E28 M535i or E30 325i MSport Wanted

[SM-M5 4]

Hi

I am looking for the E28 M535i or E30 325i MSport.

Please come back to me if you have any options or suggestions.

Cheers

Stephen

[Contrails 317]

Good luck with the search, both are wonderful cars.  Have you driven them or owned them before?

[SM-M5 4]

34 minutes ago, Contrails said:

Good luck with the search, both are wonderful cars.  Have you driven them or owned them before?

Unfortunately not but I would be keen to test drive.

have you owned either?

[Contrails 317]

I do own both of them.  I usually only drive them on sunny days. 

I have owned the M535i for 3.5 years. Bought it without seeing it in person. Never driven one or been in one before.  Instantly fell in love with the M30 engine. Sounds fabulous, like a proper classic straight 6 should with plenty of low end torque. I have had lots of friends who have been as passengers in it and commented on the smoothness.  I have upgraded a few things like suspension, wheels, brake lines. I do worry at times that it might not brake as good as the modern cars and I might be in trouble one day hence E34 brakes are on the cards.  I do drive it hard from time to time and these cars love it. I keep all the original parts.  

I bought the E30 Mtech1 four months ago.  The initial drive was disappointing thanks to the M20. But the whole car feels very light and compact in comparison. The seating is lower,  you feel more tucked in.  It's getting a few things done atm - injectors cleaned, valve timing, new heater hoses, suspension, wheels, brakes... Pretty much the same as the M535i.  The stock E30 brakes are worse than the E28 stock ones. 

Rust is the biggest problem.  No classic BMW is rust free. They either have rust or been repaired. Oil leaks is the second. But these cars are fairly easy to work on. I don't have much mechanical experience, so I rely on the forums and YouTube for help.  But I do most of the maintenance myself.  

Price wise, $15k should be enough to get you a decent one with some minor issues. The M535i are selling for $30-40k in Australia these days. 

[SM-M5 4]

Do you have any more photos?

Do you think they would be suitable for as a daily driver?

There is a green 535i automatic for sale on TradeMe at the minute, it looks nice but the interior is cloth and I am not sure about the auto transmission. It $12k.

I am also considering an E30 that is on TradeMe for $9k.

I have seen a few from Australia for $20AUD but by the time it gets here is could be up to $40k.

Are you going to keep both are will you sell one?

[Contrails 317]

I do have photos on my instagram - rohandam.  The E30 is still waiting for parts at the moment, so it might be a while till it gets back on the road.  I also made a post on the forum in the showroom section with photos of the M535i (about 3 years ago).

I would not recommend these cars as a daily driver.  Fuel mileage is poor even on open roads in comparison to modern cars.  Secondly, considering the quality of drivers you see on the roads these days, I would hate to have one of these cars written off the road because of some else's carelessness.  The chances do go up of this especially in the rain.  Third, I am insured with Classic Car insurance, so I am limited to drive only 5000kms every year.  Lastly, driving them on a once a week if the weather is good basis just makes driving them even more special.  I appreciate it more, sometimes I even take them to work with a big grin on my face.  I daily drive a Suzuki Swift btw.  

The 535i auto is ok, but you might as well wait it out for a M535i (manual & leather).  They usually come up for sale every 6 months.  There's a Australia/NZ E28 facebook group, might wanna advertise on that too.  E30 Mtech 1 and 2 come up for sale more regularly.  Although, Mtech 2 prices have gone a bit nuts lately.  The other option is importing one from Japan or UK.  But again rust issues are a major issue with these cars.

Which E30 are you referring too? there's a white 323i with a Mtech kit, looks like a race car.  Boot is already showing signs of rust.  There's a grey four door with BBS reps which looks very clean and well maintained.  There was a red E30 convertible for 10k, manual and black leather interior but seems to have been sold now.  

Thanks for the offer, but I am not keen to sell them.  Well not yet anyway.  

[SM-M5 4]

Thank you for the good advice.

The one I was look at is here: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1847449683.htm

[Contrails 317]

The red e30 convertible is still available for sale. Its a 325i and factory manual. And owned by a mechanic. Located in New Plymouth. I just saw the ad on the NZ BMW facebook page. 

[SM-M5 4]

Thanks, i will check it out