[E34] re: '90 or '91 525i

[Knute Ream <knute@xxxxxxxxx>]

BnglowBill writes: (NOTE: It's a lot more hospitable to sign a name...)
>Looking in the paper here (Houston, TX) there seems to be a lot of
>early 90 525i's for a pretty reasonable price (8-10K) with decent mileage.  Is
>anyone aware of problems with these models?  Is that a decent price?  Should I
>consider something else for the same money?

I can't authoritatively speak for the model change years in the rest of the
world, but in the US, the '91 was a marked change from the '90; that's when
the M20 engine (168HP, 12 valves) disappeared and the M50 engine (189 HP,
24 hydraulic valves, dedicated spark coil for each cylinder, etc. etc.)
became the standard.  That's one of the reasons you'll notice a price bump
for the 525i after 1990, but the extra power and lower maintenance are a
good investment, in my opinion.

While we're on the subject, (this has been discussed before but nobody
remembers it unless it actually applies to them at the time of reading) the
M50 engine didn't appear on the 3-series until the '92 model year; unlike
the 525i, the '91 3-series still sported the more anemic M20.

As far as whether a '91+ 525i is a good car for the money?  I like mine...
I curse the door brake on the driver's side that keeps wanting to self
destruct, but the rest of the maintenance has been pretty run of the mill.
(Very dependable, comfortable to drive, and while not an M3 is reasonably
peppy with a 5sp manual and a JimC chip)

I didn't like the stock suspension, so I slapped in a Dinan Stage 1 (whoa,
there, bubbas!) and I've been thrilled with the improvement.  Takes all the
wallow out, and really minimizes dive & squat while preserving a reasonably
comfortable ride.

Standard E34 wear items and upgrades should be considered:  put in the
750il thrust arm bushings to scare away the shimmy demons, check the guibo
(rubber flex disc in the drive line), give it some halfway decent tires,
and avoid the automatic if you have a choice.  (The manual is a lot
peppier, especially since these cars are _not_ torque monsters down low...
VaNoS, appearing in '93, was a partial solution to the lack of low end
torque, but the newer the car the higher the price and VaNoS isn't really
that big of a difference and does nothing to improve peak HP)

Hope that helps!

- -Knute
'92 525i
(PizzaFest II survivor - "I brought a knife to a gunfight")

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