1985 BMW M535i (euro import)

[Blairwershler]

1985 BMW M535i (euro import)

-220KM’s (Odo replaced so no longer accurate, but within 10K)
-Imported direct from Germany in 1995
-I am the 3rd owner in Canada
-Power windows, sunroof and mirrors
- ‘dirty’ euro motor (no cat)
-Getrag 265 5spd transmission (only on the 85’s)
-Factory optioned LSC Recaro seats in perfect condition (very rare option, actual Recaro’s not just the BMW sport seats)
-Located in Victoria BC

I undertook an OEM+ Restoration of this car over the last few years, replacing parts where the original showed any sign of wear.

Exterior condition is a 8 out of 10. It recently had a glass out trim off re-spray in factory Polaris Silver. No 80’s BMW has zero rust, but this one is close. All the body kit was removed, and any small issues were addressed. The paint job is not perfect however, the biggest blemish being a small crack in the paint on the pass side rear air extractor. New parts: euro fog lights, sunroof seals, trunk seal, roundels and badges, windshield wipers, plate lamps, plate mount bracket, and tow hook covers. The sale includes both a square set of e39 style 5’s with hub centric rings, and a period correct set of 15” style 5’s as well. Tires on the 15’s are good, tires on the 17’s need replacing.

Interior condition is a 9.5 out of 10. There are no rips, tears or burns, the seats are EXTREAMLY tight, with no sags, soft bolsters or the like. Has rear headrests. All interior functions work as intended. The exception is the factory air-conditioning system which I had removed. Euro model, so equipped with metric gauges and F+R fog lights, German check lights etc. New parts: ZHP weighted shift knob, led interior bulbs.

Engine condition is a 9 out of 10. Very clean M30 with no leaks . Head gasket done by PO about 25K ago. Regular oil changes, coolant flush’s. New parts: alternator, all belts, all sensors (I mean ALL), fuel injectors, ALL rubber fuel lines, spark plugs, spark plug wires, cap and rotor, coil, all vacuum lines, intake boot, PVC tubes, all new ceramic fuses. Also has short runner stainless headers, and a hand made 3” cat-less exhaust all stainless steel with mandrel bends. Yes, it sounds amazing, and still complies with ICBC’s collector plates program, or US import as this motor is factory equipped without a cat.

Transmission and driveline condition is a 8 out of 10. The uprated Sach’s clutch has about 25K on it now. 265 transmission shifts great, and had fresh fluid, as does the 3.25 LSD out back. New parts: UUC short shift kit with DSSR (really nice), drive shaft u joints, center support bearing and guibo, including new M535i specific rear diff mount. Overall driveline is extremely tight.

Brake condition is a 8 out of 10. I have not replaced the calipers or rotors as they were new when I got the car. Full brake fluid flush with DOT4 fluid. New parts: Stainless steel lines and pads at all 4 corners.

Front suspension is a 8 out of 10. Most wear components have been replaced in my care except the shocks and springs. New parts: upper and lower control arms, tie rod’s, center drag link, idler arm and bushing, sway bar end inks. If I were keeping it, I would change springs and shocks as they are getting a bit soft.

Rear suspension is a 8 out of 10. Most wear components have been replaced in my care except the shocks and springs. New parts: Sub frame bushings (the big ones), sway bar links, and rear diff mount.

Price is $20,000 CAD or $15,000 USD OBO

Pics: (more to be uploaded when the rain stops)

http://s32.photobucket.com/user/blairwe ... 0June%2015

Overall this vehicle is in fantastic condition, and drives as good as it looks. If the current condition is maintained, it will surly increase in value from here. Feel free to ask questions, and I can assist the buyer with a shipping quote if necessary. This is fully importable to the US as it is over 25yrs old, and was never equipped with cats from the factory.

[img]http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d45/b ... 53.jpg[img]

-- Added Apr 05, 2017 6:58 PM --

damn it, can't get the pics to work. Can someone update the link in the above post? thanks!

[freedspeak]

go to your photobucket and open the pics...right click the pic itself on a PC (some touch pads let you touch 2 fingers at the same exact time)...copy image address...come back here and edit the post...click the "Img" button in the bar...hold the control key while hitting v (pasting the image URL between the 2 inner brackets)..I did a few for ya... Guessing you typed out the image brackets as your close statement is missing the "/"...

should look like this..without the spaces after img inside the brackets-> [img ]http://blahblahblah-image-url[/img ] Nice looking car!

[twistinglane]

Hi Blair,
Nice car! In some earlier posts - I think about this car - you were asking about how to determine if it was a high or low compression Euro motor. Did you sort that out definitively? If so what was the key factor?
Thanks,
Paul

[Blairwershler]

My understanding is that for his version of the m30 there were 3 options depending on market:

1) high comp dirty motor
2) low comp dirty motor
3) low comp catalyst motor

This particular car having option 2, low comp but no cats or o2 sensor.

Thanks!

[wkohler]

There were two motors.

10:1 compression without a cat
8:1 compression with a cat.

In your photo of the engine, I can see the o2 sensor connector in the harness, so you have the 8:1 with a cat. VIN should start WBADC51...



That green wire is the signal wire for the o2 sensor. 10:1 motor cars don't have o2 sensors.

[Blairwershler]

Yes, except it's not hooked up to anything, the harness is the same regardless of engine type. This is a DC61 per the vin. Thanks!

[wkohler]

Yes, except it's not hooked up to anything, the harness is the same regardless of engine type. This is a DC61 per the vin. Thanks!

You're wrong as 10:1 cars with the 061 ECU don't have that. DC61 means it started as a low compression automatic, so the manual transmission and related parts are not original to the car.

[maybeillbuyit]

[Blairwershler]

Forgive me i stand corrected. The car is a dc51, so LHD manual with catalyst. However it's running an 061 Ecu since importation, so no O2 sensor. I suppose that means there is a possibility it's had a high comp motor swapped in, but not really sure how to verify this. Thanks for the info

[cgraff]

1. Pictures of 061 ECU please.

2. Outside VIN, the only way to check what compression the motor is to use a borescope and visually inspect the tops of the pistons. You can remove a spark plug and do that. Alternatively is to check the S/N stamp on the block. That's on the flat machined surface above the starter. The S/N stamp will tell you from what car a particular motor came from. Some motors have it, some don't. I've heard some motors may have embossed the internal BMW motor code (like you have on the VIN tag, which in the low comp case be 34 6K A).



-Chris Graff
http://www.m535i.org

[wkohler]

Flat over the starter on pretty much everything after E12s has an 8 digit code that doesnt correspond to the VIN.

[cgraff]

Flat over the starter on pretty much everything after E12s has an 8 digit code that doesnt correspond to the VIN.

I've seen early 80s euro market motors with the body S/N stamped. My DC51 motor does have that 8 digit code that's internal to BMW records, however.

[BradM]

Is this a JDM with a 5speed swap?

[wkohler]

Is this a JDM with a 5speed swap?

No. DC51. DC89 are Japanese. Also, OP said it was imported from Germany.

[twistinglane]

If the OP wants to check the pistons, using a boroscope or just with a feeler, the high compression (piano top) and low compression (with an indentation in the middle) should be easy to distinguish. I just looked this up. So any corrections appreciated.

[Blairwershler]

Update:

Car is running an 061 ecu, and the plate above the starter says:

42273657
34 6K A

Any thoughts on what this means the engine is? Might have to buy a bore scope...

[wkohler]

K means Kat or Catalyst so 8:1 motor. 061 is the wrong ECU unless someone changed pistons. The 8 digit number won't tell you anything without access to whatever database that info is in.

[Blue Shadow]

Does the Green non-cat car run an 059? Seems like it should use something without a requirement for the otwo sensor but the green no-cat was a cat ready vehicle. what are the codes for that option in the VIN?