What to do with my 1994 E34 540i?

[larry26 24]

I am new to this forum as I normally haunt the US BMW forums.  By way of background I own a 1994 E34 BMW 540i with about 78K genuine k's.

It's pretty well spec'ed with leather upholstery, electric seats, sun roof, wooden dash, 17" BBS mags  and an aftermarket pop up DVD player with integrated reversing camera.

I am the second owner, the first owner being in HK where I bought it and shipped it back to NZ.  Low k's because when I shipped it back I got stuck with non- compliance with front-impact collision requirements so the car could not be registered for a few years until it became a classic 🙂

It's serviced regularly and has never had any major mechanical issues, most of the repairs really being related just to the age of the parts that need replacing. 

It has served me well but it's now time to move on.  I have no idea how much it's worth and if it's even better to just sell it for parts since the demand for this age of car is probably not high.

Just wondering if people on this forum can provide some advice as to  how much such a car is worth given its age and low k's.

Some pictures for reference.

Note the car needed a wash when that photo was taken but the paintwork is immaculate.

 

[qube 3570]

@Michael.

[Michael. 2313]

Very nice, looks like a car with great potential. Have you got more pictures? 

I just bought a 1994 540i with 86,000km, NZ new

Went via auction, hard to say exact market value but it was exactly what I was after so ended up paying 7k for it. It's a niche market for sure. 

I'm spending that same amount again on restoring all the mechanical aspects, just about doing everything, down to cleaning individual nuts and bolts with a tooth brush 

Auto value 540i models are less than manual ones, so that is something to consider too. 

[Eagle 1679]

Interior colour isn't the most popular. K's dont mean too much at this age, service history\condition is more important.

5k-7k depending on what's been done and what need to be done (always is) 

[Michael. 2313]

1 hour ago, Eagle said:

Interior colour isn't the most popular. K's dont mean too much at this age, service history\condition is more important.

5k-7k depending on what's been done and what need to be done (always is) 

That's the thing with mine, seldom used so it's in nice condition but most of the parts are originals, so needs a good going over. Which I am fine with as I like to be the first one to deal with things. So there is an appeal there if someone wants a project. 

[Eagle 1679]

Yeah no doubt,  but the number of true enthusiasts with open wallets is much smaller percentage than the average cost considerate buyer.

[larry26 24]

On 8/23/2021 at 6:33 PM, Michael. said:

That's the thing with mine, seldom used so it's in nice condition but most of the parts are originals, so needs a good going over. Which I am fine with as I like to be the first one to deal with things. So there is an appeal there if someone wants a project. 

I have had regular servicing and have had many parts replaced. Probably the biggest was this lot.

Unfortunately I ordered the wrong struts, ordering front when I needed back 😞  So if anybody wants a pair of front (new) for a good price let me know 🙂

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Suspension-Steering/BMW-Bilstein-Shocks-Struts/Bilstein-B4-OE-Replacement-Front-Strut-21-031199.html

 

The other part I had replaced which was tricky was the Hydraulic Brake Booster/Servo.

Could not find a part locally  so I ended up going to this guy in the US who sells refurbished ones.

https://bigcoupe.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=28245

and this page for my model

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNAMHXPczNFUw41FkEwn-Nbowp9BRanHNZwwsl4XES68QWOgM5Y94CIKBMgPW0Nlg?key=YW9ZWnZRVWY5eURHR2YzVld0dXNpZDRQVHlGal9n

I then had my mechanic remove the servo, I mailed it to the guy and he cross-mailed me a refurbished unit and held a deposit until he had got mine.

Then once he got it, he refunded me and my mechanic installed his refurbished unit and it's still going fine.