New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

General conversations about BMW E28s and the people who own them.
nkemp86
Posts: 16
Joined: Jun 20, 2013 4:37 PM
Location: Reading, PA

New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by nkemp86 »

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to do a quick intro with some pics now that I finally got myself an e28.

The car has just over 150k and is a nice example in my opinion with zero rust.

It is automatic, unfortunately. First order of business is to manual swap. I'd love to put in a G265/6 if anyone has one they'd like to sell or if you know of a parts car with that trans in it. It would be ideal to have a donor car so I don't have to source everything else that goes into the swap. if anyone knows of one in the Northeast let me know!

On to the pics:

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gray635
Posts: 1996
Joined: Dec 06, 2006 11:29 PM
Location: Perry, GA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by gray635 »

Wow! The car looks great. Perfect color combination. Too bad about the driver's side bolster wear, but otherwise a great find. So hard to find a 535, especially an "is" in this nick these days. Where did you locate it?
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Mike W. »

150K? Amazing. My long gone Alpine White '85 had 175K on it when I bought it in '99. And I thought that was lowish. Looks sweet!
Blue Shadow
Posts: 10195
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: SE PA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Blue Shadow »

nice ride.
nkemp86
Posts: 16
Joined: Jun 20, 2013 4:37 PM
Location: Reading, PA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by nkemp86 »

Thanks guys. I got the car from a nice gentleman in Connecticut. He had it listed on Craigslist.

I offered to trade him my 94 Toyota pickup that was in very good condition with low miles, we ended up making a deal and both walked away happy. Probably the best car transaction I’ve had yet.
jayjaya29
Posts: 188
Joined: Jul 30, 2014 12:53 AM
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by jayjaya29 »

Wow its in great shape! Welcome to the club.
Chimi-Changa
Posts: 1601
Joined: Nov 08, 2011 11:02 PM
Location: West Bro, MA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Chimi-Changa »

What a beautiful start! :D

Besides the 3 pedal conversion-Please keep it original down to the bumpers! :beer:
alkalineom3n
Posts: 48
Joined: Nov 15, 2013 4:33 PM
Location: Rochester NY
Contact:

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by alkalineom3n »

Congrats, nice score! Looks to be in wonderful shape - do my eyes deceive me or is that a mint dashboard?
Mdreamer
Posts: 526
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Mdreamer »

Welcome to the fold! Your car looks very nice.
nkemp86
Posts: 16
Joined: Jun 20, 2013 4:37 PM
Location: Reading, PA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by nkemp86 »

alkalineom3n wrote: Sep 17, 2021 11:40 AM Congrats, nice score! Looks to be in wonderful shape - do my eyes deceive me or is that a mint dashboard?
You are correct. I am very thankful for this
LarryM
Posts: 1222
Joined: Feb 01, 2008 11:40 AM
Location: SoCal

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by LarryM »

Wow; looks like a great find. Alpine white over red is one of my favorite color combos. Rust-free and a crack-free dash to boot!

Regarding the manual swap, take your time looking and waiting for the right parts and/or parts car to come along. Scour all the forums regularly, plus FB and CL; you never know what you'll find. A 265/6 would be ideal, but the "correct" tranny for your car is actually a 260/6, which is cheaper and more readily available. When you do the swap, I'd recommend replacing all normal-wear items (clutch, shifter bushings, soft hydraulic lines, seals in the tranny, clutch master and slave cylinders, guibo, etc.) with new parts so you don't have to keep "going back in there" to replace things later.

Congrats on a wonderful buy!

Edit: For example here's somebody on another forum selling manual swap parts for an E24. (No affiliation) I don't think ALL the parts will work on an E28; for example I believe the pedal box is different. The single most important thing is to obtain a known-good transmission!

https://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=32655
nkemp86
Posts: 16
Joined: Jun 20, 2013 4:37 PM
Location: Reading, PA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by nkemp86 »

LarryM wrote: Sep 17, 2021 9:29 PM Wow; looks like a great find. Alpine white over red is one of my favorite color combos. Rust-free and a crack-free dash to boot!

Regarding the manual swap, take your time looking and waiting for the right parts and/or parts car to come along. Scour all the forums regularly, plus FB and CL; you never know what you'll find. A 265/6 would be ideal, but the "correct" tranny for your car is actually a 260/6, which is cheaper and more readily available. When you do the swap, I'd recommend replacing all normal-wear items (clutch, shifter bushings, soft hydraulic lines, seals in the tranny, clutch master and slave cylinders, guibo, etc.) with new parts so you don't have to keep "going back in there" to replace things later.

Congrats on a wonderful buy!

Edit: For example here's somebody on another forum selling manual swap parts for an E24. (No affiliation) I don't think ALL the parts will work on an E28; for example I believe the pedal box is different. The single most important thing is to obtain a known-good transmission!

https://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=32655
Thank you!

I totally agree with your advice on replacing said items. I'd love to get my hands on a manual parts car, just to be able to pull misc. parts from when doing the swap.

My brother in law has an s38 and trans out of an e34 M5 that I've been hounding him to sell me. If I can make that happen, my dream car build will start immediately!
garageboy
Posts: 2479
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: New York City
Contact:

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by garageboy »

Wow. Just wow. Congratulations on your new E28. When I read your initial note seeking to replace a modern Audi with an E28... two completely different automotive platforms... I was skeptical whether this was the right car for you but I held my tongue. I'm glad I did. Your patience has paid off handily. Welcome to the E28 world. You will not regret it.

It took me four years back in 2010 to find my all-original Time Capsule... so I applaud your patience and persistence. Like you, I decided to compromise. Certain things -- like originality -- were non-negotiable. It had to be original paint throughout, and it had to be rust-free. But I compromised on the transmission because my mechanic in Chicago agreed to convert it. I would never own or drive an automatic, and as it turned out, an E28 with an automatic transmission came to me much less driven than a manual would have been. Mine was owned by a middle-aged couple for 22 years, and it was used carefully barely 4k miles per year... just in time for me to beat the piss out of it.

I removed most parts from my prior (rusting out) E28, but one decision I made was to purchase the transmission new (or reman) from a dealership. It cost me $2300 for the part (they're $3k now), but this car was worth it. To this day, that was a great decision. Hope the M5 drivetrain can happen for you! The only other advice I would offer is to make sure you have a really good welder that understands how to rust-proof an E28. By November 1987, when my E28 was made (1988 528e), BMW's just-in-time manufacturing meant that there was NO rear bracket in the transmission tunnel to hold the shifter because the automatic didn't use it. In earlier years, all E28s on the assembly line had that bracket, whether they needed it or not. I had to Dremel the bracket off my prior E28, my mechanic welded it into place, and re-applied the factory goop to the area. Still looks new 11 years later... he also had to weld the bracket (and rustproof) that holds the hose for the clutch slave cylinder on the frame rail. Welding is above my paygrade, which is one of the biggest reasons why I had a mechanic do the conversion.

Enjoy your new E28!! Hope this helps!
Ripton
Posts: 60
Joined: May 01, 2021 5:38 PM
Location: Clinton CT

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Ripton »

What a beauty! I also picked up a 1988 535is from the great state of Connecticut this year! Could be a cousin of yours! I have been going through it a piece at a time and have found the info on this site indispensable. Luckily mine was manual from the factory, but it sounds like you will enjoy doing the conversion. I have owned a lot of cars, I am not sure if I have ever loved one this quickly. Here are photos of mine, reach out any time!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jy6qeASQvpY1nMAo7
nkemp86
Posts: 16
Joined: Jun 20, 2013 4:37 PM
Location: Reading, PA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by nkemp86 »

garageboy wrote: Sep 20, 2021 11:54 AM Wow. Just wow. Congratulations on your new E28. When I read your initial note seeking to replace a modern Audi with an E28... two completely different automotive platforms... I was skeptical whether this was the right car for you but I held my tongue. I'm glad I did. Your patience has paid off handily. Welcome to the E28 world. You will not regret it.

It took me four years back in 2010 to find my all-original Time Capsule... so I applaud your patience and persistence. Like you, I decided to compromise. Certain things -- like originality -- were non-negotiable. It had to be original paint throughout, and it had to be rust-free. But I compromised on the transmission because my mechanic in Chicago agreed to convert it. I would never own or drive an automatic, and as it turned out, an E28 with an automatic transmission came to me much less driven than a manual would have been. Mine was owned by a middle-aged couple for 22 years, and it was used carefully barely 4k miles per year... just in time for me to beat the piss out of it.

I removed most parts from my prior (rusting out) E28, but one decision I made was to purchase the transmission new (or reman) from a dealership. It cost me $2300 for the part (they're $3k now), but this car was worth it. To this day, that was a great decision. Hope the M5 drivetrain can happen for you! The only other advice I would offer is to make sure you have a really good welder that understands how to rust-proof an E28. By November 1987, when my E28 was made (1988 528e), BMW's just-in-time manufacturing meant that there was NO rear bracket in the transmission tunnel to hold the shifter because the automatic didn't use it. In earlier years, all E28s on the assembly line had that bracket, whether they needed it or not. I had to Dremel the bracket off my prior E28, my mechanic welded it into place, and re-applied the factory goop to the area. Still looks new 11 years later... he also had to weld the bracket (and rustproof) that holds the hose for the clutch slave cylinder on the frame rail. Welding is above my paygrade, which is one of the biggest reasons why I had a mechanic do the conversion.

Enjoy your new E28!! Hope this helps!
Thanks for the kind words! It definitely took a while to find this one but it was 100% worth the wait. I looked at multiple cars (e28 & e34) that I just couldn't pull the trigger on because the condition wasn't up to the standard I was looking for. You could call me a little particular I guess lol. But, once I saw this one, how nice it was, and a 3 ring binder packed full of maintenance records since new, I said: Yep, this is the one!

Thanks also for the insight on the swap! That will definitely be useful when I dig into it!
Ripton wrote: Sep 20, 2021 3:09 PM What a beauty! I also picked up a 1988 535is from the great state of Connecticut this year! Could be a cousin of yours! I have been going through it a piece at a time and have found the info on this site indispensable. Luckily mine was manual from the factory, but it sounds like you will enjoy doing the conversion. I have owned a lot of cars, I am not sure if I have ever loved one this quickly. Here are photos of mine, reach out any time!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jy6qeASQvpY1nMAo7
Beautiful car!

Quick question: Did you put yellow Lamin X over the fog lenses or are those the OEM yellow euro ones?

I've had yellow fogs on pretty much all my cars. I think it looks perfect, especially on classic euros. I'm going back and fourth between putting yellow protective film like lamin x on or going all in and getting the yellow euro Hella ones. There's a set for sale in the parts section for $450, which is a little more than I want to spend on fog lights but, they're brand new and look sooo nice.

My drivers side fog light is cracked as it is. That's a good enough reason to spend $450 on euro fogs, right? :D
Ripton
Posts: 60
Joined: May 01, 2021 5:38 PM
Location: Clinton CT

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Ripton »

OEM but my driver side is cracked too :/

Do your headrests work?
nkemp86
Posts: 16
Joined: Jun 20, 2013 4:37 PM
Location: Reading, PA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by nkemp86 »

Ripton wrote: Sep 21, 2021 7:01 AM OEM but my driver side is cracked too :/

Do your headrests work?
They do work! I've gone though pretty much all the electronics on the car and everything seems to work as it should.

Also, what low beams are you running? They look almost HID in the pictures. I need to upgrade my headlights as well. The old sealed beams just don't have the output at night that I'm looking for. Thanks!
Ripton
Posts: 60
Joined: May 01, 2021 5:38 PM
Location: Clinton CT

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Ripton »

The lenses are all Hella, and both high/low beams converted to the Morimoto HID system:
https://www.morimotohid.com/buyer-guide ... +BMW+535is

The conversion was done prior, and seems like it may have an issue. I need to turn the switch on and off a few times for BOTH lights to light up, otherwise only one does. No idea why that's happening.
John in VA
Posts: 5278
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Leesburg, VA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by John in VA »

nkemp86 wrote: Sep 20, 2021 9:24 PMI've had yellow fogs on pretty much all my cars. I think it looks perfect, especially on classic euros. I'm going back and fourth between putting yellow protective film like lamin x on or going all in and getting the yellow euro Hella ones. There's a set for sale in the parts section for $450, which is a little more than I want to spend on fog lights but, they're brand new and look sooo nice.
Lamin-x or Xpel protective yellow film are significantly cheaper & functional. You'll still want to protect you lights if you drop $450 on them.
BDKawey
Posts: 1325
Joined: Sep 15, 2011 11:05 PM
Location: Carrollton, Ohio

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by BDKawey »

word is you can use e30 m3 fog light housings. available from fcp for a decent price with a lifetime warranty
John in VA
Posts: 5278
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Leesburg, VA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by John in VA »

BDKawey wrote: Sep 22, 2021 2:20 PM word is you can use e30 m3 fog light housings. available from fcp for a decent price with a lifetime warranty as long as they are available from BMW.
BDKawey
Posts: 1325
Joined: Sep 15, 2011 11:05 PM
Location: Carrollton, Ohio

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by BDKawey »

John in VA wrote: Sep 22, 2021 3:57 PM
BDKawey wrote: Sep 22, 2021 2:20 PM word is you can use e30 m3 fog light housings. available from fcp for a decent price with a lifetime warranty as long as they are available from BMW.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-fo ... 3171375067
nkemp86
Posts: 16
Joined: Jun 20, 2013 4:37 PM
Location: Reading, PA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by nkemp86 »

BDKawey wrote: Sep 22, 2021 10:36 PM
John in VA wrote: Sep 22, 2021 3:57 PM
BDKawey wrote: Sep 22, 2021 2:20 PM word is you can use e30 m3 fog light housings. available from fcp for a decent price with a lifetime warranty as long as they are available from BMW.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-fo ... 3171375067
Will these fit both left and right sides? I thought for some reason that the fog lights on these cars were L&R side specific.
Ripton
Posts: 60
Joined: May 01, 2021 5:38 PM
Location: Clinton CT

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by Ripton »

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-fo ... 3171375067

I bought 2 of these, same side, and a small roll of Laminx. Extremely happy with the purchase, look absolutey fantastic.
gray635
Posts: 1996
Joined: Dec 06, 2006 11:29 PM
Location: Perry, GA

Re: New e28 Owner - 1988 535is

Post by gray635 »

The fogs do come L & R - different part numbers. 63171375049 & 63171375050 If you order them from autohausaz, they show up with the following part numbers: 63171375067 & 63171375068. Just ordered a set for the M5 $125 tax & shipped.
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