Project E34 535i Restoration
Discussion
Johnboy Mac said:
Bogracer said:
Working on the air conditioning, overhaul compressor, replace condenser and dryer units, check pipe work with ultraviolet gas.
Working a/con, that will be nice. I hope your not buying the parts from the main dealer? What happened to BMW's mobile tradition! Total rip off!
DavidHM said:
There's a 54k miler on eBay as well:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-BMW-5-SERIES-535-SE...
Also gorgeous although not nearly as well shot.
I think the colour of this car could be best described as 'some whites'...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-BMW-5-SERIES-535-SE...
Also gorgeous although not nearly as well shot.
OP, great restoration job
muppets_mate said:
DavidHM said:
There's a 54k miler on eBay as well:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-BMW-5-SERIES-535-SE...
Also gorgeous although not nearly as well shot.
I think the colour of this car could be best described as 'some whites'...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-BMW-5-SERIES-535-SE...
Also gorgeous although not nearly as well shot.
OP, great restoration job
I looked at a car similar to this, better colour in silver for £5,000 a while ago, silly low miles one owner. However it was still 21 years old and everything needed doing, mainly from lack of use. I went for a cheaper car putting the £4,000 saving towards the as new recommissioning and upgrades. So far, so good.
The AC is proving entertaining but not impossible as naturally there is little demand for the parts, perhaps as people don't bother repairing the system on a car of this age. However, I like things right, so we are converting the entire system to modern set up, more efficient pump and seal, pipe work etc which is compatible with the new ozone friendly gas.
Again, don't ask the cost!
Again, don't ask the cost!
Edited by Bogracer on Thursday 5th January 23:04
Fantastic project, had a '95 E34 520se and would have another tomorrow.
I do a lot of work on vehicle air conditioning and use www.autoairglos.net for parts, just had a look and they list all parts for your car and they are a decent company to deal with, ignore the prices on the web site if it is a garage buying the parts as their trade prices are very good.
Make sure any of the original parts of the A/C system that are staying on the vehicle are flushed properly as part of the conversion to R134a.
I do a lot of work on vehicle air conditioning and use www.autoairglos.net for parts, just had a look and they list all parts for your car and they are a decent company to deal with, ignore the prices on the web site if it is a garage buying the parts as their trade prices are very good.
Make sure any of the original parts of the A/C system that are staying on the vehicle are flushed properly as part of the conversion to R134a.
stek said:
Fantastic project, had a '95 E34 520se and would have another tomorrow.
I do a lot of work on vehicle air conditioning and use www.autoairglos.net for parts, just had a look and they list all parts for your car and they are a decent company to deal with, ignore the prices on the web site if it is a garage buying the parts as their trade prices are very good.
Make sure any of the original parts of the A/C system that are staying on the vehicle are flushed properly as part of the conversion to R134a.
Yes, we a flushing the system as I am aware the gases are not compatable, most of the components are being changed for new, dryer, condenser, compressor etc anything else checked with guide gas and reassembled. I use a really great company called Autoclimate in Birmingham, which are local to me. They do the vintage stuff through to bespoke retrofit. Better the devil I know.I do a lot of work on vehicle air conditioning and use www.autoairglos.net for parts, just had a look and they list all parts for your car and they are a decent company to deal with, ignore the prices on the web site if it is a garage buying the parts as their trade prices are very good.
Make sure any of the original parts of the A/C system that are staying on the vehicle are flushed properly as part of the conversion to R134a.
stek said:
Fantastic project, had a '95 E34 520se and would have another tomorrow.
I do a lot of work on vehicle air conditioning and use www.autoairglos.net for parts, just had a look and they list all parts for your car and they are a decent company to deal with, ignore the prices on the web site if it is a garage buying the parts as their trade prices are very good.
Make sure any of the original parts of the A/C system that are staying on the vehicle are flushed properly as part of the conversion to R134a.
Thanks for your support and advice.I do a lot of work on vehicle air conditioning and use www.autoairglos.net for parts, just had a look and they list all parts for your car and they are a decent company to deal with, ignore the prices on the web site if it is a garage buying the parts as their trade prices are very good.
Make sure any of the original parts of the A/C system that are staying on the vehicle are flushed properly as part of the conversion to R134a.
The E34 is a great car, simple, strong, light, balanced and wonderfully engineered. Old enough to be rare-ish, new enough to feel like a modern drivers car with ABS. One of the greats. Genuinely good cars are getting really hard to find and are starting to fetch strong money.
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|http://thumbsnap.com/BarQGLMs[/url]Edited by Bogracer on Saturday 7th January 14:31
Great to see a proper restoration of a great model, there's something about the E30/32/34 cars that I seem to keep finding irresistable compared with their descendents. Those + E38/39s in various flavours are all I can imagine owning.
I'd be interested to know the final cost as I've a good candidate for a similar sort of overhaul in my E32 and would really love to return it to its former glory over the next few years, so will certainly be following your progress with keen interest.
I'd be interested to know the final cost as I've a good candidate for a similar sort of overhaul in my E32 and would really love to return it to its former glory over the next few years, so will certainly be following your progress with keen interest.
Zwolf said:
Great to see a proper restoration of a great model, there's something about the E30/32/34 cars that I seem to keep finding irresistable compared with their descendents. Those + E38/39s in various flavours are all I can imagine owning.
I'd be interested to know the final cost as I've a good candidate for a similar sort of overhaul in my E32 and would really love to return it to its former glory over the next few years, so will certainly be following your progress with keen interest.
E30/32/34's it really how light and nimble they are compared to contemporary cars. Also, I dread to think how much I have lost in depreciation over the years, M5 £20,000, X3 £10,000 - in one year.I'd be interested to know the final cost as I've a good candidate for a similar sort of overhaul in my E32 and would really love to return it to its former glory over the next few years, so will certainly be following your progress with keen interest.
I am keeping a spreadsheet of all the costs and whats been done. It took me about 2 years to find a car that was worth bringing back to a new driving experience. Accepting on any 20 year old BMW that everything is old, even the really low mileage car you would still want to do a full and detailed refresh in one go.
Brakes, suspension, fuel, steering, cooling, air conditioning.
I think, what puts people off the investment is resale value. I had a 328i cabriolet which I did the magic on. Took me a good few month to sell - to the first and only person that came to see it and drive it.
Bogracer said:
I am keeping a spreadsheet of all the costs and whats been done. It took me about 2 years to find a car that was worth bringing back to a new driving experience. Accepting on any 20 year old BMW that everything is old, even the really low mileage car you would still want to do a full and detailed refresh in one go.
Brakes, suspension, fuel, steering, cooling, air conditioning.
I think, what puts people off the investment is resale value. I had a 328i cabriolet which I did the magic on. Took me a good few month to sell - to the first and only person that came to see it and drive it.
A car that has benefitted from just such a restoration should sell to the first serious buyer who appreciates it, however unlikely it will be that you get all your money back when you do sell, you've also had a few years' use of an "as new" car that gives you an experience that it's younger siblings just can't. Brakes, suspension, fuel, steering, cooling, air conditioning.
I think, what puts people off the investment is resale value. I had a 328i cabriolet which I did the magic on. Took me a good few month to sell - to the first and only person that came to see it and drive it.
I'm partly regretting reading this thread now as it's increasing my remorse at parting with my old girl http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3179629.htm who would have been a similarly excellent basis for just such a rejuvenation. She's in as good a shape as you'll find one, but is still getting on for 23 years old.
I got rid of her as I was using her daily and quickly rackign up miles, such was the pleasure to be had from driving her, but I figured that would quickly wipe out her value, so instead bought a tattier one with a few minor niggles that I could use daily and the mileage would be irrelevant to value. I sold the wrong one.
I figure if a full restoration can come in around £8k and no more than £10k over a couple of years, then I'll have a car I can be very happy with for a decade thereafter and whilst it's unlikely she'll ever return that at disposal (if I ever could sell it after all that), that's still cheap, but quality motoring. After all, that's just under half the VAT on a new F02 760Li, let alone the thousands per month that they shed in value for the first five years or so.
Please keep the pics coming, it's porn to a sad old BMW fetishist, especially things like the diff rebuild etc.
I've no affiliation to or vested interest in the sale of the linked vehicle BTW, just given for example.
I reckon the car will owe me £6,000. I paid £1000 for the car (a very lucky eBay purchase) £3,000ish in OEM parts, £2,000 in labour, plus my time. It has every potential to reach £10,000 like you suggest. Some of us gladly pay £600 a month for a car we will never actually own and going spiritual, it's a good feeling doing a rescue. I have a Facebook page with the car which I will pass on if I ever sell.
Edited by Bogracer on Sunday 8th January 12:02
Love this.
I wish I had the knowledge/ability (and money) to do this myself. Have just been trying to keep up with rust and fixing stuff as it breaks on my 900 turbo.
I have always loved e34s and would love one as a daily driver but think it's probably a bit long in the tooth to run every day. When this one is mint will you use it every day? I would worry about rust, other idiot drivers, etc...
I wish I had the knowledge/ability (and money) to do this myself. Have just been trying to keep up with rust and fixing stuff as it breaks on my 900 turbo.
I have always loved e34s and would love one as a daily driver but think it's probably a bit long in the tooth to run every day. When this one is mint will you use it every day? I would worry about rust, other idiot drivers, etc...
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