NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

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Foonfer
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Joined: Mar 18, 2015 11:33 PM
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NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by Foonfer »

Ads like this are a humbling reminder that there are so many things I will probably never understand:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-bmw-528e-23/

Now, ruling out that someone might REALLY need some money RIGHT NOW, or some other serious family situation, what do you think the seller intends to achieve? What I see here is:

- An interesting (-ish) engine swap
- Oops forgot the power steering and the A/C, sorry but LOOK - Euro headlights!
- Okay (-ish) choice of wheels
- Stanced coilovers yo, but no bigger brakes
- Missing cigarette lighter, ugly aftermarket head unit, mismatched ratty Sport seats, dash looks like a dog's breakfast, but LOOK - shadowline tailights!
- The stance almost makes you look away from the wavy surface of the side panels
- What's the point of a photo with the last timing belt service? Oh and what is going on with that muffler?
- That steering wheel- WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU?


Now, I get not everyone gets to be Charlie Kindel and build a "Minerva", but to me the car in the ad just defies the most basic logical argumentation...
Shawn D.
Beamter
Beamter
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by Shawn D. »

I agree on a lot of your post and wouldn't have much (if any) interest in the car if I were in the market, but what do you expect for the starting price?
Oops forgot the power steering
It has power steering.
ugly aftermarket head unit
Ha -- I'm about to put the exact same unit in my 535i. Pioneer MVH-S720BHS, FWIW. There aren't a whole lot of options out there these days, and the Continental that's been discussed positively a lot here leaves a good bit to be desired, IMO.
What's the point of a photo with the last timing belt service?
This is a pissant critique. They simply didn't remove the sticker and whoever did the photos for BAT didn't understand it was irrelevant and the editor and owner didn't notice while reviewing the ad.
Oh and what is going on with that muffler?
What does that mean? It's a Flowmaster Hushpower Super HP-2. My critique would be that the pipe sizing is too small, as they max out at 2.5" diameter. I also recall that they aren't rated for what an S38 puts out, but can't find the value ATM.
but to me the car in the ad just defies the most basic logical argumentation
Hyperbole much? :rofl:

Aside from shitting on aesthetic stuff, there's other mechanical stuff to critique. Do you notice something (besides rust) in photo 112?
topher800
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by topher800 »

I think the car fits for BaT. Given the increase glossy, drool worthy finished projects and cars that were hidden away, we frequently forget the roots of BaT was for project cars in varying stages of build. This is not a finished project, but could be a great starting point for the right person.
Foonfer
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by Foonfer »

Sorry if I hit a nerve - My post was mostly tongue-in-cheek.

The comment about the power-steering (or lack thereof) was motivated by a comment from the seller, quoting another comment from the previous seller (car has been sold twice on BaT), in which the previous seller said the car didn't have power steering. So there was a flurry of "does it have it? does it not have it?" in the comments - it was pretty fun to read.

I have read mixed opinions on the Continental stereos, but given the typical degree of noise isolation in E28s, and little to no room to install more powerful speakers (unless you butcher the car I guess, and I'm talking front speakers) let's say it'll be difficult to get "audiophile" quality conditions anyway.

I didn't pay much attention to mechanical stuff. What should I be looking at on picture 112? It seems there is a bolt missing - which was precisely the point of my initial post: There seems to be attention paid to certain less important things here & there, little or no attention paid to important stuff, and then all of a sudden BAM let's put this baby up for sale! - things that make you go HMMMM

Auction is now at $5600 with a bit under 2 hours left. Unless there's a bunch of predators ready to pounce last minute on the unsuspecting wildebeest, it looks like it's gonna sell for less than what the S50 swap would cost. I think this car, as it is, is perhaps a good opportunity for elevating it to a much better place.
ROSSI1
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by ROSSI1 »

Aside from shitting on aesthetic stuff, there's other mechanical stuff to critique. Do you notice something (besides rust) in photo 112?
[/quote]

perhaps the missing bolt for the crossmember
Shawn D.
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by Shawn D. »

ROSSI1 wrote: Jan 06, 2022 12:37 PM
Aside from shitting on aesthetic stuff, there's other mechanical stuff to critique. Do you notice something (besides rust) in photo 112?
perhaps the missing bolt for the crossmember
Yep, that's it.
Foonfer
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by Foonfer »

well it just ended. Bidding war in the last 15 min took the price up to 13.5K...
topher800
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by topher800 »

No nerve hit, I just missed the humor / satire, my bad. I guess we lost our sense of humor last week. :dunno:
N44RP
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by N44RP »

I wish I had seen this, I would’ve checked it out
druckpress
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by druckpress »

The most exciting part of last week for me was bidding on this. I won the auction and bought the car so at least it went to a forum member. It should be interesting to see. To the point of the discussion above... I guess we'll see if what he ignored were just thoughtless bits and bobs that should have been addressed or that they are indicative of a greater mindset of corner cutting. The seller couldn't be a nicer guy and is very honest by all appearances. But this isn't my first rodeo so we'll know more once I get the car to California and go through it. I restored and sold a 2800cs and I have a '72 Bavaria that's been an on-and-off project for years now. I've always wanted an e28 and the motor swap + driver condition made it desirable to me. I have a near mint condition 993 that I'm afraid to park anywhere so this is going to be a daily driver/sleeper/ripper. I'll try to keep you guys posted...
jc72
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by jc72 »

How are you gonna register it in ca?
drmlap
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by drmlap »

EXACTLY, can you even get this car registered in California?
That will be a story onto itself.
druckpress
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Location: Los Angeles

Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by druckpress »

This is the same question that litters every single BaT listing. I’m sure you realize that there are two options:

1. Register in another state
2. Have a smog guy

That’s the deal.
meksiki
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by meksiki »

It's a beautiful car, our cars are really going up in value! Crazy to think this car 2x'd in value in less than 2 years! I wonder what mine is worth :shock:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988- ... m=referral
Mdreamer
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by Mdreamer »

@druckpress - Congratulations on your new-to-you car. It looks like it will be a fun one to speed around in and tailor to your own tastes.
druckpress
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Location: Los Angeles

Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by druckpress »

Thanks @Mdreamer! It was delivered two days ago and I've been having fun with it thus far. As you can imagine from the BaT listing, there is a good amount of low hanging fruit that will make a big difference. I'm picking up a nice clean set of seats tonight and a dash mat is on its way. My mechanic has a replacement for the passenger side door trim piece that's cracked and I'll likely get a different steering wheel. Funny enough, that wheel is actually a Momo Clay Regazzoni signature model. Once I took off that goofy pad in the middle, it's pretty much like a vintage Mod7/Prototipo. Within a week or so I'll have the suspension raised up a bit and dialed in along with all fresh fluids and filters.
Bottom line, it's fun as hell to drive and it was an honest listing that showed up better than the photos on BaT.
leadphut
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by leadphut »

Congrats on the win! Looking forward to more pics and progress updates.
Mdreamer
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by Mdreamer »

leadphut wrote: Jan 27, 2022 12:26 PM Congrats on the win! Looking forward to more pics and progress updates.
I second this!
SeattleGuy
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Re: NON-AFFILIATED - S50 swapped '88 528e

Post by SeattleGuy »

meksiki wrote: Jan 19, 2022 2:11 PM It's a beautiful car, our cars are really going up in value! Crazy to think this car 2x'd in value in less than 2 years! I wonder what mine is worth :shock:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988- ... m=referral
Keen eye. Yes I am seriously thinking gosh I need to buy two more. Like really clean cars that mostly need cosmetic stuff done. Drive one and sell the other one in a couple years. I haven't had a spare $15K for a couple years now so I've been missing out.
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