My new BMW

[Moebrown20]

I own one of those before Chiak.
I miss it every now and then.
I drove her to the ground doing about 200 miles a day

[alismith]

$500!!!! Are you sure that's not a hot car? Does the steering column look like it's been taken apart and put back together? Did the guy you bought it from tell you not to drive it by any cops?


j/k

Oh, and the $4,500 you saved? Well, keep saving it because every time you take the car in, it's gonna cost $500 for the service people to just look at it. Not kidding!

Actually, that car looks great and you made out like a champ.

[ubersoldate]

I always loved the "big bumper" BMVays... Nice score!

[NewbieAKguy]

Nice score chiak. Dittos on learning some repairs yourself to save some money cuz of the import thing. Tell yer son if he wants to bling it up, that's when a summer job or part time job come in handy . Did for me!

[Goodman]

All these sensible and responsible comments on what to do with the extra dough are killin me. In the downtime some members seem to have lost sight of what really matters. You've got just the right amount of money to go play HERE.

[chiak47]

One last thought for you, if you are mechanically inclined, here is a lifesaver site for parts identification, has exploded diagrams and part numbers for almost every BMW ever built (but you cant buy parts there) To ID your car, input the last 7 of the vin, and it will automatically choose the right options for you, saving tons of BS searching.

www.realoem.com

And for the best prices on parts (prolly even cheaper than the bro with the stealer discount)

www.bimmerspecialist.com

Thanks for the links...Are you the original owner? I have been catching myself testing it's limits and I have to remember that it's 28 years old.

About the car...
The body has about 250,000 miles but all the major parts have been replaced in the past 10 years or less.
What really intrigues me is that the guy tallied everything up and it totaled $22,000 in repairs in the last 28 years and everything was done at the BMW dealer that's not including the $30,000 or so he spent buying the car which is about $50,000+ in today's money and the fact that he kept every record for this car. I have a folder with every oil change, tire purchase, alternator, battery and all the way up to the new engine where he spent over $4,000 in 2002. The guy is meticulous in an odd sort of way.

Anyways..
I drove it 4 hours yesterday and holy shit she handles nice. I had one hiccup...I had the cruise control on and went to stop and instead of hitting the brake or turning off the cruise I pushed in the clutch pedal and the engine reved real high. It was due to the cruise still telling the car to go...LOL

Other than that she PUUUUURED like a kitten the whole way.....

FWIW...It's a misconception about the price of parts for these. EBAY has a ton of parts CHEAP and there are several websites with people who are parting their cars out.
Remember...Lots of these cars were imported.

This one is not to far from me...
http://wausau.craigslist.org/cto/1849626298.html

[chiak47]

My wife wants to use the rest of the money for a family vacation and I want to deck out my Excursion like the one below.

[Mark Ducati]

Oh Damn Mark out of all the stuff you post I have to admit that is one fine ride I like that better then 308's is it faster than the viper ?

Nope... the M6 is not faster than the Viper or Z06 corvette... its too heavy.

But it is faster than the regular C6 Corvette...

I got a muffler shop to remove the secondary cats and resonators from below after hours (primary cats are in the headers), and added some MagnaFlow mufflers. Next upgrade will be a power pulley, cold air, and dyno/retune the computer, then I should be somewhere around 570hp... then it might keep up with a Viper.

[elkydriver]

not the original owner, Ive had it for almost a year now, and have driven it like I stole it from the moment of purchase. (I put over 15k on it since November) I NEVER take a car in for service, so I have learned to find bargains on parts. Forget about Autozone, Checker and the like, everything will be special order. Ebay and online sources will be just as fast and much cheaper for parts.

[chiak47]

not the original owner, Ive had it for almost a year now, and have driven it like I stole it from the moment of purchase. (I put over 15k on it since November) I NEVER take a car in for service, so I have learned to find bargains on parts. Forget about Autozone, Checker and the like, everything will be special order. Ebay and online sources will be just as fast and much cheaper for parts.

I'm shocked at all the parts that are available on ebay and craigslist...The main reason I never bought a BMW before is due to people telling me that parts were scarce...I'm a wrench monkey and I love getting dirty so this good to go.

My brother did the timing belt for me today and I bought some Borbet 5 star rims like the ones in the pic below except for my model. I should get them this week sometime. $800 BNIB


I'm thinking some pirelli's to go on them...My brother's buddy quoted me a great price on Euro bumpers for it and quite possibly some other mods as well.

Also...My wife went to the dealership today to "browse" at newer used BMW's with my sister in law...

[elkydriver]

If you can wrench on it yourself, it is a good car to have. If not, you need deep pockets for sure. Euro bumpers are popular for the E30 3 series as well, but the rear requires extensive sheetmetal mods to look right, and for a DD it isnt worth it to me. I am not sure on the E28's though if the bumpers are bolt on or not. either way, they would look better than the US mandated diving boards that we are both saddled with now. I continue to be amazed at the quality of the car, that still shows through after 23 years (on mine at least) as opposed to the shit that the US has been producing all this time. No squeaks, rattles or issues with shit falling apart that shouldnt be, just standard well used wear and tear, and of course the obligatory prior owner being an idiot shit (but still less than other cars I have owned). one word of caution, is to NEVER allow the engine to overheat, or you WILL be replacing a head gasket. Mine had the temp gauge not working when I bought it, and the clutch fan and thermostat were fubar. This resulted in a SLOW loss of coolant (none in the oil, but about 1 qt a month being lost) and a constant pressurization of the cooling system. Once the gasket is replaced, all will be good, but be on the lookout for this issue, as it wont cure itself, and most likely will not manifest itself like a cracked head or MASSIVELY blown gasket would. Also keep up on the valve adjustments, or driveability suffers. about every 25K is about normal for these motors.

[NewbieAKguy]

I'm shocked at all the parts that are available on ebay and craigslist...The main reason I never bought a BMW before is due to people telling me that parts were scarce...I'm a wrench monkey and I love getting dirty so this good to go.

My brother did the timing belt for me today and I bought some Borbet 5 star rims like the ones in the pic below except for my model. I should get them this week sometime. $800 BNIB


I'm thinking some pirelli's to go on them...My brother's buddy quoted me a great price on Euro bumpers for it and quite possibly some other mods as well.

Also...My wife went to the dealership today to "browse" at newer used BMW's with my sister in law...

Ohhh shit! U'r screwed!

[linx310]

Yeap I have driven my bosses BMW and they are very nice cars. I will never buy one new though, you can find nice ones 3-5 years old for close to what any other used car goes for.

I am not a fast car guy though...I like slow go any where...including hell and back...military vehicles.

[chiak47]

Euro bumpers are popular for the E30 3 series as well, but the rear requires extensive sheetmetal mods to look right, and for a DD it isnt worth it to me. I am not sure on the E28's though if the bumpers are bolt on or not. either way, they would look better than the US mandated diving boards that we are both saddled with now.

I don't know how the bumpers are on yours but the E28 has shocks that you drill a hole in and slowly push them in to give it a "tuck"

I continue to be amazed at the quality of the car, that still shows through after 23 years (on mine at least) as opposed to the shit that the US has been producing all this time. No squeaks, rattles or issues with shit falling apart that shouldnt be, just standard well used wear and tear, and of course the obligatory prior owner being an idiot shit (but still less than other cars I have owned).

Same here. I am now spoiled as to what a automobile should be like.

one word of caution, is to NEVER allow the engine to overheat, or you WILL be replacing a head gasket. Mine had the temp gauge not working when I bought it, and the clutch fan and thermostat were fubar. This resulted in a SLOW loss of coolant (none in the oil, but about 1 qt a month being lost) and a constant pressurization of the cooling system. Once the gasket is replaced, all will be good, but be on the lookout for this issue, as it wont cure itself, and most likely will not manifest itself like a cracked head or MASSIVELY blown gasket would. Also keep up on the valve adjustments, or driveability suffers. about every 25K is about normal for these motors.

Thanks for the tips. Have you adjusted the valves on yours and if so was it a pain in the ass or time consuming?


I spent most of the day Saturday doing keep up maintenance on this car. I ordered a shit load of part for it and hopefully this week the big brown truck will bring it through. I am going to transform this into a E30 clone and when my boy gets his license next year it will be his since he seems to have taken a interest in it.

Here is a great link with tons of info...
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e28.html

Here is the look we are shooting for..Like I said we have the rims in transit and this time next week the bumpers will be tucked in.

[Arnulf]

1982 528E..... E stands for economy due to it's low fuel consumption and seeing how this car gets 35+MPG on the HWY I can see why the krauts claimed it economical..I drove 200 miles yesterday on $20 and I still have plenty of gas left.

I have been looking for a used car now for a few months. I had a $5000 budget in cash. Anyways, I have been searching high and low for something to scoot around in instead of my Jeep or Excursion.

My brother is a mechanic at a BMW dealership and he told me about this car and hooked me up with the owner who happens to be the same owner since 1982. The guy is retiring and moving to AZ...He just wanted it gone.

All maintenance was done at the dealership since 1982 with EVERY receipt to prove it...Including a new engine in 2002. It has a I6 motor, manual transmission, moon roof, brand new alternator and fuel pump. The steering is tight and it shifts so smooth.

My brother is going to change the timing belt for me this weekend and I need some new tires but other than that it is good to go. I have never been interested in a BMW till I drove this car. My bro kept telling me how they handle and what not but my sibling rivalry wrote him off... FWIW...This is not my last BMW...

Anyways...

This car is immaculate minus a few small dings and broken fog lights on the bottom of front spoiler...Inside and out...This car handles very nice and sounds like it just came out of Germany.

Ohh yeah..I got it for $500. $500 fucking dollars...I have $4500 to either buy another car for winter or throw back under my mattress.

Awesome Bro.....got you a Uber Kraut Kar...it looks bad to da bone.

[elkydriver]

I don't know how the bumpers are on yours but the E28 has shocks that you drill a hole in and slowly push them in to give it a "tuck"

Same on mine, but they are still not true "euro" bumpers.

As for the valve adjustment, it is a bit time consuming, but easy to do. take due diligence and care, and it isnt any harder than any other car or motorcycle.

[Arnulf]

Same on mine, but they are still not true "euro" bumpers.

As for the valve adjustment, it is a bit time consuming, but easy to do. take due diligence and care, and it isnt any harder than any other car or motorcycle.

I had a Bronco II that had a 2.8l v6 engine that had solid lifters and you had to adjust the valve lash.....was a pia...but it sure made it run good...and I did not have to listen to the shitty sound they make when they are loose anymore.

[elkydriver]

I had a Bronco II that had a 2.8l v6 engine that had solid lifters and you had to adjust the valve lash.....was a pia...but it sure made it run good...and I did not have to listen to the shitty sound they make when they are loose anymore.

These are a bit different, in that they are accessable and an inline motor. Valve cover is easy to remove, and doesnt have a bunch of shit in the way like most cars like to put there. took me maybe an hour to do it all.

[Arnulf]

These are a bit different, in that they are accessable and an inline motor. Valve cover is easy to remove, and doesnt have a bunch of shit in the way like most cars like to put there. took me maybe an hour to do it all.

Yep....inline 6 bangers are the best.....I drove a new jeep with the 3.8 v6....it is nothing compared to the 4.0l inline 6.

Most of my old ford pickups were the 300 straight 6.

[Mark Ducati]

Just a thought... if you have it repainted, have you ever considered having it "wrapped" instead? A good quality wrap is actually less than a good paint job... you can wrap that car for just a few thousand dollars.

A wrap is like a big painted vinyl sticker that is meticulously applied to the car... its also removable if you want a new color.

When I had my orange Z06, I was contemplating a flat/matte black wrap.... I was going to go "stealthy".