re:Getting into BMWs

["John C. Hanes" <jchanes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John says:

>So, does anyone have any overall opinions based on this limited
>description? Does it sound like a good price?  What kind and how much
>maintenance should I expect in the next few years?  I notices an M-badge
>on the rear of the car, along with one on the shift knob, and M-colors on
>the steering wheel.  Are these from the factory, and if so, what's the
>connection between this car and the M?

And then David says:

>I say go for it.  84k is very low mileage, and if the dealer agrees to
>fix all the problems you listed, it sounds pretty good.  I have just a
>tad over 200k on my '84 325e and it is still running strong.  Most of
>the repairs that I've had to do was because of the previous owner.  If
>you keep the maintenance up the thing will run forever.  It's not the
>speediest 6 cyl, but it goes pretty good.  The maintenance on these
>isn't too expensive, especially if you can do some of it yourself.  Get
>the Bentley repair manual.  I've been able to do a lot of work myself
>using the Bentley.  And of course the digest has been a huge help too.

I totally concur with David here. My car, which is the same model of the
same vintage as the one you're looking at, has almost double the miles on
it and still goes like stink. Basic maintenance is all the venerable
M20B27 "eta" engine requires, and while David is right that it's not
exactly the most high-performance engine BMW has produced, it's near
bulletproof in most respects and can be made to propel the "es" a LOT
faster with a few choice mods (Jim C. chip for one will seriously wake it
up).

David goes on to say:
>You may want to ask them if the timing belt has been changed, that needs
>to be done every 50-60k.  While you're changing the timing belt It's
>also a good time to swap the water pump.  Another biggie to look at is
>the head bolts.  I guess the old hex style head bolts were snapping off
>in the valve train causing all sorts of damage.  You can tell by looking
>in the oil filler hole, and if there's torx style bolts your fine.  If
>you have the hex bolts they should be replaced.

The timing belt is an absolute EVERY 60K MILES replacement. Unlike many
engines, the M20 is an interference design and if the belt breaks, the
valves will punch into the pistons, breaking a whole lot of stuff and
costing you boatloads of $$$. The head bolts, well, they're not
necessarily that important. The faulty head bolts are acknowledged to have
been manufactured by Ribe, while the bolts by Kamax and Verbus are not
failure-prone. Look in the oil filler car at the big bolt in there. If
it's a Torx style or a hex-head with Verbus or Kamax written along the
edge, don't worry too much about it. If it's Ribe, replace them. The parts
are only $35, and labor isn't too intensive. I personally have Verbus
bolts, and while I could have had them replaced, with my engine so high up
in mileage I have to worry about oil dripping into the hole during
replacement and causing vacuum lock of the bolt when it's installed,
preventing removal. So I've just left them alone.

The "es" had a few M-Technik parts from the factory, including the seats,
front and rear spoilers, steering wheel, and suspension. Those stripes on
the steering wheel are factory, but the knob and M-badge on the back are
classic signs of the previous owner being an "M-wannabe" and having added
those himself/herself. I'd keep the knob - they're kinda nice, but the M
badges on the exterior are tacky, IMHO.

My last bit of advice is to have a qualified mechanic check the car out.
It's only about $50, and provides serious peace of mind to your purchase.
Sounds like you checked it out yourself pretty good though, and it sounds
like a winner. Good luck and (hopefully) welcome to the "eta" fold!

John C. Hanes
1986 325es 162k 
JC sharked/K&N/Bilstein/PBR/Ansa Sport
Borbet "H"/225 RE71's/custom "BL/SS"
NJ BMWCCA #149905

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