Re: <e28> Canadian version buying advice **Rob

["Rob Levinson" <always_coca-cola@xxxxxxx>]

My comments sprinked within...

Jason ( Jason9500@domain.elided ) wrote:

>Subject: <e28> Canadian version buying advice
>
>Okay here it goes. After doing a little searching for a new car for the
>girlfriend. Came across an 84 528e auto trans. Car is in okay shape. There
are
>a few things that bother me. The interior is a strange color scheme. It has
>what seems to be read leather but he the trim is a gray color.


        Lots of E28s have two-tone interiors... one color for the seats and
door panels, another color (usually black) for the dash and door panel top
edges.   My '85 happens to be monochromatic only because the seats, etc. are
black!


>The car is a
>Canadian version. (no cat. and Speedo is in km/h.).

    ...and probably heated seats and a 'reversed' fuel economy guage.



> There are a few questions I have about it. The transmission doesn't have
the
>switch fro sport economy or manual. Is this the transmission to watch out
for?

        Dunno... E28s with autos aren't as much fun ;-)


>I'm also curious about the instrument cluster. Can it just be changed with
an
>American version?

        Absolutely, the US guage cluster plugs right in... in fact, to get
it DOT-approved they may *require* you to change the guages (a friend of
mine went through that last year).


>Also the It has two light switches. What do they control?

        The '84 may have the last of the "euro" fog light switches that also
controls the rear fog light which won't be found on North American cars.  I
assume you're talking about another switch that is next to and similar to
the headlight switch?


>Well, any info on bringing a Canadian version car up to US specs would be
>appreciated.

        Other than the guages, cat, heated seats, fuel economy guage, the
cars are identical and no other changes are required for US certification.
BMWNA will supply a letter (if you ask very nicely) explaining to the
"authorities" that all the safety equipment (bumpers, side-impact
protection, seatbelts, glass) is the same.  In fact, Pat Donahue of the
NHTSA just put up a page on the NHTSA web site showing what cars can be
brought into the US and with what modifications.


- - Rob Levinson
'85 535i Turbo
'86 535i


www.shortshifter.com

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