Home » Member BMWs » 5 Series » David Coleman's 1985 535i
David Coleman's 1985 535i
Contact
Details
- 300,000 miles (as of March 2003)
- Original engine
- Original transmission
- Bavarian Autosport performance chip
- Borbet Type-H wheels, Potenza 730 tires
- Bilstein shocks, springs
- Metric Short-shift
- K&N Filtercharger
- 740 front bushings, suspension components
- Bavarian Autosport drilled rotors, kevlar brake lines
- Cupholders!
- Sony 6-disc changer, Boston Acoustic speakers
History
I bought this car in 1995. I'm the second owner; the first owner put 192,000 miles on it before I purchased it as a replacement for my first car, a '77 Chevy Caprice wagon. A bit of an upgrade...
I've taken this car all up and down the east coast, commuted into Washington, DC for 4 years, and even zipped around and around and around Summit Point Raceway, Virginia for several BMW CCA High-Performance schools (with 210,000 miles on the clock!). The car really loves the twisties in Vermont, but she really showed her best driving across Wyoming at (censored) mph when I went from DC to SF in three and a half days, with an average of 24.5mpg.
Best modification was replacing the TRX wheels and tires with the Borbets and the Potenza tires. Besides the obvious cosmetic value, the new wheels and tires made a remarkable improvement in handling.
Despite the many miles, the car burns no oil. Leaks a bit on the garage floor from some aging gaskets, but nothing comes out of the tailpipe. Car still runs very well, although the cam is worn and the valves clatter a bit; probably still 7.5 to 60, though. Only things that don't work are the powered headrests on the front seats!
I have just moved to Mukilteo/Everett from California. I'm looking for a good BMW mechanic to care for my car... It's almost time for the 300,000-mile tune up!