E28 - the long slog
Discussion
illmonkey said:
Output Flange said:
Half the price of the other one for sale...
chill, I said worth it. Didn't know they went for that money thats all. I had £4k waiting for you 
Output Flange said:
The 518i will be an S50B30 by the time it's on the road. One thing about the M5 that makes it a little less ideal for DD duties is that the gearing feels quite short. The S50 will be bolted to a 6 speed box, and although I'm starting with a shorter diff ratio than standard (3.64) if that feels too much then I can swap in a 3.07 or similar instead, to make it closer to stock.
Ah my fault - I thought I'd read that you were thinking about not installing the S50 anymore, and just use it as is.Hence I couldn't see why you'd 518i over the M5 by choice!
Yeah, I've been a bit on-and-off with it. I'm still a bit unsure about proceeding with this shell, purely because I'd really like air con at the end of this, and trying to get the parts and/or retro fit is looking borderline impossible. So I wonder if I might be better off getting one with it factory fitted and going from there. I won't loose anything by swapping at this point.
As for the M5 vs M535i point - not really comparable, having had both. The engine makes the car. Hard to explain, but it's a country mile different from comparing a 328i and M3, for example. I need a different daily now I'm commuting by car, so if the X5 sells first, I'll keep the M5 - it really is glorious.
As for the M5 vs M535i point - not really comparable, having had both. The engine makes the car. Hard to explain, but it's a country mile different from comparing a 328i and M3, for example. I need a different daily now I'm commuting by car, so if the X5 sells first, I'll keep the M5 - it really is glorious.
Sadly, I can't think of the last time I saw a £4k M535i that I'd want to own - the market seems mostly full of dogs now around that price point.
Seems that a decent, working car that isn't suffering rustitis is about £7k now. Is that value? Hard to say.
What you can't argue with is that an E28 in good mechanical fettle is a fine, old-school driving experience. Will be taking the M5 to work tomorrow and already looking forward to it!
Seems that a decent, working car that isn't suffering rustitis is about £7k now. Is that value? Hard to say.
What you can't argue with is that an E28 in good mechanical fettle is a fine, old-school driving experience. Will be taking the M5 to work tomorrow and already looking forward to it!
Output Flange said:
Sadly, I can't think of the last time I saw a £4k M535i that I'd want to own - the market seems mostly full of dogs now around that price point.
Seems that a decent, working car that isn't suffering rustitis is about £7k now. Is that value? Hard to say.
What you can't argue with is that an E28 in good mechanical fettle is a fine, old-school driving experience. Will be taking the M5 to work tomorrow and already looking forward to it!
If I needed 4 doors I would definitely take an E28 over anything later. It seems there are a few being built with s50 or s54 power now too. I guess that's the cheapest route to something approaching the M5 experience? Seems that a decent, working car that isn't suffering rustitis is about £7k now. Is that value? Hard to say.
What you can't argue with is that an E28 in good mechanical fettle is a fine, old-school driving experience. Will be taking the M5 to work tomorrow and already looking forward to it!
It's great to see a genuine M5 getting used though. I'm a firm believer that cars are for being driven, as opposed to being cosseted trinkets in a heated garage. I know it sounds corny, but how else do the next generations of petrol heads get inspired to own things like classic M cars, if they never see one being given a boot full? More than that though, the real pleasure of ownership is in the driving, not the polishing!
Output Flange said:
purely because I'd really like air con at the end of this, and trying to get the parts and/or retro fit is looking borderline impossible. So I wonder if I might be better off getting one with it factory fitted and going from there. I won't loose anything by swapping at this point.
The 520i I still haven't sold has factory fit air con....I was at a friend's yard yesterday, where he had a 535i in for breaking, which had factory-fit a/c. It also had electric windows, central locking, a sunroof and all the other things I wasn't going to fit, but must admit I'm half tempted now to use that as the base rather than the 518i shell. Doesn't make any difference at this point in the project, but I do suspect that I'd appreciate the end result more with a few more creature comforts.
Output Flange said:
I was at a friend's yard yesterday, where he had a 535i in for breaking, which had factory-fit a/c. It also had electric windows, central locking, a sunroof and all the other things I wasn't going to fit, but must admit I'm half tempted now to use that as the base rather than the 518i shell. Doesn't make any difference at this point in the project, but I do suspect that I'd appreciate the end result more with a few more creature comforts.
Why is it being broken? Surely these need to be saved!bigfella70 said:
535 shell sounds great as a base for your current project. You could mothball the 518 shell and build a solid trackday special , no sunroof , keep fit windows , cage and a suitable engine ;-)
Great thread, so thanks for sharing this and will look forward to any updates !!
I could, but I've already got an e28 race car Great thread, so thanks for sharing this and will look forward to any updates !!
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