1988 BMW M5

Sedan

3.5L 3453CC l6 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Manual

WBSDC9306J2791111

Clear

Gasoline

1988 E28 M5 Original & Lifetime So Cal Car - Incredible Condition - Well Taken Care Of - Needs Nothing! Wow, where do I start? This car was / is a true labor of love. I've spared no expense since I bought it in 2010 to make it the best possible example of what is a very rare car. There are not a lot of them left and this one needs nothing but a new owner. If I told you this car had 50,000 miles on it you would believe it by looking at it in person. It's a clean.......rust free, never lived outside California, perfectly driving example, the likes of which are not seen much anymore. They didn't import a lot of these....only 1239 to US specs according to the BMW M Registry. How many are left after 27 years?? Not nearly as many I'm sure. Partial List of Mods • Bilstein Sport Shocks • Spax Springs • Racing Dynamics Strut Bar • Frank Fahey Crank Hub • Frank Fahey Cam Sprocket • Timing Chain / Guides Update • Jim Conforti Chip • Split Second Mass Air Conversion • Lightened Flywheel • UUC Short Shifter • M Tech Steering Wheel • M Tech Rear View Mirror • Alpine iDA-X305 Stereo (Bluetooth / XM / Ipod) • Infinity Amps / SubWoofer • Clarion EQ • Focal K2 Speakers / Tweeters Front and Back • Custom Subwoofer Enclosure with Sub in Trunk • Style 42 BBS Wheels • Euro Headlights with wipers & Euro Grill • Euro Front & Rear Bumpers with M Tech Body Kit • 540i Rear Brake Calipers • Rear Window Shade • Rear Head Rests • Saab Glass MoonRoof Conversion • Hardwired for Valentine One Radar Detector I bought this car and did a "baseline" as I do with all my projects. This included a thorough inspection and a full detail. The engine runs beautifully and there are ZERO odd noises or sounds or anything of that nature. It runs exactly as it should and makes a ton of power.....driving it is a true pleasure and this car is a perfect example of everything the S38 is famous for. The oil is changed every 3500-4000 miles. It's never driven hard till it's warmed up. The BMW S38 engine is truly a wonder. Don't be fooled by naysayers who claim it's a maintenance queen.....it's NOT true. These motors are TOUGH and were built to LAST. There are TONS of examples with way over 200,000 miles that just won't die. I know of more than one that has bested 300,000 miles. A rebuild is not cheap.....but this isn't a car to be bought and have lots of miles piled on anyways. Buy it...drive it on the weekends and to the meets and there are many years left in this engine. Don't believe me? Google is your friend as is the M5board and mye28 board. Research it and you will find that it's true. With the right upkeep / upgrades (which this HAS had) these cars are good to go. The Split Second Mass Air Conversion (https://splitsec.com/product/maf-kit-e28-m5-a/) mades a big difference on the S38's. The basic setup was easy....but the first time it was smogged using it was tough. It has a lot of adjust ability and was labeled a "Gross Polluter" because it took several attempts until the right combination of settings was achieved and everything was optimized. We welded in a bung to the exhaust and using a Innovate Motorsports wide band Air / Fuel meter dialing it in was easy. Now it passes smog with no problem. I highly recommend the Split Second MAF kit and the Innovate LM2. The catalytic converter has less than 5000 miles on it. I took the car 100 miles from OC to San Diego to Jim's Upholstery (Best BMW upholstery shop in the business!) and had them work their magic. Front seats (and back of seats) and rear seats and all headrests now sport brand new leather. It still smells like a new car...I love the smell of that leather. The devil is in the details here. The texture, the color, right down to the size of string and style of stitching is OEM quality. It's as good as it gets! And at about $2000, not cheap. As I am a music lover, It has a NICE Alpine iDA-X305 stereo that automatically plays the music off my Spotify (or whatever) on my phone as soon as I enter the vehicle. The bluetooth for the phone works as good as the factory bluetooth on my new Audi. I added Infinity Amps and a custom made sub enclosure that fits in the trunk (blends in so nice you would ever know it was there by looking). You can see the Clarion EQ that is mounted (with velcro) to the center console next to the seat. And of course what good is a quality sound system without proper speakers? So I used Focal K2's in the front and also in the rear using Focal crossovers. I have over $3000 in the stereo and Yes, it sounds amazing. I am very happy with the stereo. I also have a second unused faceplate/controller as the one that came with the Alpine didn't match the console electronics color that well. Now it does. I have a stack of receipts 4" tall.....going back 20 years or more. This is a well documented car. Additionally......I am a long standing member of the mye28.com forum. I purchased it from another mye28.com member as did he before him. So this car has been owned by enthusiasts for a LONG time. If you don't know mye28.com and are serious about a e28 M5 or any e28 BMW......You are missing out on what is probably the best resource on the web for these cars. This car is also listed in the BMWM5 registry. http://www.bmwmregistry.com/detail.php?id=9836 This car starts on the first turn of the key....regardless of how long it's sat. The Interstate battery is 2 years old and the car is always on a Battery Tender. It never sits outside. There are ZERO odd noises or vibrations...there is NO BMW 50mph shimmy what so ever. The Steering box has been reinforced with the MWrench dowel and bolt fix. http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=63659 But let me be clear....there was NO failure of the steering box of ANY kind..this was done as a preventative measure and was also part of the process to completely rid the car of the famous 50 mph shimmy as was replacing all the bushings etc. I'd like to think that what sets this car apart from the crowd is the attention to detail. Little things like the keyless entry that was added or the George Graves module so the lights dim out rather than just shut off when you close the doors. Or the 3 flash turn signal upgrade (like the new cars - just momentarily tap the turn signal stalk left or right and you get three flashes from your signals) that my brother sells on his website www.davebarton.com. Speaking of my brother...he is VERY well known in the Volvo enthusiast community and has developed many other upgrades and manufactures and sells wiring harness's for classic Volvos. We (OK, I'll admit...mostly he) rewired my Euro headlamps all the way back to the the alternator with new heavy duty wiring and new OEM connectors (that he sells) to the alternator (including his adjustable regulator that he sells) and were thus able to install high wattage bulbs. H1 100 watts Luks Bulbs and H4 100/90 Luks bulbs. I also have NIB spare sets of both. Seriously......probably one of my favorite things about this car now are the headlamps. They are the finest light producing headlamps I've EVER owned. Better than the HID's on my Audi, or the HID's that were on my 2006 BMW or my 2001 TT Porsche. They are outstanding and VERY impressive. And no, they do NOT blind oncoming traffic....unless you hit the hi beams......then it's game over....and with the adjustable regulator, your voltage never drops down low even with the stereo and lights. It's a NICE set up. Also the rear headrests........the rear sunscreen......the armrest..I replaced the seatbelt receptacles, the leather on the seatbacks....to me it's all about the attention to detail. You know, thinking about it.....the Euro lamps are probably not my favorite thing about this M5......it would actually have to be the MTech Euro front and rear bumper treatment. I'm just not a fan of the "Diving Board" North America mandated bumpers for these cars. The Euro bumpers make this car how it was designed. And they are BEAUTIFUL. They were installed when I bought the car but they were't perfectly aligned. It took all day in the garage but now they are properly installed and perfect. And boy do they just make this car look "Right". I also have the side pieces......in black......but I never got around to installing them. This is NOT a cheap upgrade. Ask around....parts and install are north of $3000. I installed Spax Springs and Bilstein Sport Shocks front and rear for the perfect stance AND while firm....it is NOT a jarring "lowered" style ride....it really is impressive. Very comfortable and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across country. The rear brakes are from a BMW 540i and the pads have a couple thousand miles on them at most. And the front are e34 M5 calipers with equally new pads.....2000 miles at the MOST. Suffice it to say....the braking on this car is phenomenal. The wheels are BMW Style 42's (Made by BBS) bought NEW for THIS car $$$, They have less than 10,000 miles on them and are in PERFECT condition. The tires are 235/40-17 Goodyear Eagle F1's have about 1000 miles on them. There is ZERO rubbing or touching. These are GREAT tires. Wheel / tires ran about $2500 I only use 20w50 VR-1 Racing oil for the added Zinc and will throw in a case to the buyer and have 3-6 extra Mann oil filters as I buy them in quantity. ALL the period correct tools are present in the trunk ($$$) The interior (IMO) is a SOLID 9.8 out of a 10. There are 2 SMALL cracks on the dash (see pics) but they were there when I bought the car in 2010 and have NOT increased in size. The paint is very good to excellent. - (see the reflections in the paint in the pics) I did have the hood resprayed by the same paint shop that did work on my TT Porsche, my 06 BMW M5 and my 66 Mustang Fastback. All three of those cars were also sold on ebay to very satisfied buyers as you can see by my feedback. I only did it as there were some rock chips and some hard water spotting and it was just not up to my standard and was part of my baselining. They do perfect work as you can tell by the photos. ALL VIN stickers are present. Of course there are some imperfections as can be expected with a car of this age...a couple super small marks, a couple of dings and I believe one scratch that about 2 inches long.....the rear spoiler is ever so slightly weathered (although I may refurbish it if I get time...not difficult to do) but this is a rust free, original SoCal car and it presents VERY well. I was even invited to a local BMW only car show (ArchiesFest) a couple years ago as they had classic Euro examples up front and center and needed a nice M5 to round it out.....see the photos....that's mine next to the M1. When I first purchased this M5, I daily drove it for about a year while I added my touch, baselined it and made it as nice as I could. Since then I only drive it a couple times times a month and to the occasional vintage BMW meet. It's PERFECTLY sorted as it sits right now....if you're looking at this and you are anywhere in the continental United States......I would encourage you to fly in and DRIVE it home. I've done it several times with cars that I've purchased and it makes for one heck of a road trip. I had a PPI done at Coast Motor Werks in Huntington Beach CA (http://coastmotorwerk.com/) when I bought it (5 years and about 7500 miles ago) and I'll try to dig it up if I can. At that time the owner of Coast stated that the compression test and leakdown were within spec given it's age and mileage. I think there was mention of weeping on the powersteering pump as well which is a common. I will cooperate with and would encourage anyone thinking of buying this or any M5 to do a PPI through a reputable mechanic (like Coast Motor Werks) knowledgeable about vintage BMW's. Here are some photos taken a couple weeks ago. On Feb-22-15 at 11:42:51 PST, seller added the following information: Ok, first.... wow, what a response. Thanks for all the compliments and kinds words. For those who are still thinking that the S38 motor is "fragile", "high strung" or "expensive to own or maintain...I would encourage you to go to my for sale thread on the mye28.com board and read some of the comments from members with this same car with over 300,000 miles....Yes, the simple cost of ownership of a properly running motor is not bad at all. http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=131570&p=1306136#p1306136 So now it's hit reserve...I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad, Hahaha...I guess it's time....but I'll be sad to see it go. A couple of items of mention. The valves were adjusted less than 1000 miles ago and were really close. Only used a couple shims. I replaced the waterpump about 3 months ago....it was starting to drip. I did it myself and it was REALLY simple...almost like doing a small block chevy. If I had to do it again, it would take an hour, that's how simple it was. It was still on the original waterpump. I didn't cheap out and used a Bosch unit (new not remanufactured) and still have the old one in the box if the next owner wants it. I went ahead and replaced the fan clutch as well....since I was in there. While I had the radiator out I degreased the bottom of the engine compartment and frame rails etc. It had years of crud built up. It's all nice and clean now. I have some extra parts that will go with the car. Extra window switches, extra onboard computer, etc. I will include those. Additionally, as I mentioned in the ad....it is hardwired for a Valentine V1 radar detector. If the bidding reaches $25,000, I will include the V1 unit itself and the Innovate Motorsports LM 1 wide band Air / Fuel meter that was used to dial in the Split Second Mass Air conversion and a near new set of Michelin tires. The tires were on the car when I bought it....are "like new" with only a couple thousand miles at MOST on them. I replaced them as they are touring tires and I wanted lower profile performance tires. I have the receipt from when they were purchased and were over $800.00. I had them marked left front, right front, left rear etc so that if they were ever put back on there would be no issue of "radial pull" or anything of that nature. I will throw in a new car cover, and the Battery Tender. I will also add in a custom made (in the USA), all aluminum Wizard Brand radiator. They were custom produced for the e28 M5 for a "Group Buy" on mye28.com. http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=81061 This one was installed for a very short time in another board members car before I bought it. It is in fine shape, beautiful to look at (all aluminum) and was aprox $550 new. And lastly I'll throw in a new, unused set of Fully Assembled Moosehead Engineering Spherical Bearing UCABS (Upper control arm bushings) $140 + shipping http://mooseheadengineering.com/diy/ucabinst/ Again, this is if the auction price reaches $25,000. On Feb-23-15 at 10:18:51 PST, seller added the following information: Ok, I was asked what kind of Michelin tires specifically I was talking about, that I would add in if the auction hits $25k....They are 225/45ZR17 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (All Seasons) I was also asked if I "cut any holes" to mount the Focal K2 Tweeters and speakers. NO. The Focal speakers we managed to fit behind the stock factory, foot well speaker grills, it was tight but it fits. The tweeters fit right into the factory tweeter pods on the doors. In the rear I bought a second set of the factory speaker housings and removed the speakers and tweeters out and then had to do a bit of dremel work on the housing.....but was able to get them in just fine. So again, NO cutting was involved in installing the Focal K2 speakers. I also have saved the original rear speakers / housings that came in the car. I also have all the manuals and instructions that came with the Split Second Mass Air conversion. And a correction...I went in the garage last night..the oil fiters....I have at least 4 extra and they are Mahle brand, NOT Mann. On Feb-24-15 at 19:59:27 PST, seller added the following information: Ok, I was asked to post some video....what was I thinking? I should have posted video from the beginning! Here is video of a walkaround, cold start and drive (it's NOT cold blooded at ALL) and two quick drivebys....Thanks! I tried and failed to embed the videos but failed so here are the links. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBJtjHea2Ws https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-MfukFzR9g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ug-X7ddS9M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqFFPZiTK4A