One more pointless video, about "BMW losing their way"? BMW has been getting better and better, presenting one fantastic car after the other. Click baiting uber alles, correct?
Live in Denver and my E-28 is one of my favorite cars for mountain roads. Its balance and feedback are perfect for a blast through a canyon without the distractions of modern gizmos in the cabin.
Absolute beauty - and here in the motherland, in Germany, very hard to get and expensive, around 25-35k€. The E34 535 is much cheaper, you can get them for 10-15k€.
Are there many e34s still kicking around in Germany? We had one here in Canada in the late 90s early 2000s and they just are not available anywhere here anymore.
Totally agree with Tommy on this one( fyi, BMW auto is a "Bimmer" not a "Beamer"). I owned an 88 E28 528E 5 speed, the absolutely best BMW car ever, and way better built than my E36. So glad to see your praise.
I own the humble 525i Still a great car. High compression, short stroke. Sounds as good as any M30, flexible low down, fantastic sound, just a bit slower than this one..😊
It is important to keep in mind that MSRP for e28 was about 40K back in 88. At the same time Camry was about 10K. So if we take Camry as basic unit and say it is 25K today - we are talking about 100K for bmw. So yeah, BMW “lost” their way trying to be more affordable :)
40K in 1988 for a basic 520i or maybe 525i ? Or the top spec M5 ? That would be important to know, because if it was the M5, that would have been quite understandable. Otherwise, yes, that would have mean that BMW was quite expensive at that time compared to a Camry...
Yes! They're not a "drivers car" anymore. They're now a status symbol for young elites. They bitched and moaned about the goddamn window switches so bmw complied and moved them to the door like on their old Hyundai 🙄. There's a reason they were on the center console. Also road feel has progressively gotten more numb, my e30 it was like I could feel the pavement through the steering wheel now it's more isolated.
e30 with M-suspension package is like a scalpel. Sharp and very, very precise. I had the chance to borrow a good friend's one in winter about 15 years ago; never before or after have I driven something so precise and so easy to control.
M535i started with the e12 first generation 5 series. And the body kits were different to the full blown M5 as well. It should also have a dogleg 5 speed gearbox LSD and bilsteins. Metric wheels were also an option.
@3:45 The power loss on the American versions wasn't just the catalytic converter but also the fact that the American versions had much lower compression ratio for emissions reasons.
The current design ethos is: "a face only a lead designer could love" I for one, am not a lead designer in a multi billion dollar car brand.. so i struggle to love the current generation of dubyahs. but.. thankfully you don't have to go back very far to find some stunners in their lineup.
I bought the Alpina version of this car new in Germany back in '83. It was in exactly the same Graphite metallic, which was the colour of choice for "Q cars" (hot saloons) at that time. I also had the door mirror shells sprayed in body colour which was not mainstream for any cars at that time. I'm sure that UK spec car cost around 25k British pounds, tax free, back then.
I've been saying for a long time now that BMW needs to go back to what they once were. It's sad, those were the good days of BMW that we will never see again I'm afraid.
I owned an '88 535iS US market car. I like the American bumpers as they protect better and actually give the car its iconic look as pictured in the ads. The tires are fully available--it was originally on 390MM TRX wheels. However, that spare you have is some funky Japanese-market pattern, probably same size. The original TRX wheels were very pretty, but while you can certainly get the TRXs through Coker, they are not very good tires by any modern standard. It's modern Motronic so it's pretty bulletproof. See the E28 boards for a good user community to help you sort through the various odds and ends. They are very connected driver's cars, but will have some elderly car issues--they are 35+ years old. Good luck with the sale!
There were several styles of TRX tires actually, probably you are referring to the bottle caps as they are later ones. The spare in this car was M535i/M5 specific
I would hardly call a car that's been out of production for thirty five years "modern" by even a generous definition of the word. The Bosch mechanical fuel injection was a known nightmare to troubleshoot and service. The TRX wheel and tires were notoriously difficult and expensive to replace, inexcusable on a known consumable wear-and-tear item. They're beautiful to look at if the car's primary use is on an indoor display, but for vehicles that are actually driven, have a very limited and expensive lifespan. Most buyers are smart to pass on metric wheels and tires on the used parts market.
@@houseofno As I pointed out, the TRX is not a good tire by modern standards. I'm curious why you wouldn't consider the E28 to conform to standards we generally attribute to modern cars. The Motronic system is not mechanical; perhaps you're thinking of K-jet. The only problem Motronic cars can have is the brain's solder joints going bad, which can happen in any old computer. Ask E28 owners and they'll tell you--the fuel injection is rarely an issue, if at all. The motors are bulletproof. Note that lots of very reliable German cars in the 80's were Motronic.
@@houseofno These are generally very reliable. I purchased mine with 90 000km, six years ago. I’m at 140 000km, no big issues. New battery, fuel pump relay, a couple of new brake calipers, some suspension/diff mounts and general maintenance. Sold the TRX wheels, and it’s now on E39 8x16 wheels, big improvement.
IMO, BMW design peaked in the late 80s and early 90s. They progressively got worse and worse looking since then. I drove an '84 528. The odometer was broken at 177k miles, so God only knows the actual mileage when I drove it. I just remember it having an uncomfortable driver's seat, an enormous school bus steering wheel, and poor ergonomics. It was very solidly built though and the 5-spd felt great. The engine definitely needed valve work because it sounded like a typewriter.
A recent BMW is worth less than half the equivalent Toyota, which is bound to be far better engineered and built. Yet BMWs often cost the same as a Toyota, and sometimes even more!!
My 2001 e46 330i has a lot of the same characteristics and features that this car did that make it feel like “the ultimate driving machine”. Right now it’s in for service, and I can’t tell you how many people have said to me “so you’re just gonna trade that in right? It’s obviously not worth dumping money into.” And I’m appalled every time. Imagine parting with a nice e46 for like $1000 trade in value 😂 I’d hate myself forever. It’s staying, and yes I will be dumping money into it
I’ve been saying for a long time now that BMW needs to go back to what they once were. Go back to this same style, same technology. I fell in love with these back in the 80s when I was in my teens. Love the whole car design. Now I don’t know if I would even have a modern BMW with how now they are so “Un” BMW from my standards.
That is not the bodykit of the M5, the M5 was more understated with no side skirts. The M535i has the standard engine but sports suspension wheels and tyres and the Recaro interior. Also the wheels are not original the car came with "Michelin TRX Tyres 220/55 VR 390" which are a metric size tyre no longer made, so although my car is one of the very very few with original tyres and wheels any car that does any sort of milage will have aftermarket or later BMW wheels. And can I say these where fast cars on the road at the time able to best most Porsches and other sports cars the cars are very aggressively geared. Oh forgot to say one of the best looking BMW sedans ever along with the E30 and E34
The most fantastic modern BMW is the first gen 3.0 X5. Has all the dynamic of the early cars with chassis rigidity that is still one of the highest of any car ever made.
He he! I had exactly a car like that! Same engine, same colour, same decor line! Tell you what: I don't miss it at all. 4I don't miss how it always broke. I don't miss how I was always broke. I traded it for a 2-liter Alfa Romeo one rainy evening. Alfa and I lived happily ever after. Or until it rusted away at least.
Couple of errors worth to mention * First generation 5 series e12 M535 is where it all started not e28. E12 was a serious machine, this e28 version is mostly cosmetic/marketing model. * M535i has basically the same suspension as the standard version. M5 has completely different suspension/steering and handles differently. *M535i does not have the same bumpers and body kit from M5. M5 has the same rear boot spoiler, but looks completely different otherwise. Whoever bought this and expecting it to be genuine M5 isn't a true enthusiast. Enthusiast tell those two from miles apart. * It doesn't have a steering rack. It's got a steering box. * Catalytic version of M30 makes less power, but not because of catalytic converters. This version has smaller camshaft and much less compression ratio than the earlier version M30. * It's not 3.5L it's actually 3.4L motor.
They are great cars! There is a little bit of an error as to the looks of the two. The real M5 had no body kit! Just a little bit of a larger chin spoiler an a boot spoiler. The M535i had the sills and larger spoilers.
my first car was a 1982 320i and no it wasn’t fancy, it was like $2k at the time. loved that car…. no issues even with the daily abuse of a stick shifting teenager 😎 - I agree, bmw needs to refocus on simplicity and quality - new ones are way to complex and costly to repair which is why they are only leased now
You can make these cars move well with all the usual NA mods. Port and polish the heads, put some higher comp pistons in, dyno tune it and lower the diff ratio.
Chris Bangle gets a lot of criticism for his controversial designs for the E65/E66 7-series and the first generation Z4, but in all fairness, he also played a role in designing the first generation X5 (E53) and first generation BMW-designed MINI, as well as the E8x 1-series and the F10 5-series, all of these well received designs from enthusiasts that praised the looks of these vehicles.
@@houseofno Bangle didn’t design the E53 and the Mini. Frank Stephenson did. Wikipedia: “His design of the new MINI Cooper launched at the Paris Auto Show in 2000 led to the award-winning rebirth of the brand and a new generation of MINI models. In 2003 the MINI Cooper was the first European car to win the North American Car of the Year award in 2003. Also while at BMW, Stephenson designed the first BMW SUV, the BMW X5 (E53).”
@@TFLclassics Doesn't the M30 have a timing chain? The small brother (M20) has a belt, though. Edit: I just looked it up: M30B35 has a duplex chain. So that should last about forever.
I own a 1988 BMW 750iL (E32) and I believe BMW lost its way twenty years ago. BMW started to NLA (no longer available) in as little as four years after the vehicle left production. The rear SLS (self leveling suspension) shocks have been NLA for years, and recently the company that made the control diaphragm for this leaky, expensive to maintain rear suspension was bought out by another company which promptly ended production. It's "rumored" that the E38 rear air suspension diaphragm can be modified to work, but have never seen this in practice. Meanwhile, back at Ford (that's right) you can still order a brand new NOS AM radio for the 1964.5 Mustang. I might add that the Nikasil these M70 engine blocks are made of cannot be honed or resurfaced. A friend of mine with the same car and same engine recently sustained damage to a piston and a ring. That's an engine block replacement for a thirty five year old engine. There is a company that rebuilds these blocks (the cylinder liners are removed and replaced with stainless steel equivalents) for around $11K. Low five figures for a rebuild on thirty five year old V12 engine that will still only make 296 hp. Meanwhile a new Ford Coyote crate engine making between 412 and 460 hp goes out the door for around $8,500 and gets twice the gas mileage, with a GM LS offering comparable value if you prefer a traditional overhead valve V8 (the LS OHV V8's are easier to fit into under the hood, since the double overhead cam Ford Coyote V8 engines have gigantically wide heads that can be a challenge fitting into older cars. I did the math - the Coyote engine would leave just two inches of space on each side of the engine under my engine bay.
Nice video. But honestly who cares if others may or may not think you're drivan m5. I almost prefer the simplicity of this to the m5. Good work tho guys.
The era these guys are describing is the one just after bmws peak in styling. The first 3, 5 and 6 series were the best styled bmws. The following 3 and 5 series were moderations on the earlier designs, making them just that little more generic. Still nice designs, but clearly concessions to the convention.
The e34 (of 1988) is not generic at all... There's nothing else that looks like it. Because of the decision to keep the front in the 70s BMW style but make the rest much more aerodynamic... Drag coefficient in the late 80s of .3 was fabulous and they did it without making it look bubbly. In my opinion is one of the most high IQ car designs ever made. Again, there's nothing quite like it, except the larger 7 series that looks the same. The first two 5 series on the other hand didn't really stand out from the crowd in their day.
What year is this BMW? I couldn't help but notice I had classic plates I tried to get classic plates on my 1989 Probe GT and they told me it wasn't old enough but I don't think the people in my small town know what the hell they're doing
To be fair, the E32 and its successor the E38, as well as the E34 and E39, are all well loved designs by BMW enthusiasts, as well as the E36 and E46 3-series. BMW has no control over emissions requirements, lighting, safety requirements, etc. Those are all set by bureaucrats in countries all over the world. Hardly fair to blame BMW for that.
Yeah, the old BMW were great looking and also great to drive, after the F generation I think they have lost their mind, probably new management demanded screaming designs for "wanna be seen on street because I am celebrity" (XM, iXM i7 and so on). Also they are slowly removing the BMW DNA by making driving less analog and pure, by including more and more electromechanical systems, omitting physical controls and even making windows smaller as other manufacturers are doing. Instead of evolving, they are forcing the revolution :'(
Ve owned an 86 e24 635csi, 13 335csi and thought about a new m4. Test drove it and wasn’t impressed. They are no longer drivers cars. They do what they do but not like BMWs of the past
I understand the bumpers and how ugly are they. But the biggest federal stupidity for me are the equal size headlights on those, ruined the whole look for me. And this comes from a person who is E12/E34 fan rather than E28. The cats by themselves robbed maybe 5-8HP however the non cat cars had compression of 10 while those with it came with 8. This made the huge difference, the pistons.
The size of the headlights has nothing to do with their safety. The quad round headlight, kidney grilles, and Hofmeister kinks at the lower corners of the side windows have been a signature elements of traditional BMW designs for fifty years now. I blame the USA's antiquated requirement that the chief source of external illumination be a BULB, long after Europe and the rest of the world had already moved on to far more effective and modern lighting technologies. In fact, this requirement was only recently phased out to allow LED and advanced headlight systems to be adopted on US legal road vehicles, long after most manufacturers have moved on design-wise from the same quad round headlight design you're criticizing. I don't blame BMW for the USA dragging its feet on lighting regulations, which is something that BMW hardly has any control or influence over. Look at Mercedes headlights from the 70's and 80's. The non-US cars got those beautiful front bumpers and composite headlights. The USA cars ugly got park bench bumpers and sealed beams (fixed square or round in limited specific sizes).
my god the way you talk about these cars is ridiculous yes fun car .. buttttt so many problems .. i owned a 1983 533i which was bought brand new by my stepdad in 1983.. (I got it many years later with just 83,000 miles on it) ... what you guys don't talk about is how bad the a/c system is fantastic heat but that's about it (we have had this car since new and it always blew fuses etc) and let's talk about the driving position with the bus like steering position ... this was the main reason besides trying to get the a/c to work right even after spending thousands replacing everything down the the squirrel case blower motors is why i sold it ...
I should add as someone of legitimate Japanese ancestry this is specifically why I don't want to import a German brand car from Japan, which seems to be weirdly popular for some reason. I mean why not just import from, you know, Germany? Where the steering wheel is already on the left side anyway?
Bud on this car HERE: www.tflbids.com/product/1987-bmw-m535i/
One more pointless video, about "BMW losing their way"? BMW has been getting better and better, presenting one fantastic car after the other. Click baiting uber alles, correct?
Live in Denver and my E-28 is one of my favorite cars for mountain roads. Its balance and feedback are perfect for a blast through a canyon without the distractions of modern gizmos in the cabin.
Im in the springs! I 100% agree, total blast.
Most times the answer to a question in the title of a TH-cam video like this is "yes", this inclusive. They've lost their way a long time ago.
Last good bmw is e46
Damn im with u man i love BMW'S but ya there lost in the sauce
Love the style of these. Much more than the current.
Absolute beauty - and here in the motherland, in Germany, very hard to get and expensive, around 25-35k€. The E34 535 is much cheaper, you can get them for 10-15k€.
Are there many e34s still kicking around in Germany? We had one here in Canada in the late 90s early 2000s and they just are not available anywhere here anymore.
Yeah, acutally quite some still around@@nuudelz3711
Totally agree with Tommy on this one( fyi, BMW auto is a "Bimmer" not a "Beamer"). I owned an 88 E28 528E 5 speed, the absolutely best BMW car ever, and way better built than my E36. So glad to see your praise.
Whether it's a 535M or a genuine M5 or a humble 525i, the E28 is (in my opinion) the most handsome saloon BMW ever made.
So long as it’s a non U.S. Bumper version;)
I prefer the e32, but the e28 certainly is not ugly.
I own the humble 525i
Still a great car.
High compression, short stroke.
Sounds as good as any M30, flexible low down, fantastic sound, just a bit slower than this one..😊
@@e28forever30 I would love to own an E28 of any description, 520i included.
I had The 1987 535 Navy Blue back in 2004-2005. Loved it Classic Looks and Handling! 👍
It is important to keep in mind that MSRP for e28 was about 40K back in 88. At the same time Camry was about 10K. So if we take Camry as basic unit and say it is 25K today - we are talking about 100K for bmw. So yeah, BMW “lost” their way trying to be more affordable :)
40K in 1988 for a basic 520i or maybe 525i ? Or the top spec M5 ? That would be important to know, because if it was the M5, that would have been quite understandable. Otherwise, yes, that would have mean that BMW was quite expensive at that time compared to a Camry...
They have lost their as in they make junk cars now. All of the 4 cylinder turbos that are nothing but junk! It's terrible
This was the car that made me fall in love with BMW. Drove 528 when I was 19-20. Got to find one again.
That 535 reminds me of a 82 733i with factory 5 spd I bought of the original owner. It was absolutely fun to drive.
Yes! They're not a "drivers car" anymore. They're now a status symbol for young elites. They bitched and moaned about the goddamn window switches so bmw complied and moved them to the door like on their old Hyundai 🙄. There's a reason they were on the center console. Also road feel has progressively gotten more numb, my e30 it was like I could feel the pavement through the steering wheel now it's more isolated.
e30 with M-suspension package is like a scalpel. Sharp and very, very precise. I had the chance to borrow a good friend's one in winter about 15 years ago; never before or after have I driven something so precise and so easy to control.
Absolutely.
Good comment on the window switches, I feel exactly the same.
M535i started with the e12 first generation 5 series. And the body kits were different to the full blown M5 as well. It should also have a dogleg 5 speed gearbox LSD and bilsteins. Metric wheels were also an option.
@3:45 The power loss on the American versions wasn't just the catalytic converter but also the fact that the American versions had much lower compression ratio for emissions reasons.
I've had 2 e28 absolutely loved them
One of The Best BMW S3dan designs and for the 80s period.
The absolute pinnacle of 5 Series design.
IMO, it's the E39. E34 comes close though.
I own both.
E28 is my favourite, no doubt.
E39 is a nice daily, but a bit fragile.
The first M-badged,or to be precise M-sport/performance model was the E12 M535i,which began production in 1980.
The current design ethos is: "a face only a lead designer could love"
I for one, am not a lead designer in a multi billion dollar car brand.. so i struggle to love the current generation of dubyahs.
but.. thankfully you don't have to go back very far to find some stunners in their lineup.
The golden age of cars is long past.
Had an 85 535i. That was the most reliable BMW I've owned. My 2001 M3 and M5 are faster but I've had to do few repairs. Love them all.
First car was an 85 535i with a 5 speed. Thing was bullet proof.
I bought the Alpina version of this car new in Germany back in '83. It was in exactly the same Graphite metallic, which was the colour of choice for "Q cars" (hot saloons) at that time. I also had the door mirror shells sprayed in body colour which was not mainstream for any cars at that time. I'm sure that UK spec car cost around 25k British pounds, tax free, back then.
I like that car! My favorite is the E34, but I wouldn't sell an E28 for leaking a little oil!
I've been saying for a long time now that BMW needs to go back to what they once were. It's sad, those were the good days of BMW that we will never see again I'm afraid.
Tommy you can set the on board computer to standard, press something into the pin hole in the bottom corner, while on range, or avg mpg selected.
The triangle plastic piece on rear shelf is a holder for center seat belt clip
I owned an '88 535iS US market car. I like the American bumpers as they protect better and actually give the car its iconic look as pictured in the ads. The tires are fully available--it was originally on 390MM TRX wheels. However, that spare you have is some funky Japanese-market pattern, probably same size. The original TRX wheels were very pretty, but while you can certainly get the TRXs through Coker, they are not very good tires by any modern standard. It's modern Motronic so it's pretty bulletproof. See the E28 boards for a good user community to help you sort through the various odds and ends. They are very connected driver's cars, but will have some elderly car issues--they are 35+ years old. Good luck with the sale!
There were several styles of TRX tires actually, probably you are referring to the bottle caps as they are later ones. The spare in this car was M535i/M5 specific
I would hardly call a car that's been out of production for thirty five years "modern" by even a generous definition of the word. The Bosch mechanical fuel injection was a known nightmare to troubleshoot and service. The TRX wheel and tires were notoriously difficult and expensive to replace, inexcusable on a known consumable wear-and-tear item. They're beautiful to look at if the car's primary use is on an indoor display, but for vehicles that are actually driven, have a very limited and expensive lifespan. Most buyers are smart to pass on metric wheels and tires on the used parts market.
@@houseofno As I pointed out, the TRX is not a good tire by modern standards. I'm curious why you wouldn't consider the E28 to conform to standards we generally attribute to modern cars. The Motronic system is not mechanical; perhaps you're thinking of K-jet. The only problem Motronic cars can have is the brain's solder joints going bad, which can happen in any old computer. Ask E28 owners and they'll tell you--the fuel injection is rarely an issue, if at all. The motors are bulletproof. Note that lots of very reliable German cars in the 80's were Motronic.
@@houseofno
These are generally very reliable.
I purchased mine with 90 000km, six years ago.
I’m at 140 000km, no big issues.
New battery, fuel pump relay, a couple of new brake calipers, some suspension/diff mounts and general maintenance.
Sold the TRX wheels, and it’s now on E39 8x16 wheels, big improvement.
One of my regrets was not purchasing an e28 red on black 535is years ago. Just a beautiful car!!
@The Real Cat of 2020 I'm afraid not...I have since bought several Land Rovers lol!!
@@ExTrumpet Oh Nooooooo!
@The Real Cat of 2020 wrong, my 3 535is's were dead reliable.
@@67FORDTRUCKF250 I'm sure they were reliable for the 2-3 years you owned them. C'mon dude stoppit
IMO, BMW design peaked in the late 80s and early 90s. They progressively got worse and worse looking since then. I drove an '84 528. The odometer was broken at 177k miles, so God only knows the actual mileage when I drove it. I just remember it having an uncomfortable driver's seat, an enormous school bus steering wheel, and poor ergonomics. It was very solidly built though and the 5-spd felt great. The engine definitely needed valve work because it sounded like a typewriter.
BMW E28 5 series is a beautiful car
Just seen the newest 5 series.
You’re right, they have lost their way.
A recent BMW is worth less than half the equivalent Toyota, which is bound to be far better engineered and built. Yet BMWs often cost the same as a Toyota, and sometimes even more!!
The M/// package started with the first gen 5series e12 535i 👌
Thanks Tommy, I agree, BMW has lost something in styling
Yeah, they used to be fun and worth the upkeep.
My 2001 e46 330i has a lot of the same characteristics and features that this car did that make it feel like “the ultimate driving machine”. Right now it’s in for service, and I can’t tell you how many people have said to me “so you’re just gonna trade that in right? It’s obviously not worth dumping money into.” And I’m appalled every time. Imagine parting with a nice e46 for like $1000 trade in value 😂 I’d hate myself forever. It’s staying, and yes I will be dumping money into it
Tommy, fyi that trip computer can switch over to miles per gallon even if the speedo is in kilometers...
my m240 is super comfortable and a blast to drive ! ...its like a miata with 400 hp and lexus seats g
E28 is the last beautiful 5 Series
I’ve been saying for a long time now that BMW needs to go back to what they once were. Go back to this same style, same technology. I fell in love with these back in the 80s when I was in my teens. Love the whole car design. Now I don’t know if I would even have a modern BMW with how now they are so “Un” BMW from my standards.
That is not the bodykit of the M5, the M5 was more understated with no side skirts. The M535i has the standard engine but sports suspension wheels and tyres and the Recaro interior. Also the wheels are not original the car came with "Michelin TRX Tyres 220/55 VR 390" which are a metric size tyre no longer made, so although my car is one of the very very few with original tyres and wheels any car that does any sort of milage will have aftermarket or later BMW wheels. And can I say these where fast cars on the road at the time able to best most Porsches and other sports cars the cars are very aggressively geared. Oh forgot to say one of the best looking BMW sedans ever along with the E30 and E34
The most fantastic modern BMW is the first gen 3.0 X5. Has all the dynamic of the early cars with chassis rigidity that is still one of the highest of any car ever made.
He he! I had exactly a car like that! Same engine, same colour, same decor line!
Tell you what: I don't miss it at all.
4I don't miss how it always broke. I don't miss how I was always broke.
I traded it for a 2-liter Alfa Romeo one rainy evening. Alfa and I lived happily ever after. Or until it rusted away at least.
Couple of errors worth to mention
* First generation 5 series e12 M535 is where it all started not e28. E12 was a serious machine, this e28 version is mostly cosmetic/marketing model.
* M535i has basically the same suspension as the standard version. M5 has completely different suspension/steering and handles differently.
*M535i does not have the same bumpers and body kit from M5. M5 has the same rear boot spoiler, but looks completely different otherwise. Whoever bought this and expecting it to be genuine M5 isn't a true enthusiast. Enthusiast tell those two from miles apart.
* It doesn't have a steering rack. It's got a steering box.
* Catalytic version of M30 makes less power, but not because of catalytic converters. This version has smaller camshaft and much less compression ratio than the earlier version M30.
* It's not 3.5L it's actually 3.4L motor.
Having the correct wipers would help the car and your credibility. Sorry for being harsh but it's true.
They are great cars! There is a little bit of an error as to the looks of the two. The real M5 had no body kit! Just a little bit of a larger chin spoiler an a boot spoiler. The M535i had the sills and larger spoilers.
my first car was a 1982 320i and no it wasn’t fancy, it was like $2k at the time. loved that car…. no issues even with the daily abuse of a stick shifting teenager 😎 - I agree, bmw needs to refocus on simplicity and quality - new ones are way to complex and costly to repair which is why they are only leased now
This design is timeless, elegant and understated. Today's BMW designs are arrogant and clownish.
Well spoken!
You can make these cars move well with all the usual NA mods. Port and polish the heads, put some higher comp pistons in, dyno tune it and lower the diff ratio.
That was my first car. 5sp mania, I wish I still had it
I love my 84 533i.
BMW lost their way by hiring Chris Bangle
Chris Bangle gets a lot of criticism for his controversial designs for the E65/E66 7-series and the first generation Z4, but in all fairness, he also played a role in designing the first generation X5 (E53) and first generation BMW-designed MINI, as well as the E8x 1-series and the F10 5-series, all of these well received designs from enthusiasts that praised the looks of these vehicles.
@@houseofno
Bangle didn’t design the E53 and the Mini.
Frank Stephenson did.
Wikipedia:
“His design of the new MINI Cooper launched at the Paris Auto Show in 2000 led to the award-winning rebirth of the brand and a new generation of MINI models. In 2003 the MINI Cooper was the first European car to win the North American Car of the Year award in 2003. Also while at BMW, Stephenson designed the first BMW SUV, the BMW X5 (E53).”
Loving the background
Two questions:
Still running R12 refrigerant? Last timing belt service? Thanks - nice E28
not sure off the top of my head about timing belt, i believe it’s been converted to 134. Works well!
@@TFLclassics this engine has a timing chain
@@TFLclassics Doesn't the M30 have a timing chain? The small brother (M20) has a belt, though.
Edit: I just looked it up: M30B35 has a duplex chain. So that should last about forever.
I own a 1988 BMW 750iL (E32) and I believe BMW lost its way twenty years ago. BMW started to NLA (no longer available) in as little as four years after the vehicle left production. The rear SLS (self leveling suspension) shocks have been NLA for years, and recently the company that made the control diaphragm for this leaky, expensive to maintain rear suspension was bought out by another company which promptly ended production. It's "rumored" that the E38 rear air suspension diaphragm can be modified to work, but have never seen this in practice. Meanwhile, back at Ford (that's right) you can still order a brand new NOS AM radio for the 1964.5 Mustang. I might add that the Nikasil these M70 engine blocks are made of cannot be honed or resurfaced. A friend of mine with the same car and same engine recently sustained damage to a piston and a ring. That's an engine block replacement for a thirty five year old engine. There is a company that rebuilds these blocks (the cylinder liners are removed and replaced with stainless steel equivalents) for around $11K. Low five figures for a rebuild on thirty five year old V12 engine that will still only make 296 hp. Meanwhile a new Ford Coyote crate engine making between 412 and 460 hp goes out the door for around $8,500 and gets twice the gas mileage, with a GM LS offering comparable value if you prefer a traditional overhead valve V8 (the LS OHV V8's are easier to fit into under the hood, since the double overhead cam Ford Coyote V8 engines have gigantically wide heads that can be a challenge fitting into older cars. I did the math - the Coyote engine would leave just two inches of space on each side of the engine under my engine bay.
what are those floormats? I have a 1999 SL500 I would like to upgrade the mats on
They’re called cocoa mats I think. Made for most cars
Esta divino, el mío es color vino, aún no termino el proyecto 🎉🎉
Awesome video!
Answer to the header's question. Yes. Very.
5:55 the engine code was M88, me thinks.
Nice video. But honestly who cares if others may or may not think you're drivan m5. I almost prefer the simplicity of this to the m5. Good work tho guys.
E28 is nice. E39 is perfect
Thats going to go for over 15K I bet. Probably closer to 20k.
Yes, the E28s aren't really in the slightest bit affordable. Not the straight-sis petrols anyway.
I have been looking for a good condition one but in ct they are rusted in bad condition and ppl still want 7 to 8 k and 5 to 6k for the e
I see a 1967 Chevrolet Corvair with a grille for a front engine. Not a bad thing at all.
What are you smoking?
The era these guys are describing is the one just after bmws peak in styling. The first 3, 5 and 6 series were the best styled bmws. The following 3 and 5 series were moderations on the earlier designs, making them just that little more generic. Still nice designs, but clearly concessions to the convention.
The e34 (of 1988) is not generic at all... There's nothing else that looks like it. Because of the decision to keep the front in the 70s BMW style but make the rest much more aerodynamic... Drag coefficient in the late 80s of .3 was fabulous and they did it without making it look bubbly. In my opinion is one of the most high IQ car designs ever made. Again, there's nothing quite like it, except the larger 7 series that looks the same.
The first two 5 series on the other hand didn't really stand out from the crowd in their day.
My first time road racing was in my 88 535is.... she is a fat girl but sure can dance!!!!!
What year is this BMW? I couldn't help but notice I had classic plates I tried to get classic plates on my 1989 Probe GT and they told me it wasn't old enough but I don't think the people in my small town know what the hell they're doing
The title says it all. BMW lost it's way a long time ago. The cars from around 2010 and beyond are benign pieces of rubbish.
Love the E28. Modern BMW's just suck, not worthy of the badge.
The European M5 had a more powerful engine.
And also the M535. They had 218hp here.
I really liked BMW during these times, E30, E28, E24 hit after hit. What happened BMW?
To be fair, the E32 and its successor the E38, as well as the E34 and E39, are all well loved designs by BMW enthusiasts, as well as the E36 and E46 3-series. BMW has no control over emissions requirements, lighting, safety requirements, etc. Those are all set by bureaucrats in countries all over the world. Hardly fair to blame BMW for that.
@@houseofno
They could come up with designs that don’t damage your eyeballs, not that much to ask…
They and others lost their way along time ago but they really don’t care since they sell everything they make
IS THAT A ZENDER KIT ON THAT?
NO.
Awesome cars!German Alfa Romeo!
Bosch fuel injection nightmares. If you want one, get 6 parts cars and a second mortgage. Sure fun to drive, fast for the era but huge pita
the 87's had the updated motronic computer. I had mine for 23 years..zero issues, just recently sold it
So which models have you had? I have had multiple E28' and E34's... all extremely reliable and easy to work on....
One of YTs biggest BMW Haters the Car Wizard rates the E28. All older cars need a lot of upkeep as they age.
Not sure about it being a nightmare, I’m driving a 1985 635 euro and never had a problem
Ed Whitson-I am calling bullshit. Been daily driving my E28 since 2017-not a single issue with it other than typical maintenance.
Lovely car - but who decided on the white seat piping looks so cheap and tacky that’s a big no for this model should have kept it stock / OEM 😮
Yeah, the old BMW were great looking and also great to drive, after the F generation I think they have lost their mind, probably new management demanded screaming designs for "wanna be seen on street because I am celebrity" (XM, iXM i7 and so on). Also they are slowly removing the BMW DNA by making driving less analog and pure, by including more and more electromechanical systems, omitting physical controls and even making windows smaller as other manufacturers are doing. Instead of evolving, they are forcing the revolution :'(
9300? Seems awfully low. It's a nice e28.
Ve owned an 86 e24 635csi, 13 335csi and thought about a new m4. Test drove it and wasn’t impressed. They are no longer drivers cars. They do what they do but not like BMWs of the past
I understand the bumpers and how ugly are they. But the biggest federal stupidity for me are the equal size headlights on those, ruined the whole look for me. And this comes from a person who is E12/E34 fan rather than E28. The cats by themselves robbed maybe 5-8HP however the non cat cars had compression of 10 while those with it came with 8. This made the huge difference, the pistons.
The size of the headlights has nothing to do with their safety. The quad round headlight, kidney grilles, and Hofmeister kinks at the lower corners of the side windows have been a signature elements of traditional BMW designs for fifty years now. I blame the USA's antiquated requirement that the chief source of external illumination be a BULB, long after Europe and the rest of the world had already moved on to far more effective and modern lighting technologies. In fact, this requirement was only recently phased out to allow LED and advanced headlight systems to be adopted on US legal road vehicles, long after most manufacturers have moved on design-wise from the same quad round headlight design you're criticizing. I don't blame BMW for the USA dragging its feet on lighting regulations, which is something that BMW hardly has any control or influence over. Look at Mercedes headlights from the 70's and 80's. The non-US cars got those beautiful front bumpers and composite headlights. The USA cars ugly got park bench bumpers and sealed beams (fixed square or round in limited specific sizes).
my god the way you talk about these cars is ridiculous yes fun car .. buttttt so many problems .. i owned a 1983 533i which was bought brand new by my stepdad in 1983.. (I got it many years later with just 83,000 miles on it) ... what you guys don't talk about is how bad the a/c system is fantastic heat but that's about it (we have had this car since new and it always blew fuses etc) and let's talk about the driving position with the bus like steering position ... this was the main reason besides trying to get the a/c to work right even after spending thousands replacing everything down the the squirrel case blower motors is why i sold it ...
sometimes i find lexus took kit in salvage yards.......but never bmw
Absolutely agree 100% those BMWs back in 1960s 70s 80s until 1990s were great afterc 2010 they just became unreliable, money pits
Wish they would go back to the exact design and technology. Go back to the original blueprints
fantastic value... lol couldnt give me that thing.
i like BMWs but used engines and transmissions are expensive......unlike japanese where a used engine is only about $1.5k for non trending engines
When someone says Asian style bumper you know how little someone knows
"80's BMW's were the best...and this one is available for sale."
No conflict of interest here.
Not really; people into BMW's know what these are - and are the only ones willing to buy them anyway.
Hmmm...Germany...Japan...yes that combination has at no point worked out bad for history at all....
I should add as someone of legitimate Japanese ancestry this is specifically why I don't want to import a German brand car from Japan, which seems to be weirdly popular for some reason. I mean why not just import from, you know, Germany? Where the steering wheel is already on the left side anyway?
@@classicforreal Really? Are some people "still" fighting a war that ENDED SEVENTY-SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO?
@@houseofno TIME TO FIGHT THE WAR AGAIN!
The problem is, they can’t. Car companies are being squeezed with safety and emissions.
You can make a modern version of it.
Keep the cars looks but modernize it’s tech (safety tech)
lmao ashtray for the kids 😂
What happed to BMW, their styling has just gone to pot, this is not only a bad car, it really looks good.
Nice
Complicated brake system, 5000 dollar😄no its not complicated
I’m thinking about bidding on that car.
Good luck!!! You won't want to go back once you drive this generation of BMW..... awesome!!!
Any interest in selling this car?
BMW is just one more OEM which has jumped off the EV cliff.
Wtf guys ?!! Cats do not stop the hp and 30 hp 😅. Jeez. Learn about cars before trying to make a show cats block almost zero horsepower