wkohler wrote:Care to share some of the details on how/where you found the 525i, condition, etc and what you did to get it to the condition it's in now? It's a stunning car.
Well to make the long history short, I purchased this car from a friend that imported the 525i on 2004 to Canada, after looking for a wile trying to find a nice example but basic e28 that he didn’t have to do anything to the body and mechanical as much. After he received his acceptance to New Zealand as an emigrant on 2005, he contacted me and he wanted to sale his car, so I wrote him a cheque and picked up the 525i on end of September beginning of October area on 2005.
The car was bone stock with few options, such as A/C, ABS. there was no sunroof which I really like, and electric front window and manual rear windows. Also, this car came with blue color comfort seats interior but almost like new, the original mileage when the car was landed in Canada was 79 k Kilometers or just shy of 50 K miles, and according to Mike (previous owner), the car was stored in dry storage for long period of time.
After I took ownership of the car on 2005, I began to analyze the car and figure out what needs to be done and the order of the work so I would make this car a project / hobby kind of thing that I could work on it over the years.
I started with mechanical, freshened all new front end and rear components and bushings then the following year replaced all the suspension components and added thicker sway bars from suspension techniques the year after that I did complete M5 interior and door panels, and the year after I replaced all the brake master cylinder and related parts including adding the complete M6 front and rear calipers and the front spoiler, lighting and many other parts and details that listing it would make two or tree pages. Also at the same time I tuned the 2.5 M30 to its max out put that was from 150 hp factory to175 /180 HP buy replacing the throttle with the bigger diameter and an exhaust so the car could breathe and exhale better and freely. But I know I will eventually change the motor anyway but at the time was fun to play with it.
Bear in mind that the body was 100% but exterior paint was 8 out of 10 and it was all original and in great condition, so I contacted my good friend at Autobahn detailing shop and I took the car there and I explain as what I am looking for and also he knows my level of perfection, so after a week I got the car back and it looked awesome and so shinny and immaculate that I couldn’t believe my eyes, so I was really happy with the result and his work.
Having done all the work till 2009, I decided that the best engine to complement all the previous work would have to be a S54, so begin to research about the S54 application on the net and where ever that I could find useful info till I hooked up with Stance Factory and the rest is history. They did the engine, tranny, diff and the costume exhaust which is work of art and nothing less short of that.
It took me 7 years to complete this project and shit load of money, but at the same time I had fun every moment that I work on this car and I am so happy to see my final vision and my interoperation of an e28 that to is price less.
And thank you to all for recognizing this unique project as it turned out to be.
Love this car. Glad I got to see it (and you) at Vintage this year. Keep on rocking!
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