Hey all,

In my previous thread, I asked for some advice, guidance, and opinions.

So now I'm writing to describe the test drive experience:

First off: Outside appearance

An interesting thing I've noticed about old silver...it tends to fade, but when it's taken care of it becomes more of a "matte" look than faded. This car looked great, but it was raining out. It had rust bubbles in a few places. One or two dings. Pretty darn good shape considering the age of the vehicle.

Interior: Leather was not in great condition on the front seats. Worn and the driver's bolster had a significant tear in it. Dash had a Bav Auto plastic cover over it...which was nice, but wasn't tight against the dash. So it seemed like it would creak. Windows went down very slowly, one got stuck once or twice. Seals were torn/rotting. E-brake button was falling into the handle.
Driver's side power seat no longer moved forward or backward.

Other than that, fairly decent. Nice M-shift knob. Steering wheel felt good. Guages all did their thing nice and smooth.

Engine bay: Dirty, no oil leaks whatsoever. Bulging main coolant hose, and various other hoses would need replacing (no big deal). Rubber seals on the top of the struts were cracking....shocks/struts needed replacing, but not bad. No weird noises or unusual bouncing, just getting towards the end of their life.

The drive: First off, this was the first pre-'00 BMW I've ever driven. So the steering felt like an un-assisted, no-power steering, feel. The loud-pedal felt like pushing against something hydraulic that moves slowly to increasing pressure. The brakes at first felt mushy, but then I think they were just super progressive and needed real pressure to result in real stopping power.

The engine was the gem. At 300k, this thing felt brand new. Maybe because of the top-end rebuild 10k ago. It revved nicely, considering it's a larger-bore six cylinder. Clutch grabbed easily, though he said there was a problem with a bearing that "if you dump the clutch, it'll just spin". Well, right there I knew this wasn't the car for me. Not because I like to dump clutches, but because I won't touch one at this price point that has a problem like that :)

The steering wheel had alot of play in it. I could move it maybe 10-15 degrees in either direction with no movement of the tires. The tires were fairly new kumho ecsta supra....so I don't think it was a tire issue. Just plain old worn steering.

I powered the car out once or twice. Very nice; torquey, as noted. Not much horsepower, but a very satisfying smooth rush of power.

Anyway...this isn't the car for me. The test drive, despite the condition stated, made me realize that. It's bigger than I like; heavier. I like a freer-revving engine than this size 6-cylinder can easily provide.

And then also, as a previous poster stated, a this mileage you either need to constantly take care of little things or else you need to buy it where you are not playing catch up.

I've got a new house that I spent 8 months getting into the condition I want. I still have things left to do on it...painting trim, installing new outlet boxes, etc....I'll spend my extra time on those things for a little while longer :)

Anyway...I'm going to find a nice 88-91 325i(s) to test drive and see if that's for me.

I want to thank everyone for their feedback. Kinda helped guide my decision, and realize what's best for me.

Regards,

Joe

P.s. The seller also said, "I set the price at $1800 for a fast sell. These things could easily fetch 3-4k" Pfft! :)

:rolleyes

That car is a POS, and so is the seller.

Find one in decent shape and I don't think your opinion will remain the same about E28s. They are not big boats, contrary to what this single test-drive has indicated to you.

And that price is ridiculous. He is just trying to hustle you. Voted douchebag of the year.

Hey,

Thanks for the feedback. If I find another 535 in GOOD shape, I'll try and take it out. I enjoyed some of what I experienced....it's SOOO much heavier in feel (steering, throttle, braking) than my civic. I know that's a ridiculous comparison, but nonetheless.

The guy was pretty nice, but he has a weird personality...he comes from a wealthy family and he's an EMT. It's a know-it-all personality combined with arrogance of knowing better than everyone else....but that aside, he was nice to talk to once he relaxed.

The car was a POS, and I would have bought it for $250 because it actually would have made a fun beater car; all the essentials were in place. Not worth it to do any real work though.

I have a place near my house called Bimmerworks....heard it's a great shop with alot of customers who sell their cars out of there. I'll see if I can get some good experiences from there.

Joe

I agree with you about it being heavier--that's a fact. However, with the RIGHT car, the E28 will be far more rewarding to drive than the Civic. Sure, the Si is quick and nimbler, but it's FWD and a Honda. Your Honda might handle better in the auto-x course--that pretty much goes without saying--but the Bimmer will be smoother and better on the highway, and IMO, in the twisties (overall).

I think it's just a matter of finding the right car.

For instance, I drove a 535i a few weeks ago with 247k miles. It was an overall POS. But the suspension had been maintained REASONABLY well (not well, but ok), and it handled incredibly. Very little steering play, I could take it around a corner quickly and snap-oversteer if I wanted to. RWD is :buttrock.

Anyway, the E28s don't have a steering rack, so that play you describe is likely the steering box, which usually can just be adjusted fairly easily. If not that, it must have been a ball joint or other suspension item which can be pretty easy to replace.

But overall, avoid that car like the plague! It's worth about $300.

Wow, what a ripoff. 3-4k should net you a nice 535i with about half that mileage, good maintenance with records to prove it, and some good tasteful mods.

I like the size of e28s personally. It's not a boat like a 7, and it's not tight like an e30.

actually 1800 is the right asking price for that car... it should sell somewhere around 1400 IMO.

if the IS bits are in place and the motor is good, the no biggie.

it needs:
thow-out bearing ($35 and a weekend in the driveway)
Steering box adjustment or replacement... adjustments aren't bad, but replacements are,uh, pricey. a remanned box is almost $600.

the rest fo the issues seem like no big deal, BUT, rust and corrrosion could render it completely worthless.

actually 1800 is the right asking price for that car... it should sell somewhere around 1400 IMO.

if the IS bits are in place and the motor is good, the no biggie.

it needs:
thow-out bearing ($35 and a weekend in the driveway)
Steering box adjustment or replacement... adjustments aren't bad, but replacements are,uh, pricey. a remanned box is almost $600.

the rest fo the issues seem like no big deal, BUT, rust and corrrosion could render it completely worthless.

:confused

Then I must be getting a damn steal at $2,500 for a 1986 535i with 140k and little to no rust! A few dash cracks, but meh.

Joe,

I just posted stuff in your other thread before noticing this one. They can fetch $3k, $4k, hell a 535is just took north of $10k on eBay. But of course very few are worth that, and most of them are sub-$2k (the beaters, like the one you drove which sounds like a $1200 car to me) or $3k-6k (the well-maintained, enthusiast-owned drivers).

Anyway, check out E30s but don't write off the E28 just yet. A lightweight flywheel can do wonders for them (I should probably get around to installing mine), and when well-maintained they don't have a ton of on-center play in the steering nor mush in the brakes. Where are you located, anyway?

-tammer (Philly)