Getting a new ride: tougher than I thought

[Polyal]

well..the last few days I have been trying to find a new ride. Originally i was after a EB XR8, manual. I test drove one the other day and wow! Instant torque is nice! But of course, there was alot of stuff wrong with it. Speedo not working, no a/c or fans (what the hell is with that btw!), about $1k's worth of work needed doing to it. Oh and the clutch pedal had that skew issue.

It was a tight unit, with only 144000k's, and i did bargin him down to $4900 without a RWC from $6500 with a RWC. But yeah, ive been there done that, I do not want to stuff around. For once I want a car that has everything working from day one..lol :

But what I did stumble across is a very, very nice 1989 BMW 525i. If you go to this link its the only manual 525i there.

http://www.benjaminjamesmotors.com.au/used.php

Its has everything, full leather that has not faded or cracked, sunroof, black, I get a choice of wheels (mmm M5), it also has the clear indicators that are not pictured..and did I mention its manual!...lol

The only bummer is that it has 250,000k's. But, it does come with a 3 year warrenty, and it has two logs books FULL of Doncaster BMW's maintance. I will give that dealership a call and see if they can bring up its history just to make sure the books are not fudged. Also it works out to be about 15000 k's for every year its been on the road with is pretty normal I guess.

Also the guy is greek, and I offered a certain amount for it with cash, greeks like cash

So how does this relate to e seies I hear you ask?

Well I still love my fords, but ea/eb/ed's all seem to ahve something bloody wrong with them. Which leaves me with EF/El's. AU's are a bit over the price range for anything of value.

So I saw stokeb's for sale thread and wondered, how hard would it be to convert a EL (or EF2) ghia to a manual? I think staying with the I6 is a better idea anyway. But i want the tickford running gear :evil_laug

Has anyone here done it? What parts are involved and how much will it cost to get someone to convert it for me, there is not a chance in hell that I could do it, dont have the space, time and limited knowledge doesn't help.

Ive always thought that a EL Ghia manual would be just about the ultimate e series, so know hopefully I have a chance to get one.

So if you guys could help me search for a EL (or EF2, but must be in very good nik), then it would be much appreciated. The kower the cost of the car leaves room for more mods too :

Id love to stay Ford, but the BMW is pretty good value.

Sorry about the long post too.

[ON_DUBS]

10 grand for a car built in 89 with 250,000k's on it????????????

we arent talking about a ferrari here. come on man u can do better

[vegabass]

That BMW is very very horn!
Id take that over a EL that has been converted to manual and all that rubbish.
The BMW is complete from the factory like that and are very tough cars. There is heaps of bolt on stuff for them just like falcons and handles/goes very well as is.

If you blow the motor (no motor is bullet proof) just buy a M3 or M5 motor out of the box and have 250kw at the treads!

This is of course with out mentioning the chicks would gravitate towards the BMW before to a nice falcon.

My vote is the BMW.

[need psi]

if you were in adelaide al i would of shown you my mates 525bmw, white, lowered, sunroof, auto, nice exhaust, rims, dark windows and a very nice stereo, he wants 12 for it and thats an 89, unfortunatly it doesnt have leather but it only has 170,000kms on the clock and hasnt been driven more then 1 a month for the past year.

id say buy your self a nice ef/el ghia and put a manual in it, walkinshaw done it him self, i dont think that it was that hard from what ive heard.

Ehab

[EFDream]

Bimmer does look nice tho.

[Polyal]

well the chick thing isn't a problem....even my old EA did a good job at that..lol Plus I have had a missus for the past 4 years, but looking is stil good:

The bimmer is horn, and Ive been told by alot of people that parts are not as bad as peple make it out to be.

But I have learnt a bit about falcons, I6's, and i can get employee prices on parts which is nice. I might give spare parts a call and see how much a new T5 is, or even a T5Z.

But yeah, by the time I convert a EL/EF2 I would have spent about the same as the BWM.

[mik]

polyal im sceptical of second hand dealer warranties mate, make sure you know exactly whats covered , you might find when warranty item comes up, aahhh no sir thats usual wear and tear we dont cover that, check out normal maintenance costs on a beemer you may change your mind, my little bro tells me plug leads cost for a beamer might interest you, anyway thats a nice looking beamer good luck with it.

[dansedgli]

BMW for the win.

[xd5.8l]

Yuck!!!! Try working on those turds, bloody torque spitz and star headed bolts everywhere. Early BMW straight sixes are crap and have no balls, we did a radiator on one not long ago it cost the bloke around a $1,000.

[vegabass]

Id still go the BMW (subject to a independent mechanical check) for the pure fact that it’s a factory manual!

I have done the manual conversion in my EL XR and it will never feel the same as one that was created with it.

The next time I buy a car, if I want a manual ill buy a one that was manual from day dot.


LOL ill shut up now
: :

[Polyal]

no vegabass all opinions are welcome....i am a little hesitant with the BWM. For instance if the engine needed rebuilding id be really ИИИИed, but broke aswell...lol

But I guess the same could be said for the EL Ghia if something was to happen.

I will test drive the 525i next week, hopefully monday or tuesday. So its not set in stone, I just as happy to walk away. But finding a manual version is just as hard as it is with falcons.

[xd5.8l]

I've got a TE50 for $19,800. Bit out of your price range, that is the reason I'm selling it for.

[XRated]

Mate, as much as I love a nice Beemer, parts for an EL Ghia are plentiful and cheap. You know you can easily work on them and probably have most of the knowledge and tools to do so.

Personally I'd only go for a BMW from that era with a V8 - 2.5L pushing a big sedan around might feel a bit awkward? I'm just guessing here though.

I just think maintenance and parts will hurt - people say that they're not "that expensive" but let's be honest, it's a fully imported, luxury, European (unless they were made in SA back then?) sedan from the early '90s.

[Olympus]

Fork out a bit extra and buy the TE ! It's a potential collectors item.

[Polyal]

I wish...10k is stretch it as is unfortunatley.

believe me, if I had 20k I would of been in one by now...lol

[dansedgli]

Should have kept the ea by the sounds of things. Are you going to be disappointed with anything other than a manual V8?

Maybe its time to switch camps? A VS SS shouldnt be that expensive anymore, manual and V8 should be fairly easy to find.

What happened to that XR8 from interstate?

[Polyal]

ah the xr8 from tassie needed about 3k worth of work done to it.

I looked at another one a few days ago in preston, the one for 6500 in the tradingpost. Its in good nik, but also needs abut $1-2k worth of work/repairs.

I want something I will sit straight in, everything works, and that i will be happy with. problem is that I want a manual, and a bit of luxury.

Being in the XR's, the interior is a bit of a let down really. So I now want a Ghia, one that I can find for a good price and then hopefully convert it. Ill get some conversion costs tomorrow and go from there.

I dont particularly want another ea-ed, and I would like a EL or a EF2 Ghia, as long as it has the tickford engine and the diff; but more importantly, has the leather interior.

Im a fussy bastard sometimes.

Or...get the BMW.

[xd5.8l]

Just get a manual AU2-3 FORTE man, you'll love the handling even stock and the list of mods is endless.

[niko]

ye #1 would have to be an xr front conversion :P

[XR Martin]

Those BMWs sixes sound absolutely fabulous with a decent exhaust.
As much as I like them though, I wouldnt get one due to the scary thought of repairs, anyone telling you it isnt that bad are wrong. Due to the lack of them, finding parts are difficult and even standard servicing items wont be at your local supercheap, stuff like filters, spark plugs, thermostats, hoses etc.
Ive nearly been tempted to buy one with a bung motor and put in a 3.5L six from the 7 series. Would go well but take a fair bit of effort, I think a 302W or LS1 would be a better idea.

[Lumpen Proletariat]

Dont let the pedal thing put you off, I suppose it's just best be prepared for it and factor that cost in...Also a good barginning point too ;) Wish I had of realised at the time when I bought mine. I suppose if you buy it and get it done and re-enforced you wont have to worry about it happening down the track.

As for German cars, well yeah. They are incredibly well engineered and their components are heavy duty too, but when they break you have to pay for that quality through every oriface you posses.

I know it's not a BMW I6 but there is a guy around here with a 4.7L S2 928 Porsche. He has to order 3 months ahead to get all the filters and plugs etc in JUST FOR A SERVICE! Because even simple parts here are either unavailable or just too expensive.


Good luck hunting mate.




Cheers,
Lumpy

[rob_liss_lms10]

Originally Posted by vegabass

That BMW is very very horn!
Id take that over a EL that has been converted to manual and all that rubbish.
The BMW is complete from the factory like that and are very tough cars. There is heaps of bolt on stuff for them just like falcons and handles/goes very well as is.

If you blow the motor (no motor is bullet proof) just buy a M3 or M5 motor out of the box and have 250kw at the treads!

This is of course with out mentioning the chicks would gravitate towards the BMW before to a nice falcon.

My vote is the BMW.

wash your mouth out you naughty little man! :

[ON_DUBS]

Originally Posted by niko

ye #1 would have to be an xr front conversion :P

yuk not even!

custom

WHOAH LOOK AT THIS
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1993-NC11-For...QQcmdZViewItem

that is one SWEET fairlane and in your price range too!

[apolloxbgt]

Originally Posted by aussiefalcon

yuk not even!

custom

WHOAH LOOK AT THIS
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1993-NC11-For...QQcmdZViewItem

that is one SWEET fairlane and in your price range too!

Whats the point with the fairlane?I6,auto who cares,there a clean 5l one on ebay atm for 2500 buy it now,but niether of those is what poylal is looking for.

As for the beemer,my philosphy with them is,don't buy one if you can't afford a new one,because once they're out of warrenty the parts are too dear.Average I've found with bmw's they're 3-4 times (at least)the price compared to a ford for parts,and thats only for common parts.

God help if you do a head.One of my mates has late '91 320i manual,bought it from the auctions with a miss in the engine,found to be a cracked head once he got it home.$4000 later he had a second hand 2 litre i6 fitted.
Whats a second hand 4.0l worth for an eb,$700 fitted from from the wreckers?
And that was only the begining.

Kind of disproves the "their not much dearer for parts guys",don't you think?

[Racecraft]

Originally Posted by apolloxbgt

God help if you do a head.One of my mates has late '91 320i manual,bought it from the auctions with a miss in the engine,found to be a cracked head once he got it home.$4000 later he had a second hand 2 litre i6 fitted.
Whats a second hand 4.0l worth for an eb,$700 fitted from from the wreckers?
And that was only the begining.

Kind of disproves the "their not much dearer for parts guys",don't you think?

Exaclty a BMW was in the workshop for a water leak and oil leak,, $1800 later and 2 weeks of listening to the mechanic curse about the design, the guy got his car back.. Another thing to consider when buying a Euro is the storage of the car? Does it have a carport? Euro leather is alot softer than the stuff we use here and in turn can crack in the aussie sun if left outside for long periods

[Polyal]

Ah I hate public holidays..stupid deakin still has classes!

And I cant ring ford to get some gearbox qoutes...not impressed.

Hmm..so even if I ge the guy down to $8500 cash for the BMW you dont think its worth it?

All great info here guys, thanks alot, ill continue to do some more research.

[XR Martin]

Offer him $6k

[xd5.8l]

I can see why your drawn to the car, it's the later model alloys, eh??????? Got to love that ethnic mentality OMG, MONSTER TACHO, SUB-OOFA, BLOW ME VALVE. If it had those poxy stocko factory hubcaps I reckon you wouldn't be caught dead in one.

[Polyal]

lol...definately no blow off valves are tacho's on this one. yes I do get a choice of rims, those or some others that look very nice aswell. And I agree the stock stuff is just as bad as falcon hubcaps.

Martin i might aswell try 6k..he might laugh but I guess its better than anything he has got now.

I think it was a trade in, what do you think he would have paid for it?

[Kenaz]

The beemer is a nice car for sure, although for personal reasons I'll never be able buy one.

I drive a EL Ghia 5L and it's a very nice car. If you can find one for cheap I would recommend them.