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Re: <E34> '91 M5 Opinions and Advice Needed!!

Unless you are willing to be bitten, I'd take the car to an independent to have
a THOROUGH inspection. If the dealer balks, I'd walk.

However, if you can't or won't do the above, take a close look at the oil
intervals. 3500m would be nice, but up to 5000 is tolerable on a big six,
especially if it's highway miles (but an average of 6000/year doesn't bode well
if they did it when the service indicator said to!). If they DID go by the
service lights, that would be an oil change per year, and it means you could be
buying a cam before long. Look at the oil filler cap- is the inside clean or
gunked up? Look into the engine- at that milieage iot should look new and shiney
gold.

Any noises or play in the front end? Grasp the top of the front tires and rock
back and forth- any play? Note anything that doesn't work or is missing- it all
adds up (the doggone glovebox flashlight is $30!).

If the car is up on a rack, spin the front wheels and watch for ANY
out-of-roundness. This can be fixed, but it's about $100/whell to have them
trued. Look closely at the paint. Black is without a doubt the color that
requires the most elbow grease to look great (for 15 minutes!). And check the
A/C- a blk/blk is like Hades. Insert the probe into the middle vent-- it should
eventually read 40 degrees farenheit.

Look closely at the exhaust- even the rear section is economically
challenging!($700 from BMP). 

If I were looking for an M5, I'd want one that was enthusiastically maintained
by an enthusiast, for otherwise it could be reduced to a bag of problems as
surely as a neglected 528e.