FS 1986 535i Cosmos Blue / Pearl Beige / IS - SOLD
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FS 1986 535i Cosmos Blue / Pearl Beige / IS - SOLD
$3250 FIRM. 171k miles, non-actual mileage title. No accident history. 5-Speed.
I don't want to sell this car. There. I said it. I love this car. But I should probably be prudent and only keep one vintage BMW around so here he is.
Bandit is a 11/1985 build date 1986 model year 535i. Overall he is in good condition. He runs well and I have been driving him this week to verify that, however he does have a few quirks.
I have either done or had done a replacement BMW driveshaft, the shifter has been entirely redone with some transmission seals, the A/C works and was converted to 134a, new trunk seal, new plugs, valve adjustment in the last few weeks, and a bunch of other nickel and dime stuff that I cannot remember.
When I first got him he looked like this:
Then I bought a used set of front and rear 'is' spoilers from Andy South in Dayton plus his current wheels. I had them professionally installed at Rife's Autobody in Grandview. they did a good job, but there is a small bubble on the trunk spoiler.
The entire photo library can be found here and should tell the entire story of the car. Click on an individual image to view it larger. I can also send or upload larger images if you so desire.
http://www.rmiddendorf.com/VirtualTour/ ... index.html
Now the quirks. There is some rust- as seen in the photos. At all the jack points there is a little. And on the rear bumper mounts there is a little, as well as on the trunk lip. To me its all manageable at this point, but its there. His idle is sometimes a little high and I think its a little sticky on the throttle cable. Its actually gradually sliding back to normal but not there yet. The SI batteries have been removed completely. He has new odometer gears but does have a non-actual mileage title from when I purchased him. Truth be told I don't know why and there are not any significant gaps in the history report. I suspect he only has 1-2k more miles on him than is reported by the odometer.
The front end can sometimes shimmy- but its rare. I drove him to the Vintage last year and only had the shimmy for about 5 minutes on the entire trip. But then sometimes it will pop up briefly on a short trip. I actually blame the wheels, as I like the look of them on the car but they are heavier than the ones that came on the car. The tires are acceptable- the fronts are different than the rears. He's not as tight as my new E28, but he's certainly not bad. I just know how tight it can be.
I also suspect that the in tank fuel pump is either hit or miss or bad. I just never trust him to go below 1/4 of a tank.
He also runs a little rich. I've checked cold start valve (one possible culprit) and suspect that the injectors are leaky. I've run quite a bit of fuel injector cleaner through him but that hasn't seemed to fix the problem. Another item that is tolerable, but I wanted to disclose it as well.
Truth be told I'm at least $9000 into him over the past two years in total. I know that doesn't mean much but it tells you the maintenance that has been done. I can get a detailed list later if needed.
The paint on the hood, trunk and roof is a little faded. Not terrible but there. Its very difficult to photograph. There is wax on some of the trim- that's what you'll see in the pics. I was a little sloppy because I was considering pulling it all and refinishing it anyway. Don't worry though- my new ride will be professionally detailed once a year. We have a great shop for that.
I bought him from a local Ford dealer when he popped up on Autotrader. Love the car and would like him to go to someone here if possible. He's not perfect, but I love him. Hopefully somebody else here will too.
PM me if interested. Thanks!
EDIT: One more thing I remembered overnight- there is a little oil drip from the oil pan gasket. I forgot about it because he only leaves a small puddle if it sits in the same spot for months. Since I've been driving him this past week he's in a different spot and there's only a little drop- which you have to actively seek out to find.
2nd EDIT: The CCA badge and front plate holder do not come with the car.
3rd EDIT: A few more things I want to disclose. I'm trying my best to make this a no surprises car. First the front brakes sometimes shimmy sometimes under hard braking. Its not prevalent during day to day driving, but can sometimes show up. If I tracked the car I'd fix it. But truth be told it was fine last year during RTT 2011 so it usually doesn't bother me. For some reason I think its the left one, but I don't remember why. The headrests don't work. One fog light is out- the bulb is good but I think the connection at the fusebox needs cleaned. And the brake light check light sometimes comes on even though the brake lights work. I'm pretty sure that is everything. My descriptions are not a substitute for a PPI but I'm trying to be very thorough.
Also a few spares are included including a new replacement Graf waterpump, thermostat, valve cover gasket and crack free (last I checked) dash. There are probably a few other small spares that I'm not thinking about right now that I'll no longer need.
Last edited by rmiddendorf on Nov 08, 2015 9:22 PM, edited 5 times in total.
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Nice. You know there's even a third light blue (unsure of the exact color) non-IS with the front and rear spoilers floating around the NC area as well. Our cars are triplets.tschultz wrote:Also a neat color that looks to be in good condition
I have not changed anything, and don't know for sure. There's no way they're original as they are too good for that, but as to specifics I don't know. I'll try to take a look.tschultz wrote:Just curious if you had sport shocks or springs in the car at all?
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Ahhhh yes. That's the reason for the number 25 on the passenger side which he wears as a badge of honor...Greg E34 wrote:You failed to mention that this is a champion rally car, having won a certain national rally event last summer in Winston-Salem.
And the award itself can be seen hanging on the back of the driver's seat. I keep the award.
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The car is sold. Thanks for all the kind words everyone. Newer member white chocolate- who appears to fit in here well- took him home today. A part of me is missing but I think he's moving on to a good home.
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Thanks guys!
I cant say enough good about Rodney or the car! Everything was exactly as Rodney represented(only I think a little better )
It feels great to be in an e28 and even better to be in one that is in such great shape and well maintained!
I would really like to go to Vimtage but at this point, only time will tell wether I will be able to or not
-garrett
I cant say enough good about Rodney or the car! Everything was exactly as Rodney represented(only I think a little better )
It feels great to be in an e28 and even better to be in one that is in such great shape and well maintained!
I would really like to go to Vimtage but at this point, only time will tell wether I will be able to or not
-garrett
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I thought I'd update everyone on Bandit as his new owner has given me a few updates...
From May 15th:
From May 15th:
And from Garrett on August 8th with the subject line "Eight Thousand Miles Later"white chocolate wrote:Rodney,
Just thought I'd send ya a bit of a follow up on the car!
After one oil change, new injectors, a new idle air control valve, countless trips to the car wash, and several coats of wax, the car is doing great!
I just wanted to say thanks again for such a good deal. Its nice being stopped in a parking lot or getting a thumbs up in traffic regarding the car.
Rest assured that the car is being taken car of and maintained! Another oil change is in order in about 250 miles, along with some tires, a few new vacuum lines, a fuel pump, control arm bushings, and several other fluid changes.
Take care of that M5 and hopefully we will cross paths again!
thanks!
Garrett
white chocolate wrote:Rodney!
Just another check up! Believe it or not, as the title states, on July 11th, the old 5er turned 179 thousand miles! I bought the car on April 1st, so in a little over two months, I logged my successful eight thousandth mile on the old girl! I cant fathom it myself, but somehow that brakes down to 111 miles per day. To say the least, I do alot of driving.
But, after all those miles, the car has been retired from daily driving duties as I have acquired an old Civic to help a bit on gas and to act as a winter vehicle while the freshly detailed E28 has become quite the garage queen. I took a detail class at school over the summer and have become obsessed with keeping the car clean! I'm not totally done with the exterior yet, as all the plastic trim still needs dealt with and a few other bits and bobs. but, its getting there!
The car has gone through all of those miles without a lick of trouble, only requiring oil changes, some new tires, and I had to buy a gallon of coolant to top the system off after a small leak was discovered due to a a hole in a rubber hose leading from the expansion tank. However, I stopped by the Bimmer dealership, grabbed a gallon of coolant, and it was good as new.
I love the car to death and cant see me ever selling it. Its the perfect car for me and driving it is an absolute pleasure. I have also snapped a few pictures of it which I'll send you the link to. I love taking pictures, but am not good at it at all. I just have a little Canon point and shoot and cant wait to graduate into something a little more serious when the time comes!
Hope all is well with the ///M5! If I ever get the chance, I would love to come back to see ya and let ya take the old girl for a spin! looking forward to hearing back from ya!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68131633@N03/
Garrett
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Oh yeah, I love the ///M. But it would have been cool to have both however its just not realistic with our storage situation and my wife's preferences. She already gives me a lot of latitude with this hobby.1st 5er wrote:Yeah... but I know you love the go pedal in the ///M.rmiddendorf wrote:I know! He's making me wish I'd have never sold the car!1st 5er wrote: to Garrett.
EDIT: I have also been informed that Bandit has not only been renamed but he has also had a sex change as he is now Lucy as named by Garrett's girlfriend.
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rmiddendorf wrote:Oh yeah, I love the ///M. But it would have been cool to have both however its just not realistic with our storage situation and my wife's preferences. She already gives me a lot of latitude with this hobby.1st 5er wrote:Yeah... but I know you love the go pedal in the ///M.rmiddendorf wrote:I know! He's making me wish I'd have never sold the car!1st 5er wrote: to Garrett.
EDIT: I have also been informed that Bandit has not only been renamed but he has also had a sex change as he is now Lucy as named by Garrett's girlfriend.
hey, I just assumed every car I have ever owned was a girl since they have always caused me so much heartache and money
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Re: FS 1986 535i Cosmos Blue / Pearl Beige / IS
Hey Garrett; how's Bandit? Eerrrrrr... uhhhhh.... Lucy? Even 4.5 years later the sex change still gets me every time...
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Re: FS 1986 535i Cosmos Blue / Pearl Beige / IS - SOLD
Holy blast from the past
I cant believe I have owned this thing for so long!
Reading through this thread reminds me of how great of a deal I got on this thing. It has remained mostly unchanged, and has been driven ALOT.
It recently rolled over about 200k (sometime about a year ago), and hasn't been driven as regularly ( ) due to several life changes.
Drove it to the ocean to pick up a good friend who was there with the Navy...
Towed it home after the only time it has ever left me stranded, replaced the starter and was back at it...
At this point I was in college, driving the car everyday, and enjoying it. The thing is a real blast and I love grabbing my camera and driving around for hours at a time. The car was always dead reliable and just required maintenance along the way. I ended up with several different winter beaters over the years and thankfully, te car didn't have to endure crappy NE Ohio winters.
Got into the E28 calendar for two consecutive years (going for three this year!)
This is where I made an attempt at selling the car. Growing up, going through college, and making more "adult" decisions ( I think I was 20 at the time) led me to believe that selling the car was the best option. I wrote an ad, posted it in several places, got some legitimate interest ( even had a fellow member come check the car out) but it never sold. Hallelujah. I was able to keep the car, put a 3.73s differential between the rear axles, and have really been enjoying the car.
My nephew gave it a bath.
Part of the decision to sell the car was to help fund a ring/moving out fund. Thanks to an extremely understanding girlfriend, the E28 got to stick around!
So understanding in fact, that my new fiancé let me spend some car money prior to getting married as she knew things would change after a wedding and moving out of my parent's house. I bought some wheels from Todd @ TCD, and ordered a Spax strut and spring combo from Paul @ Moosehead.
The wheels showed up much sooner than the suspension ( I knew when I placed the order through Paul that they were on backorder), so I threw them on and snapped some pictures.
I was driving the car even LESS at this point. After moving out, I had no where to store the car, so I left it at my folk's place which was about thirty minutes out of the way from where I had moved. But, that didn't stop the progress.
The suspension had arrived and I wasted no time in getting it installed. I pulled an all nighter to get everything together, and the following week, took the car out for a nice long shakedown. This thing is an absolute thrill. It was pure torture knowing I had the car, and wasn't able to drive it as much as I would have liked. I suppose it made me enjoy it when I did get to drive it. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder...
Then,
There was a wedding
Throughout the planning process, I didn't really have a preference on things. It was whatever my (now wife) wanted. I just had one requirement.
I loved it, the photographer loved it, and Emily loved it. It was a real blast. What better way to spend your wedding day?
We got married in October, and shortly thereafter, the car got put away for winter storage for the third time. It was at this point that things really started moving. My wife and I had both been wanting to move out west for several years, and after a trip at the end of May 2015, I surprisingly landed a job at a BMW dealer and the process happened extremely quickly. Within two weeks of coming back to Ohio, we were loaded up and headed west.
So that is where we are at. We settled in Chandler, just outside of Phoenix, and life is great.
This is the last picture I took of my car. It was such a whirlwind of coming back to Ohio and getting things lined up to move, that I finally got the car put away the day before we set off. I didn't get to change the wheels, put a coat of wax on it, or the other things I wanted to do before long term storing it. My parents were glad to keep it for an uncertain amount of time, but the six months that I have been without it have really got me itching to bring it out.
At this point, the car needs some TLC but is still in great shape. Aside from needing a windshield, the paint fading some more, and a worsening oil pan gasket leak, it is all maintenance with a few other bits and bobs thrown in. I cant wait to get it to Arizona, but I still am unsure of when that will be.
I just realized how long winded this is. Sheesh. ( its a slow day at the parts counter and this was an excuse to go through my pictures, what can I say). I also hope all the pictures work, as they aren't showing up for me.
Looking at recent prices and how the demand has somewhat gone up for E28s, I still think I got the deal of the century. Everything I see now either seems completely haggard, way overpriced, or just a bit too far out of my current price range if I were to buy another. I am fortunate to have gotten a great deal from a great seller and am even more fortunate to have an understanding wife who thinks I need to keep the car "forever".
Hopefully I can do just that
I cant believe I have owned this thing for so long!
Reading through this thread reminds me of how great of a deal I got on this thing. It has remained mostly unchanged, and has been driven ALOT.
It recently rolled over about 200k (sometime about a year ago), and hasn't been driven as regularly ( ) due to several life changes.
Drove it to the ocean to pick up a good friend who was there with the Navy...
Towed it home after the only time it has ever left me stranded, replaced the starter and was back at it...
At this point I was in college, driving the car everyday, and enjoying it. The thing is a real blast and I love grabbing my camera and driving around for hours at a time. The car was always dead reliable and just required maintenance along the way. I ended up with several different winter beaters over the years and thankfully, te car didn't have to endure crappy NE Ohio winters.
Got into the E28 calendar for two consecutive years (going for three this year!)
This is where I made an attempt at selling the car. Growing up, going through college, and making more "adult" decisions ( I think I was 20 at the time) led me to believe that selling the car was the best option. I wrote an ad, posted it in several places, got some legitimate interest ( even had a fellow member come check the car out) but it never sold. Hallelujah. I was able to keep the car, put a 3.73s differential between the rear axles, and have really been enjoying the car.
My nephew gave it a bath.
Part of the decision to sell the car was to help fund a ring/moving out fund. Thanks to an extremely understanding girlfriend, the E28 got to stick around!
So understanding in fact, that my new fiancé let me spend some car money prior to getting married as she knew things would change after a wedding and moving out of my parent's house. I bought some wheels from Todd @ TCD, and ordered a Spax strut and spring combo from Paul @ Moosehead.
The wheels showed up much sooner than the suspension ( I knew when I placed the order through Paul that they were on backorder), so I threw them on and snapped some pictures.
I was driving the car even LESS at this point. After moving out, I had no where to store the car, so I left it at my folk's place which was about thirty minutes out of the way from where I had moved. But, that didn't stop the progress.
The suspension had arrived and I wasted no time in getting it installed. I pulled an all nighter to get everything together, and the following week, took the car out for a nice long shakedown. This thing is an absolute thrill. It was pure torture knowing I had the car, and wasn't able to drive it as much as I would have liked. I suppose it made me enjoy it when I did get to drive it. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder...
Then,
There was a wedding
Throughout the planning process, I didn't really have a preference on things. It was whatever my (now wife) wanted. I just had one requirement.
I loved it, the photographer loved it, and Emily loved it. It was a real blast. What better way to spend your wedding day?
We got married in October, and shortly thereafter, the car got put away for winter storage for the third time. It was at this point that things really started moving. My wife and I had both been wanting to move out west for several years, and after a trip at the end of May 2015, I surprisingly landed a job at a BMW dealer and the process happened extremely quickly. Within two weeks of coming back to Ohio, we were loaded up and headed west.
So that is where we are at. We settled in Chandler, just outside of Phoenix, and life is great.
This is the last picture I took of my car. It was such a whirlwind of coming back to Ohio and getting things lined up to move, that I finally got the car put away the day before we set off. I didn't get to change the wheels, put a coat of wax on it, or the other things I wanted to do before long term storing it. My parents were glad to keep it for an uncertain amount of time, but the six months that I have been without it have really got me itching to bring it out.
At this point, the car needs some TLC but is still in great shape. Aside from needing a windshield, the paint fading some more, and a worsening oil pan gasket leak, it is all maintenance with a few other bits and bobs thrown in. I cant wait to get it to Arizona, but I still am unsure of when that will be.
I just realized how long winded this is. Sheesh. ( its a slow day at the parts counter and this was an excuse to go through my pictures, what can I say). I also hope all the pictures work, as they aren't showing up for me.
Looking at recent prices and how the demand has somewhat gone up for E28s, I still think I got the deal of the century. Everything I see now either seems completely haggard, way overpriced, or just a bit too far out of my current price range if I were to buy another. I am fortunate to have gotten a great deal from a great seller and am even more fortunate to have an understanding wife who thinks I need to keep the car "forever".
Hopefully I can do just that