FS: 1991 e34 ///M5 Jet Black in North FL (SOLD 1/9/12)

[Tim in N FL]

SOLD (as of 1/9/12) to a bonafide enthusiast. The buyer is a long-term BMW CCA and PCA member. He's also a PCA instructor who has over 10,000 track miles on his 1989 944 Turbo S. He and his wife flew in to Gainesville on 1/9/12 and began a tour up the east coast with stops planned in St. Simons Island, Savannah, Asheville NC, ToTD, with Harrisburg VA as the destination. They are delivering the car as a gift to their gearhead son who is attending college there at James Madison University. I believe the car will be in good hands. I end my ownership of the e34 M5 with a clean conscience and the satisfaction of having driven the car daily for about 12k miles in roughly 21 months. During that time, I took many spirited drives in the countryside, numerous road trips, and participated in the 2010 BMW CCA Oktoberfest / 5erFest at Road America where I autocrossed and TSD rallied the car. In the end, the e34 ///M5 left me favorably impressed with its overall appearance, design, build quality (i.e., last of the hand-assembled M5s) and performance. It does not feel as nimble and lithe as the e28 M5 seems to be but it is certainly capable. It is a superb road machine with some of the best factory sport seats I have yet to experience in any BMW to date. On the road trip to and from Wisconsin for Oktoberfest / 5erFest 2010, I spent many hours in that driver's seat without developing so-called "fanny fatigue." I hope the new owner(s) will enjoy it as much as I did. The odometer was at 185,407 miles when I handed over the keys. I have received my first report from the road and the owners seem to be thrilled with the car. Viva M5!

Thanks for your interest and support everyone.

Best,
Tim

Fellow Fiver Fan(atics),

LISTING UPDATED (10/28/11)

New pictures here (2/2011):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28110770@N ... 063206232/

As of March, I have moved on to another daily driver...a tastefully modified e46 Sport Touring (5spd manual). I have been very favorably impressed with the e34 M5 experience and would gladly own another one in the future. They are superb long-haul road cars with enviable build and design qualities. I would like for my ///M5 to go to another vintage 5er enthusiast so I am heavily marketing it here and on other BMW forums.

I've included some basic information (e.g., vehicle description, VIN, performance upgrades, price) and photos in the links below:

///M Registry Entry
http://www.bmwmregistry.com/detail.php?id=8480

Chronicle of my ~2500 mile 5erFest / O'Fest Odyssey in the ///M5 (August 2010)
http://picasaweb.google.com/timinnfl/5erFest2010#

Relevant History and Condition:
Maintenance has been performed by independent shops and by the car's enthusiast owners. I purchased the car from an enthusiast in VA who bought it from his BMW technician / independent shop owner in Alexandria, VA. This car was in his small collection of ///M cars and is still shown on the splash page of his shop's website...2nd from the left: www.martinmotorsportsinc.com .

Major work done in the past few years includes:
- Timing Chain Assembly (97k)
- Clutch and Flywheel (160k)
- Brake pads and Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors (130k)
- OE Water Pump (171k)
- Coolant reservoir (OE BMW)
- Thrust & Control Arms (177k)
- Tie-Rods (177k)
- OE Ignition Wires
- Bosch Cap & Rotor (~171k)
- S38b36 valve adjustment (~171k)
- Air Conditioning system upgraded (2009) -- works very well even considering the extreme Florida temps & humidity during the summer

Performance & Cosmetic Modifications include:
- H&R lowering springs
- Bilstein Sports
- Self Leveling Supsension Delete (note: sensor on rear trailing arm needs to be put into "service position" to prevent the "Suspension Leveling" MFD warning from coming on whenever 2 or more passengers and a full tank of fuel are present)
-e31 850 suspension bushings
- Turner Motorsport chip (+39hp +38tq 7500rpm rev limit)
- UUC Short Shifer (177k)
- UUC DSSR (177k)
- UUC "Rob Knob" Weighted Shift knob (177k)
- ///M-Sport Mirrors (OEM)
- e39 ///M5 low-profile rubber trunk lid spoiler (OE BMW)
- ///M-System "Throwing Star" wheel covers (I do not have the original "turbine" fans). (Note to ///M-Purists and peanut gallery residents: for some unknown reason, a previous owner installed 4 LEFT-side covers, as can been seen in the photo above and elsewhere in the photo documentation. I have recently purchased a pair of used LEFT-side covers that I will be including with the car.

I have performed the following work since I bought the car in April, 2010:
- New Radiator (OEM Nissens) and all cooling hoses
- New Drive belts (Continental)
- New Dog Bones (Lemforder)
- New Tires (Sumitomo HTR-Z)
- Brake Fluid change (SuperBlue)
- RF caliper rebuilt
- New Spark Plugs (Bosch OE)
- New Bosch O2 sensor
- New OE Mann Air Filter
- Half-shafts repacked and boots replaced
- New rubber shift "donut" (OE BMW)
- New OE BMW under tray (not yet installed)
- New Tail lamp gaskets (OE BMW)
- New Door Pull Surrounds (OE BMW)
- New Roundels (front & rear)
- New leather shift boot (installed)
- New leather e-Brake boot (not yet installed)
- New OE BMW Plush Floor Mat set (4-piece)
- New OE BMW e34 Sunshade
- New OEM grill / trim pieces (left, right, & center w/chrome "kidney" surrounds)
- Leather-clad center console, glove box, and driver's side under dash from Euro ///M5 (3/2011)
- Eurospec ///M-Tech 3-spoke steering wheel (note: I reserve the right to keep this for my next BMW, however)
- Installed protective headlight film (w/ "French" yellow on high beams) by www.XPel.com
- Door Cards replaced with nicely kept used set (8/2011)
- The lower front valance was professionally repaired and repainted (Fall 2010)
- Regular oil and filter changes (~5k mile intervals; Valvoline VR1 20w50; OE Mann filter cartridges)

Finally, I just had the valve adjustment done (July 2011) at 186k miles during which all were within factory spec and no shim replacements were required. The sources of two minor fluid leaks were identified while the car was in the shop. According to my technician, the car will eventually need the S52 timing chain tensioner upgrade and a new power steering hose (supply side). Presently, if the car is parked for 2 or 3 days, a nickel-sized ATF drip is evident on the garage floor or driveway. Again, this is seepage is minor but is annoying to me.

...and MORE (will add as I remember it)

Things to Consider & Points to Ponder:
My M5 has been driven by its previous owners -- an average of 9k miles per year. It neither garage queen nor show car. It is exactly what I wanted in an e34 M5...a nicely-preserved and appropriately-maintained daily driver. Exterior trim and paint have been well kept by me and the previous owners. At some point, the entire car was resprayed. I would consider it a good job but the prep work could have been a bit better in some places. Presently, I would rate the condition of the paint 7.5/10. The interior has been well preserved (8/10). There are no rips or tears in the leather. Also, I do not believe the car was owned by tobacco smokers as I am very sensitive to its remnants and have been symptom free. There is absolutely no rust or corrosion on the sheet metal panels. However, the heat shielding / sound proofing around the factory final silencer (muffler) is peeling off in places (please refer to the high-res photos from PPI below). Also, the undercarriage is clean but some careless fool inflicted some jack damage to the forward frame rails (see link to high-res PPI photos below). We all know this could have been easily prevented with the judicious use of a wooden block atop the jack stand.

All original VIN tags in place on the sheet metal panels except for the RF fender, which was replaced with a OE BMW unit at some point in the car's history. The Orange R-DOT sticker for this panel is visible in the photos of the engine bay. Overall, the body is in nice condition.

The car tracks straight / true and exhibits no unusual handling characteristics whatsoever. The suspension is quite taut thanks to the Bilstein Sports and H&R spring set.

The S38b36 engine starts up without fail and idles smoothly within specification. S38 cognoscenti will be happy to know that the vacuum-actuated flapper on the intake plenum operates as it should at start-up. The auxiliary air pump functions properly at start-up as well. The engine pulls freely through the rev range to redline (if one desires). The transmission shifts smoothly in all gears and there is no clutch slippage in any gear. Observed fuel economy has exceeded EPA estimates (see: www.fueleconomy.org) for this model. Fuel consumption improved noticeably once I got the car home and replaced two leaking vacuum hoses, changed the spark plugs, air filter, and installed a new O2 sensor. To date, I have observed ~13 mpg CITY, 22-24 mpg HWY, and typically ~17-18 mpg in COMBINED driving. Oil consumption has been ~1 quart per oil change interval (~5k miles) and there are absolutely no signs of oil smoke or smell.

The link below is to high-res photos taken by our own Patrick McHugh (www.BimmerRescue.com) at the PPI he conducted for me before I flew up to VA to pick-up the car. I also have the written PPI report that I can email to prospective buyers.

High-Res PPI Photos from April 2010 -- Reston, VA
http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c171/ ... ?start=all

Thank you for your interest and any referrals to prospective buyers. Please contact me directly (PM, phone, email) with any questions. My asking price is $9000 USD firm not including shipping. Unfortunately, I cannot accept any offers for trades. I need fewer cars in the stable...at least according to my spouse.

Buyers will need to bring their own license plate to transport the car home. Please note that no warranties are expressed or implied herein for my ///M5 but, as one should be able to discern, this is an enthusiast-owned example. It has been my intention to represent it accurately and honestly in this listing and elsewhere. If anyone spots an error or inaccuracy, please notify me and I will correct it.

Best,
Tim
three 5 2 / three 1 eight / 1 two for too = my mobile

[tsmall07]

Take a payment plan? I really want this car, but I would come in a few (3) thousand short.

GLWS. I can't wait to see what you pick up. It is sure to be good.

[Coldswede]

I have driven or ridden in this car more than a few miles and it is a very nice car. If your wanting a M5 you can't go wrong here. I think everyone here is familiar with how well Tim takes care of and improves his cars, this one is no different.

If I wasn't in the throes of Boxster S lust I would be very tempted by it.


The next one needs be Really, Really good to better this one Tim!

[Tim in N FL]

5erFaithful,

Thanks for all of the back-channel interest in my ///M5. I have updated the listing with some high-res photos, relevant history, maintenance information, and upgrades / modifications. I'm a full-disclosure guy so I've also added a section called "Things to Consider."

I appreciate the vote of confidence re: my car, Coldswede and Tyler. Also, I appreciate all of the DIY assistance and expertise you've offered me over the past year.


Tim

[MShimon]

Looks like an awesome deal. Maybe try the S38/M88 Yahoo group too. Good luck with selling it.

[Greg E34]

Best of luck Tim. That's a beautiful car. Wish I had room for it but I am over my BMW limit as it is.

[Adam W in MN]

Jeez, that was fast. Did all my descriptions about the raw nature of driving one of these things daily hold true in your ownership (and if so, WHY are you giving it up!?).

[johnnye23]

Jeez, that was fast. Did all my descriptions about the raw nature of driving one of these things daily hold true in your ownership (and if so, WHY are you giving it up!?).

I am wondering what he has found to pass this one down ! Bump for a knowledgeable seller with something cool coming up his sleeve...

[1st 5er]

Take a payment plan? I really want this car, but I would come in a few (3) thousand short.

GLWS. I can't wait to see what you pick up. It is sure to be good.

I'll split the cost with you, if I can have it during the summer months.

GLWS

[Duke]

T-star covers are on the wrong side.

Looks like you have four "L" covers.

[Coldswede]

T-star covers are on the wrong side.

Looks like you have four "L" covers.

You did that on purpose huh Duke.

[BMWgiant]

Good luck Tim. It's been a while, and I guess I actually lost track of what you were driving these days. Last I remember, you had just sold the M3. Didn't even know that this bad boy came into your ownership. I can't wait to see your next toy. Hope all is well with you, and please don't be a stranger on the boards... Haven't seen much from you in a long time.

Cheers and good luck with sale!

[tsmall07]

I'll split the cost with you, if I can have it during the summer months.

sounds like a great deal for me!

[Mike W.]

Sometimes it's a good thing when nice cars are on the wrong coast, this one specifically. I would love an E34 M5, but it's 3K miles away and I already have one too many cars. GLWS, it looks like a sweet one.

[Tim in N FL]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for your support and well wishes on selling my M5. It is a little soon, even for me. I typically own a car for 2 years or so before sampling another. I tend to liken my car buying behavior to someone who likes fine wines. At any rate, several factors are influencing me to sell earlier than usual this time:

1) the opportunity to buy a superbly set-up and preserved e30 from a good friend in our community (Update: I missed this car and ended up with an e46 Sport Touring 5spd instead);

2) I am likely going to be commuting significantly more for work in the near term (~600 miles/week vs. ~250 miles/week, presently) and since this is my daily driver, I do not want to put meaningless miles on the ///M5. The e30 will be a little more fuel efficient (Update: this did not pan out after all);

3) Since selling my nicely kept e36 M3 last April, I've missed having a smaller, more nimble BMW that I can auto-x. Don't get me wrong, the e34 ///M5 is very sporty, powerful, and balanced but a bit hefty for my personal taste (Update: Oh yes, the e46 Touring fits the bill...I LOVE IT!).

As you can tell by the work I've done to the car since buying it from last spring, I've tried to continue improving the cosmetics and mechanicals, where necessary. It is a nice example and I'm sure I will miss it. The next enthusiast to own it will be pleased, I'm sure.

Please don't be afraid to make me an offer (preferably back-channel...not in this thread), if you're seriously interested in it...I may just accept it.

Best,
Tim

[funfunfer]

just popped up on German Cas For Sale blog. GLWS.

[bigdaddy]

bump for a great enthusiast/owner/seller and what sounds like a really nice e34.

[Tim in N FL]

BUMP and a reminder that while I am asking $10k but am certainly entertaining reasonable offers.

[the Tanned One]

Bump for a Great Car & person !! Would be mine if i wanted another BMW instead of another Harley

[austin8753]

Bump for an awesome car. Looks great!

GLWS!

[1st 5er]

PM on it's way.

[Tim in N FL]

PM on it's way.

Thanks for the referral Sherman. Your brother-in-law decided to go with an e39 540i6 M-Sport. Nice car!

So, my ///M5 is still available...looking for best reasonable offer somewhere near my asking price.


Tim

[1st 5er]

PM on it's way.

Thanks for the referral Sherman. Your brother-in-law decided to go with an e39 540i6 M-Sport. Nice car!

So, my ///M5 is still available...looking for best reasonable offer somewhere near my asking price.


Tim

You're welcome.

Yeah, he called and told me.
Now I don't have to hate him quite as much.
He'd been looking around at several and even though I'd been pushing him hard your way, it's hard to compete against a local offering.

Thanks for your correspondence and GLWS.

[Tim in N FL]

Bump for the edition of some new photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28110770@N ... 063206232/
(SAME LINK as in the original listing above).

Updates:
I had the tires/wheels balanced and rotated yesterday.

I finished installing the Euro ///M5 (leather clad) center console and glovebox last weekend...shown in new pics.

Looking for the most reasonable best offer...

[Tim in N FL]

To the top...

[bmwm3n528]

Tim,

Hate to see it go...Especially, for that kind of money!

Glad to see you took a stab at the E34 M5 experience, though.

[rmiddendorf]

I'm going to give Tim a free bump on this one. It certainly seems like a nice car to me!

[Tim in N FL]

I'm going to give Tim a free bump on this one. It certainly seems like a nice car to me!

Thank you Sir. Greatly appreciated. Reasonable offers welcomed from 5er enthusiasts. My full-color ad just came out in April 2011 Roundel (page 137).


Tim

[Tim in N FL]

To the top. The A/C works wonderfully but lately it is tucked away safely in the garage awaiting its next enthusiast caretaker.

Happy Independence Day everyone...

[B7Turbo]

Bump for a great guy, BTW you M5 looks awesome, GLWS.

[clongo]

You sure you don't want to trade for a boosted e28?

[Tim in N FL]

You sure you don't want to trade for a boosted e28?

Hey Chris,
If my M5 doesn't sell in about a year, let's talk. I definitely would enjoy having another e28 (turbo or M5) at some point in the future. Thanks though.

Also, thanks everyone for the PMs and free bumps to the top.


Tim

[1st 5er]

Another free bump here and here; http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e34-m5 ... ost2148460

[Tim in N FL]

Weekend bump...

[Greg E34]

Weekend bump...

Well that's weird. I was just looking at this thread this morning. Club member was asking about an E34 M5.

[Tim in N FL]

Well that's weird. I was just looking at this thread this morning. Club member was asking about an E34 M5.

Greg,
Coincidental maybe...but not weird.
By all means, send him my way.
Thanks!
Tim

[Zieg]

Tim:

I passed the info on your E34 M5 to a fellow club member that I met at the Lake Mirror show last week. He has a completely rebuilt S38 motor. He showed up with a very nice S14 powered 73 2002.

Hope he contacts you. We are having a FSC Club picnic on 12/3. The annual FSC Concours d'Elegance and Peoples choice car show will be held at the picnic. We are hopeful for a good turn out. Maybe you should try to attend. ALL German Marks are welcome. If you don't sell the M5 bring it. . . if you do bring the Porsche!!! Food is free to members $10 to all others.

Zieg

[Tim in N FL]

Tim:

I passed the info on your E34 M5 to a fellow club member that I met at the Lake Mirror show last week. He has a completely rebuilt S38 motor. He showed up with a very nice S14 powered 73 2002.

Hope he contacts you. We are having a FSC Club picnic on 12/3. The annual FSC Concours d'Elegance and Peoples choice car show will be held at the picnic. We are hopeful for a good turn out. Maybe you should try to attend. ALL German Marks are welcome. If you don't sell the M5 bring it. . . if you do bring the Porsche!!! Food is free to members $10 to all others.

Zieg

Hey Zieg,
Thanks so much. Wow...a new S38, eh? Nice. I wonder what he plans to do with it? Do you know? I'll try to make the picnic on 12/3. Where is it this year...the usual place on Lake Tarpon? I'll definitely bring the M5 if it is not sold by then. Thanks for the reminder.

Tim

[m-racer]

Tim, I am surprised that it has not sold at that price. I wonder what the E34 M5 Touring on Ebay that you sent me the link to will go for? Maybe it will give all the E34 M5's a bit of a boost. Hope so.

[Patrick McHugh]

I've been through the car, it is what Tim says it is!