Newbie BMW 520I E34

**sibs** · August 26th, 2008 12:24 AM

Tsikot Members,

I'm a newbie... and I'm planning to buy my first car (but limited budget) =( Saw this BMW 520I E34 in Tsikot, fell inlove with it... But honestly I don't know what I'm putting myself into if i buy this car... What should i know? How would i know if the Car is still in excellent condition as the seller is saying it so... Since it's a 1988 model, run for about 50,000km should i worry about the maintenace? and if so can the parts be found other than BMW dealers???

I need a lot of learning... Hope you can share me your words of wisdom... don't want to have my first car as a failure... =)

Best of Luck to All,
sib's

**StraightSix** · August 26th, 2008 10:02 PM

A new driver with a limited budget and an E34 for a first car is a recipe for disaster.

Save yourself from heartaches, headaches and a much lighter bank account ... run away from it as fast as you can.

**daimengrui** · August 27th, 2008 09:10 AM

I concur. Buy a fuel saving vehicle such as a Vios or Jazz. BMWs are great but if you have limited budget can you really hold on to its upkeep?

Remember maintenance of a BMW is very high.

**russpogi** · August 28th, 2008 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by StraightSix

A new driver with a limited budget and an E34 for a first car is a recipe for disaster.

Save yourself from heartaches, headaches and a much lighter bank account ... run away from it as fast as you can.

^Hahaha!!!!!

Seriously, +1 on this.

Let me share a story:

I had a friend who has a 1989 520i E34 which I eventually sold to my classmate in CSB for Php350k. The deal was this, since the seller is a friend of mine and the buyer is also a friend of mine, the seller disclosed everything about the car like history and known troubles. Also, the seller endorsed the buyer to his "talyer" that specializes on European cars.

So, in light of all the information on hand, the buyer insisted to buy the car which so he did. The good thing is that he knows what to expect on the car and knows the cost of repairs for the car.

Now, you'd see the car rolling along the streets of Makati as if it's not a 19 year old car.

To the TS, not all sellers are like my friend. They'd say that the vehicle is just fine where in fact they know that the vehicles carry headaches with it. In their opinion, "bahala na yung makakabili". I'm not trying to scare you or anything but just would like to share information that may help you in your decision. Good luck! HTH!

**StraightSix** · August 29th, 2008 06:10 AM

The E34 is actually a good car ... I want one.

Buying an E34 isn't any different from buying any other used car. But you have to remember that parts will be dearer and harder to find. That particular model is also underpowered and fuel-thirsty with its 2.0li M20 engine.

There are other cars out there that's best for you.

**russpogi** · August 30th, 2008 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by StraightSix

The E34 is actually a good car ... I want one.

Buying an E34 isn't any different from buying any other used car. But you have to remember that parts will be dearer and harder to find. That particular model is also underpowered and fuel-thirsty with its 2.0li M20 engine.

There are other cars out there that's best for you.

Yup! It is indeed very thirsty. That's the reason why my friend (seller) sold it. The reason why my other friend (buyer) bought it is because of the low price and the good overall condition of the car.

I like this car (E34) myself too... If only I could get a 525i, masaya na ako!

**ffboy** · June 18th, 2009 03:54 PM

bmw e34.. kung 1st car, avoid it. iba pag alaga ng bmw. you won't take care of it like you would a toyota or honda. mejo madugo. may e34 kmi (i want to sell! but its my dads car). sample? sensitive cooling system ng bmw, and kung mag overheat yun pwde masira agad cyl. gasket and worse, cyl. head. it happened to us, it cost almost 100k to fix. 60kplus cyl head, 9k cyl head repair kit, plus 1.5 days each just to remove the cyl. head. plus, yung underchassis pa. brake pads per set costs abt. 2000 bucks, shocks are 3-4000 per piece.. if you don't have the budget, time or patience (and believe me, this car will test your patience) for these things, better stick with reliable jap. cars. Take note, these things won't happen as one big repair job. pasulpot sulpot lang naman. we fixed the fundamental/essentials of our car, and now it feels extremely solid. Its a car of extremes.. pag sira, grabe.. high blood talaga.. pero pag maayos mo, wow naman.. enjoy! The point is, euro car plus age, mejo madugo. you learn as you go, painfully in some cases, but you will have first hand account/knowledge sa kotse.. If ever ibenta namin amin, we had it for 2+years, i know every single item we repaired, fixed or replaced from day 1 up to this day, and maguarantee ko yung car condition.. just a thought. Excellent condition? hah! relative yung term "excellent"..

**beamer whacko** · June 19th, 2009 12:49 PM

tol im a bmw mechanic who used to be in casa for so long years. my honest suggestion is since it will be your first time to have a euro car. wag mo na kunin ang e34 body frst mahal talaga ang parts and for us mechanic side, mahirap yan gawin. tingin ko para lang talaga yan sa may passion sa auto and siempre dapat mahaba ang pisi mo.though e34 is a fun car. mag e36 k nalang. i had a friend who used to be selling her 325i alaga ko yun, i can tell you wala ka ng ipapagawa dun. sakay ka nalang.

**ffboy** · June 19th, 2009 03:50 PM

sorry if we sound as if we're discouraging you(well, basically we are), but those are the facts.. unless you pour out your heart and money into it, you won't enjoy it.. you are likely to experience headaches as you go (if u buy the bm), and if you are a car nut, there will be times that you (as a car nut) will come very close to saying you no longer want to have anything to do with cars.. experience ko lang, mejo minalas din kc.. but i'm sure there are others who have had this experience.. Now, in my opinion, there's nothing like a good, simple, reliable, hassle free car. The type that will bore you to death because the car you own gets you from pt a to pt b, in an uneventful way.. no nasty surprises..
Buy a car that will give you Peace of Mind. Kahit typical run of the mill Jap. car, kung di ka binibitin sa byahe, ok na yun.. magaan pa sa bulsa..

**blbjr357** · February 15th, 2011 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by beamer whacko

tol im a bmw mechanic who used to be in casa for so long years. my honest suggestion is since it will be your first time to have a euro car. wag mo na kunin ang e34 body frst mahal talaga ang parts and for us mechanic side, mahirap yan gawin. tingin ko para lang talaga yan sa may passion sa auto and siempre dapat mahaba ang pisi mo.though e34 is a fun car. mag e36 k nalang. i had a friend who used to be selling her 325i alaga ko yun, i can tell you wala ka ng ipapagawa dun. sakay ka nalang.

sir i am in need of a good mechanic for my 1996 bmw 328i automatic, please help me, my cell fon number is 0917 357 86 25. my car is now park in an aircon shop near ateneo katipunan quezon city. u may text me n i return call. ty