FS: 1986 BMW 524TD $2200

[IsaacDW]

I have always been a diesel enthusiast; the list of superlatives related to the 524TD is irresistible. Having previously owned, maintained, and improved three 80’s Mercedes-Benz diesels, I was ready to have the fastest, most powerful, and most coveted diesel of that era.

Sadly, shortly after purchasing this very uncommon BMW just over a month ago, the rigors of my college semester and a recent medical issue have made in necessary to let it go.

I am the third owner of this car; a doctor in Paducah, KY originally purchased it. The second owner drove it daily and kept it meticulously maintained. However, five or six years ago, he parked it outside of his house where it sat until a month ago. I purchased it in non-running condition with the full intent to bring it back to its original state and drive it daily. After towing it home, inspecting it thoroughly, and doing the necessary work to prepare it to be started, it fired right up.

The car starts, runs and drives flawlessly. The 2.4 liter six cylinder M21D24 turbo-diesel engine is incredibly smooth and much quieter than the other diesels of this era. The turbocharger spools quickly and has no shaft play. There has never been WVO in run in this engine (can cause major problems if not done properly), and there are no leaks. The transmission shifts fluidly and the car accelerates assertively. There are no shakes, squeaks, rattles, or unusual vibrations. The body is straight and rust free with the exception of a small ding on the lip the passenger side rear fender, and some patches of nonstructural rust below the trunk floor mat. Due to its years of neglect, the rear passenger window has fallen down and allowed the elements to damage parts of the rear upholstery. All glass is intact and in good condition, but there are two small rock pecks that could be easily mended by any auto glass vendor. The dash has cracks and the instrument cluster does not work fully.

The car is in drivable condition as it sits, but with a few hours of attention, this can be restored to excellent condition.

In the trunk, there are two unused full-sized spares on the factory alloy wheels, as well as a box full of maintenance items including, oil filters, gaskets, a timing belt and a belt tensioner. I have the original manual, service booklet, radio pamphlet (with security codes), and other papers from the dealership. I have the original keys and a clear title. The odometer reads 159,077 but I would not trust its accuracy.

All parts that could possibly be required in the future can be found from several online vendors (Advance Auto Parts, Rock Auto, AutohausAZ, etc), and there are several well populated online forums with vast amounts of information.

I have taken many, many photos and they can be found at:

http://s597.photobucket.com/albums/tt58 ... W%20524TD/


I have also taken a video of a 30-degree cold start and an engine vibration test:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKnk3eeqjIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrpwjsUbF3U

The car is located just South of Bolivar, TN, 1.5 hours from Memphis, and 3 hours from Nashville.

$2200

The price is negotiable, I am open to offers.

[Frybrid 524td]

Any idea what that hammering sound is starting at 1:00? Are the two motor mounts intact?

It looks like all of your glow plugs are not currently working. The orange warm-up light shows that the plugs are getting current but if all six were operational, the green start light would illuminate once the warm-up cycle completed. It'd be very cheap and easy to replace the dead glow plugs and that should drastically reduce the cranking time. Alternatively, the green light in the cluster may just be burned out. Either way, this is good stuff to pass on to a potential buyer if you do not want to replace the glow plugs yourself.

Best of luck with the sale.

[IsaacDW]

I'm fairly confident that the sound is resultant of the injectors being cold and not opening and closing as they should. That was the only time I have ever heard the engine make that sound.

I am confident that the motor mounts are intact and holding the engine securely.The engine is incredibly smooth regardless of speed or load.

It is probably equally likely that either the engine has a dead glow plug(s) or that the indicator light is non functional. Since my time with the car is very limited, I will be certain to pass that information along to any potential buyers.

Thanks!

[IsaacDW]

Sold.

[Greg E34]

Sold.

Glad to have had the opportunity to meet both IssacDW and Corner Carver last week.

[Corner Carver]

Sold.

Glad to have had the opportunity to meet both IssacDW and Corner Carver last week.

Yeah! Thanks again Greg for bird dogging it for me. I couldn't have done it without you. (in more ways than I'd foreseen :cough: fan clutch wrench :cough:)
The car turned out to be everything I had hoped and for the right price. Tennessee was every bit as nice as I remember.
Thanks Isaac. The car was an exemplary performer on the drive back, it really enjoyed the freeway. The drive train is in really good shape. Up until now I've only had one other opportunity to drive a 524td. This road trip was long and gave me plenty of time to get familiar with the M21. It's not quite what I expected. It's got more zip. And in an e28 chassis, it's down right fun! However, the old dry rotted injector return hose decided to leak through and the fuel mileage went in the shitter. I did get 35mpg on the first tank, then I started smelling diesel. She's a really cool car. I have been wanting a diesel for a while now and she is the perfect candidate for my plans. She's up getting a new suspension right now. I will get some pics up soon.

[DieselBoost]

Any idea what that hammering sound is starting at 1:00? A

as IsaacDW said... that is clearly caused by injectors.