E36 M3 Evo to E34 M5 touring
Discussion
You may save a few quid in running costs if you use an indie (Farrell) that's highly recommended on the M5 Board (i.e. half ML's hourly rate, and actually does what he says he will do with photographic diary).
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=...
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=...
Not got a touring but I have got a 3.6 M5 with a tow bar and an E36 M3
Max towing weight is something like 1400kgs which can be an issue if you tow a car of modest weight.
Running costs are rather different. The E36 M3 is relatively cheap to run in comparison, being generally lower milegae and much newer. Parts are cheaper too.
A tired E34 M5 could quite easily set you back 7-8k a year to maintain if you buy the wrong one. EDC is the killer with the 3.8 and with the dampers costing £2000 for a set from BMW it's easy to see how costs can mount up.
Even a good one will cost a lot to keep in tip top condition, but I gess owning an E30 you'll know all about running costs.
However, I can't imagine a better fleet to have though
Max towing weight is something like 1400kgs which can be an issue if you tow a car of modest weight.
Running costs are rather different. The E36 M3 is relatively cheap to run in comparison, being generally lower milegae and much newer. Parts are cheaper too.
A tired E34 M5 could quite easily set you back 7-8k a year to maintain if you buy the wrong one. EDC is the killer with the 3.8 and with the dampers costing £2000 for a set from BMW it's easy to see how costs can mount up.
Even a good one will cost a lot to keep in tip top condition, but I gess owning an E30 you'll know all about running costs.
However, I can't imagine a better fleet to have though
A decent E34 M5 touring should cost no more than £1600 per annum to run excluding tyres, fuel and insurance. The car I have in mind is beautifully kept, Phil Crouch @ CPC has done all of the work on the car over the last few years and drop me a note to belleair302@fastmail.fm for more details.
Cheers for the replies
Belleair, i will e-mail you tomorrow when i can use my work e-mail address.
I'm planning on having a look at one tomorrow, N-reg, 100K miles, Avus blue, with good history for 6K. From what the guy says its likely to want new shocks soon. I know the edc shock are expencive to buy but can the be replaced with at aftermarket kit? or rebuilt?
Belleair, i will e-mail you tomorrow when i can use my work e-mail address.
I'm planning on having a look at one tomorrow, N-reg, 100K miles, Avus blue, with good history for 6K. From what the guy says its likely to want new shocks soon. I know the edc shock are expencive to buy but can the be replaced with at aftermarket kit? or rebuilt?
Edited by andye30m3 on Monday 31st March 22:18
A few years ago I was at Brands Hatch on SSMA classic festival. Whilst walking round the paddock I noticed an M5 touring with a car trailor on the back. I think the car that was being towed was an Austin Healey 3000. I've towed with many a BMW (E34 530i, 530i V8, 525i and E39 540i touring) and always found them up to the job. If I was using one of few M5 tourings as a work horse and the 'Ring' suspension failed, I would be tempted to swap the dampers for a good set of standard ones. As far as the running costs are concerned, It's 17 mpg average towing,(2.5 litres or 4.4 litres) Expect similar with a 3.8. Craig.
Members of the E34 M5 Board are working with some suspension specialists regarding the rebuilding of EDC dampers. Yes they whole lot can be replaced and some of the kits are pretty good, but with so few cars still on the road, most owners will find the cash to keep them as original as possible. EDC when working properly is amazing and should give you in excess of 60K's worth of mileage.
Vixpy1 said:
The Car Belleair is suggesting is probably one of the best condition E34's i've ever seen.
Now Charlie, don't be so modest, yours is a minter 
Replacing the EDC with non-standard suspension is a bit of a Red Herring, as the costs involved in swapping over the hubs etc to fit non-standard dampers are nearly as much as re-fitting new EDC dampers. Moreover, by doing so, you lose the adjustability of the EDC. If however, you plan to do over 50k miles in the car, there's a astronger argument for going non-standard.
I'm sure D_T_W will be along soon with more info on the subject as his EDC is currently knackered. Fortunately, having a 3.6 I don't suffer from this.
Read through 17 pages of a thread on the M5 board which Seam quite positive although not 100% reliable as yet. I think if there was a £500-600 rebuild solution I'd be a bit more convinced the M5 was the way forward.
I seam to rememeber (it was geting late) someone brought up the point that its not a nice job to change the shocks over, I could account for the cost of the shocks but if the £2K bill turned in to a 3K bill after fitting I don't think i'd be best pleased. I currently do most work on by own car, is changing the edc shocks something which can be done by a home mechanic?
I seam to rememeber (it was geting late) someone brought up the point that its not a nice job to change the shocks over, I could account for the cost of the shocks but if the £2K bill turned in to a 3K bill after fitting I don't think i'd be best pleased. I currently do most work on by own car, is changing the edc shocks something which can be done by a home mechanic?
andye30m3 said:
I seam to rememeber (it was geting late) someone brought up the point that its not a nice job to change the shocks over, I could account for the cost of the shocks but if the £2K bill turned in to a 3K bill after fitting I don't think i'd be best pleased. I currently do most work on by own car, is changing the edc shocks something which can be done by a home mechanic?
In the same thread (or perhaps it's one dedicated to aftermarket shocks) A member describes the 13 hours it took both him and an experienced ///M-trained mechanic to swap out all four dampers...So, no is the simple answer.
Belleair, cheers for passing on my details. I think the one you had in mind is a bit outside my ideal price range and to good for towing race car and filling with tools etc.
I went to have a look at another. N reg with the 18inch wheels and bigger brakes, avus blue with two tone leather around 100K miles. Seams in good mechanical order but has a few bodywork scrapes, nothing major but the bonnet, bumper could do with painting due to stone chips and theres 3 or 4 car park scrapes and will want a pair of tyres seen. Its had a recent MOT, Been told i could have it for £5,200
does this seam like a reasonable deal?
What things other than the shocks should i be looking for?
I went to have a look at another. N reg with the 18inch wheels and bigger brakes, avus blue with two tone leather around 100K miles. Seams in good mechanical order but has a few bodywork scrapes, nothing major but the bonnet, bumper could do with painting due to stone chips and theres 3 or 4 car park scrapes and will want a pair of tyres seen. Its had a recent MOT, Been told i could have it for £5,200
does this seam like a reasonable deal?
What things other than the shocks should i be looking for?
Things to look closely at and ask about are the condition of the brake disks and wat pads are being used, when was the water pump last changed, valve clearances when were they last checked, regular oil changes along with filters (what is being poured in) and the timing chain tensioner when was it replaced! Beyond that look at the suspension mounts, look at the dampes for leaks if the car still has EDC, check the fuel line for rust and the suspension bushes for wear and tear. However the most important factor is who has been looking after the car and look for some hefty bills. If over the last 5 years the car has not had spent on its health a decent 5-6K walk away.
I thought i could feel my ears burning 
Yes EDC can be a very serious issue, however there are aftermarket options available if you have the cash and are willing for the car to be non-standard. I'm replacing the EDC as it is a fantastic system when it's working, and almost perfectly matched to the car. Recent quote from BMW for 4 EDC dampers came to almost £3k, which in my view is robbery. The rebuilds should be an (almost) cost effective option to replace the dampers, however i don't know what the damper life will be like if the car is used for towing. A stiffer set of rear springs might be an option as well as the EDC dampers?
As for it's suitability as a tow car, there's a picture somewhere on the M5 Board of a members E34 M5 Touring towing a BMW 7 Series on a trailer, so i would have no worries about towing something lighter. It would make a fantastic tow car if you are prepared for the running costs.
I know i shouldn't be saying this in the M Power section, but another option could be an Audi RS2?
Yes EDC can be a very serious issue, however there are aftermarket options available if you have the cash and are willing for the car to be non-standard. I'm replacing the EDC as it is a fantastic system when it's working, and almost perfectly matched to the car. Recent quote from BMW for 4 EDC dampers came to almost £3k, which in my view is robbery. The rebuilds should be an (almost) cost effective option to replace the dampers, however i don't know what the damper life will be like if the car is used for towing. A stiffer set of rear springs might be an option as well as the EDC dampers?
As for it's suitability as a tow car, there's a picture somewhere on the M5 Board of a members E34 M5 Touring towing a BMW 7 Series on a trailer, so i would have no worries about towing something lighter. It would make a fantastic tow car if you are prepared for the running costs.
I know i shouldn't be saying this in the M Power section, but another option could be an Audi RS2?
I ran an RS2 for 18 months, just sublime acceleration when on boost, amazing brakes, thank you Porsche and a funky interior. However finding a good one today is hard, the steering is a weak link, the suspension is a little hard even with new bushes and they are still a joyriders dream! Not as large a boot area as one would imagine and few specialists can really work on these cars properly!
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