E30 Zone

alrite guys

im looking to get an e34 in the next week and would like to know what to look out for

i used to own a banger of a 530i before my sport, so cant really compare any to that

im looking at the 530i, 535i or 540i, but definately a sport (did they even do a 540i sport?)

would probably prefer a v8, but what about the nikasil issues?

is this right:
"How do I tell whether the car I am looking at might be affected?
Only the M60 and the European M52 are affected.
M60 all E34 530i and 540i V8 cars
early E34 3.0 cars (pre-1991) were M30 6-cylinder cars and were not affected

M52 single VANOS
BUILT (not put into service) after March 1998 no problems (steel liners)"


or is this not so much of an issue anymore as most will have been sorted or died?

im looking for a cheapish car (around the £1000 mark or less) to use until i get enough money together to get a decent car.

but want it to be as fast or faster than my e30 325i sport

which one do you think il be best looking at?
BHP, 0-60 (to compare to e30), MPG etc

dont so a huge amount of miles so not that bothered if theres not much difference in MPG

anyone on here got one?

sorry for the long post!
cheers
dave

If nobody replies try http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/index.php

cheers mate will have a look round there!

The E34 have a problem with the controll arms for the front suspension, so if its makes ratteling sounds when you hit speed bumps or drive it on a bad road, you have a job to do!
The E34s have also problem with rust on doors, so check the bottom of them and they also rust around the fuel filler cap incl the sills.
I have today an E34 Touring and Im very happy with it, so far the best car I ever have had so that just tells about the quality of the E34 who many say is the last propper Beemer...

If I was you, find one who is in good nick (I would rather drive a good 520i then a shabby 540i)
For a grand, I would look for a good 525i with history and look for a Touring because they look ace!

I wouldnt care so much if its a sport or not, there is plenty of upgrades to the E34 in the same way to the E30!

"Touring because they look ace" haha a bit biased there are you mate!

i dont want something slower than my e30 sport, so thats why i was looking at the bigger engine ones, not that bothered about the bodywork as i (probably) wont be keeping it that long

how much is it to get the control arms done?

Control arms is about £100 ish per corner if you do it your self.... (200 ish on a garage)
If you are lucky you are able to find a 530i around the money you want to spend but the main problem as I see it is that most of them is with automatic gearbox....
I drove a 525i for over half a year a go and its not a slow car with its 192bhp! If you want to streach you budget to about 2.5 grand you can get an okay M5....

Front and rear jacking points can be a real problem.

I've got an e34 but no engine, box or loom ,so you could drop your own in their, maybe an ls2.It was a 535i se with lsd, leathers, obc and fully electric.Maybe this way you could save some money.
If it helps that is.

The 530 (V8) has around 218bhp but weighs 1600kg...that is about 400kg more than an E30...

It isn't gonna feel as fast.

The 525 with the M50 motor produces 192bhp and is a more affordable propostion to run...

Only the 540 or M5 will match or better the performance of a decent E30 325. However, the 540 is rare to find with a manual box...

Most Nikisil cars had their engine changed for an Alusil version under warranty and those that didn't are probably OK as it was only the high-sulphur fuel that killed them...If it was never run on that, then there won't be a (oil burning) problem.

cheers for the replys fellas

ive just bought myself a 1989 535i SE with a few mods on it, but theres a propblem with the alternator

does anybody know which alternators will fit/work on this car?
ie can i only use one off a 535i or will oneoff any e34 work?

cheers
dave

You'll need one of a 535 i think, as the it's a bigger engine and more electrics if you've got the se(I could be talking sh8t) but thats what i think.If mine went on my e30 i replace it with waht went.