1985 BMW 524td turbo diesel e28 sedan

1985 BMW 5-Series 524td Additional Info:

I purchased this car in December 2017 from a local German car club friend and it has been my daily driver for the last five months. Starts every time and has never left me stranded. Super fun to drive and gets more compliments than any car I've ever owned. Recently picked up a new daily driver (wanted a wagon for additional cargo space) so it's time to pass this one on to the next owner.

169,450 miles on the odometer. Gears were previously non-functioning and replaced by the previous owner, so actual mileage is unknown, but the odometer functions properly now. Engine is incredibly consistent, smooth and strong.

The good:

-Starts every time. Runs and drives great.

-5 speed manual swap. Clutch feels good.

-New timing belt within last 5k miles, fall 2017.

-New Toyo Extensa A/S tires in Jan '18.

-New radiator fan clutch in Jan '18.

-New alternator/fan belt in May '18.

-Smokes very little for a td, usually just a puff on cold starts.

-Replaced rear speakers, wiper blades and performed some other odds and ends clean up and maintenance during the last five months. The car has been treated well in my ownership

-Oil change in March 2017 at 168k.

-Glow plugs work great, no problem starting even on very cold days during winter.

-Uses very little oil (have not had to add any since oil change in mid-March).

-All lights and general safety features seem to work fine. This car had no problem passing inspection in Dec '17.

-See videos of the car starting and running herehttps://youtu.be/NmOENi7TglI and herehttps://youtu.be/OAgBMq_h944

The bad:

-Front end shimmy when slowing down from cruising speed, presumably from worn-out control arm bushings, perhaps also slightly warped front brake rotors

-A previous owner removed the fan for the heating and air system (A/C doesn't work anyway). When driving down the road with the heat on, the car will produce heat from the vents, but only using natural air flow.

-Sunroof opens but does not close on its own, requires manual assistance. Rear passenger window goes down, but doesn't always go up.Front passenger window needs assistance closing, but does work. Rear driver window does not work. Front driver window works great.

-Minor rust around windshield and trunk-lid seal

-Seats have a few tears and little cushioning left. Substancial wear in driver's seat and rear bench seat arm rests. Power seat adjustments are partially functional, but they do go forward and backward well.

-Various little broken trim pieces and other interior cosmetic issues.

-After hard rains, there is sometimes moisture in the trunk and glove box, presumably from a leaky sunroof.

-Trunk opens and closes fine, but does not lock.

-Clear coat is peeling heavily on roof and lightly on trunk.

-Gauge cluster presumably needs a new SI board, so the check engine and service lights are on. Tachometer also does not function due to previous not connecting it during the manual swap.

-Leaks power steering fluid (top off about once every two months).

As much as I enjoy this car, it is time to pass it on to a new home. It made a great daily but did not quite fit my needs and I must make room for another vehicle. I have done my best to fully disclose the vehicle's condition and make bidders aware of what they are looking at. It is far from perfect, but a strong foundation and fantastic engine. I often joke that this car would survive armageddon, but I do think there's some truth to that. Incredibly solid and mechanically sound. I put around 3k miles on the car and regularly took it on 100-300 mile highway trips during my ownership. I would not hesitate to get in it and do the same today.

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Good luck and happy bidding!

On May-29-18 at 19:09:21 PDT, seller added the following information:

Correction to earlier typo: most recent oil change was in March 2018, about 1500 miles ago.
I also want to clarify the sunroof itself does not seem to leak, however I believe the drains may be clogged and could possibly be the source of the glove box and trunk moisture previously mentioned.