E28 buying advice.

[il-mostro]

Hi folks.

I am looking to buy an E28 and was wondering what the most likely problems are going to be of buying a car of this vintage. Obviously rust will be the big issue, but what in particular will I need to look out for.

The car is a manual 528i and looks to be in good condition, other than needing a new passenger door.

Any into would be much appreciated.

Mark

[Gruber]

Rust. Everywhere. Sills, arches, front wings (inner and outer), around the lights, sunroof drain holes, front and rear screen scuttles.

Get it up to 55mph and see how much steering shimmy there is. Worn bushes etc are the common culprits.

Tyres / wheels: if it is on metric tyres, budget for a set of imperial wheels and tyres.

And then all the usual stuff - clutch wear, does it brake in a straight line, wheel bearing noise etc etc, signs of headgasket failure, etc.

[Frances The Mute]

After checking everything noted above, check for more rust. Take a look behind the rear subframe, too. This is a common (and sever) rust trap.

They're good cars. The 28 is a strong engine but is old so figure on a decent dose of preventative maintenance for areas such as the cooling system.