need help/ideas for e28/m535i/m5 type project family car!!

[liam012]

Soon to be 2 children and the 3 e30's are all 2 door and is proving a bit of a pain. So a cnahnge of vehicle is on the cards, to be honest 4 door e30's dont do it for me and tourings (that i have driven) didnt seem to have the in corner poise that e30 can have when set up right.
My eye keeps on getting turned by four door e28's Namely the M5.
As i know nothing about them i have a few questions and would be grateful if a few of you zoners could answer a few questions and give your ideas of what you would do within reason for this type of project.
I need a ccar good for family and just as good as my e30 which runs 2.7 engine, h and r cup kit suspension touring/cab roll bars m3 control arm bushes.

At he moment i am wondering:

Can i run my m20b27 engine and sport box in the e28 chassis?
Can a 518 be made look like an M5 (Sorry to purists but i just love the look of the car its ace, at least a well speced 2.7 wont be too much of an insult to the m5 engine [who am i kidding]}
can a boggo e28 be made handle very well (as good as me e30)?
what sort of money for a boggo e28 body? do they suffer as bad for rust
is the dechrome common? bloody hate e28 chrome.

to be h0nest i want something simalr to last months "bmw car" white e28 they featur3ed, it was beautiful.

At the moment I am jjust thinking out loud? would you do anything like this? or am i throwing money away - project would be funded by sale of extreemely mint lachs silver tec2 bodykitted car so looking at about 2500 to 3000 sterling but i already have the engine box and standalone engine managent got. so that wopuld be towards car, body suspension repairs etc.

would love some help and ideas here as i feel i'll end up with a mondeo estate if i dont act soon as when baby arrives (december) i'll hav e to have a 4 door asap, if i do this now i can be ready and still not dissappear into motoring obscureness and enjoy my driving. so everyones 2 cents are welcome!!

the sensible thing is an e30 or e36 touring but i love the look of the m5

did i say that already??

thanks for reading

[zimmerbimmer1]

I say go for the 525e if you want a comfort eco cruiser (auto only) with 2.7

or go for the M535i with was the M5 with the 3.5 M30 engine.

Make sure if you can to get a good history and yes they did rot worse than the E30

[liam012]

sorry i wasnt clear

have my own engine and box combo i would like to drop into whatever motor i get - i guess a 518/520 would be the shell to go for but wondering about the m20 mounting positioning and sump - though 525e block is e28 so i should be rosey there.

[B7]

Obviously your engine will go straight in so thats the easy part.

The hard part is making a standard e28 look like an m5 or m535i. Firstly the M5 had a much more restrained look. Very few had the balls out M535i bodykit. Secondly, M535i body kits are rare so finding one would not be easy.

I'd go as late as you can e28 525 (not the e). That engine could be used in your e30 to replace the 2.7 which will go in the e28. M5 spec suspension puts it at a nice ride height, 16" M3 cross spokes (e34 15" also really suit the e28). Leave it at that.

If a body kit comes up great but you'd need all the dechrome bumpers, rear lights, window surrounds etc to complete the look.

OR......go for an early 12v 525 manual e34 (which are 'kin peanuts now) and put the 2.7 in that. A more modern car for the family, they don't rot as bad and there are loads of suspension set ups for them although I'd just go for a sport set up on it to be honest.

[jam172]

Er hum, these to are my E28's











The M5 is nr 172 of 187 RHD cars made and has rocket ship mileage, this is now only really used on track but boy does it go now, standard they had 286 BHP, mine is now producing around 320BHP.

Sorry to disagree with zimmerbeemer1, but the M5 only bears the slightest resemblence to the M535i in that some (including mine) wear the same body kit. Don't get me wrong the M535i is a great car( I have had two over the years) but they produce 218BHP, not slow by any means but where they really differ is handling. The M5 is an inch lower all round, has 7.5J BBS rims with uprated springs and Boge gas dampers, bigger anti roll bars, it handles and an unmodified M535i doesn't; yes they had progressive springs and Bilstein dampers, but believe you me they are altogether not in the same league.

I know you are thinking of doing an engine transplant but the other car here in the pictures is my E28 528i, this car i found in the local rag it had 34000 miles on the clock when i bought it 2 years ago, it is mint, aircon, moon roof, all the goodies, the standard BHP was 184, now in the region of 200 ish after a few mods and I paid £1495 for it

I don't want to bore you to death about E28's too much but they are my passion, i don't have an E30 anymore i just tresspass as you lot seem alot more friendly on the zone.

Don't get tempted and buy an "Bargain E28 M5" there is no such thing, timing chains are fragile and cost ITRO £2500 to replace, £900 just in parts You are much better off IMHO with either one of these:

E28 535SE or M535i one has body kit Se doesn't, otherwise exactly the same.

E28 528i or 525i

Very late E28 520i last of the E28's had shadow line dechrome, body coloured bumpers etc.

As a dream come true for you, an E28 B9 or B10 Alpina, Nr 1 went recently on Ebay for around £3000, get yourself upto Gaydon on 5th August there will be plenty of E28's to look at including mine

Here's the reson for the main difference on the M535i vs M5

[pacerpete]

Liam your best bit is a later 520i lux, they come reasonably specced, have rear discs and antiroll bar as standard and you can throw your 2.7 straight in. lots of these cars were dechromed so if you are patient something should turn up.
For the M5 look i have some original M5 16" BBS, an M tech body kit and lots of other e28 bits

[Toby_Unna]

I'd go as late as you can e28 525 (not the e). That engine could be used in your e30 to replace the 2.7

the E28 2.5 is an M30, not an M20, and will not go in an e30 without a lot of hassle


Liam if it were me i wouldn't bother putting a tuned up M20 in an E28, it won't be as good as a boggo 535i. flog the 2.7 and buy an M535 or even a 528i manual, they're both great

[Kos]

the E28 2.5 is an M30, not an M20, and will not go in an e30 without a lot of hassle

you sure ??

i was under the impresion that both 525e and 525i were m20's and the 528i and bigger were m30's

[Toby_Unna]

yes i'm sure.

[Ziggy]

I know Toby's right in that the 525i was an M30... I can't comment on whether later ones were m20 though or something like that? 525e & 520i obviously both had the m20... Maybe they realised they wouldn't sell any 528i's if they made an m20 525i?!

535i & sell the 2.7 has to be the way forward though

[B7]

the E28 2.5 is an M30, not an M20, and will not go in an e30 without a lot of hassle

you sure ??

i was under the impresion that both 525e and 525i were m20's and the 528i and bigger were m30's

No, I stand corrected. He's absolutely right. I've just checked and

520 525e = M20
528 and obviously 535 = M30.

[liam012]

Thanks for the replies
very interesting
seeing those pictures makes me want one more and more
i think a dechromed 520 lux does indeed make the most sense - but where to find one in white or silver aye! lloks like a trip to england is on the cards as finding one here is unlikey in ireland.
i am getting more and more certian that i may well go for this, depends on my luck digging one up.

what about weight/ my 2.7 is nice in the e30, will the e28 hurt it that much?

what IS M5 suspension exactly, by the sounds o thinkgs its the only one worth having if you are used to a slightly more modern stiffer and lower feel of the 35mm h and r kit. where do folks shop for their e28 suspension parts?

thing is like to use my cars as daily driver which usually means about 300 miles a week, my mates think its quite n unwise decision ging down this route as getting an older car than present as a family car is lunacy they say, well the engine and management is all new/rebuilt 5000 miles, i'll find a straight car with a bit of luck - probably rebush it completely pads discs brake lines. give it an underseal and slap it on the road, what else shopuld i look out for - have heard rumour of a dodgy brake master cylinder sytem?

[jam172]

Rust is the main enemy, they are generally good structurally, i would check carefully the following areas:

Rear wheel arch lips.
Rear slam panel, where it joins the rear wings.
Number plate surrounds.
Boot seal gutter.
Sills especially around jacking points.
Front wings above bumper corners.

As for weight, yes you will suffer, mine are just shy of two ton

Good luck with your search.

[pacerpete]

For an E28 to weigh 2 tons it must be well loaded with P40 !

Liam, a decent 2.7 in a manual E28 will go well. Obviously in an ideal world you would buy a sorted 535i but as i understand it with irish road tax laws being what they are a 2.7 engined car registered as a 2.0 will be much easier on the pocket

[steerfromtherear]

Fuck knows how yours weighs 2 tonnes. e28's are fairly light all things considered, taking their size into account.

Iirc they are well under 1500kgs more like 1300. Buy a 535i sell the 2.7 imo. 535i and m535i are identical in every way bar the bodykit so just get the best one you can find.

For suspension upgrades look aftermarket shocks and springs of your choice and try to find some 2nd hand m5 antiroll bars.

[Andyboy]

The M30 2.5 is a lovely engine - just super smooth and reasonably pokey as well. They were probably more than the quoted 150 bhp as they were so much better than the fartless 520i.