Hello all. I'm a 20 year old Mechanical Engineer at Georgia Tech.

I am in need of a new-to-me car and I am sick of Japanese economy cars. My previous cars have been a Mazda Protege and a Nissan Sentra. Old Bimmers have caught my eye because I have always loved the early 90's 5 series(best looking bimmer of all time). My dad had an old 528e before he passed away and I have many fond memories of that car. Now, I'd like my own! I'm not dead set on a 5er(I'd be happy with a 3 series I suppose), but I'm only interested in manuals.

What advice/warnings/caution/etc can you guys give me. What should I expect to replace? What should I look for when buying? Any help you guys can give is much appreciated. My budget is low( $4000). A particular 91 525i has caught my eye, but I want to be well aware of the risks and problems before I consider buying the car.

Here (http://www.bmwe34.net/)'s some good reading. If you decide to get into an e34.. definitely bookmark this site.

There's a "what will break" list under the Troubleshooting section. Don't be scared off from that list, but be aware of it.

Get as many service records as possible.. If the car wasn't maintained correctly, you don't want it. Pay to get the PPI (pre purchase inspection) from a competant BMW mechanic... usually will cost you about $100. and don't expect to get this car and not put any money into it... it does cost to maintain our cars. If you are one to DIY.. you can save a lot of money.

Good luck in your search.

OH yeah... welcome to the forum.. the SEARCH button is your friend.:D

A particular 91 525i has caught my eye, but I want to be well aware of the risks and problems before I consider buying the car.

If you're doing a 525, that's the earliest you want to go.

Good luck, and what he said.