P_Roloff

131,050


Well, my time with this car has come to an end. What a wonderful car and one I’ll truly miss, but it was time. It sat nearly all summer and was just getting to be a pain to maintain on top of the truck, e30, and e91. It went to a local guy who was looking for a neat older car to learn to wrench on, so I think it’ll suit him well. It remains the quietest, most solidly built car I’ve ever owned, it was seriously a tank. Hung the tail out in the snow pretty impressively too.

Replaced the blower motor before I sold it, and sent two sets of wheels and most of my e34 spares along as well. I’m excited to have the space back, one less project, and to be able to focus more on the E91 and E30. I still have the MOMO Heritage 6’s and the m-systems, if anyone was wondering haha. MOMO’s will be listed as soon as I wash them, and the M-Systems will hopefully get their restoration completed once the e30 is back on the road. 
 
Farewell to the E34 club, it’s been a good ride!
 
 

Welcome! I’m actually in the middle of a 5-speed swap on my m20 powered e30, so a pretty similar swap!
I’d recommend getting the swap parts from one single car so you can be sure that stuff will fit; I had a driveshaft issue with mine because I bought a new replacement without realizing it didn’t fit my transmission output flange. Otherwise, just do the “while you’re in there” stuff and let us know if you have issues! Glad to have another m20 on the forum!

Come on over to the Waupaca Airport on May 11, 2024 for some wings and wheels at this year's Badger Bimmers Spring Picnic!!!
We will have use of the hangar, and food will be available for purchase. (Or you can bring your own)
Parking will be on the grass, we'll be sure it's mowed and level before you come. Any questions, let me know!!
Hope to catch you there!!
 
https://facebook.com/events/s/badger-bimmers-spring-picnic/1507363836828817/
 

A couple of years ago, I was at a friend's party when I saw this X5d roll up. Intrigued, I found out the owner was the mother of my buddies wife.  I got to chatting and found out she bought it new, and had it meticulously serviced at a local BMW dealer. 
I asked that she was ever to sell it, to let me know.  She firmly said she doesn't plan on selling anytime soon because she loves it so much.
Well, in December she called and said she is finally getting a new vehicle in the springtime.  We worked out a deal to purchase and I brought it home a week ago.  It had a CEL for the  glow plug module when we picked it up, and knocked some money off.for us 😁
It is emissions in tact, with a recent DPF replacement.  I immediately checked the coolant temp and found it to be at 158. 🤷🏼‍♂️. You would think a dealer would check this.....  Otherwise it needed absolutely nothing.... This lady brought it to the dealer for every little thing, with over $14k in service work in the last two years, with a total of all repair receipts since new of $38,844.42! 😳
Off to Cascade German Parts and FCP Euro I went and filled up my shopping cart with a thermostat, glow plugs and module, gaskets,  swirl flap delete, coolant flange, and a pcv hose. 
I went to work this week and got it all fixed up.  I don't plan on hitting a pothole until a problem comes about since everything is new.  CBU was surprisingly not bad considering the 145k miles.    
This will become the new garage queen, with the potholed 2011 becoming the daily. 
  
Sometimes we get lucky!!

🤣Fair enough, lol.  I know your first love was Hondas and I got bored looking at BMW stuff so I took a chance.

131,050


Well, my time with this car has come to an end. What a wonderful car and one I’ll truly miss, but it was time. It sat nearly all summer and was just getting to be a pain to maintain on top of the truck, e30, and e91. It went to a local guy who was looking for a neat older car to learn to wrench on, so I think it’ll suit him well. It remains the quietest, most solidly built car I’ve ever owned, it was seriously a tank. Hung the tail out in the snow pretty impressively too.

Replaced the blower motor before I sold it, and sent two sets of wheels and most of my e34 spares along as well. I’m excited to have the space back, one less project, and to be able to focus more on the E91 and E30. I still have the MOMO Heritage 6’s and the m-systems, if anyone was wondering haha. MOMO’s will be listed as soon as I wash them, and the M-Systems will hopefully get their restoration completed once the e30 is back on the road. 
 
Farewell to the E34 club, it’s been a good ride!
 
 

131,050


Well, my time with this car has come to an end. What a wonderful car and one I’ll truly miss, but it was time. It sat nearly all summer and was just getting to be a pain to maintain on top of the truck, e30, and e91. It went to a local guy who was looking for a neat older car to learn to wrench on, so I think it’ll suit him well. It remains the quietest, most solidly built car I’ve ever owned, it was seriously a tank. Hung the tail out in the snow pretty impressively too.

Replaced the blower motor before I sold it, and sent two sets of wheels and most of my e34 spares along as well. I’m excited to have the space back, one less project, and to be able to focus more on the E91 and E30. I still have the MOMO Heritage 6’s and the m-systems, if anyone was wondering haha. MOMO’s will be listed as soon as I wash them, and the M-Systems will hopefully get their restoration completed once the e30 is back on the road. 
 
Farewell to the E34 club, it’s been a good ride!
 
 

131,050


Well, my time with this car has come to an end. What a wonderful car and one I’ll truly miss, but it was time. It sat nearly all summer and was just getting to be a pain to maintain on top of the truck, e30, and e91. It went to a local guy who was looking for a neat older car to learn to wrench on, so I think it’ll suit him well. It remains the quietest, most solidly built car I’ve ever owned, it was seriously a tank. Hung the tail out in the snow pretty impressively too.

Replaced the blower motor before I sold it, and sent two sets of wheels and most of my e34 spares along as well. I’m excited to have the space back, one less project, and to be able to focus more on the E91 and E30. I still have the MOMO Heritage 6’s and the m-systems, if anyone was wondering haha. MOMO’s will be listed as soon as I wash them, and the M-Systems will hopefully get their restoration completed once the e30 is back on the road. 
 
Farewell to the E34 club, it’s been a good ride!
 
 

131,050


Well, my time with this car has come to an end. What a wonderful car and one I’ll truly miss, but it was time. It sat nearly all summer and was just getting to be a pain to maintain on top of the truck, e30, and e91. It went to a local guy who was looking for a neat older car to learn to wrench on, so I think it’ll suit him well. It remains the quietest, most solidly built car I’ve ever owned, it was seriously a tank. Hung the tail out in the snow pretty impressively too.

Replaced the blower motor before I sold it, and sent two sets of wheels and most of my e34 spares along as well. I’m excited to have the space back, one less project, and to be able to focus more on the E91 and E30. I still have the MOMO Heritage 6’s and the m-systems, if anyone was wondering haha. MOMO’s will be listed as soon as I wash them, and the M-Systems will hopefully get their restoration completed once the e30 is back on the road. 
 
Farewell to the E34 club, it’s been a good ride!
 
 

Yup!!

They worked well, I did get stuck one time at the end of my subdivision, but I was able to get out after clear traffic 

I love that you drive it through this, how does it handle snow?
 
Yeah, that was an experience. I nearly buried my truck trying to help some poor fella who butmried his civic on shitty tires in a 18” snowdrift on Capitol in Brookfield. 
 
I then went home, unburied the E34, and proceeded to rip big slides through the business park for an hour. Good times. 

Who else had a blast shoveling a few weeks ago?  It didn’t seem to bother my hip injury, which is great for my mobility. Winter setup working well, I took a few snaps of the damage.

Not sure if Santa missed the chimney this year over here haha, I’ll keep my eyes peeled!

SOLD
 
WIBimmers Price: $4500


Snow got you stuck? Don’t want to rust out your nice car/truck? Want an affordable fun car? This might be the car for you! It’s a 1995 BMW 525i with a 5-speed manual, 130,xxx miles. Purchased by my dad in 2018, I purchased it in 2021. Only selling because I bought @m42b32’s E91 and don’t drive this anymore. 
This car has an extensive maintenance history, please see the end of the ad for a full list. Lots of work in the last two years. I also have a few options for wheels and tires.  
The paint/body on this car is fair for its age, it’s not show car quality but doesn’t have any clear coat failure evident; mostly scratches, dings, chips and a few small dents. Rust is present on the door bottoms; the rest of the car is pretty clean. Couple small spots on the underside but nothing wild. Wasn’t driven in the snow often before it came to WI (lived in Jersey from new to ~2017). Nose of the car was repainted at one point I believe.
Issues include small windshield crack, A/C stopped working this summer, drivers rear window and lock actuator not working, couple small tears in drivers seat bottom, slight stitching pull on the top of the rear seatback, and drivers door brake removed due to it tearing the bolts holding it to the door out (common e34 issue, not due to hitting something with it). Blower motor just went but will be replaced before sale. I have a full booklet of maintenance history going back to the early 2000’s, and have roughly 80 images of various points on the car as well - just ask if you have any questions at all.
 
Things I’d probably recommend eventually would be shifter refresh, rear shocks, diff oil change, and eventually rear subframe bushings; they were all always on the list but I never got to them. Definitely doesn’t need them anytime in the near future but I’m picky about my shit. 
 
All my spares will be included for the asking price; mostly interior switchgear and trim bits.
 
WIBimmers asking price w/ spare parts and no extra wheels: $4500 OBO. No trades unless @wasnt m3 wants to swap for his clownshoe…

Current wheels: Car will come on stock 15”x7” bottlecap wheels and 205/65R15 Continental VikingContact winter tires; these are superb in the snow. I’ve driven through 20”+ drifts and foot high unplowed streets without issue. Date codes are I believe from 2021; tons of tread left. Maybe 12k miles on them? Purchased in late 2021
Extra wheel options include: 
- Full square set of 17x8.5” MOMO Heritage 6 wheels in satin black; purchased new by me in 2022. Good tread on the 235/45R17 Michelin Pilot A/S 3+’s that are mounted, I want to say date codes show 2018 or 2019 but not positive. I’d ask an additional $800 for the set with the car or $1000 separate for you guys. Retail price when they were still available was roughly $325/wheel. Neat wheels, and in good condition with only a few bucks here and there. No rash or bends. 

I also have a set of stock 15x7” style 5 basket weaves with two good and two trash tires, $100 extra for those. I’ll throw them in for free if you have a set of wheels and tires that hold air and fit a e28 well enough to roll it onto a trailer. 
 
Final wheel set option is a partially complete and partially refinished set of style 20/21 M-Systems. I have four forged wheels, 3X complete turbine covers in good used condition, and 4 caps - I’m missing only a left side cover and fan to complete the set. Wheels have been stripped/blasted to bare metal, checked to ensure they’re perfectly straight and true, and the lips polished out; a few lips need some final finish polishing but they’re generally very close to ready for paint. TBD on asking, I’d like to finish them myself and sell them but if you’re serious and interested, shoot me a message and I’ll send photos/details. 
.
Completed Maintenance and Upgrades
This likely isn’t an exhaustive list and doesn’t include a lot of the little trim bits, clips and minor stuff done over the years, but these are the heavy hitters:
General:
OEM BMW roof rails will be included with the car Chrome door trim has been “shadowlined” with vinyl trim tape; easily removable if you prefer the chrome look Interior/Exterior/Electrical:
General module New sunroof button panel Auxiliary audio input wired into CD changer; completely reversible (I made a custom wiring harness) and exiting below stability control button Drivers front window regulator New midsection door trim Trunk shocks New battery last winter Various side trim pieces replaced - all with genuine BMW pieces Blower motor replaced and fuse de-rated to 20A to fix common wire melting issue - no evidence of problems with this car Rear headrests added from an E32; rare to find on US model E34’s I have a E32 rear motorized sunblind kit that I can include; it’ll require cutting to fit but would be an awesome upgrade   
Steering and Suspension:
Upper and lower front control arms replaced in fall of 2021 - used E31 and M5 arms (spherical/solid rubber) for improved handling and longevity. All Lemforder components.  Front shocks, shock mounts, and all related hardware replaced in fall of 2021 with OEM Sachs/lemorder components  Front sway bar links changed in 2020 I have a set of new Lemforder tie rods to go with the car as well; I never got around to installing them Brakes:
All new OEM pads and rotors last year all the way around Both front calipers replaced (and slide pins regreased before install) New front soft brake lines Hardlines all look good Engine/Driveline:
New clutch master and slave last year Z3 shift lever - shorter throw. I believe I have the original still and can include it.  ZHP shift knob Giubo replaced last year; CSB was fine but I have a spare I didn’t install that I’ll include with the car Transmission shift shaft and output shaft seals replaced this summer - major job Alternator replaced last winter with an OEM Bosch unit Serpentine belt, tensioner, and pulleys replaced in 2021 VANOS seals replaced this summer; valve cover gasket replaced at the same time New serpentine belt, a/c belt, pulleys, and tensioners in summer of 2021 Metal impeller water pump installed in 2017-ish

Shoot coffee hadn’t kicked in yet 😂 sorry my mistake but yes need a 528e donor. Gibson’s in Neenah still has two but I didn’t look closely last time I was there.

Welcome! Glad to see another E28 on here. I don’t remember all the details but I can point you towards things to research. Also there is a good swap guide somewhere on MyE28.com, might be in the Rod’s E28 website archive as well.
Theres 3 important things you’ll need to match up: the transmission, the output flange and the driveshaft length. As @P_Roloff stated it’s ideal to get the complete swap from the same car. I think there were 3 or 4 Getrag manuals hence the changes.
There’s 2 shift selector styles as well. I upgraded from the old plate style when I converted my 528e. I don’t know the details on what’s cross compatible with the M30 transmissions though. Remember M20 and M30 have different bell housings so you have to source from a 533i or 535i. Not sure if still available but I did buy a shifter mount from the dealer years back. It’s the only welding required as for whatever reason auto E28’s didn’t get them from the factory like E30’s did regardless of transmission.
Pedals are easy, you can just buy the clutch portion and add it on to your pedal box but might be easier to just buy the whole replacement. Although I haven’t done it welding in reinforcement plates is suggested as it’s common to find cracked pedal boxes. For the clutch line I just had a braided stainless line with a 90 degree fitting at the clutch master made at Pegasus racing vs the stock 3 piece line set.
Feel free to start a build thread! Images can be hosted on site here and would love to follow along on your progress.

I’ve had several Bimmers over the years. I have recently acquired a 87’ e28 after a long search. I have a clean car to fine tune. First thing I’d like to do is swap out the auto for a 5speed. Any experience or advice is greatly appreciated. 

I've been delinquent, sorry Chris! Chris hand delivered my gift the day before Christmas (in the dense fog no less), very appreciated and the gift is awesome!!

 
Super excited to get this hanging up in the house and the stickers will go very nicely on the workbench cabinets I'm putting up in the garage!

134,6xx 
Coolant leak saga is over - took it into Kummrow as the leak started to get worse and I never was able to figure out exactly what was leaking - turns out the radiator itself was leaking. Apparently, the Behr e9x radiators commonly fail at the crimps on the driver’s side end tank near the bottom - I can’t remember the exact % they said their supplier has taken back under warranty, but it was a lot. 
 
Anyways, got it replaced with a Genuine BMW one, that should hopefully solve it permanently. Hope this knowledge saves some of the other e9x guys here some pain, this is one of those cases where the OE supplier part just doesn’t cut it. 

Merry Christmas Everyone! I got some sweet Herpa 1:87 models and a Turner mug filled with goodies, thanks TJ!

BMW 1991 318is coupe slick top (for project car/parts)
VIN: WBAAF931XMEE68385
Selling my 1991 318is coupe, BrIllantrot, rare slick top, 5-speed, m42, 4.10 LSD, Red46 skid plate, Stromung catback, sport seats, and more. The front subframe cracked recently on the passenger-side and the motor mount is now resting on steering arm. Radiator fan now rubs on bottom of fan shroud. Needs a new front subframe to be safe to drive beyond driving the car onto a trailer. Body rust and other issues mean it is time for me to move on and put funds into other projects. Best for parts or could be a good repair project for someone with welding skills. Selling the car ‘as is’ for $2,500 obo. 
I’ve owned the car since 2012 as a four-season occasional daily, parked outside in driveway. I am the seventh owner. Car has lived entire life in IL and WI. Estimated mileage at 275k.  The odometer stopped working at approximately 235k and new odo gears didn’t fix it (2015).  Regular oil changes with Castrol GTX 10-40 and Mahle filter kits; radiator fluid changes with BMW coolant (last in July 2023).  
Rust issues include rusted through areas on front floorboards (drivers side repaired but rough), front pinch welds, rear trunk wells (battery side well repaired poorly), frame rails (passenger-side rail repaired with welded sleeve in 2020), and transmission bracket support slots. Additional rust on doors (drivers-side door replaced, Zinnoberrot clear coat peeling), bottom of trunk lid, front valance (repaired poorly), hood is good rust wise but needs a strip and repaint, some rust spots on rear quarter (bubbling near wheel well on driver's side and more extensive on lower rear passenger side). Overall paint is faded except for driver’s fender replaced by PO after minor accident (2007). Front plastic bumper cover is cracked and valance bent due to a low-speed on-ramp spin incident (October 2023) that I expect also weakened the subframe (cracked as noted above, December 24, 2023).   
Engine bay: Original M42 engine runs and pulls well but has some timing chain noise.  Chain, gears, guides, tensioner, water pump replaced (2014; two rear valve cover bolts are loose). Other maintenance includes: Bosch alternator, ground strap and belt (2021); air filter (2021); purge valve (2021); plastic coolant pipe on engine (2018), OFH gasket and oil pressure sensor (2018);  mess under the intake mod (2018), fuel line hoses to fuel rail (2018, 2022); heater core and pipes replaced (2016), radiator and fan clutch (2016) and hoses (2014), engine mounts (2014), intake boot and hoses (2014); plugs, plug wires, loom (2014), lower oil pan (2013), Red46 Sump Armor Skid Plate (2013). All AC components removed and PS pump and lines removed and rack plugged (2013).                                              . 
Transmission/driveline: original G240 transmission, I also have a used spare 240 included (unknown condition); guibo and center support bearing replaced (2016); transmission mounts (2014); small case 4.10 LSD installed (2018), diff whines and exterior is rusty; passenger side axle outside boot is torn. Driver’s axle replaced by PO #6 (2010); clutch and driveshaft replaced by PO #5 (2008-09)
Exhaust:  Stromung catback (2017); used OE downpipe cat assembly (2016), heat shield rusted out, possible pipe/cat leaking, I have a used spare downpipe cat assembly which will be included; exhaust hardware (hangers [driver’s 2023, passenger 2016), manifold to down pipe bolts 3 of 4, new nuts, gasket; catback springs, bolts and nuts (2016); O2 sensor (2014).
Suspension:  Bimmerworld rear shock mounts (2016); Lemfoerder control arms and M3 CABs; front sway bar bushings, brackets, endlinks (2015); Bilstein Sports front and rear (2014); used H&R OE Cabrio Sports Springs (2014); OE subframe bushings (2014)   
Brakes: stock calipers, Textar pads (2022), Zimmerman rotors (2022); driver’s front caliper carrier bracket (2022); replaced main hard brake line to rear and hard line from ABS pump to bias valve with NiCopp (2023); rear T-junction replaced (zip-tied to old), rear trailing arm hard lines, rear inner soft lines, rear passenger outer brake line replaced (2018, DIY w/o dropping subframe, NiCopp); parking brake nonfunctional /parts removed (2013).  Stainless steel brake lines on the car installed by PO (2005-06). Brake pad wear light remains on (sensors removed and wires connected, so short somewhere). 
Other: Ellipsoids with Stern Lighting HIR2 9012 low beam bulbs (2023); Interstate battery (2019); wiper blades (2019); headlight switch (2018); windshield washer plastic-T connector (2018), driver’s side washer nozzle (2018); E36 Z3 antenna mod (2017); new gas tank, fuel pump, hard fuel lines, fuel filter (2016)
Wheels and tires: New General Altimax RT45 195/60/14 on basket weaves (November 2023); old General Altimax Arctic snow tires 185/70/14 on basket weaves (installed 2013, with 2011 build date) 
Interior: sport seats with black vinyl (?) seat covers installed by PO, tear on driver’s side seat cover bottom cushion; Analog clock with e30Love harness (2021); driver’s dome light (2019); Bavarian Auto Hexomats (2014); Panasonic MP3/CD head unit with detachable face, Panasonic speakers (CQ-C1333U) came with car. 
For additional detail do not hesitate to contact me. Pictures coming shortly.  
 

Project car for sale/parts time. I’ll post with details in a few days. 

Replaced the passenger side door pull - it was all nasty like most of them are and left sticky black stuff on your hand when you pulled it. Not ideal. 



I bought the Amazon special version, as much as I want the OEM look I couldn’t bring myself to spend $100ish on a new door pull that’d break down in the exact same way in a few years. The black plastic definitely looks cheaper on the outer cover, so maybe I’ll get an OEM replacement for that, but the inner feels fine and it all mounted solidly. This version uses screws instead of the heat-staked originals. 
 

133,400
Changed the oil in the rear differential. I used full synthetic liqui moly 75w-90 and a couple transfer pumps to get it done. 


Old oil was in quite good shape, I don’t recall seeing records of it being changed but it looks like it was. Still, the new stuff is way lighter in color and it’s good peace of mind. I only got about 3/4 of a quart out so I’ll maybe do it again in 10-20,000 miles once it’s all mixed in. 
 
I also noticed some coolant under the car the other day, so while it was on the lift I pulled the belly pan and took a peek.

It seems like there’s two leaks:
- One appeared to be a loose hose clamp on the water pump; I tightened it and will re-check in a few weeks.

- The other seems to be either a leak at the seam of the radiator on the drivers side, or the o-ring on the upper rad hose. It kinda looks like it’s spraying, but I wonder if it’s wind blowing it off of the radiator as it leaks and spreading it all over the underside. I’m going to swap the o-ring this week sometime and see if that fixes it, and if it doesn’t I’ll get a new rad. I’m considering a full aluminum replacement to bulletproof it, but we’ll see. This one should be under warranty still but if it failed this fast I’m not sure if I want to put the same thing back in.