The E28 bodystyle BMW 5-series is one of my favorite cars. It’s pretty much the right size for a car, it’s classically styled, there’s an airy glasshouse and the attractive sharknose is always a nice sight. True, the US-spec bumpers do affect the looks a little bit, but this side of the pond they’re not too common.
This exact E28 differs from the usual Finnish lot quite a lot. It’s an American import, as the original owner has moved back to Finland at some point and brought his or her US-bought E28 over. The engine isn’t too common here either, as most E28:s here are either 518:s or 520:s, but this is the 2.7-litre eta model – and an automatic to boot.
From the photos, it appears super clean. It’s also had a bunch of funds invested into it, so it should be a safe buy. Take a look.
The M20B27 eta engine is an economy unit cooked up for minimum fuel consumption. It generally relies on torque, of which there is 230Nm at 3250rpm, and the car only really revs to little further than 4000rpm. The power reading is 121hp, which is kind of low-ish for 2693cc. It should be a suitably relaxed drive, coupled to the autobox; since there’s no point in giving it stick, it’s probably just fine as auto.
The car here has 155 000 miles on the clock, which sounds attractively low to our European ears but corresponds to 250k kms.
The E34 alloy wheels are a perfect match for the E28. They’re really handsome, and the suspension work means they fill the arches properly. The wheelarches have even been rolled to ensure the accommodation, but they’ve been rustproofed so that won’t prove an issue in the long run.
According to the seller he’s spent 2500 eur on the car during the last twelve months. This includes the aforementioned suspension job (new springs front and back), valve adjustment, new auxiliary belts, driveshaft overhaul, oils and filters and the complete assessment of the ignition system, among other things. The ECU has also been re-chipped, to provide some extra torque. Inspection is recent and valid, and the car comes with service history. Sadly, cruise control isn’t working and despite the clean looks the car needs a lick of paint in one of the fenders.
So, in a nutshell, here you have a neat-looking, well-maintained car with an economy engine and an automatic gearbox. For some, those are a major hindrance, but in my opinion they’ve contributed to the car making it in one piece for so long.
The asking price is a bold 3900 eur. For a non-M E28 it’s on the high side, but E28:s are probably appreciating in value if kept clean.
See the link here (mostly in Finnish)
[Source: Nettiauto]
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![http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/1987_BMW_520i_LUX.jpg"](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/1987_BMW_520i_LUX.jpg"){kind=link}
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