Does anyone know anything about e34's?

[JasonC]

My dad told me that there is a 90 535i in town for sale, its white with a auto. I going to go in and look at it tomorrow if it don't snow that much. What i like to know is what to look for that goes wrong with them. Or if it's even worth going in to look at.

[BigD]

All the problems are the same as the E30, except for the timing belt. They're good and bad in the same ways. Look for delaminating door panels above the armrest and don't buy a car that shifts harshly EVER and/or says TRANS PROGRAM on the display (new tranny).

[Teaguer]

They are known to have worn ft end parts due to PO's negligence and its design .

You can use the ft end shimmies to haggle on the $$ then upgrade to 7-series bushings once you own it .

[Rigmaster]

They're great cars, the 535i is one of the most bullet-proof E34's you can buy. 5 speed swaps can be done just like the E30, with donor parts from a 5 speed E34 535i it's a snap.

Check www.bimmer.info for a pretty good E34 board.


Bret.

[e30frosh]

Other than my love for the e34 540i...not much. However, in the few post here, I've learned a little more.

[JasonC]

This car is only $900.00 So i don't think that i'll see much, but you'll never know.

[e34john]

i would buy it for 900 even for the engine alone.

i say they are pretty much like big e30s except they are easier to work on. the suspension is prone to shimmies. the m30 is probably one of their best built engines. so i wouldn't worry there but the auto transmissions are the weakpoint especially if driven by an enthusist so if you pay 2 grand for a rebuild you will still be comming out pretty good if the rest of the car is sound.

bimmer.info as mention is cool, so is www.bmwe34.net one of the .info guys started that site.

[JasonC]

Cool thanks for all the info on these. Although my firebird ate most of my spending money i'm still going to look at it. I'm going to sell my charger and tax return time is here and there is not a great demand for bmw's around here so it will proboply be there awhile. And it's sitting at a place that no one even knows it's for sale.

[smooth]

i would buy it for 900 even for the engine alone.

QED

[pineapplegti]

there are plenty of them in the wrecking yards as well :) go for it

[euroshark]

If your auto tranny craps out, do what any self respecting person would do and swap in a manual! There were bunches of 525i manuals, so you can harvest the interior console and pedal box from one of those!

[Rocla]

Check the camshaft, they often wear out, pretty much the same way like M20 does.

[StereoInstaller1]

Check the blower fan...beat them down if it does not work. Cheap and easy fix, too.

Anything you might need to know about the stereo I can handle. Add a deck adn a sub and you will have a rockin' machine.

Luke

[Nick]

Go for it...535s are decent machines.
Unlike 525s...which are slugs.
Bulletproof engine, swap the tranny for a manual.
I thought about one briefly before buying a 750.

[AdamF 88iS]

Late M30s use Elring brand head gaskets. Check for coolant seepage around the outside of the head because those gaskets dont hold up as well as the old Goetze brand ones.

The interior will probably be in sad shape.

TRANS PROGRAM usually needs an updated eprom in the control unit.

Front end bushings will probably be gone.

They are OK cars though. I think an E30 325 is probably a little more solid, but E34s still aren't bad.