Highest Mileage e28?

General conversations about BMW E28s and the people who own them.
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davintosh
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Highest Mileage e28?

Post by davintosh »

Bragging Time! If you have an e28 with more than 300,000 miles, comment below to tell us how many miles are on your car and a little about it.

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A post on FB had some kid with a 200k mile e34 535i commenting about the oil he used in it; 5W40, and bragging about how the car loved it. He didn’t seem to appreciate being corrected on what he should be using, defending his choice by saying it only leaks a little, and doesn’t burn any. Well, Sonny, that’s not the big concern. But I digress, and have absolutely no desire to start another discussion about oil!

But that got me to thinking about how many people here who have managed to keep their cars running for decades with proper maintenance. A search led me to a few decade-plus-old threads, one with comments from RonW about his 535 with about that many thousand miles on it. But that was from 2013. I’m pretty sure that Ron kept his going to at least 555,555 because I used the photo of his odometer in the calendar. I think I heard that he retired that car, but by now there ought to be some others that have hit some serious milestones as well.

I won’t mention mine since (as far as I know) it doesn’t even have 100k on it.
Tiit
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Tiit »

I bought my 535i 6 years ago with odo stopped at 400 000 km. (250 000 miles). No idea when the odo stopped and how much driven since. I've put on maybe 20 000km.
Mike W.
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Mike W. »

I had 330K on mine when I sold it years ago and from smog test history it appeared to have gone at least another 4 years past that. But I'm just a piker, I think Jim E and RonW both have over 500K on theirs, and I think ShawnD is at least pushing, if not way over 400K.

Don't know who has the record, but those are up there.
stuartinmn
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by stuartinmn »

davintosh wrote: Dec 31, 2023 3:55 PM I won’t mention mine since (as far as I know) it doesn’t even have 100k on it.
Wow, that's pretty unusual in this day and age - that amounts to only a few thousand miles a year.

I forget the exact number but my car has 220,000 or so on the odometer, so it's no where close to the record either.
Chimi-Changa
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Chimi-Changa »

I bet Ahab will win this... :D
vinceg101
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by vinceg101 »

Not an E28, but Ray in Phoenix just rolled 445K earlier this month on his E24.
He bought it with 365K on it.

(My E28 rolled 206K in November, so I have a while before it gets to 300K).
Ray in Phoenix
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Ray in Phoenix »

Thanks Vince,
My E28 has about 300,00o on it, but quit keeping track when I put in the Euro cluster....
Doing a B35 conversion, so it really does not matter....
As for the my Euro E24,,, she is a beast, and I can not take credit for most of the miles, and am
hoping SoCal Vintage does the year of the E24's in 2024, and she will be at the event.
I am hoping to pull in with 450,000 miles at that time.
Ray in Phoenix.
Shawn D.
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Shawn D. »

The original engine in my '86 535i called it quits at 488K. That's not "babied" miles, either.
Mike W.
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Mike W. »

Shawn D. wrote: Dec 31, 2023 11:14 PM The original engine in my '86 535i called it quits at 488K. That's not "babied" miles, either.
I thought you had one of the high mileage ones.

So, just how did the engine call it quits? More on the earlier M30s, but the heads are to me the weak link, but I wouldn't call a head problem calling it quits. :dunno:
Shawn D.
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Shawn D. »

Mike W. wrote: Dec 31, 2023 11:39 PM
Shawn D. wrote: Dec 31, 2023 11:14 PM The original engine in my '86 535i called it quits at 488K. That's not "babied" miles, either.
I thought you had one of the high mileage ones.

So, just how did the engine call it quits? More on the earlier M30s, but the heads are to me the weak link, but I wouldn't call a head problem calling it quits. :dunno:
The timing chain decided to no longer be a loop.
austin8753
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by austin8753 »

i parted an '82 528e out a few years ago at 719k miles. i saved the speedometer, somewhere... odometer still counted, though the car had been off the road since 2007. lot of miles to cover in 25 years.
davintosh
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by davintosh »

austin8753 wrote: Jan 01, 2024 4:45 AM i parted an '82 528e out a few years ago at 719k miles. i saved the speedometer, somewhere... odometer still counted, though the car had been off the road since 2007. lot of miles to cover in 25 years.
That’s averaging almost 28,000 miles a year! Pretty awesome, and with an M20…
Mdreamer
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Mdreamer »

My parents bought my car new in 1985 and its odometer stopped about 10 years ago at 34x,xxx miles. The car has been off the road the last year and a half, but I've had the cluster rebuilt, so once it is back on the road the miles will continue to rise after the hiatus. For what it is worth, I estimate about 20,000 miles to have been added by me in the last five years or so.
jyl
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by jyl »

My 1986 535i has 364,XXX miles. Almost all by the original owner - it was a one-owner car when I bought it not that long ago. Hoping to see 500,XXX under my ownership!
Galahad
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Re: Highest Mileage e28?

Post by Galahad »

The diesel I just parted had a bit over 343k. Pity to see it go, but the body was really bad and the good parts live on
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