £160 for a big barge over £1200 for a little hatchback made out of cardboard appeals greatly

I had a 1988 E34 525i auto on classic insurance, but, on that policy, you needed to be over 21

cheers for the info! only a couple of months to wait then!

[Emeye]

Nigel Worc's said:

KM666 said:

petrolveins said:

I've spent too much time this week looking at various E34s on the interweb, wondering if I could afford one next year as a uni shed...

iv been looking for something sheddy for uni although its a bit too new for me im hoping to capitolise on classic insurance! does anybody know if you need a certain amount of experience before taking a classic policy and weather or not old sierras, jags, or e30 bmws would count as classic? the prospect of paying £160 for a big barge over £1200 for a little hatchback made out of cardboard appeals greatly

I had a 1988 E34 525i auto on classic insurance, but, on that policy, you needed to be over 21

Which company did you use if you don't mind me asking?