Chance for an e34.

[DanielHStout]

So I have a chance to buy a '95 540i for really cheap. Its got some imperfections and its going to need some tranny work but overall its a fricken sweet car. 110k on the clock. I think it has an m60 in it, hauls ass anyway. 17" 5 spoke BMW wheels, rear spoiler and such. What is an average one of these worth? Should I do it? I was thinking maybe a 6 speed conversion.

[doucy2]

prob in the 5.5k-6.5k range, not sure on that tho, sounds like a sweet car, e34s are my second favorite to e30s.

[Jand3rson]

If you buy it I want your eS. :D

[uofom3]

doesn't this belong somewhere other than members rides?

e34's suck majorly. they fall the hell apart. I would stay away from it.

[JJe30]

Also gotta remember the V8's (530, 540) of the E34 were mostly built with the nikasil motors that corroded. 525is were alumisil that was much better

[smonkbmw]

to add to jje30s post, you need to check the vin history to see if the motor has been replaced with a alusil motor. if its still a nikasil you should stay away.

[BigD]

It's probably nikasil, that's why it's really cheap. Remember, if it seems to be too good to be true, it is. It probably doesn't need tranny work, it needs a new engine. BMW extended the nikasil engine warranty to 100k km and 1000km over, they won't talk to you!!! I'm a former E34 guy and I've seen this many times. One guy with 102k took them to court and lost.

If you must, don't take his word for anything and don't trust papers. Get the engine serial and ask BMW if it's a replacement alusil engine.

[BigD]

e34's suck majorly. they fall the hell apart. I would stay away from it.

Nonsense, it's the exact same thing as the E30, just bigger. Every weakness the E34 has, the E30 has the exact same thing. And I mean EXACT same.

[StereoInstaller1]

Dan'l, that car is a major potential PITA. Watch your shit closely, make DAMN sure it is a Alusil replacement motor. Check the instrument panel very closely too, common failure that is pretty expensive to do and must be installed by the dealer.

On the positive tip though...E34's are the best looking 4 door this side of a CTS.

That is not my opinion, that is fact!

Oh, and [tjack] is the valence on the wreck OK? Nigels is destroyed and I gotta come and get that fender SOON! [/tjack]

Luke

[AdamF 88iS]

Nonsense, it's the exact same thing as the E30, just bigger. Every weakness the E34 has, the E30 has the exact same thing. And I mean EXACT same.

I don't even know where to begin. I work on BMWs for a living and I will tell you from direct experience that you are way out of line. I could sit here and type a list but that would be a waste. E30s are FAR more dependable than E34s, ESPECIALLY the V8 cars.

[BigD]

I don't even know where to begin. I work on BMWs for a living and I will tell you from direct experience that you are way out of line. I could sit here and type a list but that would be a waste. E30s are FAR more dependable than E34s, ESPECIALLY the V8 cars.

I've owned 2 E34's and an E28 (which was also the same thing but even closer to the E30) and was heavily involved in the E34 DIY community (one of them being a friend close by who has done everything on his car, he owns bmwe34.net) and I've worked on pretty much every part of them, there's nothing you can type in your list that I haven't done short of a rebuild of the motor which, in the case of the M20 is the same and M30 same but bigger. V8's have their own issues, just like the 4 bangers have theirs, but the chassis as a whole is the same damn thing. The bushings wear out, ball joints get clunky, upper bearings seize, fan clutches die, ICVs, AFMs fail, blower motors fail, wipers strip, tank filler neck rusts etc. ALL the same issues. Just because you've had a more dependable E30 than your experience with E34's that doesn't mean that they are so different on average. Other than minor things like the rear spring being separate from shocks, different steering box and an extra control arm, all of the designs are exactly the same, only difference is scale.

EDIT: hell they even rust in the exact same places, trunk edges, door bottoms, fender bottoms, sideskirts, sunroof

[AdironRider]

All those complaints happen on pretty much every older high milage car, regardless of whether its a BMW or not. Either way, its pretty common knowledge that the e30 is one of the most reliable BMW's ever made.

[uofom3]

I don't even know where to begin. I work on BMWs for a living and I will tell you from direct experience that you are way out of line. I could sit here and type a list but that would be a waste. E30s are FAR more dependable than E34s, ESPECIALLY the V8 cars.

+1

we're getting rid of our e34 because it's a PITA. even guys with nice/upgraded/tweeked examples have shit just simply fall apart on them. They really are not built well. I think they LOOK fine... but that's about where it stops.

[StereoInstaller1]

I work on BMWs for a living

Adam, please don't take this the wrong way. Please assume that I mean no disrespect...but mechanics ALWAYS feel like you do.

I have worked at 4 GM dealerships as a tech. I have many many moons wrenching, as well as 26 years as an installer. In your line of work, you will see nothing but problems...that is the major reason why I will never work as a tech again. I don't wanna deal with nothing but hassles!

As far as the E34, I will agree they just aren't built as well as the E30.

But you have to agree, they are an excellent car. If you don't think so, go drive an '03 Malibu!

Luke

[BigD]

I'm still waiting for some concrete examples of this huge list of things that falls apart on E34's and almost never fails on an E30. So far this is just bias.

I'm not saying the E30 is not built well. I'm saying the E34 is as well. All the shit that fails on both cars is minor and usually doesn't NEED fixing (like if a balljoint or bushing is toast, your strut and wheel won't fall out like they would on some american cars). And the bodies on both are equally durable, with rust only happening in some key (and as I said, almost the same) areas. Actually, the E34 isn't susceptible to the license plate/trunk battery area and wheel arch rust that the E30 is.