'86 524td 164K $1900.00...Thoughts?

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Anyone have any experience with these cars?
I haven't looked at it and may not, but you can't touch a decent MB 123 diesel for this kind of money and the 524td is also much faster than a 123 diesel, although so is a three cylinder Metro.
I'm thinking that this old e28 might make an entertaining spare car/toy.
It would be fun to drive this to Mid-Ohio for the vintage weekend as well.
You run across all kinds of intersting stuff on CL.
 
The E28 5 series is a great handling and well built car and pieces from the E28 M5 will bolt on, I have no experience with the diesel motor, find a E28 forum and ask there
 
My only concern would be parts availability for the diesel and rust.

I looked at one of these about 10 years ago and it was a great car, passed on it because I really didn't want a BMW at the time.
 
Rust is the biggest concern. There are folks who know and understand those engines still around. I have an indy nearby that drives a 524td in the off season and a pristine old M6 in the nice weather. Great examples of these classic vehicles.

Nice w123 and w126 cars are available, and probably some of the w124 diesels will make the 524td feel like a geo... But they are more popular and command somewhat of a higher price.

It sounds like fun, and at $1900, youre not out much if it is lousy... But Id ensure that you have an indy that is reasonably competent with these nearby if youre going to buy.
 
I had meant to come and look at your 300D last fall and never did get back to you.
I'll PM you.
I'd really enjoy having another diesel and I liked the two 123s we had, both 240Ds.
Talk about slow!
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I liked the two 123s we had, both 240Ds.
Talk about slow!


Im always amazed because my 240D doesnt feel THAT slow. I mean, any time we go to the beach, which is almost any weekend in the summer, I tend to drive that car and it does just fine on the high speed roads we drive on between our home and there.

Its no rocket to 60, we know the specs, but Ive never really felt that concerned, at least in warm weather with the engine nice and warm... Im not implying that its fast by any means though...
 
The concepts of "New Jersey" and "high speed roads" seem mutually exclusive, given the congestion, especially with the amount of beach-bound traffic on a nice weekend.
There's also the absence of hills to make a 240D seem pretty okay.
The 240D really isn't that bad. It just can't keep up with a stream of 80 mph traffic on a typical rural interstate in OH.
Long upgrades are especially difficult.
You get to know the right lane really well.
Still, we drove our two everywhere, just as we did our old Vanagon, which wasn't a speed demon either, although it would leave a 240D for dead from 0-60.
The 240Ds were about as happy to cuise at 70 mph, though.
OTOH, the Vanagon had the aerodynamics of a garage door.
 
Depends where youre going to. We strategically chose our beach location based upon being able to go roughly opposite of traffic, so its really no big deal. Timing is an important part too.

I drive all over the state every week, and save for a few spots if I hit them at the wrong time, I dont have any real traffic issues. Again, I selected where we live strategically.

And if it lets me drive a 240D without issue, so be it
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
The concepts of "New Jersey" and "high speed roads" seem mutually exclusive, given the congestion, especially with the amount of beach-bound traffic on a nice weekend.


Try CR-539 early on a Saturday morning before the cops have had enough coffee to care about speeders. It's not the shortest way to get to the shore from anywhere for sure, but that just means there's more time to enjoy the drive.
 
Originally Posted By: yonyon
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
The concepts of "New Jersey" and "high speed roads" seem mutually exclusive, given the congestion, especially with the amount of beach-bound traffic on a nice weekend.


Try CR-539 early on a Saturday morning before the cops have had enough coffee to care about speeders. It's not the shortest way to get to the shore from anywhere for sure, but that just means there's more time to enjoy the drive.


Around here, weekend mornings are exactly the wrong time to drive fast on most roads.
The cops are sitting out while munching donuts and there isn't much traffic to hide among.
My main experiences of Joisey involve either sitting in awful traffic or sitting at EWR either in a terminal or on a ramp or taxiway waiting out an interminable flight delay while praying that we don't get a cancellation.
 
What does it take to cold start a BMW diesel engine from that time?

I have heard some of the 1980s diesel cars needed help getting started at temperatures below 20F. Block heaters were recommended.
 
hmmmm, I have no issues whatsoever starting to 0F or lower. Lots of people are probably too cheap or dumb to adjust their valves.
 
They will start unless they have low compression. In that regard the more modern ones with afterglow are a bit better than the old ones.

I have no idea how the BMW diesel is set up, I'm going to guess its 603 like so it should fire.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
hmmmm, I have no issues whatsoever starting to 0F or lower. Lots of people are probably too cheap or dumb to adjust their valves.

I'm not saying all the cars from back then were hard to start.
I was saying some of them were.

I didn't know if the BMW was difficult to start in harsh cold.
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
What does it take to cold start a BMW diesel engine from that time?

I have heard some of the 1980s diesel cars needed help getting started at temperatures below 20F. Block heaters were recommended.


My 200,000+ mile Escort popped in 0F temps...it took three or four tries, but it always started. It still does now, over 300,000 miles. (I couldn't plug it in at work.) In hindsight, using 5W-40 synthetic (instead of 15W-40HDEO) might have helped. I will say that a good starting system (battery, connections, cables, starter) is critical to getting a cold-soaked diesel to pop!
 
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