e28's...Is it the M30 engine?

[sgoatley2001e46]

I think the BMW bug may have bitten someone new. My brother has often come with me to various club events and is now looking at e28's. He found an 84 533i that he really likes. Is that the M30 engine? If so, does anyone have any thoughts they can share on oddities or things he should look for before taking the plunge? What about the rest of the car? I have only seen pictures, and it looks in good shape considering the age, but as far as mechanicals go, can anyone shed any light on things we need to look over before he buys it?

[jnscaldwell]

From wikipedia:

533i: A North-American only model sold from 1983-1984 in limited quantities in response to customer complaints that the 528e had lower performance figures than the 1981 528i that it replaced. Equipped with a 181 hp (135 kW) 3.2L M30 6-cylinder engine as fitted to the larger 633csi and 733i, it produced 195 lb·ft (264 N·m). torque. The compression ratio was 8.8:1. Top Speed was 134 mph. (man.). The 533i was the fastest sedan sold in the USA in 1983.

[victory1auto]

Any car that old should get a very thorough pre-purchase inspection to assess how much money will need to be spent on repairs. Then the prospective owner can decide if the car is worth buying. In many if not most cases, having a car that old only makes sense if you do your own repair work.

The manual-transmission E28s are, in my opinion, very reliable, desireable cars.

The pre-purchase inspection should pay close attention to the suspension and steering.

Vic

[sgoatley2001e46]

Thank you both for the input! It's much appreciated. It looks like the search is still on...we missed the boat with the find referenced in my first post, but we're still looking. Thanks again!

-Scott

[TimCircleBMW]

Between Chris Graff, Myself, and Mike K, just about any question on that car can be answered. I will rephrase that... EVERY question on that car can be answered. The 533i was a great car. Solid and Reliable as heck. Do a good inspection II service, pop in some new relays and fuses as PM and you are good to go...

Tim