So Cal e28 M5 for sale ***SOLD***

[TurboChris]

Well, I've gone and done it. I listed my M5 on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161606805210?fo ... =#viTabs_0

I have too many toys and after almost 5 years of love...it just isn't getting driven much anymore so it's off to eBay to see what it's worth. I set the reserve at $20k... run the auction once or twice and see where the bidding goes to try to determine the value before adjusting my price.

Having a Audi, a lifted Suburban, a mini van and three motorcycles (not including my gfriends SUV) it'll free up some much needed room in the garage if it sells. It's been a hellva ride.

I cut & pasted the text from the ad for those too lazy to click on the link....but check out the ad if you want to see pics.





1988 E28 M5

Original & Lifetime So Cal Car - Incredible Condition - Well Taken Care Of - Needs Nothing!

Wow, where do I start? This car was / is a true labor of love. I've spared no expense since I bought it in 2010 to make it the best possible example of what is a very rare car. There are not a lot of them left and this one needs nothing but a new owner. If I told you this car had 50,000 miles on it you would believe it by looking at it in person. It's a clean.......rust free, never lived outside California, perfectly driving example, the likes of which are not seen much anymore. They didn't import a lot of these....only 1239 to US specs according to the BMW M Registry. How many are left after 27 years?? Not nearly as many I'm sure.


Partial List of Mods

• Bilstein Sport Shocks
• Spax Springs
• Racing Dynamics Strut Bar
• Frank Fahey Crank Hub
• Frank Fahey Cam Sprocket
• Timing Chain / Guides Update
• Jim Conforti Chip
• Split Second Mass Air Conversion
• Lightened Flywheel
• UUC Short Shifter
• M Tech Steering Wheel
• M Tech Rear View Mirror
• Alpine iDA-X305 Stereo (Bluetooth / XM / Ipod)
• Infinity Amps / SubWoofer
• Clarion EQ
• Focal K2 Speakers / Tweeters Front and Back
• Custom Subwoofer Enclosure with Sub in Trunk
• Style 42 BBS Wheels
• Euro Headlights with wipers & Euro Grill
• Euro Front & Rear Bumpers with M Tech Body Kit
• 540i Rear Brake Calipers
• Rear Window Shade
• Rear Head Rests
• Saab Glass MoonRoof Conversion
• Hardwired for Valentine One Radar Detector

I bought this car and did a "baseline" as I do with all my projects. This included a thorough inspection and a full detail.

The engine runs beautifully and there are ZERO odd noises or sounds or anything of that nature. It runs exactly as it should and makes a ton of power.....driving it is a true pleasure and this car is a perfect example of everything the S38 is famous for. The oil is changed every 3500-4000 miles. It's never driven hard till it's warmed up. The BMW S38 engine is truly a wonder. Don't be fooled by naysayers who claim it's a maintenance queen.....it's NOT true. These motors are TOUGH and were built to LAST. There are TONS of examples with way over 200,000 miles that just won't die. I know of more than one that has bested 300,000 miles. A rebuild is not cheap.....but this isn't a car to be bought and have lots of miles piled on Anyway. Buy it...drive it on the weekends and to the meets and there are many years left in this engine. Don't believe me? Google is your friend as is the M5board and mye28 board. Research it and you will find that it's true. With the right upkeep / upgrades (which this HAS had) these cars are good to go.

The Split Second Mass Air Conversion (https://splitsec.com/product/maf-kit-e28-m5-a/) mades a big difference on the S38's. The basic setup was easy....but the first time it was smogged using it was tough. It has a lot of adjust ability and was labeled a "Gross Polluter" because it took several attempts until the right combination of settings was achieved and everything was optimized. We welded in a bung to the exhaust and using a Innovate Motorsports wide band Air / Fuel meter dialing it in was easy. Now it passes smog with no problem. I highly recommend the Split Second MAF kit and the Innovate LM2. The catalytic converter has less than 5000 miles on it.


I took the car 100 miles from OC to San Diego to Jim's Upholstery (Best BMW upholstery shop in the business!) and had them work their magic. Front seats (and back of seats) and rear seats and all headrests now sport brand new leather. It still smells like a new car...I love the smell of that leather. The devil is in the details here. The texture, the color, right down to the size of string and style of stitching is OEM quality. It's as good as it gets! And at about $2000, not cheap.

As I am a music lover, It has a NICE Alpine iDA-X305 stereo that automatically plays the music off my Spotify (or whatever) on my phone as soon as I enter the vehicle. The bluetooth for the phone works as good as the factory bluetooth on my new Audi. I added Infinity Amps and a custom made sub enclosure that fits in the trunk (blends in so nice you would ever know it was there by looking). You can see the Clarion EQ that is mounted (with velcro) to the center console next to the seat. And of course what good is a quality sound system without proper speakers? So I used Focal K2's in the front and also in the rear using Focal crossovers. I have over $3000 in the stereo and Yes, it sounds amazing. I am very happy with the stereo. I also have a second unused faceplate/controller as the one that came with the Alpine didn't match the console electronics color that well. Now it does.

I have a stack of receipts 4" tall.....going back 20 years or more. This is a well documented car. Additionally......I am a long standing member of the mye28.com forum. I purchased it from another mye28.com member as did he before him. So this car has been owned by enthusiasts for a LONG time. If you don't know mye28.com and are serious about a e28 M5 or any e28 BMW......You are missing out on what is probably the best resource on the web for these cars. This car is also listed in the BMWM5 registry. http://www.bmwmregistry.com/detail.php?id=9836

This car starts on the first turn of the key....regardless of how long it's sat. The Interstate battery is 2 years old and the car is always on a Battery Tender. It never sits outside. There are ZERO odd noises or vibrations...there is NO BMW 50mph shimmy what so ever. The Steering box has been reinforced with the MWrench dowel and bolt fix. http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=63659 But let me be clear....there was NO failure of the steering box of ANY kind..this was done as a preventative measure and was also part of the process to completely rid the car of the famous 50 mph shimmy as was replacing all the bushings etc. I'd like to think that what sets this car apart from the crowd is the attention to detail. Little things like the keyless entry that was added or the George Graves module so the lights dim out rather than just shut off when you close the doors. Or the 3 flash turn signal upgrade (like the new cars - just momentarily tap the turn signal stalk left or right and you get three flashes from your signals) that my brother sells on his website http://www.davebarton.com. Speaking of my brother...he is VERY well known in the Volvo enthusiast community and has developed many other upgrades and manufactures and sells wiring harness's for classic Volvos. We (OK, I'll admit...mostly he) rewired my Euro headlamps all the way back to the the alternator with new heavy duty wiring and new OEM connectors (that he sells) to the alternator (including his adjustable regulator that he sells) and were thus able to install high wattage bulbs. H1 100 watts Luks Bulbs and H4 100/90 Luks bulbs. I also have NIB spare sets of both. Seriously......probably one of my favorite things about this car now are the headlamps. They are the finest light producing headlamps I've EVER owned. Better than the HID's on my Audi, or the HID's that were on my 2006 BMW or my 2001 TT Porsche. They are outstanding and VERY impressive. And no, they do NOT blind oncoming traffic....unless you hit the hi beams......then it's game over....and with the adjustable regulator, your voltage never drops down low even with the stereo and lights. It's a NICE set up.

Also the rear headrests........the rear sunscreen......the armrest..I replaced the seatbelt receptacles, the leather on the seatbacks....to me it's all about the attention to detail.

You know, thinking about it.....the Euro lamps are probably not my favorite thing about this M5......it would actually have to be the MTech Euro front and rear bumper treatment. I'm just not a fan of the "Diving Board" North America mandated bumpers for these cars. The Euro bumpers make this car how it was designed. And they are BEAUTIFUL. They were installed when I bought the car but they were't perfectly aligned. It took all day in the garage but now they are properly installed and perfect. And boy do they just make this car look "Right". I also have the side pieces......in black......but I never got around to installing them. This is NOT a cheap upgrade. Ask around....parts and install are north of $3000.

I installed Spax Springs and Bilstein Sport Shocks front and rear for the perfect stance AND while firm....it is NOT a jarring "lowered" style ride....it really is impressive. Very comfortable and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across country.

The rear brakes are from a BMW 540i and the pads have a couple thousand miles on them at most. And the front are e34 M5 calipers with equally new pads.....2000 miles at the MOST. Suffice it to say....the braking on this car is phenomenal.


The wheels are BMW Style 42's (Made by BBS) bought NEW for THIS car $$$, They have less than 10,000 miles on them and are in PERFECT condition. The tires are 235/40-17 Goodyear Eagle F1's have about 1000 miles on them. There is ZERO rubbing or touching. These are GREAT tires. Wheel / tires ran about $2500

I only use 20w50 VR-1 Racing oil for the added Zinc and will throw in a case to the buyer and have 3-6 extra Mann oil filters as I buy them in quantity.

ALL the period correct tools are present in the trunk ($$$)

The interior (IMO) is a SOLID 9.8 out of a 10. There are 2 SMALL cracks on the dash (see pics) but they were there when I bought the car in 2010 and have NOT increased in size.

The paint is very good to excellent. - (see the reflections in the paint in the pics) I did have the hood resprayed by the same paint shop that did work on my TT Porsche, my 06 BMW M5 and my 66 Mustang Fastback. All three of those cars were also sold on ebay to very satisfied buyers as you can see by my feedback. I only did it as there were some rock chips and some hard water spotting and it was just not up to my standard and was part of my baselining. They do perfect work as you can tell by the photos. ALL VIN stickers are present.

Of course there are some imperfections as can be expected with a car of this age...a couple super small marks, a couple of dings and I believe one scratch that about 2 inches long.....the rear spoiler is ever so slightly weathered (although I may refurbish it if I get time...not difficult to do) but this is a rust free, original SoCal car and it presents VERY well. I was even invited to a local BMW only car show (ArchiesFest) a couple years ago as they had classic Euro examples up front and center and needed a nice M5 to round it out.....see the photos....that's mine next to the M1.

When I first purchased this M5, I daily drove it for about a year while I added my touch, baselined it and made it as nice as I could. Since then I only drive it a couple times times a month and to the occasional vintage BMW meet. It's PERFECTLY sorted as it sits right now....if you're looking at this and you are anywhere in the continental United States......I would encourage you to fly in and DRIVE it home. I've done it several times with cars that I've purchased and it makes for one heck of a road trip.

I had a PPI done at Coast Motor Werks in Huntington Beach CA (http://coastmotorwerk.com/) when I bought it (5 years and about 7500 miles ago) and I'll try to dig it up if I can. At that time the owner of Coast stated that the compression test and leakdown were within spec given it's age and mileage. I think there was mention of weeping on the powersteering pump as well which is a common. I will cooperate with and would encourage anyone thinking of buying this or any M5 to do a PPI through a reputable mechanic (like Coast Motor Werks) knowledgeable about vintage BMW's.

[indycar89]

Nice - good luck with sale!

What is the arm rest thingy you have there?

[Drew in NYC]

Only a matter of time before this shows up on BaT, which will generate even more interest. You have one of the nice ones- GLWS!

[TurboChris]

Thanks! That's a Husco Armrest/cupholder....they are somewhat rare but Dexter (the PO) found one and had it recovered to match.

Nice - good luck with sale!

What is the arm rest thingy you have there?

[TurboChris]

Only a matter of time before this shows up on BaT, which will generate even more interest. You have one of the nice ones- GLWS!

Thanks!

[MicahO]

Hi Chris - I'm bummed to see this, only because I'm bummed to see a great owner leaving the fold.

Yours is a very nice example, so obviously there will be a lot of interest in where the car sells. For what it's worth, I don't think your reserve is at all unrealistic, and we get to see how much higher the pricing goes from there.

I hope it goes to a good home - Good luck with the sale ---

[tig]

Nice ad (and coolant overflow tank)! GLWS.

[HealeyBN7]

Chris,

Your car looks great and prices are up. If you want to run it a few times, I would increase your reserve... If bidding stalls just over $20K, someone is going to get a great deal on a very well maintained M5 and likely flip it. I would rather see you rewarded for your stewardship, then a shady dealer.

Dean

[Snoopy11]

GLWS!

Car looks great for its age and the listing is very thorough.
I thought those wheels were 18"?

[Karl Grau]

This is probably one of the top five 'for sale' ads ever. If only people could be even a tenth this detailed.

Good luck, and I hope the selling price exceeds the reserve.
Until I saw Dexter mentioned, I was always uncertain if it was you or 'S38 Mike' that ended up with the M-tech kit that had been on my car.

Again, good luck and here's a shot of that same M-Tech kit when it was on my car.

[OcCoupe]

That's a great picture of you.

[TurboChris]

That's a great picture of you.

Hey Mike! PM me your address....I have a replacement waterpump hose Tee to send you......

[alluvium]

Looks Great Mike. I happen to be in the market for an 88 M5. I drove a new one back in 88 and finally bought a 930 Porsche. I have never regretted it but I loved that sedan, it was great!. Hey, I am in Oceanside. I would like my mechanic, Hans(of course!) of German Autowerke do an inspection of the car. E-mail me back and see when we can arrange that. I will also check out the e-bay.

[TurboChris]

Unfortunately, Oceanside is too far. Over an hour each way to drop it off and then again to pick it up? If you're serious about the car PM me and we can chat. There is a VERY qualified shop not that far away from me. Coast Motor Werks in HB. Google them if you're interested or I'm sure if you posted you could get plenty of referrals for good shops local to Costa Mesa.

Chris

Looks Great Mike. I happen to be in the market for an 88 M5. I drove a new one back in 88 and finally bought a 930 Porsche. I have never regretted it but I loved that sedan, it was great!. Hey, I am in Oceanside. I would like my mechanic, Hans(of course!) of German Autowerke do an inspection of the car. E-mail me back and see when we can arrange that. I will also check out the e-bay.

[oldskool]

That's the way to do it, and I want IT!

[alluvium]

I will look into that. Grew up in Newport Beach. I trust Hans. He has already cautioned me not to buy your car with 217K miles with no work on the engine. see how your e-bay goes, it may be a moot point. Just so you know, I do not trust e-bay auctions and do not participate in them.

[TurboChris]

I will look into that. Grew up in Newport Beach. I trust Hans. He has already cautioned me not to buy your car with 217K miles with no work on the engine. see how your e-bay goes, it may be a moot point. Just so you know, I do not trust e-bay auctions and do not participate in them.

He's probably right....this is probably not the car for you.

Cheers

[alluvium]

Good luck on e-bay! I was considering it for a once a week driver . Like you, if I want to go crazy, I have a turbo Porsche or 1M to drive off into the sunset with. Prices have just gotten way too crazy to jump knowingly into a car that is going to be a mini black hole for maintenance. My 930 Porsche is now selling for three times for what I bought it new for. I would never pay that price for it. Hans said if I bought it every time I brought it in for a problem it would be about 2K in costs. I have already my share of restorations, repairs, maintenance, etc. and have promised my wife no more(which I break at least once a year)

cheers to u too

[HealeyBN7]

Prices have just gotten way too crazy to jump knowingly into a car that is going to be a mini black hole for maintenance.

I know I should hold my tongue, but that statement above might win an InterWeb award.

I bought my M5 with just under 95K miles and put an additional 200K with little to no repairs. I did replace the alternator and water pump, but the clutch, trans, head, ITBs, ECU, and all the unique M5 bits are solid and well engineered. It still looks great and gets plenty of attention. There were no $2K bills. Worrying about stepping into a maintenance black hole, even with 200K on the clock is insanely uninformed. Just before 300K, I opted to pull out my engine for a full rebuild, so what does the "black hole" look like? Well, the bores still have the original cross hashing, valves are all tight and seal well, cams are great, the crank and bearings look like new. The timing components, which folks fret about were still in remarkably good condition having never been replaced. There was no mechanical reason I could not have driven it another 100K. If you relegated it to once-a-week driving it would be (100,000/(50 miles per week x 50 weeks)) 40 years before you had to tear it down.

Hans said if I bought it every time I brought it in for a problem it would be about 2K in costs.

Hans sounds like he knows his customers

Good luck with your search.

Dean

[alluvium]

I prefer honesty over sarcasm. The bulk of information reflects a high maintence cost.

[BimmerSultan]

I prefer honesty over sarcasm. The bulk of information reflects a high maintence cost.

Probably time to reflect on what you may or may not actually know...which is to include your audience when speaking ridiculously. You've been here a total of what, two weeks? Relax and learn something. Either you want to pursue a car or not based on info you've obtained from your own sources. Keep the other crap in PM's because it won't change what the car is going to sell for when the right buyer for it comes around.

Dueces

[Karl Grau]

I bought my M5 in the summer of '07 with 285,000ish miles. It had the timing chain and timing chain guides done as a preventative right before my purchase. It hit 300,000 a quarter of the way into a thousand mile roadtrip in the summer of 2013. In the 7 & 1/2 years I've owned it, I've replaced the axle boots, the fuel hose from the tank to the charcoal canister, dogbones and a oil cooler line. I also had the injectors rebuilt. So including oil and filter changes, I figure it's been costing me somewhere around $60.00 a year in maintenance.

[48230M5]

Nice car! GLWS. Glad to see prices are going up, unfortunately after I sold my car.

Question: Did you relocate the seat heater switches to the dash? If so, why? Just curious...

[HealeyBN7]

Didn't take long for this to end up on BAT...

http://bringatrailer.com/2015/02/21/eur ... 88-bmw-m5/

Dean

[TurboChris]

Nice car! GLWS. Glad to see prices are going up, unfortunately after I sold my car.

Question: Did you relocate the seat heater switches to the dash? If so, why? Just curious...

Yes, Dexter (the P.O.) did that because when he mounted the arm rest it made access to them harder.

[TurboChris]

Didn't take long for this to end up on BAT...

http://bringatrailer.com/2015/02/21/eur ... 88-bmw-m5/

Dean

The comments are pretty funny.......I especially like this guy.......

Feb 22 at 1:38 AM
Ur-JT

A 200k+ mile e28 M5 with a factory body kit generally thought of as overwrought, and reserve nit met at 17k? If anything is speaking here it is the seller’s detachment from reality, not “the market”

[LarryM]

The comments are pretty funny.......I especially like this guy.......

Feb 22 at 1:38 AM
Ur-JT

A 200k+ mile e28 M5 with a factory body kit generally thought of as overwrought, and reserve nit met at 17k? If anything is speaking here it is the seller’s detachment from reality, not “the market”

[/quote]

Yeah, especially with the bidding currently at $22K with two days left...

[Pavel]

Didn't take long for this to end up on BAT...

http://bringatrailer.com/2015/02/21/eur ... 88-bmw-m5/

Dean

The comments are pretty funny.......I especially like this guy.......

Feb 22 at 1:38 AM
Ur-JT

A 200k+ mile e28 M5 with a factory body kit generally thought of as overwrought, and reserve nit met at 17k? If anything is speaking here it is the seller’s detachment from reality, not “the market”

The crowds on BaT are funny, and very "educated".

[TurboChris]

Well, after getting the financing approved the buyer has come back and stated that his wife won't allow him to follow through. It's eBay so it's not surprising....just sucks that now if I relist it....I won't have the much added exposure of it coming out on BaT during the auction. I've offered it to the highest bidders at $22,000 so we'll see what happens over the next 24 hours. Wish me luck. Other wise I'll be relisting it.

One good thing.....the place he financed it through (Woodside Credit) did a $300.00 appraisal with a local to me guy, who apparently (according to him) is well known.....at least it sounds impressive....he appraised it at $25,000 FWIW. I'll put the pdf up on the net and post the link later.

[Drew in NYC]

Is it too late to submit it as a BaT auction?