So. Many. Records.

"n54 & s38" (straight6)
10/08/2014 at 15:15 • Filed to: None

So one of the things that sold me on buying the M5 was the insane amount of work that it's had done to it. And with all that work comes a 2 inch thick binder of records for all services, scheduled maintenance, parts, upgrades, modifications and service inspections. Most of these were done and compiled by the guy who sold it to the fellow who I bought it from. He spent about $30k in upgrades over the car's life, including a full engine rebuild, suspension upgrades, exterior and interior upgrades, professional respray in the factory silver, etc. It also has records of the bill of sale for the last 3 owners.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here's a few shots of the extensive records that came with the vehicle. I also got a bunch of parts as well:

VEHICLE DETAILS:

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BINDER OF RECORDS:

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ENGINE & SUSPENSION WORK DONE:

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BODY & EXTERIOR WORK DONE:

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LIST OF MODIFICATIONS SINCE PURCHASED:

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PARTIAL LIST OF SERVICE RECORDS:

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DISCUSSION (16)

Doug DeMuro > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:19

How long did he own it for?

Steve in Manhattan > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:25

You probably said elsewhere, but how many miles on it?

And how valuable are the records if you decide to sell it? It would give me such peace of mind to know everything was done, and done right.

n54 & s38 > Doug DeMuro
10/08/2014 at 15:25

So there have been two local (Calgary) owners before me. The first one was the one who compiled a lot of these and spent about $30k+ on the car (repaint, full engine rebuild, interior upgrades, suspension, etc.). He owned the car for about 5 years. Then the guy who I purchased it from owned it for about 2 years. He probably put about $8K into it just upgrading/updating things here and there. The first guy bought it from a previous owner who was from Ontario who was the one who originally imported it from Germany. Past that, I'm not sure. It's kind of interesting to wonder about the history of this car, its owners and the life its lead. The guy who I bought it from is still in regular touch with the first guy and now I'm in touch with him. It's kind of cool to see how a car like this can bring enthusiasts together.

I feel like I've got the best deal though: I bought it for $9500 and it's had EVERYTHING done to it. The guy I bought it from paid $12.5k for it and the guy who he bought it from paid $23k for it. And then dumped another $30k into it. I'll never sell it. And I honestly don't think that it'll ever depreciate at this point. It's so mint, both inside and out...

n54 & s38 > Steve in Manhattan
10/08/2014 at 15:30

Exactly. The records to me, just show the level of care that it's received over its lifetime. Plus, if anything ever goes wrong, I can always check to see what has and hasn't been replaced. It just gives me a ton of confidence in owning a car that's 25 years old to know that there's been no expense spared in maintaining it. At this point, they're a part of the car's history.

And to answer your first question, it has 279,000 kms on it (approximately 174,000 miles). About 70k kms (approx. 44k miles) on the rebuilt engine.

Doug DeMuro > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:33

Just please keep it stock. One of my all time favorite cars. And keep it away from salt and the like, up in your area of the world!

n54 & s38 > Doug DeMuro
10/08/2014 at 15:36

I'm not gonna mod it. I'm not much of a mod guy besides the odd small personal touch here and there. The underside is mint - the seller sent me photos. I stuck my hands in the wheel wells and they're so smooth! Yup, this will only go out on nice days in the winter. The 335xi is the daily driver.

AM3R > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:39

man I'm so jealous

Doug DeMuro > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:39

What an awesome combo!!! Definitely enjoy them both in good health. Sadly the E34 has to go away for the winter soon, I suspect.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:44

I have never—and I'm being sincere here—been so excited about that much paperwork.

That's awesome, congrats on the car!

Steve in Manhattan > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:46

Even if it passed the mechanic's test, I'd hesitate without records like that.

n54 & s38 > Doug DeMuro
10/08/2014 at 15:53

Cheers! I'm still gonna drive it in winter, just sparingly. It has a full set of brand new winter tires on period-correct BBS type 5 wheels. Cars should be driven.

n54 & s38 > Steve in Manhattan
10/08/2014 at 15:54

Totally. Peace of mind is priceless. For $9500, this car is pretty like a barn find for me.

n54 & s38 > AM3R
10/08/2014 at 15:54

Haha. Sorry man. If you're ever in Calgary, come take her for a spin.

Doug DeMuro > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 15:55

Absolutely! Good on you. Post some cool snow pics :)

n54 & s38 > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
10/08/2014 at 15:59

Thanks. Yup, I was thrilled too. Spent an hour just digging through it all. Also has all of the original factory manuals and maintenance guides.

AM3R > n54 & s38
10/08/2014 at 16:25

don't be sorry, it's great seeing a clean car go to an enthusiast. Have fun driving her!! You should write a review when you get a chance.

I'll definitely take you up on that, though I'm a long way off.