1987 525e - pondering question

[Geeman]

Looking at an '87 525e as a runaround... potentially need to travel 40 miles each way to a new job. What better way to travel than in 5 series 'luxury' and get good mileage at the same time...

Anyway... everyone's aware that you can build a 190bhp E30 monster using the 525e block, 320i head, 325i cam, inlet, AFM, 2.7 Zone chip, blah di blah...

But...

Can I do this conversion to the 525e itself...? What would happen if I fitted all the stuff to the 525e block while it was still in the E28? Will the ECU be compatible with one of the zone chips?

Thoughts please...

Giles.

[Hap]

congrats on new job, where is it from Grimsby?

Love the old skool E28

Hap

[Geeman]

It's not definite yet though... but it'll be in Lincoln.

But, taking my safety passport next week which means I can work on the impending shut down at Conoco... no less than Ԛ£1k a week for 12 weeks. Bloody awful job, 12hr shifts 7 days a week, but I need a short term solution to my money shortage at the moment!

We'll wait and see what happens. No one wants to employ me!

Anyway, getting back to the E28... anyone else...?

[jonb]

giles

yes. you could do all that to the e28. it will work, and put out good bhp figures. you would have to convert to motronic if you wanted to chip the engine etc.

i think the 28 is best left as is though. anything more than putting oil in the engine is more than enough work for one of those.

the 525e is a nice motor to drive. no shit.....

i had one, drove it like a tit. it was an auto which really suited the engine. they are much quicker than you think, and would murder a 320. really would.

i then killed the torque converter. the rest is history, and the lump lives on in an e30.

[zaust]

Giles you can do all the same stuff but its a heavy car and the gear ratios
will give you no help at the top end m8..

for a bag of sand find a 535 loads of power already and actually good on
the gogo juice. power to weight and all that..

[Geeman]

Cheers guys.

Think I'll take Jon's advice and leave it as it is just to tool around in until the time is right (or it drops to bits, whichever comes first) then donate the block to a worthy cause...

Aaaaah... automatic bliss. My left foot will probably drop off through lack of use...

[zaust]

I agree, Thats the best thing to do..

[Geeman]

Right...

Found a cheaper one on Ebay. 2 days to go and no bids on Ԛ£150 so far. It's only an hour and a half away from me, so might be going to pick it up on Sunday if it all goes well.

Am I right in thinking the earlier cars had a lower compression than the later cars...? How was this acheived and what difference does it make?

The car I'm now looking at on Ebay is an '85 vintage 'B' plater as opposed to the later 'E' plater I was looking at for Ԛ£450.

Any thoughts?

Giles.

[andyp]

big old bus, i bet it likes to drink

[320Touring]

big old bus, i bet it likes to drink

given that its the eta mate (525e) and the e28 is actually fairly light for its size (compared to an e34), and it has a 2.97 diff meaning 80mph at 2500rpm...

you could expect 27-32 mpg in town and up to 40mpg on a run

[Geeman]

Yup... the 525e is well known for it's excellent fuel economy.

E28's actually weigh less than an E36 Compact!

So, E28 ownership here I come... hopefully!

G.

[320Touring]

Yup... the 525e is well known for it's excellent fuel economy.

E28's actually weigh less than an E36 Compact!

So, E28 ownership here I come... hopefully!

G.

i think thats summat to do with the fact that e36 compacts are full of sh!t??

*no offence to m3compact*