E34 M5

[Driftit 1945]

Even being LHD this is far better value than a what people are paying for E30's.
A little modified but is still an actual M car.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/m5/listing/3841346444

[Blackie 510]

10 minutes ago, Driftit said:

Even being LHD this is far better value than a what people are paying for E30's.
A little modified but is still an actual M car.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/m5/listing/3841346444

Yeah, that's not the asking price. I hate these listings, they should be banned.

[Driftit 1945]

14 minutes ago, Blackie said:

Yeah, that's not the asking price. I hate these listings, they should be banned.

Yeah should have read the Auction $35-$45K.  Oh well lets mass report their false advertisements.

[Gaz 1042]

Pretty sure it's the same one one discussed here

https://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/66594-m5-dont-see-these-very-often/

[Driftit 1945]

Yeah same one.  Pig with lipstick.

[ssbmw 185]

Hoping someone can enlighten me. Ran the vin and discovered that it is an early production E34 M5 that was built in late 1988. Additionally, the Vin indicates that she left the factory in black. So why now a 93’ and in blue? Arrived in Japan in 1993 and registered as a 93’, and at some point given a new colour? 

Either way (imho) a nice looking car! 
 

[KwS 2373]

59 minutes ago, ssbmw said:

Hoping someone can enlighten me. Ran the vin and discovered that it is an early production E34 M5 that was built in late 1988. Additionally, the Vin indicates that she left the factory in black. So why now a 93’ and in blue? Arrived in Japan in 1993 and registered as a 93’, and at some point given a new colour? 

Either way (imho) a nice looking car! 
 

 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2915]

20 hours ago, Driftit said:

Yeah should have read the Auction $35-$45K. 

Don’t forget to add the buyers premium on top!

You win the auction at $45k add on 15% premium = $51,75k plus the GST on the premium = $52,760 and change!!

[ssbmw 185]

4 hours ago, KwS said:

 

Wow…. I never read this thread before. So it’s a ‘bitsa’. There are a few like this already in NZ- including a green one that Guido from BM workshop created from transplanting the running gear from a wrecked e34 M5. 
Personally, think you are playing big money here for a vehicle with murky provenance. It’s hard enough selling a left hand drive in NZ - but when the provenance / history is suss, hard to justify the value. 

[topnotchrally 95]

It seems this is NO hard data on the providence of this car, but a lot of speculation. If I'm wrong about this please let me know. 

I am moderately serious about buying this car, so I started doing some research about the things that have been mentioned here.

My first step was to talk to  Webb's.  They are useless and seem oddly interested in putting in any effort.

I asked them to confirm it has been painted, they guy wouldn't even give me his opinion on if the paint was original or not, just refused to comment... said I should come look myself... not helpful. 

I asked them to provide the Japan auction record (I checked that it is available), they refused... they won't invest $80 to help sell a $40k car... not good customer service. (ok, I could buy it myself, but I'm not that serious, yet)  Also, perhaps there's a reason they don't want the record known?

There is speculation the car has been assembled from pieces. This arrises mostly from the mis-matching interior colours (are there any other reasons?).  'Cream' is a fragile colour so this could just be from sun damage... any other opinions or things to support this speculation?

The VIN data is concerning, sort of.  Should it be Black? If it was made in 1988, why is it labeled 1993  Should it be 3.8?  on the 3.8 thing I've done some reading and there is no conclusive evidence it should be 3.8 http://marker.to/zAH7jk  If it was built for USA or Japan, it should be 3.6

I ask Webbs to send me a photo of the vin plate(s) and door jam.  They haven't come through...

Any nutters (like me) out there want to chip in to get the Japan report. 😱😀

 

[gjm 3193]

46 minutes ago, topnotchrally said:

My first step was to talk to  Webb's.  They are useless and seem oddly interested in putting in any effort.

...

I ask Webbs to send me a photo of the vin plate(s) and door jam.  They haven't come through...

This.

Sadly, entirely my experience of them, too. And in the extremely unlikely event you find someone to talk to, they'll be an expert in anything except whatever you're asking about.

They have coverage and exposure so people use them.

[Palazzo 427]

If I remember correctly, the date of first registration in Japan is often used as the vehicle year, possible explanation. 
 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2915]

1 hour ago, topnotchrally said:

The VIN data is concerning, sort of.  Should it be Black? If it was made in 1988, why is it labeled 1993  Should it be 3.8?  on the 3.8 thing I've done some reading and there is no conclusive evidence it should be 3.8 http://marker.to/zAH7jk  If it was built for USA or Japan, it should be 3.6

Any nutters (like me) out there want to chip in to get the Japan report. 😱😀

Have Webb’s confirmed the VIN on the actual car? IF it’s the one that’s showing on Carjam then there are a few things that don’t line up with the BMW Info (not pulled from a 3rd party VIN decoder!!).

[topnotchrally 95]

I requested photos of these from Webbs but of course they have not provided them.

Please me more specific in your information, what things 'don't line up'?

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2915]

Main one is the body colour, when the VIN from carjam left the factory it was definately black, not blue.

Could be the same shell re-painted in the blue. Sunroof is correct to VIN.

Car seems to have gained EDC at some point of the switch in the photos is real.

I have engine (3.6 was in that VIN from factory),

trans and body numbers but can’t check those. When does viewing start for the auction?

[Neil McCauley 248]

EDC switch could indicate the optional Nurburgring package, but I don’t know if that was given a specific option code? Pretty beefy camber plates nonetheless.

[topnotchrally 95]

4 hours ago, E30 325i Rag-Top said:When does viewing start for the auction?

Webbs has informed me the car will be on site on Monday. 

[Driftit 1945]

Always a chance the car has had a Vin swap. Do a thorough check around the Vin stamps.

[topnotchrally 95]

The plot thickens...  I got photos from Webbs.  The colour IS blue, this VIN is right...  so why is the vin info from BMW wrong?  The colour and year are wrong on the VIN decoder?

 

 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2915]

It could be an error in the VIN decode information, that tends to be with SA built cars though?

Do E34 have the build sheet under the rear seats like E30s do?

[TLH 45]

33 minutes ago, E30 325i Rag-Top said:

Do E34 have the build sheet under the rear seats like E30s do?

They usually have one under one of the front seats, but who knows if these are the original seats and if that’s something they did in SA.

[topnotchrally 95]

2 hours ago, E30 325i Rag-Top said:

It could be an error in the VIN decode information, that tends to be with SA built cars though?

Do E34 have the build sheet under the rear seats like E30s do?

Why do you mention SA?  Vin says make in Great Britain, and it's LHD.... Don't think they made LHD in SA.

 

[Eagle 1519]

Based on basic Carjam info it has come from Japan and was registered there in '93 hence the year. Where actually came before that from i would assume Germany unless it were shipped in a knock down kit to some other country. It would be odd to have that procedure done in the UK for a LHD car though, guess its possible.

Colour could be the just the database being wrong. Ive seen discrepancies before on older models.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2915]

13 hours ago, topnotchrally said:

Why do you mention SA?  Vin says make in Great Britain, and it's LHD.... Don't think they made LHD in SA.

 

I referred to SA built cars as I have seen issues with the information on those before. However this is a German built car (not Oxford, that wasn’t even a BMW plant in 1988!) so strange of the info has errors. 

[Neil McCauley 248]

Occam's razor would suggest that this is merely a comprehensive respray rather than the vin decoder throwing out the wrong information.