I know we always talk about E30s in this board, but recently we dragged home a 1988 528e, as miss Margie wanted it very badly. After Rennie, Tommy my dad and I spent a couple of weekends on it, it is done. Wow, I forgot what cool cars these are.
This particular one has only 31,000 original, one owner miles on it and we picked it up for $2500 from the son of the original owner. We through bit of detailing stuff at it and fixed a couple of parking lot dings. Mechanically, it needed just a wheel bearing and a tie rod end. Still need to fix one power window. This is no race car, but it amazes me how well this car goes down the highway at 80 mph.
It is also getting insanely good mileage. While we have no formal plans to write about this lowly 528e, it is an awesome car and will most likely find its way into the magazine as part of some 80s sedan comparo or some such.
I'll get one of the guys to post some pics if their is sufficient interest.
I have a soft spot for the E28. I had an 87 535is in dark blue that just ate highway up. It was as comfortable at 70-120 as a rowboat on a glass smooth lake and it would return 25MPG no matter how hard it was getting beat.
It died at an intersection in NJ with a Santa Fe shoved half-way thru it... I walked away. (the other guy... not so much).
I am searching Searchtempist for E28 in another window right now :)
Luke
SuperDork
10/28/09 10:46 p.m.
Cool . I had a 528e for a little while (only a week, ended up flipping it to buy my Alfetta.) But I remember it was an amazingly easy car to drive, with a buttery smooth gear shift and loads of torque. Definitely a brilliant highway cruiser and fun daily driver.
Lets see some pics!
mtn
SuperDork
10/28/09 11:42 p.m.
I wanna see, I wanna see!!!
Definitely a cool car, its about number 4 on my want list right now. Even though my top five cars has about 23 cars.
Yes E28 rocks indeed. I currently have a 87 535is 5 speed with ST springs and Bilstein Sports dampers. Its down right now with a leaky water pump and a bad clutch oh and a driveshaft which I'll be working on after the holidays.
TJ
HalfDork
10/29/09 7:22 a.m.
I came close to buying an E28 turbo diesel a couple years ago. The price was right, but the timing wasn't.
I am a fan of E28's - please post some pics of yours.
02Pilot
New Reader
10/29/09 7:59 a.m.
I still miss my 533i. I ran that car as a daily for 9 years. It was even more fun when I put a 3.73LSD from an E30 325is in it.
Had a 535 for a year or two. Great car.
interest + eleventy billion
Tim Suddard wrote:
find its way into the magazine as part of some 80s sedan comparo or some such.
+1 on pics, +1000 on this subject matter!
Yeah, when Margie told me she wanted this car I told her I would get her an M5. She yelled at me and said she didn't want an M5, because she knew it would spend all it's time on our lift as I modified it.
She said she knew I wouldn't mess with the 528e. Jeff Ireland tells me if we chip it, it will make 20 more horsepower. mmmmm
RossD
HalfDork
10/29/09 11:16 a.m.
Find a cheap 740iL donor for a V12 ...
RossD wrote:
Find a cheap 740iL donor for a V12 ...
That may have been a joke, but it's a better starting point for a project than 'let's get drunk and invent a FWD Bezerkly'. I vote a 528e to 540i swap is the new project. HAnds up all who agree...
Sultan
New Reader
10/29/09 11:24 a.m.
Cool!! http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/1442412081.html
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
I vote a 528e to 540i swap is the new project. HAnds up all who agree...
...raises hand, followed by slow-rising-crescendo-clap.
yeah, this needs to have a page on the "other cars hanging around our office" section
I think Margie would really like a Lexus V8 in that thing. Then it could get its own article series too. Part 1: We find a Beemer. Part 2: We pry it away from Margie. Part 3: 1UZFE Swap Starts. Part 4: Megasquirting the 1UZFE. Part 5: Dyno Time for Margie's Beemer. Part 6: Tracking the Beemerus. Part 7: We sell Margie's Beemerus.
Awesome! The 88 528e is a very special car. It was the last year of the e28 and the only year to get the "super eta".
Is it a 5-speed?
I agree... I like E28s a lot... You cannot go wrong with that car. Lets seem some pics
Dr. Hess wrote:
I think Margie would really like a Lexus V8 in that thing. Then it could get its own article series too. Part 1: We find a Beemer. Part 2: We pry it away from Margie. Part 3: 1UZFE Swap Starts. Part 4: Megasquirting the 1UZFE. Part 5: Dyno Time for Margie's Beemer. Part 6: Tracking the Beemerus. Part 7: We sell Margie's Beemerus.
That's how the projects USUALLY happen. I'm keepin' my old-man car old-man-tastic for as long as possible, so the "we pry it away from Margie" phase of the project is delayed for at least a couple installments. I even wanted to keep the 14" bottlecaps, but Tim talked me into some 16" wheels from a 2001 5-series. (Easier to find rubber in that size, the plus-2 fitment will help sharpen handling a tad, look a little more contemporary.) They'll be on it as soon as tires come, and then the fabulousness will be complete.
Pics in a minute...
Margie