20yo Looking at an E34 as a First Car
Hey,
I am 20 years old and currently looking at getting my first car. I’ve always loved the e34 and want to get some advice. Right now I’m looking at three different e34s that are all roughly around the same price range. There’s a 525i auto with about 230000 km (137k miles), a 535i manual with 280000 km (173k miles), and a 530i auto with about 265000 km (165k miles).
All of them have service books and seem pretty well looked after. The only known issue is with the 535i manual. The seller mentioned it got hot after idling for around 30 minutes because the auxiliary fan did not kick on and the temperature went back to normal once a desk fan was put through the radiator.
Given those options, what would you guys go for? I really like the idea of owning a manual e34 but I also want to be realistic since I’m planning on daily driving the car (if this is practical). I’m willing to work on the car myself and I know a decent amount mechanically, atleast when it comes to japanese cars. I can do most easy to medium jobs like brakes, suspension, sensors etc but probably wouldn’t be confident doing something like a valve adjustment or changing a transmission. I am also in Australia, so I’m also curious what parts availability is looking like for e34s over here. What kinds of issues should I expect? Financially, I’ve got a fair amount saved, still live with my parents, and don’t really have many expenses, so I am willing to spend money maintaining the car properly if needed.
I’m still in the early stages of researching all this so excuse any ignorance on my end. Would really appreciate any advice.