by "TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
Published 09/26/2017 at 15:27
by "TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
Published 09/26/2017 at 15:27
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STARS: 0
How reliable are E24 Bimmers? Are they German reliable or “German reliable?” Just curious...
"jasmits" (jasmits)
09/26/2017 at 15:32, STARS: 1
Probably about as reliable as an E28 or an E30, so pretty good but like it’s still an old car. I don’t think they were cramming a lot of luxury features into these that are about to be going kaput.
"Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire" (arch-duke-maxyenko)
09/26/2017 at 15:38, STARS: 0
Same as any old car?
"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
09/26/2017 at 15:40, STARS: 0
Just do it brah. I’ll bet you 5$ one of the rear turn signals works intermittently. Pretty sure you have to put premium in the M30 engines though.
"e36Jeff now drives a ZHP" (e36jeff)
09/26/2017 at 15:40, STARS: 1
if its anything like my old e30, very reliable. They have the M30 engine which had been around for quite some time by the time it ended up in this car, it uses chain driven cams rather than the belt driven ones of the M20, it shouldn’t have much in the way of electronics to get messed up. Avoid automatics(or do a manual swap). I don’t know the overall reliability of them, but I know they are pretty terrible even when working normally.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
09/26/2017 at 15:41, STARS: 0
So like Lexus LS400 or Chevy Nova?
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
09/26/2017 at 15:42, STARS: 1
Aren’t all turn signals intermittent?
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
09/26/2017 at 15:42, STARS: 1
Depends on what you consider ‘reliable’. They’re 30+ years old. They’re not going to be as reliable as a much more modern car. A well maintained one with be a car you can rely on though. 80s cars tend to combine relative reliability with relative simplicity.
"RPM esq." (rpm3)
09/26/2017 at 15:44, STARS: 1
They’re pretty solid, especially the engine. They’re not terribly complicated so there’s not a lot to go wrong and they’re not that difficult to maintain or repair, plus they share so many parts with other models that most things aren’t hard to find. The things most likely to break are powered luxury functions that wear out like window and seat motors. Source: have owned an E30 and an E34, have seriously considered owning an E24.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/26/2017 at 15:46, STARS: 0
When they were new, they weren’t too bad. Now? They’re probably all in need of a lot of work if they didn’t get it already just due to time. Expect the usual rotted hoses, shot bushings, worn wiring, etc.
"Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire" (arch-duke-maxyenko)
09/26/2017 at 15:47, STARS: 0
80's cars
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
09/26/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 0
Land Cruiser then.
"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
09/26/2017 at 15:49, STARS: 1
god dammit lol. I mean it won’t flash.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
09/26/2017 at 15:49, STARS: 0
you can rely on them...
...to break down
HIYOOOOOOOOOOO
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
09/26/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 0
Hey oohhh!!
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
09/26/2017 at 15:54, STARS: 3
Very, among the best cars BMW (and thus Germany) has ever made, along with the E28. They’re old enough now though that things may be deteriorating and some specific pieces are getting hard to find. Underhood wiring harness insulation will be coming apart, rust can be an issue in wet climates if drains were not cleaned or roads were salted, interior bits may not work, some AC parts, trim and weatherstrip are hard to get, the rear subframe bushings are probably all bad, and so on. They’re from when Germany still took their maintenance schedules seriously, so major services with valve adjustments every 30k are critical. It’s not going to be an Accord, but they’re really solid and comfortable cars, easily daily driveable.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
09/26/2017 at 15:56, STARS: 0
Right I forgot about the AC. It’ll probably take the old freon instead of R134A which means I’d have to retrofit R134A parts to it.
This is the beat response so far. Thanks!
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
09/26/2017 at 16:06, STARS: 0
Yeah, we can’t even get R12 in California any more. We did a full R134A retrofit on the car below not too long ago, it was a bit of work. Custom hoses, an E34 compressorand drier, and other stuff. Our bill was $1377, and that’s with the client supplying the compressor.
Bitchin’ cars though, I should have bought one years ago but went for E28s at the time instead.
"fintail" (fintail)
09/26/2017 at 16:28, STARS: 1
I thought BMW didn’t get that feature until well into the next decade.
"Aaron M - MasoFiST" (amarks563)
09/26/2017 at 16:29, STARS: 2
As some have mentioned, the Big Six M30 is old...it was middle-aged when the E24 was new but really old by the end, and ancient when it made its way into the E34 for a couple years. Other than the fact that you have to do valve adjustments, this is a good thing!
The problem with most E24s is that they’re old cars with old car problems. Even a 30 year old Toyota is likely going to need parts. Once you get everything up to snuff, and update things where you can (better belts, better oil than what was available new, basic stuff like that), it should treat you well.
I really want a 535is, personally. E28s are a bit cheaper than E24s and I love the four-door Euro aesthetic.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
09/26/2017 at 16:49, STARS: 0
That’s a big job. I probably wouldn’t need AC anymore starting soon, so it wouldn’t be urgent to get it retrofitted.
"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
09/26/2017 at 18:29, STARS: 1
M30s are hard to kill, probably my favourite engine. Like others have said, problems they may have now are likely to be age related, not E24 specific things. The BigCoupe site has a really good buyers guide IIRC. Also if it has stock suspension, it’ll be one of the most comfortable and smooth cars you’ve ever driven. I wish I still had my 633CSi.