Well, I took the plunge today (yesterday actually, since it’s now past midnight…) and bought my first BMW. It’s a 1984 528e 5-speed I spotted on CraigsList late last month. I emailed the owner just before New Years Day, and was hoping to take a drive to see it (Slayton, MN) that weekend, but a snowstorm changed my plans. Then last night, on a whim, I emailed the guy again to see if it was still available, and it was! He had just about given up on selling it, and was planning to update the registration and get it insured, but now that’s my problem!
It’s not perfect by any means, but the basics are solid; a rust-free body, solid running engine, decent transmission, fairly new tires, good glass all around… It’s definitely a driver project car though, as the issues are many; shifter flops around badly and has trouble finding 2nd when downshifting, odometer doesn’t work, parking brake needs some help, carpets are filthy, driver’s seat is shot, seat belt buckle on driver’s seat doesn’t buckle, radio aerial is broken, missing some tools from the toolkit, doors need adjusting, weatherstripping is in rough shape, front bumper is bent… there’s more, but you get the picture. Definitely not perfect, but everything is definitely fixable. And what do you expect for $800?
I know I’ll get some funny looks from friends & relatives, but I think this thing is going to be great. I also know that it was a good deal; I could fix a few things on it and resell it and get another $1,000 out of it. But I’m not going to do that. This one’s sticking around for a while. Here’s hoping it doesn’t turn into my own Project Car Hell.
I’ll be sure to post some photos of the ‘chine as I get them, and updates on the progress.
Tags: bmw, e28, pch, project car