i've been getting this urge to buy my dream car lately. being i will probably never be able to afford a new M5, the notion of the 88-92 M5 should make sense being it was the first car to really get my attention.
since, i bought my 1992 taurus SHO MTX (don't know if you guys have heard of it), i have since put a fair amount of cash into it. currently, it has 260 HP and is real fun to drive. but, 10 year old SHOs do not wear like 10 year old BMWs. i don't think the SHO will be one of those cars you can grow old with. it will fall apart (not the yamaha enigne though).
BMWs seem to look like new, right down to the leather regardless of age. just take care of them.
so, what should i keep a look out for when shopping. are all the 88-92s all the same. there seems to be a huge price variance; from under 10K to 25K. i just don't want to get a lemon.
Ah, there is too much to list here. Try out this link: Click Here!
If you want to find some good E34 M5's: Click Here!
My advice is to make sure the engine is totally solid. The engine is without a doubt the most expensive and important aspect of the E34 M5. Get the engine checked by an expert. Since you live in Oakland, CA, go to:
Bavarian Professionals
1218 Seventh St.
Berkeley CA 94710
(510) 524-6000
(510) 528-0620 (fax)
These guys know their stuff and they won't screw you over.
i read the faq on the M5. very interesting. man, i want one! parts and mods seem to be double compared to the SHO, but that's okay. the only kicker is i went to the dinan website and they want $14,500 for their stage I engine. if they get the engine new from bmw, then i can see the price. but if they are core exchange engines (they were grenaded engines from another car), then that price is totally ridiculous. i can get a rebuilt, bored, balanced and blueprinted 320HP sho shop engine for $3600.
given they are two totally different cars, but if i ever blew the engine on the M5 (overheat, etc.), i'd cry. given, dinan is just one place. about how much is a decent top end refresh (new rings, pistons, etc.)? a lot of these engine are over 130K. i'm sure they last a long time, but odds are that the engines will start getting blowby 200-225K. what have you guys and gals experienced?
lastly, what's up with the dinan chips? they claim something like 33 HP increase. how? unless bmw's factory settings are WAY too conservative, i can't see how you can extract another 33 HP out of just modifying the fuel and spark curves on a normally aspirated engine. if the HP gain was on a tricked out cammed engine, then modifying the fuel map would have a larger difference. please, educate me. i was also told that the car will ping a little bit with the chip. detonation is NEVER okay. given, it won't kill your engine like it would with a boosted car, but running lean is not good for the engine. especially such an expensive engine.
if there are any M5 owners in the bay area, i'd love to get together and see your cars. i've never been in one before. about the best i can do in return is get you a ride in a 530 HP supercharged SHO (my friend's) if any are interested.
I must admit, I browsed Dinans site when I first got the 535i E34, and their prices are a bit mad.
I can only assume there must be shedloads of time involved in rebuilding the S38 engine, hence the price.
When you see the PDF files of people who have rebuilt these engines, it scares me silly just how much time and effort is required.
Dinan have a great reputation amongst E39 owners, so I won`t criticise them too much, after all a $14,000 engine on a car that cost pretty much $70-80,000 when new isn`t that bad.... until 10 years later when the car is worth $14,000. LOL.
UPDATE - From the next thread here !! "
I don't think Dinan is building the s38 stroker any longer nor are they interested in doing any type of custom engine builds. I asked about the stroker a couple of years ago and they didn't want to touch it."
As for their performance gains.... well IMHO totally overstated would be a polite way of saying it.
Look what it took to change a 3.6 to a 3.8, just to get 25 BHP gain, new flywheel, pistons, compression up, per coil ignition, 300cc, errr... other stuff DeWitt is going to jump on me for forgetting. See, loads.
And all along, they could have just reprogrammed the OBC to have a bit lousier MPG. Doh !
To be honest, don`t mod the engine. It is sweet as a nut anyway, so look at wheels and extra options for your viewing pleasure. Choose a nice colour too.
Hi,
There are a few M5's in the East Bay. I'm in Walnut Creek. Just had some work done at Bavarian Professionals - good place for you to have a BMW inspected.
You can email me: mywong23@hotmail.com
to arrange a time to see my car.
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