M5 Prices

[Greg]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this site, but regularly peruse the E28 posts. I was wondering how much an 88' M5er would be worth with a modified suspension and brakes, 150K miles, and some work needed on the body? The seller is listing it for 4K, but is that too much for a car in this condition??

Again, any help would be appreciated as I've only got experience with 528s and 535s...Thanks

[Randomg]

4K is cheap for a running m5 with only 150k. I think you could part it out for more than that.

[Philo]

Very very inexpensive ! What else is wrong with it ? I bought my car at 170k miles and it need WORK !

If your plan is to keep the car and drive it, and there are other issues that need to be fixed to make it safe.., I'd advise looking for a better example M5. 4k is nothing for this car but if it needs work you will easily spend another 5k in the first year. He*ll, a trans is $3600, valve job 1500-2k, control/thrust arm bushings and related front suspension items $600-1200... and the list goes on...

Philo.

[photopark]

you don't want that.

Send me the guys phone number and location and I'll check it out for you :)

[SW]

not terribly more than that and have dumped 7 or 8 k into it since...(numbers removed to protect the guilty).

[Philo]

I use the term "invested" to try to convince my wife that we are spending good money on a good car that is increasing in value ;)

Yes.., I invest weekly in my 260k mile daily drive.

P.

[Bruce in canada]

and it has been quite good.. I have done lots of maintenance but there have been no surprises and the car runs like new..

[gray635]

I'm new to the board, but not new to BMWs. I just bought a good to excellent (I think) M5 for $l0k, after negotiating off the initial asking price of $l2K. I had been looking, off and on, for a M5 for the last 3 years or so. All books, all records, l48K, excellent paint (except for usual rock chips on the hood), good interior, no dash cracks (remarkably rare, based on my search). All the mechanicals checked out, the AC and other accessories work fine. The price on this car is astoundingly cheap! But in my experience, you're almost always better off buying a car that needs minimal work, for a fair price, than a "fixer upper M car", where the parts and labor to "fix it up" will have you upside down in pretty short order. Good luck and be careful!

[ekdemos]

Are you talking about my m5 for sale? It has 150k on it and I am asking 4k.

[Greg]

No, I wasn't referring to your car, at least I don't think so. If you're selling it for only 4K, how much repair needs to be done, why's the price so low??

[ekdemos]

I have owned the car for the past five years. I bought the car with 128,000 miles on it. The top end of the engine was rebuilt. The car was keyed on the hood and doors and there is a dent on very tip of the drivers front quarter panel. However, most people do not notice them until I point it out. The car came with the Dinan stage two suspension set up and a short throw shifter. Since then I have replaced many other parts on the car. New parts on the car are: drive shaft, both half shafts, TPS, e34 M5 big brake kit, Hawk HPS pads front and rear, Plugs, wires, cap , rotor, K&N CAI, front strut brace, Control arms, Center link, rear sub frame bushings, clutch master and slave cylinder’s, stainless steel brake lines, e39 M5 17 inch wheels, Bridgestone SO3 tires, and a Dinan chip.
About a year and a half ago I was traveling on the PA turnpike and a pre-hung door flew off a semi going in the opposite direction. It landed in my lane about 100 yards up the road. I changed lanes but I still ended up running over the door. It ripped up my exhaust and I had to drive 200 miles home. I had to replace one of the header pipes (then one with the flex piece). The cat broke on the inside and I had to gut it. The result also some how damaged the #4 cylinder. It sounded like it was missing and I checked out at 25psi on a leak down test. However, the car runs really strong, it just has a lumpy idle. It could be a broken valve spring, a cracked valve, or a blown valve seat. The car still runs great but it should be fixed. I just drive it 20 miles tonight and you would not know anything is wrong with the car (minus the loud exhaust).
The car has never been in an accident but the body does have some rust on the bottom of the rear passenger door and a quarter sized mark on the drivers front quarter panel.