Fleet musings (AKA thinking out loud)

[Heidel_Kakao]

Anyone know anything about BMW E34's? Namely the V8 ones, either 530i or 540i. Would have to be a manual though!

 

For the last few days I have been thinking about selling my entire fleet (not sure if three cars is enough to constitute a fleet though lol) which consists of Volvo 940, Suzuki SC100 and VW Corrado and just buying a BMW E34. My thinking goes like this, I have two dogs so 90% of the time I drive the Volvo which means the SC100 & Corrado hardly get used and are pretty pointless really. I like the 940 a lot but I have had it three years now so I am kind of bored with it, if I replace the lot with a nice E34 touring I will save money by not having to tax and insure three separate cars and will end up with a nice sounding V8 as well.

 

I would welcome any thoughts or suggestions as to what estate car you guys would recommend, the only criteria I have really are RWD and manual tranny. I guess the SVM would just say stick with the Volvo and that is an option but I would have to do something to it like up the boost or something just to make it a bit more interesting.

[HMC]

Well I cannot argue with an E34 touring. Such capable machines, I've had 2 myself. I think we've all been there when we look at our fleet and ( at least myself) my finances and start to add up all the little jobs that I'd like to do on them, and time and money can only stretch so far when your running a few old smokers. Soon I'm picturing one sorted machine and less hassle long term. I've been there and done it and after a short while I find myself browsing and end up with more cars soon enough. I Don't seem to be able to cope with just one old car. I think I need help.

 

E34 wise if you can find one I'd definitely hold out for a 540 touring manual over a 30 as apparently they're not that gutsy. There's th usual talk about Nikasil issues and these v8s but the general consensus seems to be it was the sulphur content in fuel in the 90s that did it and if the car is running fine today it shouldn't be a problem.

 

The tourings had an optional double sunroof that even bmw had enough of and didnt follow through on the e39. It's not exactly a liability, but I would seek one without.

[garethj]

The Volvo 740 turbo will sprint to 60 in 8 seconds, but they are quite tricky to find. I guess a later 940 can be changed from LPT (low pressure turbo) to farkin massive pressure turbo, the 2.3 engine is very strong.

 

Oh, pics of the Whizzkid and Corrado please!

[hairnet]

flog others - turn up volvo

 

[lisbon_road]

I was more or less given a Limited Edition red BMW E34 with the six cylinder engine.  Needed a little work but not so much and was sold for a nice profit.

 

It had some fancy suspension that was adjustable and always needed work, so I'd avoid that.  It was a very solid car, no corrosion at all.  Went well and was very thirsty but you will know that.  Quite a thirst for oil too but apparently that comes with the territory.

 

It was one of 50, a red one, and I think 20 or so of the 50 were red.  When I sold it a man came from Cyprus to look at it and said it was quite nice, he really wanted a red LE one, and he'd let me know tomorrow after he'd looked at another limited edition red one.  Right.

 

I didn't like the beige leather seats but that's just me.

[Heidel_Kakao]

Can you find one?

An e34 manual v8 Touring, I mean.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C521537# This is the closest I have found so far, not a 540i but I bet they are even rarer in manual form. I thought about the E39 but it's a bit too new for me, I like the look of BMW's with the classic quad round headlamps.

 

Well I cannot argue with an E34 touring. Such capable machines, I've had 2 myself. I think we've all been there when we look at our fleet and ( at least myself) my finances and start to add up all the little jobs that I'd like to do on them, and time and money can only stretch so far when your running a few old smokers. Soon I'm picturing one sorted machine and less hassle long term. I've been there and done it and after a short while I find myself browsing and end up with more cars soon enough. I Don't seem to be able to cope with just one old car. I think I need help.

 Yeah I would not be able to say how long it would before I would get bored again and think about buying something else, it's a disease lol!

 

The Volvo 740 turbo will sprint to 60 in 8 seconds, but they are quite tricky to find. I guess a later 940 can be changed from LPT (low pressure turbo) to farkin massive pressure turbo, the 2.3 engine is very strong.

 

Oh, pics of the Whizzkid and Corrado please!

 

I already have the 940 2.3 HPT so about 165BHP at the moment. It has the manual M90 five speed as well so it really would not be much effort to get it producing close to 300BHP reliably, would need to get an LSD for it though.

Why I need an estate!

Don't have a photo of the Corrado sorry but there is one in this thread http://autoshite.com/topic/17331-midlands-tinkering-the-evidence/

[cort16]

Manual ones are hard to come but as they're prized by the driftorz. They do like to rust a bit and have the odd electrical gremlin but I think they're pretty robust . Not sure what kind of traction control these come with but all that torque and bhp can make them a bit tricky.

[New POD]

My wife's first car was a Flying Zit.  If you want to lend it to me, I'll pretend to her that I bought it for our 25 wedding anniversary, and film her very mental reaction. I'll make enough money with my YouTube adverts, that I'll be able to pay you good money for it.

[eddyramrod]

When I sold it a man came from Cyprus to look at it

Wasn't me!

[Skizzer]

I know nothing about E34 Tourings, but I'm really digging that Whizzkid.

[cort16]

There's not much like that, that has a manual box.

Amg mercs, stageas and vr4s are all autos.

Maybe a legacy b4 as you can get them with manuals and are about 280bhp.

[New POD]

I know nothing about anything, but I'm really digging that Whizzkid. FLYING ZIT

 

Fixed that for you.  Hope that's okay ?

[spike60]

I owned a 1993 540i saloon for 10 or so years as was a lovely, if needy thing. As said Nikasil should be a thing of the past and was overplayed anyway, usual old car stuff more likely like fuel lines, rear subframe bushes. They use M5 rear and M3/740i front brakes so bits weren't cheap but mine ate them and front shockers, tyre wear was heavy even on the fronts too but if you want cheap motoring don't buy a 540i. Rust only a problem because the newest will be 18 years old. I think a manual Touring will be pricey.

[Steviemillar]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C521537

 

This is my E34 Touring, only for sale as I don't use it at all now. It is a lovely smooth barge, not as sprightly as a 540 though but still very capable. Best MPG I've had is 29mpg though and that was driving like Morgan Freeman.

 

When I was looking, I bought this one on condition as it was a 525i Auto Touring that I was after but most of the Tourings (and some saloons) I viewed were well used.  

[scooters]

I had a 535i 6cyl E34 auto. Not a touring but a fantastic car.

[cort16]

Wow that 530i tourer looks really nice.

 

 

 

 

I've had a couple of straight 6 535i's and both where pretty rapid. The 530i v8 is more powerful than the straight 6 but I presume it's a bit heavier?

[Heidel_Kakao]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C521537

 

This is my E34 Touring, only for sale as I don't use it at all now. It is a lovely smooth barge, not as sprightly as a 540 though but still very capable. Best MPG I've had is 29mpg though and that was driving like Morgan Freeman.

 

When I was looking, I bought this one on condition as it was a 525i Auto Touring that I was after but most of the Tourings (and some saloons) I viewed were well used.

It does look very tidy! I would probably already have come for a look at it were it not in Scotland.

[Heidel_Kakao]

My wife's first car was a Flying Zit. If you want to lend it to me, I'll pretend to her that I bought it for our 25 wedding anniversary, and film her very mental reaction. I'll make enough money with my YouTube adverts, that I'll be able to pay you good money for it.

Not heard an SC100 referred to as a Flying Zit before lol, dare I ask why? You could borrow it but it's broken at the moment, will hopefully get it fixed at the next Sunday Spannering meet.

[Asimo]

Rationalising to one motor sounds sensible, but as soon as you do that you will IMMEDIATELY need a second car or a standby car for some previously unimagined reason.

 

Have you thought about an X5? I think they occasionally have manual 'box. Could be "de-twatted" with some sensible small wheels and shorter springs. Certainly more about than BMW estates. 

 

(I suppose the success of the X5 is why there are so few 5 series estates)

[Heidel_Kakao]

Not really considered the X5, if I was going to do down the off roader route I would prefer a Classic Range Rover. Yeah the X5 probably has got a lot to answer for, all SUV's do really. What is wrong with having a fast, discreet, RWD estate with a manual transmission?

[cort16]

I'm not saying the don't exist but I've never seen an X5 with a manual box. They're thirsty big fuckers.

[Steviemillar]

It does look very tidy! I would probably already have come for a look at it were it not in Scotland.

Give me a call and I can walk you round it. I bought it in Essex based on a walk-round by the seller and I wasn't disappointed

[DVee8]

What about ex-police 5 series estate are they all diesel or did they use V8's? Are there still any ex-police used dealers?

[Asimo]

MG ZT-T. ?

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201405063953175/sort/atcustom/radius/1500/page/1/usedcars/make/mg/model/zt-t/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/engine-size-cars/4l_to_4-9l/postcode/w1a4ww/advert-type/Classified?logcode=p

[Heidel_Kakao]

Nice but a bit too salty for me, the most I have spent on a car to date is £1200.

 

This would have been perfect, http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drift-car-projects-builds/109471-pimp-540i-touring-6speeder-e34.html

Mot ran out two years ago, looks like drifters are as much of a death knell for cars as the people that rat look them.