E28's... what to look out for?

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:03 pm

I've had a couple of E28's in my time, and they've all been great cars... but now my Dad is buying one as he's sold his '71 2002 and wants something to play with.

Jacking points, the bottom of the front and rear screens, bottoms of front wings and where they meet the front valance, leading edges of rear wheel arches in the door shuts and the area above the rear lights are favourites for corrosion as far as I can remember.

Any other areas I should be looking at?

Mechanically, I'm not worried... that's easily fixable.

We're travelling up to Newcastle to look at one tomorrow, so any help appreciated.

I'm getting excited as I've not been able to get my hands on a 'decent' BMW to modify nicely for a while... (not counting the '02 and both my Mums and my sisters E46 Tourings)

Cheers,

Giles

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:09 pm

Hello mate, here's a few other pointers. Those are the main areas you list, as well as the front of the floor and where the rear beam bolts up they are prone to rot up there and check the doors along the fronts and the bottoms. Boots can be leaky via the main seal or rear lights (like E30s) and so make them go a bit rusty in there if not kept in check.

Has it got a kit on it?

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:13 pm

Thanks bud... hoped you'd reply!

Missed out on Tandino's Eta earlier this week. Was a bit bummed about that as we'd arranged to go down and view it. Never mind... we're liking the potential for this white one now!

No kit at all. Completely bog standard with chrome all round, but terribly horrid Chrome arch trims. They'll be coming off and colour coded (a-la M5 arches) to disguise them.

HUGE service history with it though. Was a long-standing customer of the local BMW dealer, then the service manager bought it for himself.

Some Style 5's or similar and a nice drop will see this looking good for the summer.

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:29 pm

Sounds nice, Pete's car was a minter, I saw it in the metal and it was exceptionally clean. Shame you missed out

These rims are nice

Hartges

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:37 pm

Yeah... already got my beady eye on those! lol

Where can I get some clear front indicators from?

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:47 pm

Ah, clear fronts are like hens teeth these days. Sometimes they appear on German ebay for about 75 Euros plus.

Or here

They seem expensive for a bit of clear plastic really ! I was lucky my hella ones came boxed with the car.

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:51 pm

Been a while since I ran an E28,but seem to remember that the top edge of the front inner wing has a rust habit as well!
Only downside is the lack of rack and pinion steering,E30 is much sharper here.
Stranger still that the steering box was carried over to E34!

Post Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:23 pm

Yeah true a bad one can be quite bad, but a good one apart from the slight dead area in the centre is pretty good and not as much arm twiddling as the E30. What is even more strange is you can buy two M535s for the price of a sport and I wouldn't swap mine for a sport that's for sure and I had one of those that was as tight as a gnat's chuff.

Post Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:35 am

Well, as expected. the trip is off due to weather.

Took me 3hrs to drive 30 miles this morning. Terrible!

Hopefully go up next week sometime instead.

Post Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:41 pm

Yeah, no suprise there mate. Let us know how you get on when you finally make it up there.