80's daily driver
Discussion
I've got an E34 525i, it's currently my only car but has served as my daily and workhorse for four years plus now, I've had no qualms using it to tow the Caterham including 700+ mile round trips to Zandvoort, Spa Francorchamps, Croft etc.
It was trying to rust in the sills but I dealt with it, I certainly wouldn't say they were especially rust prone (galvanised)
The mechanicals are rock solid, the M50 engine was a very advanced engine in it's day and stacks up well against newer naturally aspirated engines of similar capacity / power. BMW developed it to make it lighter and more efficient in subsequent iterations for the E36 and E39 etc but none were as tough as the iron block M50 and none significantly improved on it's power output either.
There's a V8 one but for me the M50 is the sweet spot.
The check control throws up some erroneous bongs and error messages and I have had to do a lot of work on the suspension and cooling system but a lot of this is par for the course with mileage having just ticked over 140k.
P.S. It was designed in the 80s but if you want the M50 engine instead of the older 12v M20 / M30 engines you need to buy a 1990 onwards model.
It was trying to rust in the sills but I dealt with it, I certainly wouldn't say they were especially rust prone (galvanised)
The mechanicals are rock solid, the M50 engine was a very advanced engine in it's day and stacks up well against newer naturally aspirated engines of similar capacity / power. BMW developed it to make it lighter and more efficient in subsequent iterations for the E36 and E39 etc but none were as tough as the iron block M50 and none significantly improved on it's power output either.
There's a V8 one but for me the M50 is the sweet spot.
The check control throws up some erroneous bongs and error messages and I have had to do a lot of work on the suspension and cooling system but a lot of this is par for the course with mileage having just ticked over 140k.
P.S. It was designed in the 80s but if you want the M50 engine instead of the older 12v M20 / M30 engines you need to buy a 1990 onwards model.
Edited by HustleRussell on Wednesday 24th January 16:25
I've a few 80's cars but I'd recommend a Volvo 740. Very reliable, comfortable, will sit at 80 in in complete comfort. I bought mine with 30k odd miles and put 15k on it the first year with ease. Now retired to an easier life of the odd show.
Mercedes 190 would be another bet. Smaller than a w124 but every bit as well built, lovely size, tight turning circle and very relaxing to drive. Put into proper use I still reckon they will take more than love and attention than the robust nature of the Volvo. Mines a 2.5d auto, not quick off the mark but builds speed well and feels more relaxed the more the speed builds. You can tell the engineers had autobahns in mind.
Mercedes 190 would be another bet. Smaller than a w124 but every bit as well built, lovely size, tight turning circle and very relaxing to drive. Put into proper use I still reckon they will take more than love and attention than the robust nature of the Volvo. Mines a 2.5d auto, not quick off the mark but builds speed well and feels more relaxed the more the speed builds. You can tell the engineers had autobahns in mind.
Many many thanks everyone for the response I've had on this guys. Much appreciated.
It looks like there are a few contenders then.
Ideally would like some decent fuel economy and I'm not too fussed about speed.
Looks like the big hitters are Mercedes, Porsche, BMW and possibly Volvo.
A galvanised body would be great like the Audi and Porsche that have been mentioned.
My ideas so far are:
Mercedes 190E looks spot on though are apparently expensive to fix when go wrong. Like the idea that the majority of parts are still available. Notice the prices have started going up though. Don't want a car that is going to be worth loads of money and be worried about driving it and parking it in awkward places.
Posche, as above, but understand that the part prices are expensive.
Bmw, as above, but the prices of these seem to be getting very expensive.
Volvo, are the parts availability for these any good still. There is saloon version that is near me and I see in a car park sometimes, I must say, they do look very nice.
There is an Audi 80 for sale about 50 miles away that looks to be at a reasonable price. Anybody think, aside from the galvanised body, that one of these might be up for the daily drive. Anyone had any experience with them? This one looks like a 1988 model. Whats the parts availability like?
I'm surprised no one has mentioned VW like the golf.
I look forward to any comments on the above. Once again thanks for the incredible response so far.
It looks like there are a few contenders then.
Ideally would like some decent fuel economy and I'm not too fussed about speed.
Looks like the big hitters are Mercedes, Porsche, BMW and possibly Volvo.
A galvanised body would be great like the Audi and Porsche that have been mentioned.
My ideas so far are:
Mercedes 190E looks spot on though are apparently expensive to fix when go wrong. Like the idea that the majority of parts are still available. Notice the prices have started going up though. Don't want a car that is going to be worth loads of money and be worried about driving it and parking it in awkward places.
Posche, as above, but understand that the part prices are expensive.
Bmw, as above, but the prices of these seem to be getting very expensive.
Volvo, are the parts availability for these any good still. There is saloon version that is near me and I see in a car park sometimes, I must say, they do look very nice.
There is an Audi 80 for sale about 50 miles away that looks to be at a reasonable price. Anybody think, aside from the galvanised body, that one of these might be up for the daily drive. Anyone had any experience with them? This one looks like a 1988 model. Whats the parts availability like?
I'm surprised no one has mentioned VW like the golf.
I look forward to any comments on the above. Once again thanks for the incredible response so far.
Daveyboysmith87 said:
Mercedes 190E looks spot on though are apparently expensive to fix when go wrong. Like the idea that the majority of parts are still available. Notice the prices have started going up though. Don't want a car that is going to be worth loads of money and be worried about driving it and parking it in awkward places.
I drive a 1988 190E 2.6 as my daily. Parts are incredibly cheap, and labour is as well - my mechanic loves working on it as it's simple and is well designed. Old school meccano work rather than modern plastic stuff that frustrates and breaks. As an example I had my front discs and pads replaced at my local indie, he went to Mercedes and discs were £59.50 for 2, pads £22.30. Had I bothered to look on ebay parts can be found a lot cheaper. There are still a lot around, particularly in Eastern Europe, so as well as official Mercedes parts, there's a massive number of OEM spec parts (from the same manufacturer as made them for merc originally), or aftermarket parts.
I love it as a daily, but then I like old mercs. On long journeys economy isn't up there with modern cars, nor is refinement. But even the 190 is a pleasure to drive long distance - Mercedes definitely tested them on the autobahn, they have that solid merc feeling that it's hard to describe!
With a car that's 30 years old, you will always have to put some effort into servicing and preventative maintenance, but these old 190s seem to require less than most, and more importantly keep going even when stuff starts to wear out, getting you to your destination. The downside is that they can hide years of abuse.
Prices are going up, particularly for the 6 cylinder. But there are still plenty of bargains to be had. Look for the old chap who has had it as a retirement car who now needs to downsize or stop driving.
Mine in the recent cold.
Edited by 0a on Saturday 27th January 14:16
Daveyboysmith87 said:
There is an Audi 80 for sale about 50 miles away that looks to be at a reasonable price. Anybody think, aside from the galvanised body, that one of these might be up for the daily drive. Anyone had any experience with them? This one looks like a 1988 model. Whats the parts availability like?
Yes, I've run a 92 Audi 80 2.8 quattro as the most modern of my cars for the past 12 years. Generally I'll drive something older as my daily as the Audi was a bit heavy on fuel for my short commute, but it has always been an excellent car for longer journeys. For the most part, I would highly recommend one as an older daily. They are capable of very high mileage with only routine maintenance, the galvanised bodywork means that rust isn't much of an issue, although it's common for the front wings to rust as the paint is easily damaged, but they are readily available and easy to replace. My one reservation would be parts availability, general maintenance parts are fine, so you will not have a problem keeping the car on the road, however, body trim and interior parts are not. Some are available from Audi Tradition, and they do continue to reproduce some obsolete parts, but the prices are high and everything is shipped from Germany, it's becoming increasingly rare for parts to be available from dealerships. I would strongly recommend a quattro over a FWD model, the handling is much improved and the superior traction counters the natural tendency to understeer. I would suggest if looking at a B3 model (86-91) that you go for a 90 quattro, they are higher specced and have the legendary 5 cylinder engine, all B3 80s are 4 cyl and although reliable, they are nothing to get excited about. There was no B4 90, and as such the B4 80 is available in either 4,5 or 6 cyl. In brief, avoid the 1.6 unless you need fuel economy, the 2.0 16v is the pick of the 4 cyl. Sadly there was no 20v, only the 10v 2.3, the quattro version of which is very rare. There was also a 2.6 or 2.8 V6, the 2.8 has better torque and much better peak power due to the inlet manifold design, however, the 2.8 was only fitted for the first year and a half of production, they are rare now in quattro form.
I've been running a B3 80 daily for 2 years now and its been a fantastic motor. Go for at least a 2.0 or a 5 cylinder 90 and you'll have no issues in modern traffic either. Zero rust as said above and the build quality is typical 80's German. They're by no means a drivers car but point it down a decent road and its quite fun 
Crosswise said:
Yes, I've run a 92 Audi 80 2.8 quattro as the most modern of my cars for the past 12 years. Generally I'll drive something older as my daily as the Audi was a bit heavy on fuel for my short commute, but it has always been an excellent car for longer journeys. For the most part, I would highly recommend one as an older daily. They are capable of very high mileage with only routine maintenance, the galvanised bodywork means that rust isn't much of an issue, although it's common for the front wings to rust as the paint is easily damaged, but they are readily available and easy to replace. My one reservation would be parts availability, general maintenance parts are fine, so you will not have a problem keeping the car on the road, however, body trim and interior parts are not. Some are available from Audi Tradition, and they do continue to reproduce some obsolete parts, but the prices are high and everything is shipped from Germany, it's becoming increasingly rare for parts to be available from dealerships.
I would strongly recommend a quattro over a FWD model, the handling is much improved and the superior traction counters the natural tendency to understeer. I would suggest if looking at a B3 model (86-91) that you go for a 90 quattro, they are higher specced and have the legendary 5 cylinder engine, all B3 80s are 4 cyl and although reliable, they are nothing to get excited about. There was no B4 90, and as such the B4 80 is available in either 4,5 or 6 cyl. In brief, avoid the 1.6 unless you need fuel economy, the 2.0 16v is the pick of the 4 cyl. Sadly there was no 20v, only the 10v 2.3, the quattro version of which is very rare. There was also a 2.6 or 2.8 V6, the 2.8 has better torque and much better peak power due to the inlet manifold design, however, the 2.8 was only fitted for the first year and a half of production, they are rare now in quattro form.
That's great to know. I'm not too fussed about speed and am more interested in the economy side of things. The 1.8 is the same engine as in the Golf I've been told which I have worked on before so know my way around them more or less.I would strongly recommend a quattro over a FWD model, the handling is much improved and the superior traction counters the natural tendency to understeer. I would suggest if looking at a B3 model (86-91) that you go for a 90 quattro, they are higher specced and have the legendary 5 cylinder engine, all B3 80s are 4 cyl and although reliable, they are nothing to get excited about. There was no B4 90, and as such the B4 80 is available in either 4,5 or 6 cyl. In brief, avoid the 1.6 unless you need fuel economy, the 2.0 16v is the pick of the 4 cyl. Sadly there was no 20v, only the 10v 2.3, the quattro version of which is very rare. There was also a 2.6 or 2.8 V6, the 2.8 has better torque and much better peak power due to the inlet manifold design, however, the 2.8 was only fitted for the first year and a half of production, they are rare now in quattro form.
It is a bit worrying about the parts and has been the only thing stopping me from buying the car I posted earlier looking into it. When you say dealerships I'm guessing you mean general autofactors?
As long as I can get the parts easily enough to keep the car running properly I'm not massively fussed. I've heard that the interior is hard wearing in these cars?
lel said:
I've been running a B3 80 daily for 2 years now and its been a fantastic motor. Go for at least a 2.0 or a 5 cylinder 90 and you'll have no issues in modern traffic either. Zero rust as said above and the build quality is typical 80's German. They're by no means a drivers car but point it down a decent road and its quite fun
Nice to know I won't be alone if I get one as a daily and that is a nice looking car. Is there anything that has been an issue that I should look out for or be weary of? How many miles a year do you do?I do around 10k a year in it, other than general wear and tear it has needed nothing. A leaking heater matrix is a common fault on these so check for damp carpets and steamy windows with the heater on, it's a dashboard out job to change and although not a hard job it is very time consuming. The wiring that goes into the boot lid for the fog and numberplate lights usually breaks but that is an easy fix.
Front wings tend to get a bit flakey over time but from experience it's usually just a paint issue rather than rot. Genuine wings are very rare if you do end up needing any, I'm still searching after 2 years.
I haven't had any issues getting parts thankfully, there is a very helpful bunch on the Classic-Audi forum and facebook page
Front wings tend to get a bit flakey over time but from experience it's usually just a paint issue rather than rot. Genuine wings are very rare if you do end up needing any, I'm still searching after 2 years.
I haven't had any issues getting parts thankfully, there is a very helpful bunch on the Classic-Audi forum and facebook page
Daveyboysmith87 said:
That's great to know. I'm not too fussed about speed and am more interested in the economy side of things. The 1.8 is the same engine as in the Golf I've been told which I have worked on before so know my way around them more or less.
It is a bit worrying about the parts and has been the only thing stopping me from buying the car I posted earlier looking into it. When you say dealerships I'm guessing you mean general autofactors?
As long as I can get the parts easily enough to keep the car running properly I'm not massively fussed. I've heard that the interior is hard wearing in these cars?
The 1.8 is a good engine, I know little about them, but I think some are carb, some are EFI. It was dropped when the B4 was launched in 91. It is a bit worrying about the parts and has been the only thing stopping me from buying the car I posted earlier looking into it. When you say dealerships I'm guessing you mean general autofactors?
As long as I can get the parts easily enough to keep the car running properly I'm not massively fussed. I've heard that the interior is hard wearing in these cars?
In my experience, the only parts I struggle to get are body or interior, things like door trims, window seals, interior trim etc. I mean main dealerships as these were always the only source of such parts. As I said previously, things like brake or suspension components that you would expect to be available from a general motor factors are still readily and cheaply available.
This is mine, interior is hard wearing and well designed if a little unimaginative. Up until 93 they had switchable ABS and all quattros have a locking rear diff. Most B4s have split folding rear seats and a flat boot floor, B3s don't due to the fuel tank design.
DSC_0455 by Matt4475, on Flickr
DSC_2436 by Matt4475, on Flickrlel said:
Front wings tend to get a bit flakey over time but from experience it's usually just a paint issue rather than rot. Genuine wings are very rare if you do end up needing any, I'm still searching after 2 years.
Genuine front wings are still available form main dealers, they are not cheap, I think around £300 each. You can use B4 wings, but you have to change the front bumper to suit the flare on the wheel arch.Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff