First off, hi folks!

I'm not really in the market for a new car but an E28 has caught my eye. It is a 528i and an auto. If this one sells I likely won't get one!

Firstly how reliable are these? Would the engine be relatively easy to maintain and be ok if not used for a week or so at a time? Am I right in thinking it would be using the 2.7 M30 engine which is meant to be pretty bulletproof and not need belts changing?

How would it be on fuel? I'd be looking for a nice, lazy, easy to drive commuter as my current car is a '97 Civic Type R which is fun and frantic as well as being quite loud I would be splitting the driving between the two cars depending on my mood. As much of a commuter as it would be I would also like the car to be quite quirky which I think an E28 would be over an E34 etc.

Lastly as I've not driven a RWD car would it be a reasonable introduction into oversteer etc? Obviously this isn't the main reason as above but if it was suitable it would be a huge bonus as I'd like to progress to an M powered car at some point in the next few years!

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks!

There is no such thing as an M30 2.7 The 528i is a 2.8l car. Fuel economy for a 528i auto would be averagre arround 26 mpg depending on how you drive and where you drive. There is no belt on an M30 only a chain. The engine just need regular oil change and the valve clearances done (every 30,000 miles). The car is overengineered which is why there are still a few around and I use a modded 525e everyday. I cover about 25000 miles per year in it. So long as you don't use metric tyres oversteer is kept to a minimum unless you deliberately provoke it.

Running costs are low unless you are pedantic like me and fix even the smallest issues. Just know no matter how rust free an E28 starts of as regular use in all whether will let the rot creep in and keeping that at bay costs a little money. My rust free E28 bought 2 1/3 years ago now has rotten jacking points a common problem. I have spent arround £1000 pounds on rust repairs in the last two years.

However would I trade it in for a new "trouble" free car, no, never. I like to much. Besides the money I save I ca spend on the E28.
Yes they make reliable dailies but be prepared to do a bit of maintance. It is an old car after all.

I used a 528iA as a daily driver for a while and it was great, I was lucky to find a completely rust free car for very little money by accident on eBay, all it needed was lower control arms and some tyres and it served me very well, fuel economy was ok, around town it was a little juicy but on the cruise it wasnt that bad at all. Nice smooth ride, and good handling. It wasnt hugely fast to be honest without a good stirring of the kickdown etc. As above though, if the rust is in check the mechanicals are very strong indeed. Parts are surprisingly cheap and if its running smoothly and quietly now it will continue to with good maintenance. They have alot of character but are definately modern enough to use everyday, I could leave mine for as long as I liked and it would always start. It was better in cold weather than some more modern cars ive used. I would think it would be cheaper to maintain than your CTR.

Ive had E28s and E34s and while the E34 is a 'better' car I still prefer the older ones. If you have good tyres you do have to kick it about a bit to get it to oversteer, but in the wet you can easily put a huge grin on your face, or a huge dent in the car if you overcook it lol. It stops like a modern car, reacts like a modernish car and has all stuff you need spec wise, go for it!

On that note, when you drive it, stand on the brakes and they should be instant like any other car, if there is a delay it means the accumulator is dead, not the end of the world cost wise but a bit of a bugger to change without a sphere tool etc.

This was my 528i Automatic:

No reason why a regularly maintained one could not be a daily - mine was for 3 years at least

Mine is my only transport, apart from borrowing Julias Touran from time to time. Always starts first time every time, but it does benefit from being garaged at night. Run it for nearly a year now, and apart from the odd bits here and there, has been no problem at all, apart from its thirst for unleaded which I'm trying to sort out at the moment.

BTW if you want instant oversteer, buy a set of metrics . I have a set now only used for shows and summer. As I discovered because of the incredibly stiff tyre walls they have a tendancy to causing the back end to step out at very low speeds in the wet! With my 14" steels the car is very planted in all conditions

Sorry, I was getting my info from here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_E28



Great news that they are a viable daily, I go to different clients each week/month so would be pretty cool to use an E28 auto for town weeks and the CTR for out of town weeks. My CTR (and as an E28 would be following tonight's conversation) would be reasonable to keep on the road, one of my best friends is a mechanic. He doesn't have much experience on E28's in particular but seems keen/conifdent regardless

This is the one I like:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1454316.htm

It now is either without or is very near the end of its MOT which makes getting it a royal pain. What do you think of the price point?

What seems to be an issue now is insurance, I tried with Elephant and got quoted around £500 which seems like a lot for a second car which is 20 odd years old! Are there any classic car insurance places which will look at under 25's as I'm only 22?

Cheers,
Wayne

A fine daily And if you can turn a spanner and find a part using an internet then not an expensive daily, either.

I miss rocking an E28 every day

Chopped springs No thank you dont think that would make good daily.No sevice history, no mot, no tax=money pit!!!Its worth £200 for the oxblood leather.Nothing else

IIRC that's quite a decent car, and it used to belong to someone on here. Looks phuckin phabulous anyway, worth a punt at 650 if you don't mind getting your hands dirty

^ like I said, I recognise that car as well. used to belong to a member here but I cant for the life of me remember who

long story short, I would for £650

The car is/was Blaupunkt's, and while I do think it is pretty cool I wouldn't buy it for a daily driver, it's too low - note how the desciption says it's had a new sump...

An E28 is a viable daily but not that one for reasons already given.

Go for one that is taxed and has not been messed with. If you do go for one that has been modded go for one that has been done properly. Lowering a car buy chopping the srings is not the right way. If you lower the spring rate has to go up a bit to compensate for the reduced travel. Also beware of cars that need welding they may need more than the owner is letting on (so have a good look everywhere).

I would stick to the more fuel efficent 525e, it's an auto and if you dind it too slow swap in a 528i diff. The 525e is more economical than a 528i and while it puts out 130hp it delivers the same ammount of torque as the 528i but the rev range is limited. It's a good engine.

You could buy it and put some proper springs on?

Cutting springs increases their rate.

^ surely its bloody dangerous to run on chopped springs as they cant seat properly on the strut?

FFS if you want it low why not just get a set of lowering springs specifically designed for the purpose?

I think all classic car insurance is for over 25's .Im sure somebody here will tell me if im wrong. I pay £130 quid a year for my 528i which is great. I have not managed to get it on the road yet but it is very close now. New rear shocks on tomorrow hopefully then ready for MOT.
Changing springs is pretty straight forward so for £650 you should have a look but look carefully, preferably with someone who has a bit of knowledge on E28's.
I know someone who has some standard rear shocks (yellow Bilsteins) and springs with top mounts from a M535i for sale quite cheap Somebody on here will have a set of fronts I reckon.

Because cutting some springs you already have is cheaper than buying new ones.

I've never done it myself as I've always used lowering springs, but there are plenty of people running on cut springs, it isn't the big deal many people make it out to be.

Jonah- Cutting a spring does nothing to alter its rate.
Coilspring rate depends on wire diameter and the coil diameter.

^ He's right.

With a sturdy sumpguard it'd be alright I found the sump on my 528i to be vulnerable, and I didn't even lower it - cracked 2 in fact.

The first one, I put my hand up and say it was my fault. It was a pretty cool jump though

I am not so sure about that, I have always been led to beleive cutting springs does increase the rate and it seems to make sense.

See here...

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3

Those wheels are going to be the wrong offset as they are from a Z3.

There have been a few questionable accidents in Northern Ireland thought to be related to cut springs, the police are now actively stopping lowered vehicles, chopped springs? vehicle seized no ifs ands od buts... Unroadworthy as these would not pass MOT.

And yes i have been running an E28 535 for a year now everyday(ish). never let me down.

Lance1a - The offset of Z3 wheels will be wrong as standard but he has used spacers to make the offset within the range needed for a E28. I think the Z3 has the same offset as the E36/E46 3 series IIRC.

From http://www.engineersedge.com/spring_tension_calc_k.htm

k = constant, pounds of load per inch of deflection

G = modulus of rigidity of spring material, pounds per square inch

d = wire diameter, inches

n = number of active coils, which is the number of coils subjected to flexure (always less than the total number of coils)

D = mean coil diameter, inches = Outer Diameter - Wire Diameter

Equation: k = Gd^4/8nD^3

O.K for use metric folk converting the equation to take metric unit is easy.

So a sortened spring will have a higher spring rate. I have played with some numbers and it appear that a small change in the number of active coils can change the spring rate by a conciderable ammount. As the number of active coils is lower the rate will be higher. I stand corrected. However this assume that the number of active coils changes. If it does not then there will be no change. It all depends how much shortening has been done. You learn something new everyday.

Splondike those links you posted proablably say the same thing but there are to many words to read. I prefer a bit of maths.

Do you think wayne has seen this thread

Has all of this really come from one simple question, shall he buy an E28 for a daily driver or not?
I think we should stick to the job in hand. For a daily driver

Personally, I wouldnt get anything thats been messed with too much. For a daily driver you want comfort and reliability. I would got for a 525e with good history. My opinion.

Good to think about maths now and again tho lol.

^^^ what he said, yes a 525e, I use one everyday, 29 mpg average.

Thanks for the maths lesson Malcolm, I find it easier to let Faulkners do the spring designs. Cut springs are an absolute no no IMO.

Cripes, what a thread

I've never been a fan of cut springs so I would make an effort to change them to coilovers or similar. For pottering around town they would be ok as a short term solution but I wouldn't trust them when pressing on. I like modified cars therefore running low isn't an issue, my daily routes don't have speedbumps and as said driving would be shared between the CTR and the project.

A lack of MOT and tax isn't a huge problem, my best mate is a mechanic and I'm not afraid of a spanner so I'm sure it would be on the road in no time. The major issue is being stuck in Aberdeen and all the cars being in Kent or Birmingham for some reason.

If I go for an E28 I want MPG which isn't horrendous, leather seats and a nice colour. This seems to be hard to come by unfortunately. I've also expanded my search for a project to a favourite of mine, mk1 MX5's. PM me if you need a haircut.

The main problem with the MX's is they are now getting a scene tax, trying to get a bargain is hard. Looking to get something (MX5, BMW) for as little as possible and work on it over Summer. I'm not afraid of having a go at paintwork and I can get hold of a welder if I have to. Only thing is if it is a BM I want the leather seats!

Well you never said you need a project and leather seats are overated
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