zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?
At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:17

Nice Price or No Dice 1985 BMW 535i

The reason given for the sale of today’s BMW E28 is a lack of space following the purchase of a new truck. Let’s see if this old-school Bimmer is priced well enough for someone to start planning it a new space.

The Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail brazenly dismissed his battle injuries, claiming the hacking off of his limbs to be nothing more than a scratch. Minimizing flaws or injuries is a common trait and one we saw with last Friday’s . The car’s seller said that it was in great shape, but offhandedly noted in the ad that it “Randomly shuts off, but will start back up.” Like a forest floor strewn with severed arms and legs, that casual mention in the ad’s description stood out. It also made the car’s $4,000 asking price untenable for the vast majority of you, ending up in a 70 percent No Dice loss.

Image for article titled At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?

The flaws on today’s are also noted in the ad, and are more of the visual nature, rather than evidenced by some mechanical gremlins. Those flaws include a scrape on the front bumper, fog lamps that need to be realigned, a couple of cracks in the dash, and a driver’s seat that, were it a person, would be leaning against a wall panting breathlessly and urging us to go on without it.

Are any of these aesthetic and comfort issues insurmountable? Of course not. They all simply make the car look a bit more like a daily driver or weekend warrior than a garage queen.

Image for article titled At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?

The good news is that the car seems to be mechanically sound. The 3.5-liter M30B34 straight-six is said to run without issue or dashboard warning light. That 180 horsepower SOHC six is mated here with a ZF-sourced four-speed automatic which is also claimed to be problem-free. In fact, the only mechanical detail that doesn’t seem to be working is the odometer. Apparently that decided it had had enough at 238,662 miles. I expect that’s probably par for the course on Bimmers of such advanced age and miles.

Image for article titled At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?

The automatic may dull much of the interest the car generates among enthusiasts. So, too, might the Alpine White over beige color scheme. That’s neither the most exciting nor most elegant, but aside from a few flaws here and there, it looks pretty serviceable. A set of ARE two-piece alloys do dress the car up a bit. And yes, those are Doral tires mounted to the wheels. That’s a secondary by Japan’s Sumitomo and available at places like Walmart. We’re not here to tire shame, however.

Image for article titled At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?

In the car’s favor are a new catalytic converter and O2 sensors. This is a California car and owing to the state requiring replacement emissions equipment to carry a long warranty, cats here are significantly more expensive than in other states. A related benefit is not having to go through the hassle of a non-passage of the required smog test at title transfer. In fact, the seller says the car has a clean title, valid registration, and a smog certificate as validation of such heroic deeds.

Image for article titled At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?

Another plus is what looks to be a complete tool kit in the boot lid. Sure, the tools look suspiciously covered in surface rust, but they seem to be all there. Also in there is a huge subwoofer taking up nearly half of the boot’s capacity. Maybe the seller will help the new owner lift that space-waster into a nearby dumpster. Removal of the stereo’s wiring may be a little more daunting than that, but it should probably be done as well.

Are we done? Save for the price tag, I’d say that we are. That price is $5,200, and I’d now like you all to weigh in with your opinion as to whether this 535i is worth that much scratch.

Image for article titled At $5,200, Is This 1985 BMW 535i a Credible Classic?

What do you think? Could the balance of good and bad equate to that $5,200 asking? Or, does the bad outweigh the good and that price?

You decide!

Long Beach, California, , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to Don R. for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
Jul 4, 2025
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
Jul 4, 2025
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
Jul 4, 2025
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
Jul 4, 2025
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
Jul 4, 2025
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
Jul 4, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved