Slightly OT: Saab Opinions

I wouldn't have thought turbo failure would be your biggest problem. Have browse some the SAAB forums for camchain failure! Nasty & expensive. Get a BMW E32 735/740/750.or E34 535/540 cheap as chips and *all* the toys and there are a surprising number of manuals about. most people want the autos for some reason.

cheers, JB.

I've had a fair few high miler saabs - never had a chain fail, (or turbo for that matter) 200K+ miles is normal. Early 90's 9k's fully loaded can be picked up for a few hundred quid, grab a bargain!

Thanks for the opinions. With a timing chain, I would normally expect it to start rattling some time before complete failure occured, in which case I would change it ( or get someone else to) straight away. I wouldn't expect a chain to be too dear, but a replacement turbo might be!

Re the BMW suggestion: interesting idea, but that is aiming a little older than I intended. I accept that with BMW mechanicals, the age may not be a big worry, but I may find it difficult to get one in the right cosmetic condition (i.e. free of dents & scratches, good clean interior etc). Also, having checked autotrader (private only), the more powerful ones seem quite rare and they all seem to be autos. I'm not totally against the auto concept, but if I were to get one I'd live in constant fear of a breakdown, costing a fortune to sort!

A camchain replacement on a 9000 will set you back much more than the car is worth. It is not a pleasant job at all.

Older (1988-95) BMWs were very well built by anyone's standards. They run to amazing mileages and still the cosametics can be in good nick. Just have a look at how many are still on the road in excellent condition, then look at the interstellar mileages on some of them. I do work on several E34/E32s some with well over 600k miles on them, and all are on their original engines. 2 out of 9 have had replacment auto boxes. One at 218k and the other at 331k miles. Don't forget that these types of ars are not often owned (and ruined) by 'Nova Monkeys' so there is a real chance of finding one in really nice condition for very little money.

JB

I assume it's not possible with the engine in-situ, then?

The autos tend to be long-lived, then? I noticed this on eBay:

worry with this is the Nikasil issue. I have emailed the seller about this (to see if the engine has been re-lined) and have also asked about service history. It's quite close to where I live so I would be in a position to go for a look. What do you think it's worth?

Avoid this one I think. E39 5-series had probably more problems wtih the M52 engine than the V8s did. Closet Nova Monkey too ("Angel Eye lights front & rear! Jesus!" Plenty more fish in the sea though.

JB

I have a '94 525i SE. 155k The body and interior can only be described as virtually perfect. Excellent original p/w without any scratches. No dents. No rust. Seats, (cloth) and interior have no marks or signs of wear, and it's mechanically faultless. Engine and auto transmission are all original. I don't think BMW's like mine are that rare TBH. IMO they are an excellent s/h buy. Pics at

if you're interested.Cost me £2500 18 months ago, and so far hasn't cost me penny in maintenance,apart from a service. For the sort of money you're considering, you can buysomething much later with a lower mileage.Mike.

I thought the angel eyes were standard on all e39s? V8s no good either, then? Bugger! The 530 V8 was the one I fancied! Looks like all 540s are V8 and 535 straight sixs went out in 1992 (I want something later than that). That just leaves the 525 V6, then. I'm not sure that will give the level of oomph I require in such a heavy car. In short, BMWs are out, then.

"Mike G" wrote in news:42e91838$0$3505$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net:

A very nice car indeed! I notice there's a lot more 525s around, but I'm not sure that's enough power for me - I want something quick. For a car so heavy, I was aiming at least 200bhp.

Fussy, aren't I? Like the bloke in Little Britain who comes in the shop. MARGARET! MARGARET!

M52 > engine than the V8s did.

What problems are you referring to? The 2.8 engine is virtually the same as the 2.5, and both are regarded as very good engines, capable of high mileages without problems. AFAIK only the M60 V8's had Nikasil bores.

Closet Nova Monkey too ("Angel Eye lights front &

I agree about the lights though, but seeing as it's close, it might still be worthwhile for the OP to take a look. Would give him an idea of what a BMW can offer. compared to a Saab. Mike.

The M52TU 2.5 engine develops 192bhp. Torque 181 lbft at 4200rpm. The 2.8 develops 193BHP but the torque is better. 207 lbft at 3950. I wouldn't say my 525 is exactly slow. 0-60 is around 9secs, but it is an auto. I would expect a 528, 0-60 to be less than 8 secs. Top speed for both engines in the 5 series is over 140mph. At 80mph on the m/w, engine is very quiet and relaxed. IIRC about 2500rpm. Very little road noise either. Another advantage over a Saab is that the driving wheels are at the right end. :-) My Celica is much faster, with 220bhp, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd take the BM. Especially on a long trip. Dave! Convince him. :-) Mike.

Nope. See

Nah. The E39 is pretty shoddy in build quality compared with the earlier e34s. Let him take out a nice 540i or even an older 535i ( with bombproof M30 big six).

JB

In that case have a look at this BM.

at 5000. Torque 361 at 3900Mike.

No, I doubt it would either, given that it doesn't exist :-)

Well the 525 24v models (all the later ones) have 192bhp, and the later VANOS ones are even better, and pretty good on fuel too. Definitely worth a look IMHO.

"Mike G" wrote in news:42e9257f$0$3491$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net:

Is it for sale then, Mike? ;-)

The torque is the important thing. I'm not really too bothered about 0-60 times. I'm not after this type of car so I can race immature fools from the lights. What concerns me is overtaking ability or the 50-70 time. As an enthusiastic (but responsible) driver, it is important to me to have the ability to pass slower drivers quickly and safely. That's what attracted me to the SAAB - it's turbocharged, so the extra grunt is delivered lower in the rev range, making it a powerful overtaking car, if not much of an off-the-line sprinter.

I must confess, I've never owned a RWD car (or even driven one, unless a Ford Transit counts ;-), so I don't know how much of a big deal this is. But yes, I agree that RWD, in principal, is the best format for any big car.

OKay! Okay! I'll take the 525 into consideration :-)

"Mike G" wrote in news:42e929d7$0$3514$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net:

That just leaves the 525 V6, then. I'm

Bloody Hell! You'd need it to move that thing around! I might as well put wheels on my house! Nah, 5s is attractive but a 7s would be overkill IYSWIM.

No. Even if my comments do sound like sales patter. :-)

If you're a keen driver you'll really appreciate the different handling of a RWD car. Personally I'd never buy a FWD car. Torque steer. Understeer. Wheelspin. Limited lock. All too much for me.

Have a look at this BMW if you're not interested in fuel consumption and want power. Sounds right up your street. All the toys as well. :-)

finishes in about an hour though.As a point of interest I baught my 525 through eBay.Mike.

My mistake. Interesting site, but it appears from what I've heard and read, that Nikasil bores only seem to really affect the V8's. The M52 and M52TU 6's are still considered to be very good engines. Mine, with over 150k is still very quiet. All the compressions are high. It pulls very well, and and doesn't need topping up between oil changes. AFAIA 200k plus without any faults is nothing remarkable for these engines.

My E34's steering is very good, but the recirculating ball and worm s/box s/system on the E34's can give problems with wander etc. The E39 with it's R&P is considered much better, and therefore a nicer car to drive.As far as the build quality goes, never having been in an E39, or looked at one closely, I can't offer an opinion. Mike.