1991 BMW M5

It’s no secret that the E34 M5 was my favorite of all the hot BMW mid sized executive sedans. The late 80s/early 90s styling of BMWs combined with the ultimate evolution of the S38 inline six cylinder engine marked a high water point for the marque. Here’s a well maintained, low mileage E34 M5 for sale out in California with an impressive maintenance list.

1991 BMW M5 on eBay

The seller states:

1991 BMW M5. One of 1678 M5’s brought to North America from 1988 to 1993. This particular one was produced in September of 1990 and was painted in Alpine White with Black Nappa Leather. The 1991 Model is a desirable year because they have a 3:91 rear end ratio providing better acceleration than the later models which had 3:73 ratio for better freeway fuel economy. The truly remarkable aspect of this car is that it has covered only 67,481 miles. If your looking for a low miles M5, you won’t be dissapointed.

This car sat for a long time and subsequently needed a full service to return it to the reliable, good driving car it was intended to be. The items that have been done within the last 1k miles are as follows: Valve Ajustment, Valve Cover Gasket Replaced (OEM), Cam Gear Cover Reseal, New Bosch Spark Plugs (OEM), New Fan Clutch (OEM), New Belts (OEM), New Sachs OEM clutch including a resurface of the flywheel, New Crankshaft Mail seal (OEM), New Driveshaft Flex Disk (OEM), New Driveshaft Bearing (OEM), New Air and Oil Filters (OEM), New Cap & Rotor (OEM)

To restore the crispness of the steering and repair a bad tie rod end, I replaced the entire steering rack with new OEM parts to include both tie rods, center link and idler arm. This car is completely stock including the SLS system which works perfectly and was recently serviced. The great thing about the stock suspension is that it absorbs bumps very well and can pull up to 1G laterally when you need it to. The suspention bushings are all good including the thrust arm bushings that always wear out on BMW’s. The shocks are Bilstien in the front with the SLS shocks in the back and they are all in good working order. The only modification to the car is the Dinan Intake and Exhaust Cam Gear upgrade package that includes a ECU chip. This upgrade gives the car approximately 345hp according to their in-house dyno.

This car was recently run on the smog dyno as is required here in california to test emissions. Any engine that has any kind of problem will not pass this very stringent test. This car passed with no issue.

The wheels are 17″ e39 540 wheels. They are straight and true with the correct hub centric rings for use on an older car. I don’t have the original turbine wheels. The previous owner took them off because he thought they were “ugly”. The tires have approxamately 60% tread depth.

The body of the car is in very good condition. There are no dings or scratches. The paint is in good condition with small blemishes that have been touched up with the factory touch up kit that is included with this car. The only dent on the car is on the roof near the sunroof. It is so minnor that it would not even show up in the photos I tried to take of it.

The car is a non-smokers car. The airconditioning system works perfectly. The power seats work perfect. The power windows work perfect. The power locks work perfect. The power sunroof works perfect. The stereo works perfect. The trip computer works perfect as well. The car gets 23 MPG at 80MPH. The wipers are original and work perfect. All the interior and exterior lights work including the one under the hood. The lights are also adjusted properly. The glass is all good with no chips. The interior of the car is in excellent condition with no tears. The headliner is starting to droop in places which is a common issue with the e34. It could be spray glued back up but it never bothered me so I didn’t do it. The tool kit is complete with all the original tools. The exhaust is secure with no leaks. I also have the complete M5 owners manual. I have a folder full of reciepts that will also be included with purchase that date back well into the 1990’s. The car needs nothing and could be driven accross country tomarrow without issue.

This is a great car but I must let it go due to an expanding family. Its very fast and fun to drive. The car is not perfect but it is 20 years old and quickly becoming a collector whos value will never go down. If you are looking for a good driver with low miles, you will not be dissappointed.

With about three days left in the auction, bidding has reached $12,000, which is fair for an M5 of this vintage with this kind of history. I would assume the seller may be trying for closer to $15,000. With a set of the classic throwing star rims thrown into the deal, I could see spending about $14k tops, but not much more. Still, clean E34s are getting more and more rare, and are moving out of the obscure collectible category and into the classic column.

-Paul