Buying a 91 535i

[Sloman]

I'm new here and thank you in advance for any answers you give. I'm considering buying a 91 535 (manual transmission) with 165,000 miles for $1,800. That's not much but that's all we want to spend for a car right now. I'll be using it to commute 190 miles round trip one or two days a week to grad school. I've had three BMWs in the past (83 320i, 93 525it, 85 325e) and they have all been very reliable for our family and, with the exception of the 325e have been a joy to drive). The car seems to drive just fine and feels very solid.

My questions are: Generally, what problems are common in the 535? Would I be stupid not to get the car looked at by a mechanic before I buy it? Are most 535s reliable or do they require a lot of maintenance (above and beyond your normal BMW? Being the last model year of the 535, has that proved to be a good thing?

Again, thanks and I'll look forward to hearing from all of you.

[priceman14]

i am also considering buying a 535i (1989 automatic) and so far evry1 on this forum says that they are very reliable and are good for over 200k miles

also, it wouldn't hurt to take the precaution of seeing a mechanic

i may be mistaken, but i think a manual e34 535i is sort of rare/uncommon

[Acschnitzer90]

yeah they are hard to come by but if you find one they are great

[bimmer dot info]

I'd try to get a manual. Automatics on any car tend to be the weakest link.
Take a look at bmwe34.net.
It would be a good idea to have the car inspected by your mechanic. Shouldnt cost more than about $100. Just having one problem fixed could cost more than that. And thats if it is a small problem.