1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

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RF888
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Joined: Feb 22, 2021 11:34 PM
Location: Chicago

1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by RF888 »

Does anyone know/have opinions on this car?

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/ca ... 34793.html

I'm driving up to see it tomorrow.
leadphut
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by leadphut »

That car looks clean. Let us know what you think.
Last edited by leadphut on Mar 29, 2021 11:29 AM, edited 1 time in total.
RF888
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by RF888 »

New to E28s, but not new to BMW (2002 and E30, E46 etc) Would appreciate feedback on the the car.

Car cosmetically very clean. Paint a 7/10 interior 9.5/10. The sunroof works but needs a nudge to make it close fully. Also not tracking well as small scratches and paint chips on fore and aft edges. (Had the same problem with my E30) Also, the front bumper was not removed for painting so the valance is original paint. Would address this on a Euro conversion. Bumpers though are in great shape as is the rubber. Engine compartment was tired and could use a thorough cleaning. As far as rust I could not find a single spot. The car was incredibly clean in this regard. Nothing on body lips, trunk, spare tire, doors, nor between the spare tire well fuel tank underneath.

Engine fired up - after sitting for 30 minutes. Transmission felt very good, clutch firm, no synchro issues. Compared to other E28s I've driven, and I haven't driven many, the suspension felt soft. (Discussing the ride with a BMW mechanic later he remarked - "It's a stock E28. Probably just shocks" There was a little drift to the right and new tires, shocks, and an alignment would be priority #1. The OBC worked. Fan worked on all speeds. A/C was good but not ice cold. (Owner did not know if it was converted - but supposed to send files of all the work) Negatives were the ABS light was on, and the cabin had a slight exhaust smell - enough to be noticeable. The doors are in need of new window rubber. It's just tired, and there's wind noise on the driver side as a small piece of rubber is missing.

I'm "thinking" about this car as the above are small projects but 322,000 miles and no engine work is a known unknown. I'm not familiar with E28 prices but they are clearly trending higher. $22,500 seems quite high to me though.

Anyone care to weigh in?
Bonsaibacker
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by Bonsaibacker »

Seems high to me.
For that price I would expect those issues to be resolved, considering the mileage.

Interested in other's opinions as well.
matt_wheels
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Location: Iowa, no Wisconsin. No, Colorado, but moving shortly to Minnesota... yep, I'm here again. still.

Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by matt_wheels »

Since I just posted a $5000 Cosmos Blue e28 I'll chime in a touch too.

I agree that ALL the issues the prior note stated should be fixed for that price. And I want to say rebuilt motor, and 5 - 10gs back for your pocket.

Today, I would expect a 22k car to have not over 150k at max, and no issues found whatsoever. Tomorrow, I hope my cars bring that!

It is beautiful in the pics to be sure. However, if the little things like the sunroof weren't fixed, there are likely to be more things to find in an unfortunate way. You should find just about nothing for 22k!

The paint wasn't completely done, and should be 9.5+/10 for that amount of cash. Better yet, for 22k it should be original from Cali.

The M30 is a great motor, and at 320,000 it shows great maintenance, but even great engines will wear. And wear out. These are known for going over 300k easily, but I don't hear of many going over 5, or even 4. A rebuild is on the docket, but maybe not today. That means many $$$ of labor hours, as well as machine shop costs, even if you do it yourself - is not a long ways off - unless you just look at it and don't drive it, and that may kill it even faster.

Chrome wheels look great, until they don't. If staying in Cali, you can keep them clean with work. Personal choice.

Bumpers don't matter if you are going to sink another couple/few grand into exceptional ones to match the rest of the car... Which means, MORE money into this?

Struts should be perfect, suspension should be firm. Alignment should be done or tires will be shot sooner than expected.

ABS light could be nothing but a sensor (why bad or not fixed? missing?), or it could be an ABS rebuild/replacement. Bigger bucks zone.

Exhaust smell in cabin could be from either front or rear depending on air flow, but likely indicates a leaky exhaust, which is again maybe low bucks to fix, or maybe a couple grand for a full replacement. More cash.

I would expect to find other things here if a first check revealed all you saw: bad axle boots, worn subframe and differential bushings and more. More cash.

Run, don't walk from this car at this price.

While this car is beautiful, I can't see paying over 10gs even in this heating environment. In Cali, maybe 12?

The owner's family is proud and should be, but someone gave them a line of poo when assessing it. This one isn't the cash cow.

I would be proud to drive this car. If I got it for less than 10k. I would still be proud to drive it, but sheepish when discussing what I paid.

Worst case scenario is engine rebuild +5k+, ABS 2k, Exhaust 2k, Bumpers 2k, paint correction 1k, within the next 5 years. That means you'll have well over 30k into a car that still shows over 300,000 on the ODO.

It is gorgeous, but it is 10k overpriced, at least.

Just my 2c - mye28ers - agree?
muleskinner
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by muleskinner »

I am long since done trying to guesstimate what an e28 will bring any more.

That BaT 535is with half shafts that looked like this:

Image

and US bumpers brought $53K.

That said, your asking price is more than fair.
RF888
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Joined: Feb 22, 2021 11:34 PM
Location: Chicago

Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by RF888 »

I know what you mean. Since this car was only in LA and Portland, OR., the underside looks really good. The seller has since sent me a bunch of receipts as it has been in the same family since new. They have clearly taken care of the car, but no work on the engine and drivetrain, aside from normal maintenance, except camshaft sensor and power module at 240,000 miles. So at 322,000 miles, it's a wild card. But how often do you find a totally rust free E28 these days - that hasn't been restored?

We'll see. And thanks for posting.
matt_wheels
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Joined: Aug 18, 2010 12:54 AM
Location: Iowa, no Wisconsin. No, Colorado, but moving shortly to Minnesota... yep, I'm here again. still.

Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by matt_wheels »

Muleskinner, Right. Wow given the pics from that BaT car - wow. Perhaps it is time for me to give up the estimating too. Or see if BaT wants this one. I haven't looked at requirements lately, but I didn't think this one would meet them.

Thank you for the fair price assessment on my ad.

RF888 - the best advice I've been given, or at least taken, regarding what a car is worth is from a friend who asked "When is the next time you will come across this car for that price?" And everyone here is seeing the clean cars disappear and escalate in value. There is also a certain panache to being able to reply "over 300,000 never rebuilt" when asked. So if the cash flow is there, and there will be some additional flow, it may be a cost displacement that you can live with. It IS beautiful and it will bring a smile when driving. So there's that, which is why we're all here. GLW Decision.
garageboy
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by garageboy »

So I am a picky nut, but ALL kinds of red alarm bells went off for me while looking at this car.

For starters, who has the balls to ask this kind of money without opening the trunk or the engine compartment or show us what it looks like under the carpets?? Anything with this kind of mileage MUST be photographed from below. How can they skip over that? The photos suck balls.

It has OBVIOUSLY been repainted. I think that front fender is a different color from the door, but the only way to know for sure is by looking at the car in daylight. You NEED to get a paint meter on this car or you might find out things are covered up under that nice shiny paint. If the car were here in NYC and you asked me to look at the car for you (something I've done often), it would be negligence on my part if I did not bring my paint meter.

The only cars that get this kind of $$$ are NOT this car. Not by a long shot.

And it's an 85. No ABS. Not nearly as refined as an 86, 87, or 88. There are original paint, rust-free E28s out there. I know because I have one.

Conclusion: most people don't know how to sell a car. this car will not move at that price. Even if he provided a BaT-level of photographs, this car will not move at that price. That means you're dealing with a totally delusional owner. You cannot pay me to deal with a totally delusional owner. It's just not worth the aggravation.

Just my opinion... :dunno:
RF888
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Joined: Feb 22, 2021 11:34 PM
Location: Chicago

Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by RF888 »

Thanks to everyone who took the time to weigh in. Clearly a divergence of opinion but that's what makes a market.
garageboy
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by garageboy »

RF888 wrote: Mar 29, 2021 11:10 AM Thanks to everyone who took the time to weigh in. Clearly a divergence of opinion but that's what makes a market.
So did you go look at it? What happened?

Why am I smelling fish right now?
RF888
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Joined: Feb 22, 2021 11:34 PM
Location: Chicago

Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by RF888 »

garageboy wrote: Mar 29, 2021 2:37 PM
RF888 wrote: Mar 29, 2021 11:10 AM Thanks to everyone who took the time to weigh in. Clearly a divergence of opinion but that's what makes a market.
So did you go look at it? What happened?

Why am I smelling fish right now?
My posts speak for themselves. Aside from the one you quoted, the rest are above.

Again, thanks to all.
garageboy
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by garageboy »

RF888 wrote: Mar 29, 2021 2:52 PM
garageboy wrote: Mar 29, 2021 2:37 PM
RF888 wrote: Mar 29, 2021 11:10 AM Thanks to everyone who took the time to weigh in. Clearly a divergence of opinion but that's what makes a market.
So did you go look at it? What happened?

Why am I smelling fish right now?
My posts speak for themselves. Aside from the one you quoted, the rest are above.

Again, thanks to all.
Oh, sorry, you DID say you looked, and passed on it. I missed that. Duh. MY bad.

Keep looking and you'll find one that suits your needs. They're out there! Good luck!
cek
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by cek »

I was curious about this car so did some digging.

VIN:WBADC7408F0652804

Interesting that it doesn't show it as titled in CA. Sale ad doesn't mention it lived in WA too.

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RF888
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Joined: Feb 22, 2021 11:34 PM
Location: Chicago

Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by RF888 »

FYI, the original owner passed away in 2010 and his nephew in OR took ownership. He then returned it in 2017 to his cousin, the owner's son, in LA. It is titled in CA.

The son and I came to terms. This legacy of this car is important to the family and my plan is to continue the refurbishment they began 4 years ago. I picked up the car in LA Friday and drove it back to SD. Already started sorting it!

thanks to everyone who weighed in.
Kenny Blankenship
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by Kenny Blankenship »

Late to the party...

The one thing I'd like to know is if there is any rubbing of the rear wheel sidewalls to the fender well. When I had similar wheels (16x7.5, ET15) and 205x55x16 tires the tire sidewall would rub the rear fender wells under load. The clearance is extremely tight.
BMWCCA2
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Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by BMWCCA2 »

Kenny Blankenship wrote: Apr 06, 2021 2:14 AMI'd like to know is if there is any rubbing of the rear wheel sidewalls to the fender well. When I had similar wheels (16x7.5, ET15) and 205x55x16 tires the tire sidewall would rub the rear fender wells under load. The clearance is extremely tight.
The clearance issue is usually at the left-rear wheel arch. First, the width of the wheel isn't optimal nor is the offset. I have Style 29 E39 16x7 et20 on two E28s without fender modification but they will require $10 worth of hub-centric adapters. No big deal.

Image
RF888
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Joined: Feb 22, 2021 11:34 PM
Location: Chicago

Re: 1985 535i Hemmings Cosmos Blue/Blue

Post by RF888 »

Kenny Blankenship wrote: Apr 06, 2021 2:14 AM Late to the party...

The one thing I'd like to know is if there is any rubbing of the rear wheel sidewalls to the fender well. When I had similar wheels (16x7.5, ET15) and 205x55x16 tires the tire sidewall would rub the rear fender wells under load. The clearance is extremely tight.
Yes. There was rubbing. The lettering is worn so PO had the fenders rolled. I plan to change wheels and go to 50 aspect.
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