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1988 BMW M5

by Paul on August 23, 2011 in BMW, Exclusive with 8 Comments

The seller of the BMW 2002ti featured two weeks ago has come to us at German Cars for Sale Blog with another stellar example of an oft favored BMW classic: the 1988 BMW M5. This car needs no introduction, as it was this vehicle, along with the original M6 and M3 that really begun to put the Motorsports brand on the map, after the demise of the M1 supercar in 1981.

This is a US model M5 residing in Canada, with Euro bumpers (which, in my opinion, clean up the look of the car). Overall, a nicely presented, well taken care of first generation M5.

I’ve found that with the E12 M535i that I recently purchased and the fact that it is winter in Calgary 11.5 months a year, I am not using the M5 enough and it’s too nice to let it just sit. The highlights are:

• 88,500 miles – sort of. The previous owner advised that the odometer was inoperative for a period but estimated that he drove less than 1000 miles in that time. No way of knowing for sure but he is the U.S. Attorney for North Carolina so I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.
• All original panels and paint. The only flaw in the paint is some touch up work done on a scratch near the door handle on the right front door. Very hard to see but it’s there.
• Euro M5 headers, jet hot coated.
• UUC stainless steel exhaust with Fahey track pipe.
• Timing chain, guides and all related components replaced at 80,000 miles, including cylinder head gasket, ignition wires. No issues – PO was very big into preventative maintenance
• Within the last 6000 miles or so the car has had new OEM leather dashboard and door caps, windshield, emblems inside and outside, Euro grills and headlights, taillights, steering wheel, rear window roller blind and rear package shelf, oil pan skid plate, front door cards, left and right, fire extinguisher and shift boot
• Dinan chip
• Fahey crank hub and cam gear
• New aluminum radiator from the recent group buy
• All suspension bushings replaced
• All interior seals replaced – windows, sunroof, trunk, etc.
• UUC pedal set
• Cross-drilled brake rotors
• Mason Engineering front strut bar.
• OEM rear strut bar (from trailer hitch package)
• Powerflex urethane sway bar bushings
• SLS system removed and replaced with Bilstein shocks/struts and MTechnic springs (original parts retained)
• North American bumpers removed and replaced with chrome Euro bumpers (original parts retained)
• New OEM front valance and Euro M5 airdam (original pieces retained)
• New Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires
- Valve adjustment within the last 500 miles.

Here is a link to some photos I’ve accumulated – you’ll see that photography is not high on my skill set but if anyone wants a shot of something specific, please let me know.

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i152/grbbenny/M5/

When I bought the car I had a PPI done at MPowered Automotive in Cary, NC – the tech was a Board member here. I’m happy to share that with anyone who’d like to see it. I can also send PDF copy of the receipts from the last seven years or so, when most of the expensive work has been performed.

This car is nearly flawless – fast, tight, rust free and, with the Euro bumpers, a great looking car. For the purists in the crowd, I retained everything needed to put the car back to US Spec if you so desire.

While the car is in Canada, it is a US car and therefore returning it to the US should be no problem. If you live in a state that tests for emissions, you are going to need to install a catalytic converter.

Price? I’m buried so deep in this car I’ll never see the light of day (you’re crying inside, I know you are) but given the low mileage, maintenance history and desirable upgrades, I’m going to say CDN $28,000.

If interested, please contact the seller here: grbennett@shaw.ca

-Paul

1990 BMW 325ic Offered by EuroWerkz

by Paul on July 5, 2011 in BMW, Exclusive, Sponsored Listing with 2 Comments

Every time an E30 BMW 3 series comes across on our site, I get nostalgic about my ’88 325is. I can’t think of a car that epitomized the optimistic atmosphere of the ‘80s more than the E30 3 series convertible. Introduced in 1987 amidst a rapidly expanding 3 series lineup, the convertible was offered with the 2.5 liter inline six found in the 325is producing 168 horsepower. This convertible became the face of BMW in the media almost in the same way the R107 Mercedes-Benz SL became the de rigeur Stuttgart darling. The convertible 3 series made appearances in a number of movies including PCU, Revenge of the Nerds and Pretty Woman, as well as television series such as Perry Mason, Columbo and Beverly Hills 90210.

Here is a very clean example for sale at EuroWerkz in Pleasantville, Iowa.

1990 BMW 325ic with 48k miles for sale at EuroWerkz

From EuroWerkz:

What is better than a barn find? How about a heated garage find? We have been trying to buy this car for two years. Finally early last winter we did and I spent many hours putting this ONE owner since new BMW back to as close to perfect as I have ever seen in a car like this. This car is like stepping back to the 90′s as not only does it look the part but it drives as new too. This was a fair weather third car for a Doctor in Des Moines and the rest of the time it spent in a climate controlled garage at his homes in the area over the past 21 years. The condition is nothing short of amazing and this could well be the nicest example of this car in the country. A once in a lifetime chance at a resonably priced beautifully preserved near classic.

This is by far one of the cleanest, lowest mileage E30 convertibles I’ve seen in a long time. The red paint appears flawless and suits the character of this car well. I’d be hard pressed to find a more original and well preserved example. For those looking for a classic, open top BMW tourer, the automatic transmissions is a logical pairing, especially for the US market.

This car’s iconic status was recently highlighted in an episode of Top Gear last season, as we see here. Thankfully, the boys didn’t get their hands on quite such a pristine original, like our subject car.

-Paul

Please note this is a sponsored listing. We welcome EuroWerkz as our latest sponsor and are proud to feature their inventory on the site. Please contact me directly with any questions about sponsored listings. Thanks for looking! -dc

1978 Mercedes 300D Limo Looking for New Home

by Evan on April 19, 2011 in Exclusive, Mercedes Benz with Comments Off

Here is a somewhat unique opportunity to pick up a car that will turn heads while on a budget. The W123 based limousine conversions aren’t overly rare, but they don’t come to market very often either. Mercedes offered extended wheelbase versions of the W123 straight from the factory for livery or other commercial use, the advantage here is that the cars were built to factory specifications rather than chopped and welded by a less reputable conversion unit.

The vehicle offered here is a 1978 300D.  The seller states the car has traveled apx. 500,000 miles, a broken speedo/odometer leaves for some guess work in the total. High mileage turns some people away, but once you start nearing 500,000 miles it shows that someone was caring for the car well to keep it motoring.

The car has been recently inspected and runs strong, no surprise there as the five cylinder Benz diesel is virtually bullet proof. This car has had the engine replaced with a similar unit out of a 1985 300D, the engine has less than 200,000 miles on it. The diesel’s lower end torque surely helps out when driving a fully loaded up limo.

This car needs some work, namely tires, A/C, chase down some shakes in the front end at speed, and some various interior pieces and upholstery. The owner says the car is mechanically sound and that the body is solid, with a couple rust spots. Surely with the car being in Phoenix, Arizona, the corrosion can’t be bad.

The W123 limos served more as taxis rather than rides for diplomats, which is a plus and a minus. While this won’t have the prestige of a W116 or W126 limo, the more utilitarian nature makes the W123 a less pretentious, easier to service vehicle, and provides more options in terms of use. This particular car was used as it was intended, in service, which is why it has racked up approximately half a million miles. Despite the engine replacement those kind of numbers could qualify it for several of the official Mercedes high mileage grille badges, there appears to be one such badge currently in place. A 1,000,000km badge on the grille of any Benz always gets a nod of respect from those in the know.

With W123 models still in active service around the world you know that you’ll have reliability, access to parts, and you get decent fuel mileage as well.

For the Benz fan looking for a unique trackside car for overnight accommodation this is a perfect opportunity. Since the W123 extended wheelbase cars don’t have all the wood, and passenger compartment bells and whistles of say a 600 Pullman, the interior can easily (and guilt free) be modified to usable camper vehicle duty, with more cargo space than a 300TD wagon.

Of course a new owner could also buy some flag holders for the front fenders and play third-world dictator.

This car is offered at $3,500 / OBO. You can expect to put some work in at that price, but that is also a lot of car for the dollar. Prices of other Benzs from this era are slowly creeping upwards and while a high mile  limo takes a special kind of interest to attract a buyer, one would surmise that a price in the $3,000-$3,500 is a fairly safe entry point in terms of maintaining value.

Please contact us directly for contact information for this car. [Feature Listing]

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