SOTW: BMW 530i

It's a 530i, but is it really?

By Garlick / Friday, 14 March 2008 / Loading comments

Last week I promised that we would have bought a new shed by now, something to replace our 205 GTI which we sold a while back. Well, I am sad to report that the shed parking space remains empty. We went to view a BMW 730i- with high hopes of wafting around for a few weeks, but unfortunately the car was in a worse state than we expected and would have been too much for us to repair. An original 850 Mini was also considered but PH couldn't buy a Mini could they? By the time we had decided we could- it had sold. We also narrowly missed a £900 MX5, truly disappointing. So, next week we head to the auction house to see what we can find. We'll keep you posted.

So this week, we return to our theoretical £1000 budget and see what we can find. True to form I am sticking with a German car fitted with a large engine, no surprises there then, but is this 530i touring all that it seems?

The E34 5 series was a great car, solid, luxurious and great to drive- it was also fantastic to look at and with the right engine it went well too. I actually think the touring version is as nice to look at as the saloon, and this example finished in shiny blue certainly looks smart enough.

So you need some transport? Perhaps something that can cart about the whole family, the mountain bikes, and the dogs, maybe tow the race car or simply be something to get you around for a year or so? What do you get for your £1000? Buy this and you get a 6 cylinder engine mated to a manual gearbox, rear wheel drive, leather seats, BMW removable towbar, air conditioning and every other option that was available at the time.

The car has done 127,000 miles and has full service history, but, and it’s quite a big but the car has had an engine swap. According to the advert in 2004 a 3.5 engine from another E34 was fitted. So this is a 535i then? Thankfully the work has been inspected and comes with an engineer’s letter; it has been in daily use since the swap too, so it doesn't seem like anything to worry about

With an MOT that lasts until January 2009, this 5 will be a great buy for someone, it's a little outside the budget we have since selling the 205 otherwise we'd snap this one up ourselves. Surely someone has to buy this car? It's one of the most interesting sheds we have seen in a long time.

Rather long Auto trader advert says:

1995 BMW 5 Series 530i 5dr Touring. Manual, 126,000 miles, Midnight Blue, N registration, finished in Midnight Blue metallic with full black leather upholstery. Approximately 127000 miles with service history and old MOT's. Excellent specification including power steering, 5 speed manual gearbox, remote central locking with alarm system, electric front and rear windows with isolation option, electric mirrors, twin electric tilt and slide sunroof, air conditioning, adjustable steering column, front seat height adjustment, cruise control, auto dimming rear view mirror, full black leather upholstery, stereo/CD, front centre armrests, split folding rear seat, luggage cover, 5 spoke alloy wheels, BMW removable towbar, body colour bumpers, front fogs, etc. In 2004 the last owner of this car professionally fitted a 6 cylinder 3.5 litre engine from an E34 BMW, the car has been inspected and an engineer’s letter is available, the car has been in daily use since the conversion. A great workhorse which is in good condition throughout and MOT'd to January 2009. All cars are HPI checked. Credit/Debit cards accepted. Viewing by appointment 7 days a week. JUST TAKEN IN PART EXCHANGE AND SOLD TO CLEAR.