1985 BMW 5 Series review from North America
"If you like nice cars, and you like to work on them more, this is the car for you"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Brake Pads
Front Brake Rotors
Air Flow Meter.
Shift Linkage Bushings 3x
THE WORST DESIGN IN HISTORY! If you stock linkage ever goes out on you, do yourself a favor and get a really nice aftermarket one! Oh, yeah, and don't put a short throw shifter on a stock linkage, that makes matters worse.
Clutch Master Cylinder - Time Consuming
Clutch Slave Cylinder
Brake Master Cylinder
Interior door handles
Power Sun Roof.
Crazy Power Steering System Leaks - Had to get new high pressure hoses, but it was finally fixed.
Bad Paint
Idle Control Valve
Guibo (2x)
Center Support Bearing
Subframe Bushings
Control Arm Bushings
Differential Mount
Motor Mounts
Torn up interior.
General comments?
All in all it is a great car.
It handles pretty well.
Motor can be pushed to redline constantly, every day!!! Just adjust your valves every 8K (really easy)
Looks great with 16 or 17 inch rims and with the non superbumpers.
American versions come with 8.0:1 CR that makes it a perfect candidate for turbo setups... Not to mention the solid bottom end!
Oh, yeah my car had original motor with heads rebuilt at 150K. All cylinders had between 175-181 on compression test!
Good brakes/clutch/accelerator pedal feel.
Nice cabin design, things are very well placed.
No cup holders. Many ash trays.
I gave up my sweet "Silver Bullet" for a downpayment on a new Honda Civic, biggest mistake ever. Honda drove like crap, and I lost my baby : (
Recommended reviews
| A solid car, but not cheap |
|
| 1984 - 5 Series 533i 3.2 Liter Inline-6 (gasoline) An Exceptional, Rare Vehicle |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1985 |
| Year of manufacture | 1984 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 322000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 373000 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 633CSI |
| Date of Entry | 28th November, 2005 |