What's it like driving a neglected e34 in 2024?
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- Join me as I revive an old BMW E34 525 TD that's been tucked away for six months. From rebuilding the engine to overhauling the brakes, this classic beauty is back on the road. But here's the twist - it drives like a dream, almost too smooth for my liking. So, I've decided it's time to pass on the comfort to someone else. While some might want to add a bit of sportiness, I prefer to keep things authentic to its stock design. Come along for the journey and let's find this cozy cruiser a new home in the future.
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Been a great series that triggered lots of old memories for me, cant wait to see the next wip!
@paddyodoors2757 oh don't worry, there still lots of work on the e34 left before im gonna sell it:) probably 6 videos or so. But I'm glad to hear that the e34 gave you some nostalgic feelings 😇
Good luck with your E34
I have one myself in HD61 trim
When i visited your country I only saw one E34 in Walferdange 👍
Thanks😇
I bought my neglected E34 in 2020. Had fun going on vacation with it, daily drove it, etc. Then the previous owners' neglect caught up and it has been sitting for nearly 3 years now, slowly getting some work done to finally get it back on the road.
@qers Im rooting for you! Save the classics:)
I had an e30 and e34 at the same time a few years back. Although the e30 was obviously lighter and more direct, i preferred the e34. It was actually alot of fun and very capable in the corners when the bushes and shocks are healthy.
Great to hear that the e34 has potential:) we will see how it handles after a major suspension refresh:)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics Look forward to seeing the change
@@Scala598 Me too 😇
@@DailyDrivenClasssicsmine has a completely refreshed underside, every bushing and suspension component except sway bar are less than 10k miles and it drives like a dream. I’ve got the m50b25nv with air filter, catless, bb exhaust and it makes 185-200wheel best driving experience ever and i couldn’t imagine living without this car
@@tylerd1_561 i bet it drives amazing :) enjoy it 😇
Keep it up!
Soon you will be enjoying it on the road, the e34 are very grateful cars.
We will see:) thanks fpr the support😇
Im the seconded owner of a e34 525i that has around 197k miles after all the maintenance and quality of life upgrades the car is actually a solid drive. It was sitting for a couple of months but i finally have her road legal after finally getting the key and it to pass smog. I love my E34
@itseC851 sounds lovely. Second owner e34s are getting incredibly rare! Keep your gem nice and serviced :)
my '95 e34 was my pride and joy up until it caught fire, police couldnt tell if someone did it on purpose or if the car did it on its own
there was nothing left to salvage on the car.
please save these precious cars, and keep them OEM and beautiful
@ZombieCamperGaming Thats super sad to hear:( unfortunately fire damage cars are almost always unsalvageable. 🥲
Heather blower motor killed your car probably.
@@8kmar thats why im gonna change mine:) replacement part is waiting in my garage 😇
Im pretty sad to hear that. Alltough have to mention with those 15 inch and small tires, with the original td setup and all those old bushings, you cant except more. I think you made a decision too early. Mine was a tds, touring, so even heavier. All I did was give it some moderate lowering springs. Oh, and when we had to change the rear subframe bushings, we used poly. It was never a sportscar, but you vould actually drive pretty sports with it. It was very stable. Oh, 17 inch wheels. Dont give up yet. These are grate cars.
Maybe I will change my decision after the next video :) Theres still a lot of work to do on the car and Im all for it😀
💪 you can do it.
The nice thing about these TD E34s (I have one myself) is that you can throw an intercooler on it, swap out a TDS ecu of the same year (check model # with realoem) with a performance chip and be putting out 170-180hp without a problem, up your boost and write some extra fuel on your chip and you can easily reach 200hp on these engines.
FWIW I too was also extremely disappointed with the lack of power my bone stock E34 TD had, now i'm more than happy with it
@retskl
@retskl Thanks for your comment :). The issue is i wanna leave the car completely stock. If im correct the td and tds e34s have different oil coolers(td has one sitting where intercooler is on the tds) and tds oil cooler is sitting before the rad pack. So I would have to drill holes through the front support to install FMIC. Thanks for the reccomendation tho:) I might do a video in the future about all the tuning options fot the m51, including mech pump etc since there are no guides on YT. Thanks for the support !
@@DailyDrivenClasssicsYeah i'd love some mech pump stuff in the future, it's where I wanna go with my lump next but you're right about there being very little online about these. Thanks for all your vids!
@@retskl Thanls for the support! 😇
Keep it up bro, it doesn't matter if you sold it, you have other projects snd that e34 will be saved anyway and that is most important thing, we learn from your videos you learn just keep it going, when your channel grow you can open maybe some shop service why not, as always thank for nice content and nice videos you making for us :) :)
@15dejo
@15dejo Yes saving the old crusty cars is important to me. On this one I definetely gave it a second life. It would probably have gone to the scrappers if i didnt show up. More projects coming in a few months( I still have a lot of work on the e34 :) )and end goal is to become a parts provider for NLA parts so that these car can still be dailyed and repaired :)
Hi, great video. I have a swapped e36 compact with the m51 engine. Its a really light car so the engine performs really well in that tiny car. Love watching your videos, teaches me a lot about this engine.
@snafz1027
@snafz1027 never seen or heard about an m51 swapped compact:) sounds nice tho. I bet it goeas sideways really easy :) Thanks for the support, i really appreciate it
:)
Maybe once you go over the suspension you will like the ride and handling better. When I replaced all the shock absorbers and rebuilt all the suspension in my Mercedes W124, the car was completely transformed. The body roll was greatly reduced.
@dinispaulino7512 Thats exactly what In gonna do. The rear dampers were already leaking quite badly, so the next video will probably transform the handling of the car immensely😇
You have a new Sub here :D From Ohio, USA! Love your vids man! Guaranteed viewer right here too.
Awesome! Thanks a lot for the support :) and enjoy the videos, I'll try to make them even better :)
Used to have an e34 525i in early twenties, was absolutely so comfortable and smooth and easy to go sideways, however I am in my late 20s now 29 and want to buy more stylish the best looking bmw ever created the e36 coupe 😍
Glad to hear that. E34 is so comfy but imo e36 is better for spiritted driving :)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics yes I think by far the e36 coupe is also tailored towards youth level and it is the best looking masterpiece bmw ever created
@@bekabeka71 I prefer e46 but too each their own :)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics yeah I agree each to their own but e46 looks modern I hate everything modern except my Mercedes ML’s lol
great video!👏
@emkinismoto
@emkinismoto Thank you! 😃
I have never driven an old Diesel BMW. But they sound rather nice compared to VW 4 Zyl Diesels. The Sportyness requirement might only be met with a M5 E34 for you. The S38 is a masterpiece.
@TheSaemiProduction
@TheSaemiProduction They do sound rather nice. For a diesel they do sound exceptional, i hope it picked up well on video:) Ive found a really cheap e34 m5 3.6 that needs a full restoration and was crashed. If it is still available in a few months i might jump on it :)
@@DailyDrivenClasssicsThe M5 is very special. I looked at a few of them in the past but I did not find the right one yet.
@TheSaemiProduction
@TheSaemiProduction I hope you can find one and treat it well :) unfortunately they are getting too expensive. The one that i found was really cheap at around 12 k but rust holes, crashed etc :(
@@DailyDrivenClasssicsThats true ... even E60 or F10 M5s can be found cheaper than the E34.
@TheSaemiProduction
@TheSaemiProduction S85 is a dream. would pick that over everything. Thats definetely coming in the future. Im thinking about lowballing an e63 M6 (200k km and hail damage) and fully rebuilding it. :)
Amazing actually, I just sold my 95 540i, front left control arms shot, baseball sized hole in the radiator, power steering fluid leak, diff leak, the coolant reservoir was coming off, valve cover leaks, oil pump hanging on by a bolt and she STILL commuted to and from work 100 miles a day and got the buyer home 6 hours away in one go.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE was selling her
@yomansam4689 Thats sad to hear, I guess your from the US ? Here in europe 540 are insanely expensive and they are rare. On autoscout, there are only 8 available and they range from 10 k to 21 k. Thats way too much for an e34 imo. But it is amazing that the car still went after so much damage. I think you will regret seelling it :(
@@DailyDrivenClasssics Oh I do, I’ve seen a few 6 speed manual ones that have peaked my interest,
@yomansam4689
@yomansam4689 nice, I wish they would be more common here :(
@@DailyDrivenClasssics I’ve always found that interesting, an E34 540i is only about a 5-7000 venture, 7000 dollars is for one in pretty clean condition.
20,000 will get you an E34 M5 here as well
@@yomansam4689 the cheapest here in europe is 20k with 366k on the odometer lol
Get a 39. they’re everything you hope for.
@GetgainzDe
@GetgainzDe
I'm thinking about it :)
Slow or not, its is a nice car... good work.
@zambam3
@zambam3 Thats true :) Thanks a lot !
Weight depends a lot on the model, my 96' E34 TDS Touring was 1800kg with a lot of electronics
My sedan that looks just like this one, that's a 88' M20B20 manuel is 1400kg with under 1/5th of the wiring of the TDS.
When I got it, it had been more or less off the road for 10 years.
Did a overhaul when got it and enjoyed driving it through the city to and from my uni for 2 years, it was a 20km way each way, and it never failed to start on me, nor gave me problems when I was out and about.
I did maintain it well, but I was still impressed by how it just never let me down. However, the daily stop-and-go city traffic did make the diff annoyingly loose by when I parked it, mainly for the fuel prices going crazy.
I've had E32s and E34s, never been intrested in the E30s, mainly as I haven't enjoyed having smaller sippier cars. I never want to sell my E34, but then again, I just drive it normally, reving it out occationaly, but drive it sympathetically, a bit like a grandpah, that enjoys the comfort and simplicity, so that's why its a good car for me
😂
@Anirossa Yes!! First time I looked at the weight of the e34 I was surprised to see it from 1360 to over 1700, which is a lot. I bet that m20 was poor on fuel economy :( Also the comfort is incredible on the e34( in the upcoming video) I drove 1000km into france and the car was incredibly comfy. But the comfyness and slowness(lol) are are a bit annoying to me. Next project will definetely a more sporty bimmer. Also great to hear your experience with these cars and that you still treat them nice :)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics The M20 not too thirsty to be fair, at least for its age, was averaging out 0.8L/10km with mixed driving, my M30B30 E32 did 1.4L/10km at the same drive with the same traffic.. my M50s have been more thirsty, but mainly because the M50s Ive had, has been automatics.
The TDS touring I had wasn't too bad, unless I turned on the AC, it seemed to nearly double the fuel consumtion 🤣
I've come to prefer the M20s and M30s for their sound and their ease of maintenance. :) If I could pick whatever engines I wanted I'd have a 535i M30 auto and a 525i M20 manual.
@Anirossa
@Anirossa Well since its only a 2 liter it cant drink that much. My golf 2 1.3 carburettor takes about 8 L/100km so that a lot more lol. My td took 7.6 or so L/100 km which seems high. Best I've got was m52b25tu e46 6.5 L/100km over 400km highway :) I agree with you that m20s and m30 have an unique sound. They do sound nice, its just not really what I like(never actually had one, can just base off of videos :( )
@@DailyDrivenClasssics Yeaah, what I like with the M30 is how you hear it coming from far away and it sounds smooth, the M20 has its injector noise and the noise when it starts picking up past 2k rpm. It just sounds aggressive in a refined way.
The most fuel economical E34s are the 525i, because they need less revving out than the 520i to move around at the same pace, because of the lower differential ratio.
E34 525i has the same differential as my E32 730i did, why my E32 730i also felt quicker off the line than my dad's 735i.
Idling in traffic the 735i was a lot more thirsty than the 730i.
But for open roads the 735i was much more economical. Doing 0.8L/10km crouising down the open road through Norway, north to south. 🤣
So displacements can be misleading, as it's just one variable :)
Absolutely true. In my e46 i wanted to swap in the longest differential available since it has a relatively short one. Nice for driving backroads but horrible if you drive 800 km at 130 with the engine at 3500 rpm :(
I prefer comfort over speed. They are very nice cars.
@markharris7662
If comfort is what you like,then the e34 is probably a very nice car:)
my e34 feels pretty nimble and sporty even with automatic, i think your suspension may just not be maintained very well.
We will see. Full suspension rebuild coming soon :)
i didn't know that the diesel had so much less power, Interesting.
@leking007
Only the Td is horrible. Tds has 143 :)
the joy of old broken bmws indeed....
Got an old shitbox myself, 518i here since i didnt want a diesel, and man is it full of surprises.
Thoughts on what you might get after this one?
@nicename7247 yup indeed . Enjoy your 518i! For my next project: I have no clue . Ill take whatever old crusty oil leaking BMW I find closest on FB marketplace😇👌
@@DailyDrivenClasssics Thank you, and lmao fair.
kurwa e36 with same engine 143hp but it's also not a charm.
@erminc1891
@erminc1891 at least tds is a bit faster than td :)
Too bad, i remember the E34 beeing nimble and even sporty back in the day, had a 535i with 17" and it really was a solid car, drove a TDS as well similar but less power and had 15" so less sporty coming from the 535.
@MafiaTunis
@MafiaTunis Well see how it handles with new suspension :) Probably a lot better:)
I have an 1999 e39 525 tds 143 hp for me it handles really well with brand new OEM suspension.
Just IFY it's your fault I have to do this because you made me like my car/engine!
For power goal ~250 hp my plan is:
2.2 Bar at 2200 RPM till 5200 RPM
Upgrade the turbo to GT2260V from an e60 530D 218HP M57
Upgrade the exhaust to 76mm cv
Install a new MAF sensor only made from PIERBURG
Upgrade the MAP sensor to MAP from an Facelift e46 320D 150HP M47 that's rated for 3.14 Bar. At the moment it's mounted above the fuel filter which I think about moving closer to the intake manifold. I think I can make a plate for 2 MAP sensors one for the ECU and one for my boost gauge that I can attach near the dip stick so it will have an shorter boost hose (I'm not sure if it will make any difference I just want to do it) ** They must be mounted with the intake nipple facing down or the sensors might collect oil and stuff inside and go bad fast.
Upgrade the clutch pressure plate to plate from an e39 530D 193 hp M57
Intall an short level shifter from an e60 545i 25117546373 with all new shifter assembly, from the bushings and clips to the dowel pin
Upgrade the Intercooler to 550x140x65
Delete the stock radiator fan and install an 406mm electric fan
Install an 82C or 84C* (recommended) thermostat
Upgrade the water pump to one with a metal impeller I found one from HEPU
Install an oil catch can after deleting the EGR system it's a must for the M51 or you will start getting vapor oils in your intake plus I will clean the PCV filter in my valve cover
Install an EGT sensor in the hole meant for for the EGR pipe in the exhaust manifold
Delete the stock air filter box and install an dry 160mm air intake filter behind the right headlight with a new cold air feed hose
I might upgrade the high pressure fuel pump with an 11mm or 12 mm plunger, but mine is after 1996 so I might not need to do that because my stock HPFP might be good enough for 300 hp and I will aim for ~250 hp ish
Upgrade the brakes to brakes from e39 540i or something else I'm not sure, but definitely I need bigger ones the stock brake discs from ATE are already gone after not even 10 000 km
I will replace all seals, clean the cooling system and renew all hoses, replace the timing chains, clean and seal my fuel injectors, replace the glow plugs and module, replace all rubber bushings including the transmission/differential maybe with purple polyurethane bushings and other stuff that I might be forgetting atm.
@GMAd-yc1vj
Awesome :) good call on upgrading the power:) 250 is already good for an m51but should be doable without issues when you give enough boost(2.2 is plenty enough and stock map sensor only goes up to 2 bar so good call on upgrading) ,exhaust has little backpressure(76mm is a lot better than stock) But i dont think maf needs to be changed until its faulty( just check live values in inpa etc). Upgrade water pump is not needed imo, i just always buy upgrade ones. lol. Oil catch can is almost a must on m51 cuz they have a bad breather valve design in the valve cover and a lot more oil vapors pass then it should. I think thers no need to upgrade plungers. Also important to do a lot of maintenance as you mentinned. Keep me updated on the progress of your project:) Sounds interesting:)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics The MAF is dead. My car has a lot of issues due to being neglected on maintenance then left to rot in a garage for 2 years it took me weeks fixing all of the wiring that was damaged by rats, but at least I got it for cheap and I was about to sell it for parts to make a profit, but I just like the thing and decided to keep it plus I got brand new full suspension parts, the chassis has no rust and even if I blow it İ can get another M51D25 engine for less than €300 or just the head for €25. As a beginner hobby mechanic it's the perfect car to learn on wrenching.
@GMAd-yc1vj
@GMAd-yc1vj
Wiring repairs are never fun :( But yes, m51s are good projects if theres parts around. In my region closest m51 is 200 km and the guy wants 1200 euro with transmission and ecu. The next one is 500 km and 600 euro. Too expensive for m51:( And if you found an e39 without rust i would definetely preserve it. Rust always kills good cars. Just clean and reprotect the underbody and then the car will be happy for the next 10 years :)
How you solve problem with engine wont start?
@Mikikaric
@Mikikaric Car is self healing:) I did very precise adjustement of the pump with inpa. Top part was too out of spec and timing was a bit too late :)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics great,but how adjust with inpa?
@Mikikaric
@Mikikaric Live value section on inpa. Analog 1 and 2. Relative position of injection timing compared to degrees before tdc for timing. And minimum injection quantity in mg/stroke(should be at 5 +/- 0,5) for top part
Its a diesel. This won't be a racecar. If you want sportyness just get an early 525 m50 petrol. You don't want a boat handling thats reasonable me too so put in coils pretty hard springs, go with poliuretan bushings and at least 17" rims. Modify the exhaust. Let you convince yourself about that oldschool inline 6 wit installing maybe headers that arent that expensive, some curly ones no straight. Thats it, with this it'll scream around corners and drive nimbler than an e36 XD
@janek2846
@janek2846 I agree that diesels mostly feel a bit lethargic, but the m51 is different. It revs to 5000 rpm in stock form and feels linear-exponential . Slightly similar to a petrol IMO. And it sounds really good:) But in the video i was referring to the suspension setup, just like you mentioned. I wont be lowering it since i want to keep this car OEM spec but a major suspension overhaul is waiting to be filmed :)
Why drive it if you dont like anything about it?
@jessekuchinski1172 Its not that I don't like anything about it. I'm just complicated with cars because I prefer working on them, rather than actually driving them. But now after the full suspension rebuild it handles A LOT better. After I get technical inspection I am probably gonna try driving it for a few weeks and maybe change my mind :)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics i know buddy. I just bought one and im nervous
Dont be nervous lol. Just do some maintenance and enjoy it:)
Czy dokręciłeś śruby głowicy o 90° po nagrzaniu silnika przez 25min? Pozdrawiam z Polski 💪
@M_POWER_TDS
Przetłumaczone za pomocą Google:) Tak, dokręciłem je po rozgrzaniu silnika. Sekwencja momentów obrotowych dla m51d25 jest następująca: 80Nm -> poluzować 180 stopni -> 50Nm -> dokręcić o 90 stopni -> dokręcić o 90 stopni -> rozgrzać silnik, następnie poczekać, aż ostygnie -> dokręcić o 90 stopni
I think the engine is the "problem"
Yess! Non intercooled m51s are really slow in stock form :(
I have an e34.. 129hp, beautiful and very well maintained but maaaannn its incerdibly slowwww
@krassidimitrov2
@krassidimitrov2 Better to have a slow and beautiful car than fast and ugly :)
@@DailyDrivenClasssics I agree. and consumption is as well a nightmare: 14L|100km
@@krassidimitrov2damn. Thats alot. M51 shines in that aspect. around 6.9 liters which for that time was low af
@@DailyDrivenClasssics my car is m20b20 b20.. slow as hell
@krassidimitrov2
@krassidimitrov2
all old 2 valve low compresson engines are slow :( but they are still fun :)
Needs a uz
@W333dm4n
@W333dm4n What do you mean by that? :)
Like, Japanese engine swap. Chassis is good, sporty
@@W333dm4n@W333dm4n
@W333dm4n
lol. Im the last person thats gonna swap a non bmw engine. Jokes asides, this engine is actually good and has a very unique character.Unfortunately the td variant is low on power(115) but with intercooler and different eprom its fairly easy to get to 200.
Oh. It's diesel.. cool