My Sport

[M5pilot]

How come so cheap Sal, is the body crap?

Any MoT or Tax?

Is it currently for sale? Or will it be for sale soon?

Heres all the information you could possibly require. I think my estimate of Ԛ£2500 was a bit wrong, I think he will happily take anything near Ԛ£3000 though which is serioulsy cheap. The amount of parts you could sell off an example like this would easily hit Ԛ£1000 if not more.

Read Below for his email to me.

Hi Sal
Thats real good of you to offer .... thank you very much.

Ok the low down on the car .... I knew I was buying a project when I bought the
car. I bought it cheap (GBP 3300) without really knowing what I was getting in
to.

I live in Madrid Spain - and that's where the car is - and I'm in the process of
putting it on ebay - when ebay gets there seller authentication problems sorted
- should be there in 3 days time.
The ad has fotos and I'll send you the url when I have it adverrtised.
Car was imported to the UK 21-12-1998 - I bought it 28-05-2003 - 3 former owners
since 1998.

The car is a German import LHD 1989 3.6 and covered has 149k km's (93k ?? UK
miles I thnk).
Paint is metallic grey with light grey skirting.
In Spanish terms bodywork is in very good condition but in English this is
probably above average tending towards good. Defects from memory are scratch on
front wing, chip drivers door, bodged touch up paint behinfd antena, slight dent
in boot lid (you have to look for), scuffs on bumper corners. I have not had
any exterior bodywork carried out although I think the bonnet has been sprayed.
Interior has been valeted - there are a couple of what looks like small
cigarrette burns in the velour roof.

BMW fitted Options - Full leather seats, rear blind, electiric sunroof, heated
seats. Car is NOT fitted with a/c.
Incidentally doesn't have rear bench seats has rear sports seats with ski
opening to boot.
The car has aluett 8.5x17 fitted and I think has been lowered but when I
measured it, it still looks to be 1392mm high (certainly has different red
springs and sits very low on the tyres). On these rims you can legally fit 255s
on the back and thats what it's got - no rubbing that I or BMW can see. 235s
are fitted on the front. According to previous owner the car has been chipped -
I can not vouch for that.

It's still on UK plates (just) I was in the process of changing it to Spanish
plates, but the process has been long and I just don't have the time that this
car requires (especially since advent of new baby girl). Spanish registration
process means it now has a Spanish MoT but they want the spring mods documented
as safe by an engineer or BMW. Still looking into this but the most likely way
out of this maybe to refit lowered or original homologated springs with a
certificate ... ugh !! Along with the fact that is doesn't have a/c (a must
have in Spain 2 motnths/year) got me thinking twice as to what I was doing.

I have already sunk more than Ԛ┚¬4000 into it (receipts to back this up) in just
under 2 years consisting of:
- Have cured the normal E34 wobbles BMW changed some suspension/steeering are
thing.
- Car had only one front dipped headlight - lights now work all round. after
resoldering connectios in Light Control Box.
- Re-Connolised the leather seats professionally (drivers sill looks past it's
prime rears look very good.).
- Discs were warped and rusted, calipers were hand tight and handbrake didn't
work - new discs (BMW parts on the front, pattern parts rear) new pads, new
handbrake cables and hoses to stop it pulling to one side.
- New cats (not OEM and unlike the UK the MoT requires them in Spain if they are
fitted as standard). Emmisions are now spot on. However also have buy pass
tubing that came with the car if anyone wants to remove cats.
- New Mass Air flow sensor (original had been canabilised by previous monkey
owner)
- New lambda sensor
- New hydraulic steering pipes (were leaking a lot).
- New Clutch slave cylinder (that's the one behind the clutch pedal right?).
- Put wide angel, anti dazzel replacement mirror lenses on rear view mirrors as
it was dangerous with the standard flat mirros.
- New motorised antenae.
- New ignition barrel and steering coloumn trim after attempted robbery.
- Rear brake assembly dismanteled by BMW and mounting plate realigned. This was
because MoT test said that the brake caliper rubbed - Ԛ┚¬300 later they tell me
it's because of slight drag from the limited slip diff (and completely normal as
didn't show up on the BMW brake testing m/c). They did write me a report for
the MoT test center.
etc

Things left to do:
The instrument clocks have recently started going bonkers - speedo is working
intemittently - currently trying to fix this (apparently I need to solder new
capacitors and rechargable batteries in the back and hope this cures it).
Air pump for emmisions has been removed but apparently this is common.
Ski hatch to boot and rear ash tray do not fix in place correctly.
Have a 5th spare aluett wheel with a massive crack in it!! Doesn't sit well in
boot hole and makes the boot untidy.
Onboard computer does not work.
Front right headlight does not have the back plastic protector to the engine
bay.
The BMW engine diagnostics plug does not have the correct mounting bracket.
Out of the five wheels that I have, 4 have different makes of tyre - only the
rears are the same make. Has NOT proved to be a problem but I don't like mixing
makes on the same axis.
Not really touched the engine except for a BMW lube and change of filters and
got them to clean the injectors.
Bought some aluminium M pedals that I have yet to fit.

I was hoping to get near the price I paid for it - the money I sunk has gone now
- and it's in much better condition. However as it's a LHD they're difficult to
move and have contemplated braking it ..... really not sure what to do and want
an easy way out now. If I don't have to pay for ferries, changing plates,
homologating springs etc I would be willing to knock that off the price. Does
that sound fair??

If there is sufficient interest I can get the car back to the UK but I'll need
to way up the cost of a ferry ticket compared to changing the plates and selling
it here (also quite challenging).

Many thanks in advance for anything you may be able todo for me.

Best rgds,
Greg

[Davenotouring]

My goodness that's tempting......

All I worry about is the engine going wrong. A friend of mine bought a lovely 3.6 M5, and it all went wrong. 2k+ later and it's back on the road. So it could be expensive.

Karan, what do you reckon? Another M5 on the drive?!

[M5pilot]

3.6's dont tend to go wrong.

Karans M5 had 200k, engine pulled as it should.

My old M5 had 195k, it was excellent

Current M5 has 160k.....no difference to above.

Im currently on an M5 forumj like e30zone, 3.6's are bullet proof.

You have to watch that the timing chain tensioner doesnt get neglected, the valve clearnaces are regularly checked, and oil changes every 3000 miles to be one the safe side.

There are not many cases of 3.6's going wrong. 3.8's are very fragile and do have issues with pistons flying through bonnets and killing innocent birdlife.

[M5pilot]

Think about this also. OK so its going to be an expensive project - it might hit Ԛ£5000

But it will most certainly get a magazion feature which will increase the value massively.

Apart from that, what sub Ԛ£10k car will reliably have the performance of a 325i sport with 315bhp and 265 lb.ft torque.

The Hartge H36-24 (m3 with m5 engine) is a legend of a car and no one will let go of one for less than Ԛ£15k!

Its a project you cant lose on in terms of performance or from a financial aspect especially since your using a very straight sport to start with......and its BLACK!!

I can see it now................

Black Mtec2 sport looking like a standard e30 with 3.6 M5 engine (315 bhp).

Oh and the NOISE!!!.............The GOD DAMN NOISE!!! Its worth Ԛ£5000 on its own!

[M5pilot]

Ok, I got myself too exicted, must go and thrash M5 today.

[Davenotouring]

Yeah, that would be awesome.

315bhp would be brilliant.

Something to think about for when I finish Uni I think. It's gonna be the next step with the touring after the 3.5 M30 I think.

[M5pilot]

If you can get yourself a cheap M5 then do it.

Remember, you MUST buy an a complete car which is running so that you can test the engine over some time and the rest of the running gear you will need.

[Davenotouring]

Yeah, sounds like a good plan....

Would be different for sure.

[Karan]

if u wanna do this properly there are lots of little thngs to consider that do add up. Particularly the modification of all the cooling system to e28 m5 spec...... dealer only parts around Ԛ£500!!!!! then there's the manifold work...

its not as easy as i first thought it would be..... this is a common misconception.... the engine is a lot bigger than an s50 and longer than an m30 cos of the huge timing case....

the 3.6s should be solid dave! 2.5k for a 93k miles car woould be silly not to..... start saving up dude! 2 tail happy e30m5s would be great would be nice in a sport too...... my ultimate aim is a e39 m5 lump in my sport in a few yrs time.... with full strip down of the car and respray to get it mint!

just to say again... this conversion costs serious money especially if ure doing it properly.....and i hope mine will be worth it in the end, and the car is a nice complete package... although i may be asking too much for it to be a complete a package in terms of handling compared to my sport.

2.5k sounds good though.... and lhd willl be irrelevant to the conversion.

basically if u can end up with an s38 lump owing u under about Ԛ£1600/700
then ure doing well for what is an awesome engine that sounds great and actually feels like some sort of race engine!

dont bother inthe sport..... put it in ure tourer! would be sooo cool!
sell the sport for funds to buy the m5 dude!
ull have the money after selling the sport to buy the m5

and u know ill be more than willing to help u out with the conversion oncce mine is done!

Karan

[zaust]

looks good m8 hope to see it soon..