School me on e34’s

[P_Roloff 166]

At the end of the week, my father and maybe me will be heading to look at a new daily driver for me and my brother. It’s a 1995 525i, 5 speed, black on tan, 68k miles. 

I’ve done a little bit of research, and it seems like the cooling system and front suspension are really important to check, along with rust under the lower door trim. Anything else I really need to look at, or more precisely, have him look at? 

[YoungCR 996]

That's pretty low mileage! That will have a Vanos M50 so all typical issues apply to that. Suspension will probably need work sooner or later just because of age. If it's rust free do everything you can to keep it that way.

[P_Roloff 166]

9 minutes ago, YoungCR said:

That's pretty low mileage! That will have a Vanos M50 so all typical issues apply to that. Suspension will probably need work sooner or later just because of age. If it's rust free do everything you can to keep it that way.

Yeah, I'm thinking that I'll at least do a visual inspection of the bushings and stuff to see if they're crumbling, might give us some leverage on price though if they are. You have any strategies for keeping the rust away other than obsessive washing? Anything I should POR-15?

[P_Roloff 166]

Here's the link. He just dropped the price from $5900 to $4700 this evening.

https://rockford.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-bmw-525i/6690234096.html

I'm really digging it, although I hope the water pump was replaced as a preventative measure instead of after it overheated. Guess oil and coolant need to be checked well.

[jc43089 791]

Nice car.  I don't get bad vibes from his maintenance story.  Still pricey but it is low mileage.  I'm not sure that I would buy it but you have seen my cars...  Too nice for me lol.

[GunMetalGrey 1,057]

E34's seem to be a well designed chassis that doesn't have many notorious issues.
The motors are solid, cooling stuff can go bad yes, but such is BMW.
Lower door rust is a very common thing, and with the price they are asking I would ensure that there is zero rust.

With that age and lower mileage I would suspect a lot of bushings needing to be replaced sooner than later, as German rubber seems to like degrading when sitting.

Nice looking car though!

[YoungCR 996]

9 hours ago, P_Roloff said:

Yeah, I'm thinking that I'll at least do a visual inspection of the bushings and stuff to see if they're crumbling, might give us some leverage on price though if they are. You have any strategies for keeping the rust away other than obsessive washing? Anything I should POR-15?

Por-15 underbody, paint protection/maintenance and making sure all the door gaskets are healthy is the best bet. If the window and door handle trim gaskets leak then the doors will rust from excessive washing 🙄

Being a '95 you'll wanna make sure all the door locking mechanisms are in order so that EWS behaves correctly. 

[Jdesign 1,418]

10 hours ago, P_Roloff said:

You have any strategies for keeping the rust away other than obsessive washing? Anything I should POR-15?

Por-15 is nice for untreated or rusty surfaces. Undercoat any areas that seam "thin" would be ideal. There is a product called "Bosheild T-9" that I use on undercarriages and I swear by it. Its similar to a wax sealant. You can find it online or at boat supply stores.

https://boeshield.com/why-boeshield/

 

 

Otherwise that car is in stunning condition, I doubt it will bring many, if any, surprises.

[GunMetalGrey 1,057]

26 minutes ago, Jdesign said:

https://boeshield.com/why-boeshield/

 

 

 

Also makes a great chain lube, if you need that kind of thing. 

[straight6pwr 1,825]

the e34 body/chassis doesn't really have any rust weak spots, beyond the door issue.

I'd deem m50/5 speed as the most wallet-friendly combination you can have an e34. (cheaper maintenance, best mpgs)

For 4,700 though, i'd be looking at 4-door e30s, unless you need the size. The only reason to choose an e34 over an e30 is size. They don't really have more features for the added maintenance cost. You'll pay a lot more for an e34 over its lifespan, even being a low-mileage example  (ask me how i know!)

[P_Roloff 166]

4 hours ago, GunMetalGrey said:

E34's seem to be a well designed chassis that doesn't have many notorious issues.
The motors are solid, cooling stuff can go bad yes, but such is BMW.
Lower door rust is a very common thing, and with the price they are asking I would ensure that there is zero rust.

With that age and lower mileage I would suspect a lot of bushings needing to be replaced sooner than later, as German rubber seems to like degrading when sitting.

Nice looking car though!

Guess I'll plan on bushings sometime down the line.

4 hours ago, YoungCR said:

Por-15 underbody, paint protection/maintenance and making sure all the door gaskets are healthy is the best bet. If the window and door handle trim gaskets leak then the doors will rust from excessive washing 🙄

Being a '95 you'll wanna make sure all the door locking mechanisms are in order so that EWS behaves correctly. 

Door and door handle gaskets, I'll make sure to check. Good call on the EWS, I didn't know these had anything like that.

3 hours ago, Jdesign said:

Por-15 is nice for untreated or rusty surfaces. Undercoat any areas that seam "thin" would be ideal. There is a product called "Bosheild T-9" that I use on undercarriages and I swear by it. Its similar to a wax sealant. You can find it online or at boat supply stores.

https://boeshield.com/why-boeshield/

Otherwise that car is in stunning condition, I doubt it will bring many, if any, surprises.

I'll make sure to pick up a few cans and do that, good idea.

1 hour ago, straight6pwr said:

the e34 body/chassis doesn't really have any rust weak spots, beyond the door issue.

I'd deem m50/5 speed as the most wallet-friendly combination you can have an e34. (cheaper maintenance, best mpgs)

For 4,700 though, i'd be looking at 4-door e30s, unless you need the size. The only reason to choose an e34 over an e30 is size. They don't really have more features for the added maintenance cost. You'll pay a lot more for an e34 over its lifespan, even being a low-mileage example  (ask me how i know!)

The larger size is preferred, this is going to be our car for longer trips and hauling more crap, and I don't think an e30 would be quite big enough. Finding a comparable e30 in terms of condition, mileage, lack of rust, etc. is going to be a bit more than $4700 as well, at least around here.

[P_Roloff 166]

Thanks everyone for the help, a wild e34 appeared at home last night. About the only pics I have right now:

 

[m42b32 963]

Awesome!!