M5 question

Peter Coomaraswamy

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After visiting with Drew I really fell in love with the e28. I may have to get one.. one day, but I understand that there are some generally more desirable M5's so I ask the forum members which one might be considered best for heavy use, ie. most reliable and trouble free- or is that not a proper question?

Thanks
 

rsporsche

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i like the e28 more than the newer ones. the newer ones have more power, but i think less soul. i had an e28 533i in the early 90's for about 8 years ... it was reliable and great on the road ... i've never owned an m5 though. if you get an e28, i think i still have all of the pages out of the e28 blue book, just no binder.
 

RMP

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Peter, an e28 m5for sure, I have one, the character of it will seduce you. Rare indeed by the numbers made over 2 years, by hand. Next in line the E39 M5 but much more complicated.
 

Markos

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After visiting with Drew I really fell in love with the e28. I may have to get one.. one day, but I understand that there are some generally more desirable M5's so I ask the forum members which one might be considered best for heavy use, ie. most reliable and trouble free- or is that not a proper question?

Thanks

Sigh - and to think that I pointed you toward that cheap M5 project in Tx. :( I love e28's. If you want something cheap and fun, you can always drop a B35 in one. The 1988 Super ETA wiring is almost plug and play.

I just happen to have this open in my other browser window: http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=60306

How do I wire up my new B35?

There are several ways of tackling the wiring of your new b35. One method is to use the 1988 528e “super eta” harness. The super eta utilized Motronic 1.1 which is closely related to 1.3. It has the same 55 pin DME connector and will plug into the e28 fuse box with no splicing. I have not performed the super eta harness swap and am relaying information gathered from mye28.com on what needs to be done to make it work. There are a few circuits that need to have their wires lengthened as they are now in the wrong place to work with the m30b35. Matt (Bimmerguy2002) has reported that he needed to lengthen the oil pressure switch wiring about 1 ft. Also, the AFM, TPS IACV and O2 sensor wires need to be lengthened about 2 feet. It would be best to confirm the exact amount that needs to be lengthened once your harness is laid in place.
 

m5bb

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I've owned an E28 M5 for 10 years.
Great cars and fun to drive.
I tweaked it and it now has E46 M3 power.
They have their quirks just like any car but very dependable.
I just drove mine last week from Atlanta to the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Over 1000 miles.
Car has over 171,000 miles but has won many show awards.
There is a lot of info here.
http://www.mye28.com/viewforum.php?f=5

Mine happens to be one of thirty US cars with black interior.
That's where my forum name came from, M5 Black on Black.
Be glad to answer any questions you might have Peter.
They are going up in value quite a bit lately.
Biggest thing is to get a compression check and leak down test on the engine.
A good rebuild could be $12-16,000+.
Gary
 

adawil2002

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I was advised to look for a E28 535is over an M5. My search ended when I was made an offer I couldn't refuse from VSR on an M5. It has been on on and off project for 2 years now and is nearing completion. Gary, M5bb, has been very helpful with advice and support since before I bought the car. It has been gone through stem to stern and found quite a few rusty surprises along the way. Here's a link to the gallery of delight and horror for your viewing pleasure.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...351.1073741874.1630421908&type=1&l=6e863acf49

Before:
IMG_1582.jpg


After:

IMG_3059.JPG


Before:
IMG_1575.jpg


After:
IMG_3058.JPG
 

zinz

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I'm with you guys. A 535iS is a sweet ride.

Peter, this guy is in my neighborhood near your shop. I've invited him several times to our C&C...

image.jpeg


It's pretty fine...

Ed
 

Peter Coomaraswamy

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Ed,

will he sell it:) ?

And you guys are awesome, I'm definitely on the hunt. I have a 535is that's at a friends shop but the gal who owns it won't sell- so I guess I really don't "have" it but I'm gonna try again and barring that will keep looking for a rust free (thanks Andrew) M5 e28. Yes, the bumpers are hideous but I may be able to convert to Euro??

And thanks again Markos for feeding my addiction!
 

rsporsche

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I'm with you guys. A 535iS is a sweet ride.

Peter, this guy is in my neighborhood near your shop. I've invited him several times to our C&C...

View attachment 25045

It's pretty fine...

Ed
Ed, i just think you have a thing for RED cars. all kidding aside, that's a pretty 535is. i used to see one in atlanta almost as nice as this ... haven't seen it in a while
 

restart

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The small bumpers come up for sale occasionally. With your experience you could just find a very nice e28 of any designation and add all the goodies yourself. If I know you, you would redo everything when you got it anyway. :)

Myself, if I didn't have my bav I would be e28 hunting. The generation of 5ers after the e28 is probably more cost effective, has a pretty good potential and aren't they popular in chump racing. Sure, they are more complicated but nothing you couldn't handle.

And definitely something you would keep for the long haul, the E28 that is.

From your track record I am hoping to see an e28 refresh thread.
 
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zinz

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Ed, i just think you have a thing for RED cars.

I know, right? I never really thought about it, though... most all my trucks have been white, my go-to 2002 is Manila...but 3 of my old BMWs have been red. It just happened that way; I didn't search for a red car in particular. Oh well.

This guy, Wyatt... his red 535 is a stunner; his previous e28 was black. I met him on an e28 drive years ago. He got this red car last year out of California...it's got all the bells and whistles. I could be very happy with that in the stable, so I call dibs in front of Peter. :)

Ed
 

Peter Coomaraswamy

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Thanks guys- I'm going to just keep the e28 in my subconscious and if it comes along I will consider it as meant to be. Somehow I have ended up with 5 or 6 pretty cool BMW's and never looked for any of them:) I even found an Euro M6 which I promptly delivered to someone else since the "master" in SF said I would be under it for 5 years and I think he might have been correct. Also, learning much more about veneers than I should. Dave in NC has offered to walk me through the process so I'll be posting there in a while.

Again, you are all too kind.
 

Peter Coomaraswamy

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Thanks Markos, nice looking car! (except the bumpers) there are too many BMW's in that picture- what do you think about the price- I have no idea what the M e28's are going for?

Cheers
 

adawil2002

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Thanks Markos, nice looking car! (except the bumpers) there are too many BMW's in that picture- what do you think about the price- I have no idea what the M e28's are going for?

Cheers

Peter, price is right in line with the market. Some lower mileage E28 M5s are touching the $50K mark. Prices have really risen in the past 4 years.
 

wkohler

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I might have originally missed the point of this thread as re-reading it, it seems you're asking about other generations of M5s as well.

E28 M5s have gotten past the point where the first question anyone would ask about one for sale is a request for compression and leak down numbers. Now, people just seem to buy the cars with little regard or concern for that. The cost of the engine overhaul hasn't decreased or become any less of a job, but for a good number of the cars out there, it has stopped being something that could in-effect total an M5. E28 M5s have jumped considerably in value. Some say it has to do with the E30 M3, or it is another effect of the Porsche market explosion dragging up the prices of German cars on the whole. The M5 is more exclusive than the E30 M3 and with much lower production numbers and a arguably lower survival rate (the low value of the cars for so many years caused many lesser examples to be parted and scrapped while an E30 M3 could go on to be a race car and still exist albeit with a different drivetrain or heavily modified), values seem to have increased at an alarming rate and even while M3s seem to have leveled off, that hasn't appeared to affect the M5 - at least some of the top examples.

E34 M5s make more power, but are also heavier and less-connected. Many suggest they're more attractive and they definitely have a different overall feel. I think it's actually more difficult to find a nice E34 M5 than a nice E28 M5. A lot of that has to do with the quality of interior components - particularly during the heart of the M5 production has made it more difficult to keep those cars in top shape. There are definitely some out there, but owning an E34 myself (a 525i touring), if I so much as look at a piece of trim wrong, it will break. That has tempered my enthusiasm for the E34 M5. They're still great cars and the last hand-built M5.

E39 M5s are much more common, much more complicated and insanely powerful. I bought one about a month ago and I'm still amazed by it, but I haven't had to really fix anything yet, so I'm not sure how long I'll say that, but the way this 4000 lb car drives is astounding in almost every way. I think they're currently at the bottom of their depreciation or at least holding steady and with the E60 cars being less-appealing to many due to ownership costs and relatively low numbers of manual transmission cars, I think the E39 will maintain a following.

Of the three generations I mentioned, I'd buy an E28. I still think that the E28 is one of the best cars BMW has ever built. It's not the best at anything but it does everything well. There's a reason it has the following it has.

I know I'm in the minority with my opinion, but I don't think the bumpers are too off-putting on an E28 535is or M5. That's possibly because the profile shape of the M5 is what drew me to these cars to begin with when they were new. While they definitely aren't subtle, I think they actually work and give the car a certain aesthetic. Again, I'm used to them and it's a position that's hard to argue. Of course, I probably shouldn't say anything at all, since I haven't put my money where my mouth is.

SYUor2tUsdsV1W3N_UThQ-tjxxb-kjbxiDYQePbIR9THjWY1-RvTEDaKCO78PzAza2zRqqHUmf2kfSB6GXSBTW0FW37-YNlfE3fPy-hoTvAQJahULfpZfO6KDCBNNFApgpQ_PnjBPQmtW5P3rtdV49qVPlk8YM8kK_ca6Uf9kZfdU8gCmyzWhQoiTw-bnp0Pt1nDZxqvOLNX7wtZmq7taGV4DJ-4O17O97sT5yuN75zKpQJbPGHXm_rQj4W_aoYWxBsC6U1eZQZcbeLENNXIAlUGDtXTcRMIRzH3CHkH8pGawnN1ioVyk5Kft4TfjiraH8ERaot6oNuZ0ZEjiamPQQd_ljsnaWEx4_aiaw5JbFRRbHKMMOd-443o3lodqoCbZEIjbHKDo0hxVJ-rK6xildZXOf7TUTNECkHfJhqwx5muUdfWsk1H7kYx8I_x9dr4-oJgStyUQMq36kXHQ1oX5AN3-x-v_HzJa6-UdnBlxWuxdDIfP32AV_tWN1RdPp-EeadqYQRVhQaQY5cqQntnqif3CX1j9grOwbVdacPoBtrJYnIV64iIID_sUM36mEBXLEA8qmWHNuleaXWZkugQM-BxXzZ1xhxSp6AtXrxQTJvKjpJ7iuhD=w937-h375-no


I take my position a little more seriously when it comes to a car like the M5, though. They made about 10,000 535is examples and that number is hard to pin down because they didn't have a separate VIN range, so at this point it's all conjecture, but people who were privy to sales info with BMW NA have suggested that the number is in the ballpark. The number of M5s that made it here is a little more than a 10th of that and there are probably 1/3 or so still around and believe it or not, a good number of the lower-end cars are going back to Europe to be restored there. Demand is high and it is increasingly difficult to find a nice car. While the Euro conversion is theoretically reversible, I am one of those that would prefer to see the cars left as-is. I also think that as the values either hold steady or increase (I mean just look at what EAG has been doing recently with these cars), original cars with the original US bumpers will have a higher value than a similar Euro-converted car. Neither aesthetic really affects how the cars drive and once you've driven a well-sorted example, you'll see why these cars have the following they do and why so many prefer their dynamics to the E24 M6.

Again, if you have any questions about anything E28-specific, I am slightly familiar with them and would be glad to help.
 
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