What do people think? IMHO they are amazingly cool. I drove one many years ago (well reversed it out of a garage and parked it) and have always liked them since - 17year old revving a very loud straight 6, instead of a 1.4 Renault 5 - it was alwyas gonna make an impression!!
But anyway, what are they actually like to drive/own/run/maintain? A mate of mine has just bought one (on ebay today if anyone saw it) - what is he letting himself in for?
They're not really an M-series car, they're just a standard 535i with bolt-on tat.
Having said that, they're a decent enough car, but not worth the premium often demanded over standard 535s.
However, any E28 is cool.
Look for rust, rust and more rust, and failed batteries for the dashboard computer.
Much more sensible than an actual M5.
There's nothing complex about them - it's just an E28 after all, and the 3.5 engine is no more stressed or tuned than in any other standard installation. I have very fond memories of my E28 from many years back. I would have to be convinced that any I would buy now was utterly rock solid though.
The drivetrain is fine - the 3.5 large block is a very strong unit. Bodywork is likely to be a problem - my brother's E28 520, one of the last ones - is rusting badly. Even the petrol tank.
Other than that the usual BMW things - suspension bushes and some electrics. Exhausts seem to be a problem too - at least on the smaller versions.
Nice car to drive but watch the back end in the rain.
Any idea what a decent one should go for?
Indeed
*Apparently* it's more or less solid. But it doesnt come for an MoT or tax. So he's either got himself a bargain or a complete lemon. We shall see!
Hmmm, good question.
I've seen decent E28s sell for 800 quid, but I've also seen people asking £2k+ for them.
And I bought one with 6mths MOT for £31 off ebay a few months ago. Your pricing knowledge is suspect.
John
*shrugs*
I said decent - as in, only a handful of owners, sub 100k miles and no rust at all.
As SteveH already said, these things rust something fierce; there are not much better than the 635 and that's saying something.
Also, the slushbox version is far more common than the manual one, but the manual one is pretty much the one to have. Slushy ones are fairly close to worthless, whereas a manual M535i with a good body can easily fetch 2k.
So 270k miles for an M535i with an autobox, no tax, no MoT, but apparently no rust for £425 was probably too much. Hehehe
It's not the best deal in the world, but it's by no means the worst.
I guess we'll see for sure when its gone in for an MoT. On the plus side it does look amazingly cool, so would be a good ornament for the driveway if it fails :)
Bad form, but....
Is it the 'Jewish Racing Gold' one?
If so, then yes, it was too much.
I might be surprised, but I doubt getting an MOT on that is going to be easy.
I think it was yeah. Big multispoke alloys on it
I'll let you know!
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required