Friday 2nd September 2011

SOTW: BMW M5

A performance motoring icon at Shed money? You'd better believe it...

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Super-saloons are not, ordinarily, fodder for SOTW. Fast four-doors rarely dip into the sub-£1k domain of Shed, let alone genuine performance icons.

But this week is different. This week, for the first time ever, Shed of the Week has a pukka M Division car sitting on its virtual forecourt. With tax. And MOT. Dribble.

But, very much like the Jaguar XJR we featured a few weeks back, this is a battle-between-head-and-heart thing. Your heart says 'mmm...M5', while your head says, 'yep, with a clutch that needs replacing'. Your heart says 'mmm... M5 with 311bhp 3.6-litre straight six', while your head says 'uh-huh - with 142,000 miles on the clock and M Division running costs'. Your heart says 'mmm...M5 with 311bhp straight six for the price of a cheap holiday', while your head says 'there's probably a reason why it's so cheap'.

You see what we're getting at with this... there are plenty of logical arguments against this car. But sod the reasoned argument - this is a legendary sports saloon at a bargain bucket price. Buy it, get some alloys that aren't black, run it until it breaks and then either a) lavish the attention on it that it so richly deserves or b) sell it. Because even if it ain't running it'll surely be worth a good few hundred quid.

Please do this, and do it soon, because otherwise the Riggers driveway might just be filled with an E34 M5 that I can neither afford to run nor which would find the approval of a certain OH...

Advert is reproduced below

E34 M5 (3.6) Rolling Restoration (1990)
142,000 miles £1,000

GA25130 in Macau Blue
Tax Expiry 11/2011
MOT Expiry 20/06/2012

Originally kept as a spares car for my other 3.6, I never had the heart to remove any parts and instead ended up replacing various items to keep the car roadworthy. Car has done approx 4000 miles in the past three years.

During this time, the following new parts have been replaced by me:
Radiator
Water Pump
Thermostat

Aux cooling fan
Rear axle beam bushes
Rear springs + top mounts
Front thrust arms
Brake switch
Front discs

I have also checked the valve clearances and re-shimmed where necessary.

The clutch will need replacing (supplied as part of the sale)

I've sold my other 3.6 so this is going as well.

[jon-]

Is this the best ph shed ever? That'll be gone by the end of the day, he'll if I'd not just bought an e24 635 csi I'd have it!

[johnpeat]

Stretching the rules a bit as it's bang on the limit but needs the clutch doing (even if the parts come with it, the labour doesn't) but err - otherwise err...

Would you? I'm not sure I would

[sparks_E39]

Wouldn't touch that unless I had very very deep pockets.

[Zwoelf]

inkiboo said:

STEP AWAY FROM THE CHEAP LOOKING M5

Well, do ya?

[ferrisbueller]

What's the worst that can happen?

[Zwoelf]

>awaits the inevitable "it'll be worth more than that in bits"<

[Johnboy Mac]

ferrisbueller said:

What's the worst that can happen?

Engine calling it a day, I'd presume.

[Rawwr]

ferrisbueller said:

What's the worst that can happen?

Some sort of large bang?

[Rollcage]

Awesome. Anybody fancy calling the seller now?

[em177]

This thread will doubtless turn into 18 pages of negativity about common faults, parts/labour prices etc.... But before it does! :

Even if you only get 6-8 months use before it goes pop. Get a manual, some tools and get the 'box whipped of and the clutch changed. £20 a month AA recovery cover, run it as a daily, get it on a few track days.... And enjoy your time with your very own M5 .... Itll be a hoot!!

1. ultimatecheapringcar?

[SBN]

£1000, sounds like a great idea... shame there is no room on the drive for another car

[gowmonster]

kept as a spares car, which means he got it cheap in the first place.
same point, so he's handy with a spanner, and he's got the clutch, so why not fix it? surly he'd get more for it with a new clutch?

something is missing, unless he CBA and is taking a hit due to lazyness?

although saying that, I've got a 106 thats not moved in a year cause i never find the time... the parts are there for it...

so might be a bargain after all.... and engine bay looks immaculate....

[johnpeat]

em177 said:

£20 a month AA recovery cover,

For a smidge under £40 a year I get nationwide recovery (that's car to a garage of my choice and me home) including home-start - anyone paying £20 a month is an idiot.

I have limited claims of course (5 in total - no more than 2 for any 1 problem) but how many are you planning to make?

[Stu R]

Ruinous.

Lovely.

But Ruinous.

[WeirdNeville]

Sorry, I can't see the downside.
A proper car, for a bag of sand, with the bits included to see it right.
145k is nowthing for a properly engineered BM from the days of yore.

Want.

[J4CKO]

Now I am normally scathing of crowd pleasing Bavarian sheds but this is a find !

They arent making any more of these funnily enough, it looks straight enough and it starts and drives, people pay thousands for E30 M3's so why not the E34 M5 ? a lot of it is non M5 specific and that which is shouldnt be that hard to get hold of.

These were relatively simple compared to what has come since so more diy-able, I doubt there will be many more opportunities to get a running M5 for a grand, this is one of those that you will list as a regret in say five years when you reccount the tale of the M5 for a grand and how you ignored it, like my mate who scrapped a genuine RS1800 Escort due to rot in the eighties.

Look at the price of old Escorts as a case in point, a 2 lb tub of genuine MK1 Escort rust goes for seven to ten grand, manky old Sierra Cosworths go for silly money, Integrales are 20k plus and this is a genuine M5 for a grand.

[Mr Scruff]

While we all know there are a plenty of (well publicised) cases of otherwise sane people buying M5s, only to see if return the love by stealing their wallet and running off with it (all the time laughing in a sinister way...) but honestly - you would if you could, right?

I mean (as someone else has said), what's the worst that could happen....

[0aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Best ever sotw!

[Itsallicanafford]

...how about this, never drive it then nothing can go wroing....Question.'what's on your drive mate?'...Answer.'M5'....enough said...thats worth a grand in anybody money...

[cheesyblob]

Last line says he's selling because he's sold his other 3.6... Surely that means that this is a car he bought for parts. Says alot for the reliability and how complete this car is!