Buyer has it listed at $9500 and is local to me. I am going to look at the car tomorrow evening. It looks pretty interesting if it checks out mechanically.
Cliff notes version - Dinan stage III motor including supercharger, cams, exhaust, stage III suspension, brembo brakes, etc.
The problems I see are the mods were done back in 1995, so they probably have ~100K miles on them. Car has 123K miles on it now.
So the unknows are - how long will a M60 engine last with a 6psi blower?
I need to check if it was ever replaced with an Alusil block. But if leakdown and compression check out OK, that probably doesn't matter at this point.
Next is how long is a Dinan SC going to last? Could need a rebuild at some time in the future.
Trans should be OK - it is pretty new, clutch should be good.
Suspension - again, the Dinan stuff has been on there 100K miles - probably at a minimum the shocks need to be rebuilt. Springs might still be OK. I am assuming normal maint has been kept up so things like control arms, bushings, etc. have been replaced as needed. I will check the service records for more details there.
Otherwise - if the car looks good it might be worth taking a risk on it for the right price. I have been looking into some E34 M5's, although I had not totally made up my mind to go that direction. I was looking at some cars in the 90-110K mileage range and figured they would be somewhere between $15-17K to get one ready to go - including purchase price. If I can get this car for $8-9K range, that leaves me a lot of room if I do need to spend any $$ on repairs or freshening things up.
I like the idea of a V8 with close to 400hp - it would be more like an E39 acceleration with the more lively and responsive and better feedback of the E34 chassis. Could be a best of both worlds kind of car. Of course, it could be a money pit too.... I will say I am very mechanically capable with cars and would not think twice to do just about anything to the car including pulling the motor for a rebuild if need be. In fact, I like the earlier cars because they have fewer computers and sources of problems, so they are easier for us DIY types to keep going.
That said - other than the obvious risk factors of the age of some of this equipment - what are the downsides of going this route vs. an M5? Handling should be basically the same since the suspension is modified anyway. Trans is a 6-speed which is nicer for highway use. V8 makes more tq and more power, so it is faster than an M5. Resale is a potential problem, since this car has been on and off the market for 9 months now... Not to say it might not take that long to sell an M5 in this market too - just depends.
Any thoughts on choosing this vs. an M5 given the relative pricing?
Oh - and I guess I should explain the intended use of the car. It would not be my daily driver, although I would drive it on average once a week in good weather months and on the weekends. I would take it for medium distance highway trips, since the 5 series is a better highway car than my 2005 S4 (which is my daily driver). I also may take it to the track a few days a year. I also have a SUV for family and utility needs, plus the wife has her daily driver. So we have plenty of cars around. 2 drivers for now, but that changes next year when my daughter will start learning how to drive (oh joy). I may pick up a beater for that purpose just to save on insurance, or will only put her on my wife's car. She won't be driving my S4 or an E34 M or SC 540i, both manuals.
Make sure the drive belts are still available as well as peripherals associated w/ that SC kit.
Thats fairly low boost, so I feel its a good thing that it has survived that many miles and time. I'd be more concerned if it was a recent job w/ low un-proven miles.
If you do buy that car, you have to assume you'll be the final end-user/owner as the resale value is limited to a car of that nature. And yes, it has been in and out of the market.
Have you driven a well sorted e34 M5 ? If not, do yourself a favor and take one out.
Not quite sure yet, but there's a slight chance I might be selling mine soon. Never thought I would as I really feel I have one of the best running examples in turn-key condition in the USA.
My friend's brother has decided to sell his 993 2S . I've known that car since he bought it new and its one of the few cars I'd give up my M for.
Shoot me a PM if you're interested. Its a well document 91 M5 w/ every record from Day 1 ! Dyno proven, and it came from California where it lived from 1991-2005.
If you search in this board, there are several pics and threads I've authored about it.
Make sure the drive belts are still available as well as peripherals associated w/ that SC kit.
Thats fairly low boost, so I feel its a good thing that it has survived that many miles and time. I'd be more concerned if it was a recent job w/ low un-proven miles.
If you do buy that car, you have to assume you'll be the final end-user/owner as the resale value is limited to a car of that nature. And yes, it has been in and out of the market.
Have you driven a well sorted e34 M5 ? If not, do yourself a favor and take one out.
Not quite sure yet, but there's a slight chance I might be selling mine soon. Never thought I would as I really feel I have one of the best running examples in turn-key condition in the USA.
My friend's brother has decided to sell his 993 2S . I've known that car since he bought it new and its one of the few cars I'd give up my M for.
Shoot me a PM if you're interested. Its a well document 91 M5 w/ every record from Day 1 ! Dyno proven, and it came from California where it lived from 1991-2005.
If you search in this board, there are several pics and threads I've authored about it.
I have driven and almost purchased several of them. the latest was a 91 with 122K miles and a nicely sorted Dinan stage 2 suspension. It was a good car, but it had a few issues that I wasn't too sure about, and I was not crazy about the BBS RC wheels - I prefer a factory wheel like throwing star on an E34 M5. Few other things about it made it not the right car for me. And also I was a bit concerned about the mileage vs. a lower mileage car.
Then I go and consider a 540i SCed with the same mileage. Haha.
I have another exotic to consider too. 91 535i Dinan turbo. Has about 100K miles and motor rebuilt at 90K, turbo kit added same time. Built by a Dinan tech, so it has the suspension and some nice wheels too. Looks to me in mint condition. And has a killer stereo, which I would like to have. About the same price as a decent stock-ish ~100K mi M5. Fresh motor and suspension and recently done stereo make it pretty interesting to me. Also the 535i is a bit lighter than a M5 or 540i and more importantly has a rack and pinion steering for even better feel and feedback. I hear the turbo cars have a bit of lag, but they run hard and beat a M5 to 60 by a good second or so. 360 or so HP.
I have another exotic to consider too. 91 535i Dinan turbo. Has about 100K miles and motor rebuilt at 90K, turbo kit added same time. Built by a Dinan tech, so it has the suspension and some nice wheels too. Looks to me in mint condition. And has a killer stereo, which I would like to have. About the same price as a decent stock-ish ~100K mi M5. Fresh motor and suspension and recently done stereo make it pretty interesting to me. Also the 535i is a bit lighter than a M5 or 540i and more importantly has a rack and pinion steering for even better feel and feedback. I hear the turbo cars have a bit of lag, but they run hard and beat a M5 to 60 by a good second or so. 360 or so HP.
the turbo 535 sounds like an interesting car, but you're mistaken on the steering, no e34's have rack and pinion steering.
__________________
Mike
91 M5 Alpine White II, Silver Gray 3/90 production
17x8/17x9 M system with PS2, 20mm touring roll bar; Ground Control Coilovers; EAT Chip, CD43; bmw/nardi blackline steering wheel, 3.8 Cam Gears
08 535i / 6 speed
Space Gray; Gray; Sport/Premium/Nav
00 M5 Ti Silver; Imola/black sportiv --Sold
Engine:
Supersprint Headers, Dinan CAI kit and MAFS, Throttle Bodies, Cams, Ported heads, Exhaust, Custom dinan software, Evosport Pullies, Dinan clutch and lightened flywheel; Ignition solutions plasma coils
Suspension:
Dinan Stage 3 with front and rear Strut Tower Braces, Beastpower Sway bar brackets, Dinan Wheels with 275/285 PilotSport, X5 Thrust arm bushings, Stoptech 355mm 4 piston front, 355mm 2 piston rear brake kit, Dinan 3.45 diff
Interior/Misc:
Eurodash, updated steering wheel, Bluetooth retrofit, Sirius Retrofit, hardwired V1, Widescreen Mk4 nav, M audio retrofit, Ice Link, BSW Stage 1 speaker upgrade, bmw towbar
OK - I checked out the car tonight and took it for a drive. The car is a flat out monster. Much faster than a E34 M5. Likely faster than a E39 M5, or if not at least as fast. Basically the car has E39 M5 capabilities except for sharper handling and way better brakes (brembo 6 pistons up front). The wheels are 18" BBS 3-pc with 245-40-18's all around. The car is supremely planted and well put together. It has a nice lope at idle - you can tell it has bigger cams than stock. The Dinan exhaust is not overly loud - just about right I would say. Very solid and nice car.
And it is in really good shape inside and out too. It has been garage kept it's whole life, and well cared for.
Dinan did all of the mods, except the manual trans was installed at ~110K miles. It was a new M series 6-speed and pro installed. The car has a pretty solid and documented history. First owned by a wealthy local here in the Bay Area. The current owner had it back to Dinan and they remember the car and the owner very well. All receipts for mods and service were kept and the Dinan mods cost somewhere in the $20K neighborhood all told. Original owner had it to ~100K miles. Sold it to a guy in Maine who kept it for about 4 years and logged 18K miles. He swapped the trans because he wanted an AT. The current owner was a friend of the 2nd owner - not really a car guy and doesn't know much about the car. He paid $15K for it 2 years ago and put on 5K miles. He has less than $1K in service - has done everything Dinan recommended, and put brand new tires on it within the last few thousand miles. I told him he got off pretty cheap to own a car like this for 2 years for basically $7-8K of total cost including depreciation. Which is true if you compare the ownership costs of a E39 M5 over the last 2 years, since those resales have taken a good hard hit, and they are not cheap cars to keep running. Main reason he is selling is he isn't really a car guy, and doesn't fit in it very well - he is 6'7". He may look at a E38 740i in a year or two if the economy gets better and his financial situation improves. I think he just wants out of the car for now because it is a pretty big liability if something goes wrong and he hardly drives it. Really nice guy - seemed very honest and straightforward, I trust him.
So I need to think about it for a few days, and if I decide to move forward with it I will have it inspected by Dinan including a leakdown and compression test. Suspension feels tight, I do not think much is wrong there. Electrically everything works. AC blows cold. The car is the real deal.
The only thing holding me back is I need to make sure this is the right stable mate to my S4 daily driver. In some ways it is pretty similar - both are V8, 6speed german sports sedans. Sure - they have different character - the S4 is more modern, so it has a few more features and luxuries like dual climate control, sat radio, built in nav, HID lights, etc. And the S4 is AWD, so it has a different handling and feel. The Dinan 5 handles better, rides nicer and is faster, plus it does offer more feedback. It is kind of like an old(er) school car, but not totally old school like a E30 M3 or 911SC or something.
So where my mind is starting to wander is into something more radically different like a 911 (SC or 3.2 Carrera) or a C5 vette. But where I keep coming back is the tremendous value with this 540i. I mean - sure, there is huge risk that the motor may fail at some point - there is no doubt it will fail eventually. But I should be able to get a few good years out of it, and if it goes I could always part it out and not get too hurt if I am only paying $9K for it. Bigger problem comes if I want to sell it in a few more years with even more miles on it. But there again, wouldn't somebody be willing to take the same risk and buy it for $6K, figuring worse case they lose a couple grand if it dies and they have to part it out? Maybe most people don't look at it like I do - actually, I can rest assured that is true....
And then there is the M5 idea - maybe getting a E34 M5 would be more different than the S4. But that is pretty tough to justify when this car blows an M5 away and is already fully set-up by Dinan just how it should be... All for $9K....
Thought you might want this, attached is a Car and Driver article on the Dinan 540i. It is a very nice machine indeed. Good luck I think similar to you and vote get it.
Thought you might want this, attached is a Car and Driver article on the Dinan 540i. It is a very nice machine indeed. Good luck I think similar to you and vote get it.
Thanks for that. What is funny is, I've been a C&D subscriber for a long time. And I remember reading that article and drooling over that car.
There is a misprint on the 1/4mi, but from the text I gather that it did it in 13.8@106 which is pretty respectable. Not quite E39 territory.
but....
The magazine tested a stage 2 car, the one I drove was stage 3. Which seems to include bigger cams and headers in addition to the exhaust and supercharger. So if stage 2 is 402hp, stage 3 must be 420, 430? Also the car I drove had a 3.15 LSD vs. the stock gearing of 2.71 or so. Which means that car should be capable of dipping well below 5 sec 0-60 and do the 1/4mi near 13flat at 110 or so, meaning it should beat a E39 M5. That is pretty impressive. Seems like kind of a no-brainer decision, eh?
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