I get a kick out of his nickname, “Dutch”. My dad and all his brothers were given nicknames by a hired hand when they were kids; the eldest brother was “Abie”, next was “Dutch”, dad was “Swede”, and his little brother was “Runt”. They kept those names for the rest of their lives, and most of their closest friends didn’t even know their real names. Dad said the only person who called him by his real name was his own mother.

Reagan’s nickname came a little earlier than did my dad’s and his brothers’;

Ronald got the name Dutch because when he was born, his father said, he looks just like a Dutchman. He was a big baby, chubby.

I’ve known quite a few Dutchmen; don’t really get how being a chubby baby made him look like a Dutchman, but whatever. Just wanting to wish one of my favorite Presidents a happy birthday. You, sir, are missed.

edit: Interesting side note;

That was the Reagan Quote Of The Day on the Ronald Reagan website when this post first went up a year ago. Ironic, especially considering the parallels between the Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter Administrations. The Obama people keep saying we’re coming out of this recession/depression; while this part of the country hasn’t been as badly affected as others, I’m not getting the same warm fuzzies they’re trying to pass along in regard to the economy. Replacing Obama would go a long way toward instilling confidence in a lot of people though.

Lovely; now we have a big-haired celebrity type telling us that if Romney isn’t elected he just might jump in as a third-party spoiler. Trump would have a snowball’s chance in hell of actually winning, but him being in the race would certainly give us a repeat of what Ross Perot did in 1992 and 1996 — the Republican vote would be effectively split, and that would guaran-damn-tee another four years of Barack Obama.

A yet again there is very little to like in the people running for the Republican nod this cycle; of the four left in the race, Romney is the one I like the least. That said, any one of them is certain to do better than the current Oval Office occupant. I fear though that a Romney Administration will be about as successful in advancing conservative policy as that of George W. Bush… Not very.

Whoever gets the nod, here is one post-campaign* promise I’d like to hold President Obama to:

* almost forgot; with him the campaigning never ended.

This car came up for sale a couple weeks ago and was one of those things that might have got me in trouble. I would absolutely love to own an e28 M5, and this one sounded like a good solid car with a decent history of maintenance; it did have a few warts though which pushed the price down below the norm for these cars, but none of the disclosed warts would be difficult to overcome.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, the ad placed on MyE28.com lured in a buyer in what ought to be a record time of a little over 16 hours. But as the now disappointed buyer found out, things in an ad are not always as they seem, and diligence is always due especially when buying a car from afar.

First, here’s the copy & pics from the MyE28.com ad:

In the past several months I picked up an E60 M5 as a daily driver and an older SL600 as a project car. Consequently, my beloved E28 M5 hasn’t been getting any attention. As it sits, the car really isn’t a garage queen and was built to be driven. With this in mind, I’ve decided to let her go. My father purchased the car in the mid 90’s, and then sold it to me in 2009 (although we haven’t actually transferred the title yet so it’s still in his name). The car hasn’t been in any accidents and includes pretty extensive records both from me and from the previous owner who had the car maintained at Black Forrest Werkshop in Austin, Tx. Being a Tx car, there is absolutely no structural rust on the car or in the body panels. There is, however, a small bubble under the paint on the sunroof. At 180,XXX miles the car underwent an extensive rebuild during which almost every mechanical part prone to wear or failure was replaced. The result was an extremely mechanically sound, tight and fun to drive daily driver. I had intended to keep this car forever (hence the in depth rebuild), but at the moment both my garage and driveway are completely full and it just seems unfair to leave a car like this sitting out in the elements. The car has had regular oil changes with Valvoline VR1 20W-50 racing oil and valve adjustments performed @roughly 15k mile intervals. A full set of valve shims will be included in the sale of the car. Currently, the car has 193,XXX miles on it. A couple major points of the rebuild:

-Timing chain and all related components were replaced (including an Evo Cam Gear)
-S54 Tensioner installed to prevent future timing chain issues
-All suspension components replaced (bushings, mounts, arms, Bilsteins, Euro springs, etc)
-Entire brake system replaced (E34 M5 calipers, Brembo slotted rotors, UUC SS lines, Mstr Cyl, Brake Bomb, etc)
-All ignition components replaced (plugs, coil, wires, dist cap and rotor)
-Rear Sub frame and Front & Rear swaybar bushings replaced with Powerflex units
-SI board replaced with updated unit
-All engine hoses, bushings, rubber, accessible gaskets, engine mounts, etc. were replaced
-JB racing LW aluminum flywheel, new clutch and all associated components replaced
-New clutch slave cyl and ss line
-All shift linkage replaced
-Dinan chip installed (There is an EAT chip listed in the invoice from Steve Haygood, but I never received the part and installed the Dinan unit instead)
-New Oil pump and all related components installed
-All steering linkage has been replaced
-Frank Fey track pipe
-Fuel system completely refurbished (injectors cleaned and flow balanced, new fpr, new fuel pumps, new high pressure fuel lines, gas tanked completely cleaned, etc.)
I have receipts for all of the parts and I’ve included a pretty extensive list of parts and costs below. I just threw this list together in Excel, so a few items might be missing. For a serious potential buyer, I can provide actual receipts (most of which include part numbers and quantities) for just about anything that has been installed in the car.

UUC
SS Coated Brake Lines $119.00
SS Coated Clutch Line $29.00
Magnetic Drain Plug $10.00
Delrin Carrier Bushings $25.00
“Big Boy” Clutch Stop $20.00
RK5 Shift Knob $139.00

Turner Motorsports
JB Racing Light Weight Flywheel $539.00
Plug Wires

Tire Rack
Brembo Slotted Rotors (Fr) $255.00
Brembo Slotted Rotors (Rear) $141.00
4 255/50R-16 Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec Tires $559.00

Steve Haygood
Crankshaft Seal Most BMW M30
Gasket Timing Cover S38 M5,M6,M30
Oil Pan Gasket m30
Motor Mt
Motor Mt M5.M6
S38 Valve Cover Gasket
SparkPlug Cover Gasket e24,e28
Cam Seal
Camshaft Oring M3.M5,M6
S38 Needle Bearing e24,e28
Idler Shaft Oring
S38 Guide Rail e24,e28
S38 Compression Spring
Rubber Bushing
Oring
S38 Timing Chain
Deflection Wheel S38 E24,E28
Tensioner Rail S38 e24,e28
Tensioner Rail S38
S38 Intake Cam Gear e24,e28
Cam Gear Evo SportM3/5/6
Lock Plate
Crank Gear m30, >81,M5,M6
4140 Crank Hub Heat Treated 58-60
left lower control arm Meyle
Rt lower control arm Meyle,
Thrust Arm W/750 Bushing
Thrust Arm W/750 Bushing
Center Link e24 e28 83>
Tie Rod Assem Lemforder
Idler Arm Meyle Brand Retail 75
Frt Sway Bar Link Lem e24,e28
Front Sway Bushing e24 87M6 21MM
E28 M5 Rear Sway Bar Bushing
rear sway bar link
Diff mount
HD Rear Axle Carrier Bushing e24,e28
Rear Pittman Arm
M Technic e24/e28 Frt Spring
M technic Rear Springs
Eat Chip
Trans Mount E28M5 E24 M6
S52 Tensioner
Seal
Radiator Mount
Radiator Mount
Bypass Hose M5
Thermostat Hsgn Hose M5,M6
Thermostat Cover HoseM5,M6 List
Coolant T
HoseM5,M6;
Distribution Piece
Exp Tank Hose
Bypass hose M5,M6
Upper Radiator Hose e28 M5,M6
Heater Hose
Heater Hose
Heater Hose
Rear Shock Mount e28/e24
e28/24 rear mount gasket
strut mount e24/28/30
Crank Nut M30 BMW
oil pump
Power Steering Filter
Injector Seal
Oil Pump Sprocket
Oil Pump Chain
Bilstein HD Frt Insert E28/24
E24/28 Rear HD Bilstein
In Tank Prepump e24,e28
Total $4,336.54

Pelican Parts
Hex Bolt $2.50
Adjuster Bar for Power Steering Belt $9.75
Steering Shaft Flexible Joint $18.25
Wave Washer B6 $6.00
Hex Bolt $4.00
Head Screw $4.00
Flywheel Seal $24.75
Pilot Bearing Felt Ring $1.50
Pilot Bearing Plate $2.00
Gasket Rear Crankshaft $0.75
Throttle Cable Plastic Clips $2.00
Inntake Manifold Gaskets $10.50
Fuel Hose Clamps $10.00
Fuel Hose 8mm Elbow $4.00
Muffler Hanger Ring $5.75
Oil Filter Kit (2) $11.50
Selector Rod Seal $3.75
Output Shaft Seal $3.75
Input Shaft Seal $5.25
Tail Light Bulb $4.50
Wheel Cap Emblems $30.00
Mirror Grommet $5.00
Seal RU=42BER $5.75
Clip $4.00
51-91-0-427-859-BOE $30.00
Accel Cable $30.00
17-11-2-225-132-BOE $2.25
Hood Release Lever Mech $30.75
Hex Bolt $1.50
Adjusting Nut for Alternator $5.50
Swivel Joint $41.50
Fan Clutch $80.75
Engine Fan $18.00
Lamp Socket $13.00
Hood/Trnk Emblem Grommet $2.00
86mm Roundel Trunk $16.50
82.5mm Roundel Hood $16.00
Master Cyl to Res Grommet $3.50
Brake Master Cyl $183.25
Shift Rod Shim $1.00
Front Caliper Retaining Clip $23.00
Strut Tower Bushing $5.00
Oring For Swivel Rod Joint $0.50
Rubber Buffer Sponge Shift Rod $1.50
Shift Rod Dowel Pin $0.75
Shift Rod Spacer $1.50
Selector Circle Clip $1.50
Selector Rod Joint $15.50
Shift Lever Boot $15.75
Rear Shift Arm Bushing $29.25
Oil Filter Kit $5.75
Lower Rear Spring Pad $14.00
Upper Rear Spring Pad $7.00
Lower Front Spring Pad $5.50
Upper Front Spring Pad $6.50
Tie Rod Outer $41.25
Mufler Hangar $5.50
Water Hose $4.25
Breather Hose $25.25
Brake Fluid Res Cap/Float $24.50
Expansion Tank $77.50
Washer $1.00
Oring $1.00
Guide Pin $26.00
Rubber Boot $85.50
Fuel Pump $223.25
Fuel Filter $10.00
Flywheel Bolt $22.00
Clutch Release Fork Spring $2.25
Bosch Spark Plug Super $30.00
Ignition Rotor $15.75
Distributor Cap $40.75
Oil Filter Kit $5.75
Pwr Steering Belt $5.75
A/C Belt $8.25
Alt. Belt $7.25
Air Filter $61.25

Various Sources
Odometer Gears $25.00
Cruzin Performance Injector Refurb $106.50
Frank Fey Track Pipe $350.00
E34 M5 Brake Calipers $400.00
Alpine CDA-9887 $229.00

Bimmer World
Power Flex Subframe Bushings $110.91

Beast Power
StopTech Brake Pads Set $149.00
F&R Power Flex Swaybar Bushings $103.98

Bav Auto
Embroidered Ultimate M5 Mats $164.95

Autohauzaz
Crankshaft Pos Sensors $159.18
Fuel Pres Reg $76.98
Brake Accumulator $93.71

Total $9,653.50

Unfinished items & flaws of note:
-The dashboard needs to be replaced. It currently has several large cracks in it.
-The fuel door needs to be replaced as it has a very noticeable bend in it
-The trunk seal needs to be replaced (small leak)
-The plastic cover above the rear bumper is wavy
-The car needs new exhaust tips
-The fog lights are missing
-There was some paint damage on the driver’s side door due to what appears to have been something corrosive dripping on the car at some point. I put a little BMW touch up paint on the spots, sanded them down, and then buffed them back out, but the original marks are still noticeable when looking at a reflection.

-The A/C blows cool but not cold in three digit Texas heat. Not really sure what the problem is there.. maybe just needs a system refresh?

I would like to get $8500 obo for the car which I feel is quite fair as it’s a bit less than I’ve put into just parts in the last 15k miles. To build an E28 M5 in similar mechanical condition it would easily cost three times my asking price. For more information please give me a call (number deleted). I generally stay pretty busy during the week, so please use the phone number for a quick response.

Pics of the car:

From the description, it sounds like the seller is being open & honest, and although the car isn’t perfect, the new parts list and the sorting already done make it pretty tempting, especially with a sub-$10,000 price tag. And I was sorely tempted to take a shot at it…

But the mye28.com for-sale thread continued with reports from the guy who made the purchase offer on the car. He and an uncle (another mye28.com member) travelled to Texas to pick up the car, but once they had a chance to examine it, they got back on a plane & left without it. The for-sale thread tells the whole sordid story, but basically it had been several years since the work had been done to the car, some things were not as they were advertised, and it became clear the seller didn’t know the car very well. From the thread it appears he wasn’t being overtly deceitful, but not overly thorough.

The sad thing is that arranging to have an independent pre-purchase inspection (PPI) done on it would’ve saved the trip, even having another member in the Houston area give the car a once-over would have been a good idea. Without that, several hundred dollars and a bunch of hours down the drain with nothing but a lesson learned.

Somebody once told me that one of the big things that differentiates us from animals is that we can learn from others’ mistakes; this is one of those opportunities.

Doesn’t matter which counter I check, they both show a bit of an increase after Christmas, with a huge jump on January 2. All that is attributable to an Instructable that came up last week which on a $200 Paint Job; the writer included a link to my Cheapskate’s Paint Job post. The big jump happened when that Instructable was featured in the email newsletter. Traffic has dropped off a bit since then, but from the Google Analytics info it looks like there is still some traffic coming from that link.

You know, I was thinking of putting up an Instructable on the Rustoleum paint job, but never got around to it. Probably ok that it went this way; I would’ve felt guilty about posting a link to my own post in an Instructable, but since someone else did it, it’s all good!

Sorry for the soundless video; I did add a few comments along the way as I drove, but the camera’s mic didn’t pick it up very well. One of these days I’ll take the time to figure out how to add commentary and a soundtrack, but until then the visual aspect is all we get. Use your imagination!

Meije is also the name of a collection of homes, a church, a school, and a coffee shop that could maybe be called “a village” but I’d stop short of that (if you watch through to the end of the video, Meije is where I stopped recording & turned the car around.) But the road is what most people in the area think of when they hear the word. Le Meije also happens to be a peak in the French Alps, but I doubt the folks that live along the Meije in Holland hear much about that one, nor care much about it.

As roads go, the Meije is about as narrow as they get, with barely enough room for one-way traffic, but it still accommodates two-way traffic. Making matters worse more interesting is the fact that many of the houses have hedges & fences right up to the road, and in other places there is a drop-off one one side or the other with water at the bottom; no good-old-fashioned WPA ditches like you find in South Dakota! When another vehicle approaches from the opposite direction, both drivers have to move as far to the right as possible. Often though you’ll find yourself head-to-head with a truck or tractor, and there just isn’t room for both of you; in those cases it’s customary for the smaller of the two vehicles to back up and into a driveway to allow the other to pass by. I had it happen once, but thankfully, most cars are small and there are lots of driveways and several bump-outs along the way to make it a little easier.

This photo features het Potlood, (the Pencil) which is a water tower that services the village and the homes along the Meije. It’s a well-known landmark that can be seen from many miles distant; very unique bit of architecture!

The area is historically a farming community. Most all of the houses along the road were at one time farm houses, but the area is becoming slightly more urban, or bedroom community-ish; with the popularity of the road, many of the houses are no longer occupied by farmers. Even though the working farms are fewer these days, their presence is unmistakable, evidenced by the “dairy farm” odor… There’s no escaping the smell of cows and their, um, byproducts. It’s no wonder when you consider how many head of cattle inhabit the area and how the the farmers deal with the waste from all of them.

From what I gathered, most of the houses along the Meije were built in the early 1900′s, and display similar construction methods; brick exterior, timber roofs with either tile or reed (thatch) roofing. Many of the buildings, while quaint & charming and all that, aren’t much to write home about on the inside. The soil in the area is very soft, and as a result the foundations of many homes aren’t very stable. Dick & Michelle’s house has wall that has settled considerably, and I saw several other buildings along the road that appeared to have off-kilter walls or the whole house was slightly askew. That doesn’t seem to bother the owners though; they keep their places up as would any fastidious Dutchman. Some are definitely nicer than others, and some residents put a great deal of effort into the gardens along the road, which only adds to the enjoyment of the drive. There are few basements, for obvious reasons.

The GPS unit that we borrowed showed that the area was about three meters below sea level. About 27 percent of the Netherlands is below sea level; it’s land that has been reclaimed by the building of dikes to push & hold back the sea. The area around the Meije is part of that reclaimed land, and is about as flat as a pool table. The different properties that line the road are separated by canals rather than fences. Most of the canals I saw were about three meters wide and probably about that deep in the center.

It had been fairly dry in the months preceding our visit, so the water level was down a bit, but there was always plenty of water in the canals and plenty of waterfowl around; ducks, geese, swans and storks. One interesting thing with the canals along the road; on the north side of the road (left in the video) is a larger canal that connects to a small lake, and the water level is several feet higher than the canals on the south side of the road. I suppose the road acted as a levee separating the two. In many places the canal runs right next to the road, which required bridges to be built on many driveways to allow access. Some of the homes even sported drawbridges at the road! How cool is that?

When viewing the area from above, as on Google Maps or Google Earth, you can see that the canals run parallel to one another to form fields in the shape of long rectangles. It was surprising to me to see how many farms & homes were packed along the road; in rural parts of the US there can be pretty large distances between farm places.

The Meije is far from the coast and any sizable dikes, but one day Yvonne & I did trek northward to visit the towns where her mom & dad lived when they were younger. Her mom lived in the town of Andijk, which is pronounced “on-dike” and is very literally built right on — or inside — the dike. I was pretty amazed at the dike; it’s an earthen structure that rises a good 30 feet or more from the road’s surface at its foot, but on the other side the water is only about 10 feet below the crown of the dike.

This is two photos stitched together (rather poorly; the light was very different in the two exposures and I couldn’t get the clouds quite right!) to show the difference between the two sides. The town would be completely submerged if not for the dike. A tremendous degree of confidence in the integrity of the dike is on display in Andijk; there are two 100-plus year old churches within a stone’s throw of the dike as well as several hundred homes.

This is getting a bit long… I started writing the post a month or so after returning, but kept adding a little bit here & there, even though I didn’t intend for it to turn into a travelogue. It really was a great trip, especially our time spent touring Germany. And our day trip to the Swiss Alps… Pretty sure Heaven will look very much like what we saw there! Didn’t enjoy the language problem though; will not be returning to Europe until I know a enough German and Dutch to get by. Will have to post some more photos sometime.

It’s a 1995 BMW 540i M-Sport. Yes, one of the 200 that not only got the full M package, but it also got the double-overhead cam V8 under the hood, backed up by a 6-speed manual transmission, and lots & lots of other goodies. Over the years, the owners have added a few things to make driving this car a little more fun; here’s the seller’s description from the current eBay ad for it.

Here’s your chance to get into one of the most limited production German super sedans ever.

There were only 200 of these BMW 540i M Sports imported to the US in 1995. One year only. They did not send the 95 M5 to the US, but instead sent the M Sport which is identical to the Euro spec 95 3.8 M5 except that it uses the 4.0 V8 instead of the S3 inline-6 cylinder motor the M5 has.

If you’re looking at my listing you probably know what this car is .

Its Cosmos Black on Black Montana leather. Maple wood trim.

What makes this car a gem compared to other M Sports currently available is that its had almost 5K in recent maintenance done to it. All documented with credit card receipts as well.

In April of this year, the entire front and rear EDS Self Leveling aka Nürburgring suspension got rebuilt to the tune of $3,100.00! Yikes. That hurt, but its now riding on all new springs, spring pads, hydraulic lines, accumulators, Boge OEM self leveling shocks, etc. The ride is simply amazing whether you’re in Comfort mode or Sport Mode. No clunks or thumps whatsoever. As close to the feeling on a new 540i as it gets.

Its also had the cooling system re-done. New water pump, hoses, etc also in April.

In 1999 the problematic Nikasil block was replaced at BMW of Peabody in Massachussetts. The car had 77K on it at the time. So the new Alusil motor has fresher gaskets and appx 53-54K on it and it pulls like a very angry bull !. It had all 4 of BMW’s recalls for this car done at the same shop.

A few years ago the previous owner had Turner Motorsports install the Conforti tune which up’s the stock hp from 282 to 300hp-302 ft tq along with a custom 3in” mandrel bent exhaust which sounds simply glorious at full song ! Very mild and normal below 3500 rpm’s..but once at 4K to the 7K redline it unleashes a sound similar to the V8 German DTM cars that will make the back hair on your neck stand. A very high pitch howl- which is very different than that of the lower toned Supersprint type exhausts.

Mechanically the car is bulletproof with everything from belts to brakes done in the last 14 months. AC blows ice cold, the Heater works almost instantly. It has the optional front heated seats as well. Seat functions on both sides work 100%.

This car always starts, has zero leaks and has no sensor issues.

All power functions work except the driver side rear window. It needs a new switch I believe.

There is also a built in K40 radar detector.

Tires are still great with about 85% tread remaining. Yokohama S drives 235 45 17′s.

In 6th gear I noticed about 23-24 mpg on a recent drive to New Jersey. The car drives like a BMW M car should. Very high sense of visual and aural pleasure. There’s no disconnect like there is in today’s cars. True the car’s of today have more features, stunning interior appointments, but they’ve somehow gotten the driver less involved. In this M Sport you know you’re driving something. I love the aim and shoot quality of this car. You think apex and you’re there. Exit speeds on long bends are nothing short of breathtaking!

You can tell this was designed and tested at the infamous Nürburgring !!!!!!!

The body of the car is very clean for a car over 15 yrs old. The entire driver side was resprayed 2 yrs ago due to a run in with a deer which put a small dent on the hood and ruined the front airdam. A new OEM airdam was sourced and the paint job is very good. Its stated on the Carfax as accident with animal as well. I can provide pictures provided by that owner. You can clearly see that it wasn’t that bad. No breach into the radiator or anything. All the gaps on the hood and the doors line up exactly as the OEM settings. Hood closes very smooth as do the doors. You have to look really hard to see its not factory paint. The passenger side is still OEM paint and has some scratches and one quarter size dent on the rear door. Its got some very small areas of surface rust along the door bottoms, as well as a small section of the very bottom of the trunk….but nothing that’s too bad and again, you have to look real close to see them. Nothing through the metal.

Please email me other questions you may have. Also go to Youtube.com as I will be posting some videos of the car. Search under Vernacular M Sport on the Youtube Search box.

The title is clear and is in my possession signed over already. I can also arrange for good low priced shipping with Steve King Transport. I do a lot of business with him . Usual NY to California rates are about 1100.00. NY where the car is located to the middle of the country is about 7-750.00 . Usually gets delivered 7-9 days after the appt is set.

VIN: WBAHE5322SGA65473
Mileage: 123,600 miles
Title: Clear
Body type: Sedan
Engine: 8 – Cylinder
Transmission: Manual
Exterior color: Black
Interior color: Black

This car would be a blast to own. Powerful and fast enough to humble many of those uppity Porsche miscreants, yet roomy enough to haul four adults around comfortably. It would even be up to the task of playing the part of a poor-man’s ‘Ring Taxi; I’m no Sabine Schmitz, and I don’t have the Nürburgring as a playground, but I’m pretty sure I could make a drive, um, somewhat entertaining!

It’s not a perfect car; it’s been driven, and probably driven hard, has some wear on it and even a few little spots of rust, but it is a rare car, has had few owners who took pride in keeping it up and kept decent maintenance records for it. All that goes a long way to inspiring confidence that this car won’t turn into a money pit. And the non-VANOS M60 V8 under the hood won’t have the high-dollar maintenance requirements the S38, yet it’ll still put out around 300HP

The auction ended with no bids/offers on it; $6,100 starting bid on it there. The seller is also a member on mye28.com and posted an ad there as well with an asking price of $7,150. A few days back he dropped the bombshell that the car isn’t equipped with catalytic converters in the exhaust, which forces an “off road only” classification in many states; that seriously limits his purchasing public. Thankfully, there’s no requirement for an emissions test in the state of South Dakota… I smell a bargain & think this car is fated to come live with me; now I just need to convince Yvonne that having a winter car and a summer car is a good idea. On second thought, maybe that’s a roadblock I smell.

Both cars just happen to be for sale on mye28.com right now; first up is a 1984 European 520i. Not a lot of photos, which is always a bit of a worry with a car for sale online, but it sounds nice…

I’m selling my ’84 520i. It’s a basic, no-frills European spec car with its original bumpers, headlights, manual windows and locks. I imported it from Canada 14 months ago, and it’s never missed a beat in about 10,000 entertaining miles, including daily commuting and a fun romp through the mountains of British Columbia in the Spring Thaw Classic Car Tour.

Some of you may have seen this car at 5er fest west 2010 in Portland.

$2950 or best offer. Located in Seattle. Contact me at 646 257 3820 or e28 at g93 dot net

It’s powered by a two liter M20 six-cylinder. Not the fastest car I’ve owned, but with a 4.10 diff and weight roughly equivalent to a us-spec 3-series (E30) of the same vintage, it acquits itself nicely on the road.

White exterior, and a pine green interior. Better than it sounds. As far as I can tell, the only options are the sunroof and a factory tow hitch. Not sure how much one can tow with two liters and 129 horsepower.

Everything is manual. Seats, sunroof, locks and windows. If you’ve ever owned a German car of this vintage, you’ll understand the upside: much less to go wrong.

Lots of neat little euro features like bumpers, city lights, a factory fire extinguisher mounted under the driver’s seat, a rear fog light and a tow hitch.

Never federalized — it was imported under the NHTSA’s exemption for cars 25 years old, which requires no changes from original spec. Have title and all importation paperwork.

Recent work, all in April of this year (not including regular oil changes):
1. Refreshed front brake calipers, discs and pads. New brake fluid.
2. All new fuel lines.

Issues:
Straight, but cosmetically imperfect. A touch of northwest top-down rust at the base of the rear window and under the sunroof panel, and a few dings here and there. There’s also a minor crease just ahead of the rear taillight on the passenger side.

Gauge cluster is largely inoperative. The temp sensor works; everything else is either inaccurate or inoperative, including the odometer and speedometer. The tachometer looks like it isn’t original, and must have come from an eta car. Odometer reads 166,000km.

Original Bavaria stereo doesn’t work, and the antenna is missing.

Cracked dash.

One tiny tear in the driver’s seat.

I love my 528e, but of course, the want for more horsepower is always there. With this 520i there isn’t a big step up in HP (129hp from the 2.0L M20 in Euro trim vs. ~120 with the US 2.7L M20) but this car weighs several hundred pounds less than a bone-stock US 528e like mine. No air conditioning (mine doesn’t work anyway) manually operated windows, door locks, seats, sunroof all means less weight, and much less to go wrong. Less is definitely more.

There are lots of things going for this car, but there are a few things I would change. It’s currently equipped with drum brakes on the rear wheels, so I would probably upgrade them to disks. And as appealingly different the cloth seats might be, nothing beats a set of nice leather seats. In black. Hold the power, please. The 14″ steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps are different (for the US e28 world), and I’m sure they are nice, but even nicer still would be a set of Style 5 alloy wheels, and a slightly lower ride height. And some wider tires while we’re at it. Both changes would be easily reversed, which satisfies the latent purist in me.

But then there’s the gearhead in me that wants to take this lightweight machine and stuff as much HP under the hood as possible; a TCD Stage 2 kit would likely bolt in with no problem, and nearly triple the output with a few tweaks. Or drop an M30B35 motor from an e32/e34 into it for a quick 210hp… This car thing would absolutely fly. What a great birthday idea! And the tire guys would absolutely love me; I’d be their best customer.

Next up is a car that is as bold and brash as the above 520i is understated; a 1987 Zinnoberrot 535is with a Euro M-Tech body kit.

Again, the seller doesn’t provide much in the way of photos, but the car is well known among the mye28.com brethren and is spoken highly of by many, as is the seller. And the seller’s written description… Wow:

So.. it’s with much regret I have to sell my 5er as I’m moving back to Australia, and.. well.. it can’t come with me. Bawl

I purchased this as a stock 87 535is back in late 2004 to replace an 86 535i that had been wrecked earlier the same year.

The Mtech front and rear were the look I always wanted on a 5er, so I set about sourcing a used set, reconditioning them, getting them painted and installing!

I have receipts for all this, the MTech kit alone was $1500 used, and it was silver when I purchased it. Those who’ve done a euro conversion know there are issues with this. The holes along the front under the grille for the US bumper top skirt had to be welded shut and painted over. I had to fabricate mounts in the front for the euro bumpers, the studs inside the MTech were all broken and needed work, it was basically a bare MTech kit, the additional parts & brackets probably ran me at least another $800-900 just to get it on the car. (There’s a set of euro bumpers underneath I had to buy, the tow hook covers alone were over $100 for the pair).

In addition, I purchased all the hardware under the MTech including the Euro MTech fiberglass front air deflector ($150 as I recall), mounts for the lights, the reinforcement bars for the rear, tow hook covers, fog light covers etc etc.. all brand new – basically every metal and plastic piece a factory MTech has underneath it, this car has (brake ducts included). And it’s all only 6-7yrs old. I’d seen the bumpers under MTech kits rust before, so my metal bumpers were stripped and painted to try to prevent this.

At the same time, I had the kevlar authentic Hartge wing I purchased new, installed and painted. The antenna position on the US cars is farther back than the Euro cars, so you’ll notice there’s no antenna either, a patch was welded in place to close the hole, then entire panel was resprayed.

I had about 40% of the car repainted at this time as it had some room for improvement, it’s a PERFECT paint match to the point that no one has ever been able to tell me which panels are resprayed without me telling them. I had the work done at a body shop that does a lot of BMW insurance work and they didn’t disappoint.

There’s also some custom paint on this car, you might notice red painted drip rails, red painted door handles, and custom red painted tail-light trim.

The door 3/4 trim and the trim around the front and rear windows are the actual M5 parts, not just the silver stuff painted black.

Maybe I’m biased, but this is a frickin amazing car. I just went to pick up lunch earlier today and ended up driving 20miles just because it was so much fun.

I’ve driven this car to 5erFest 05, 06, 07 (it’s in the front row centre of the group photo all 3 years), Vintage 08, and 5erFest 11 (which is where all the photos posted are from).

1987 535is 191,000 miles.
WBADC7409H17156xx
Zinnoberrot (Cinnabar Red) exterior
Perlbeige Interior
Factory 3.25 LSD
Car has never been in an accident, all original panels intact (the US bumpers still had matching VIN stickers in them when they were removed).

Aftermarket stuff:
Suspension Techniques Springs
Suspension Techniques 25/19 sway bars
Bilstein Sport Shocks
Racing Dynamics Front Strut Brace
Tenzo Rally Sport seats (they’re cloth, have great side support and they’re comfy on long road trips, they’re bolted to a power seat base so they retain their power fwd-back, and tilt features).
Alpine Stereo w/ 5CD changer (circa 1991, it lights up amber which matches the interior)
750iL bushings
MM Short shift
JimC chip (provided with the car, not installed)
Full Euro 535i non-cat exhaust system factory 50mm stainless downpipes -> resonator -> muffler.

Stuff I’ve replaced:
New AC Expansion Valve (Aug 11)
New In-Tank Fuel Pump (Jul 11)
New Fuel Filter (Jul 11)
New AC Compressor (Jul 11)
New AC Condenser (Jul 11)
[At this point the car became a garage queen]
New Fuel Filler line (Aug 09)
New Thermostat (Jul 09)
New Water Pump (Jul 09)
New Heater Valve (Jul 09)
New Centre Support Bearing (Jul 09)
New AC Evaporator (Jul 09)
New AC Expansion Valve (Jul 09)
New Rt Rear Strut Bushing (Apr 09)
New Subframe Bushings again (Mar 09)
New Toyo Proxes 4 225/45/ZR17, roadforce balanced (Mar 09)
New Subframe Bushings (Apr 08)
New Upper and Lower Control Arms w/ 750iL bushings (Mar 08)
Rebuilt Beyer Driveshaft (Oct 08)
New Flex Disc (Oct 08)
New Drivers Door Window Guide/Seal (Jun 08)
New Drivers Side Pass. Door Window Guide/Seal (Jun 08)
New Fuse Box Relays (all of them) (Jun 08)
Used AFM (Jun 08)
Used Idle Control Valve (Jun 08)
New Exhaust Hangers (all of them) (Apr 08)
New Euro Muffler (Apr 08)
New Euro Resonator (Apr 08)
New Euro Stainless Downpipes (Apr 08)
New Distributor Cap (Apr 08)
New Ignition Rotor (Apr 08)
New Coolant Hoses (all of them) (Apr 08)
New Coolant Expansion Tank (Apr 08)
New Motor Mounts (Nov 07)
New Transmission Mounts (Nov 07)
New Coolant Temp Sensor (Oct 07)
New Coolant Temp Sender (Oct 07)
New Diff Mount (Oct 07)
New Fuses – (all of them) (Oct 07)
New Evaporator Temp Sensor (May 07)
New Evaporator Temp Regulator (May 07)
New Fuel Filter (May 07)
New Sway Links Front and Rear (Apr 07)
New Suspension Techniques 25/19 Sway Bars (Apr 07)
New Trailing Arm Mount Bushings (Dogbones) (Apr 07)
New Rear Pass. Door Window Guide/Seal (Apr 07)
New Coolant Level Sensor (Feb 07)
New Interior AC Switch (Jan 07)
New Trunk Seal (Jan 07)
New Odometer Gears (Nov 06) – And I wrote the mye28 guide ;D
New Centre Support Bearing (Oct 06)
New O2 Sensor (Oct 06)
New Alternator (Aug 06)
New Battery Cables (Jul 06)
New ST Springs (Jun 06)
New Bilstein Sport Shocks (Jun 06)
New OEM Foglights (Jun 06)
Window Tint (May 06)
New Front Roundel (May 06)
New Fuse Box Cover (May 06)
New Interior Console Bulbs (All of them) (May 06)
Dealer Inspection II @ 153,222 (Apr 06)
New Toyo Proxes 4 225/45/ZR17s (Feb 06)
BBS RK Wheels (Feb 06)
New Shadowline Front Windscreen Moulding (Dec 05)
New Shadowline Rear Windscreen Moulding (Dec 05)
New Fuel Lines (All of them) (Oct 05)
New Tie Rods (May 05)
New Tail Light Gaskets (May 05)
New Door Side 3/4 Moulding Shadowline (Apr 05)
New Paint (About 40% of vehicle) (Apr 05)
New MTech Brake Ducts Installed (Apr 05)
Used Window Regulators (Pass Side both) (Feb 05)
New Shifter Linkages (Nov/Dec 04)
New Entire Air Intake Filter Housing/Air Box (Oct 04) [Wow, I really bought that?]
New Air Intake Filter Housing Bracket (Oct 04)
14th October 2004 Purchased Vehicle.
These are just what I’ve done during my ownership. I have rather comprehensive records to at least 1990.

Problem areas:
Slight clearcoat peel in one place on the corner of the C pillar (I’d probably have to show you to notice).
The brake light warning on the check control is almost always lit up. The lights work, I just never bothered to fix it.
There’s a knock sound in the rear right when you drive hard over a bump, the wise folks say it’s probably an upper strut mount.
Slight creak from the steering sometimes near full lock – the hydraulic system leaks the tiniest amount, I’ve topped it up maybe 4 times the entire time I’ve owned it.
Slight oil drip.
There’s a crack in the dash, however there’s also a dash mat installed so you won’t see it smile
Honestly, I think that’s about it.

Free Parts Included:
New Trunk Seal
New Valve Cover Gasket
4 Replacement Exhaust Gaskets (fit between the two exhaust sections on the Euro setup, they’re not always reusable when you put it back together)
MTech side skirts, already painted red (at the same time I had the other paint done), complete with brand new installation hardware – I just fell in love with the look without so much I never installed them.
(more as I catalog them)

I love this car, and I really want it to go home with someone that’ll take good care of her.

I do have one disclaimer – the 17″ BBS RK wheels I plan to keep for my next 5er in Australia, the buyer and I will discuss wheel options but I do have a set of 15″ style 5s to put back on the car.

PS: Thanks for posing Tim and Randy!

There’s not much more to be done with this car, and although it looks good with the wheels shown in the photos, the Style 5 would look great too. There are no photos, but one of the photos in the gallery shows an open door, which reveals the run-of-the-mill tan interior. Black would suit this car better, but it still wouldn’t make me turn it out of the garage.

The Truth Project is a great program, but one of the really striking things is the kid that’s featured in many of the interviews in the program, identified only as “Kyle, age 13.” Kyle has some funny affectations in his speech, but what stands out is his answers to the questions; he seems wise beyond his years, giving answers that would be more likely to come from a college professor than a 13 year old kid.

Turns out that Kyle is actually Kyle West, a kid with cerebral palsey, has some special giftedness, and has been used by God to teach so-called normal people some things about our worth in the sight of God that should be evident, but are often missed. Here are a few videos produced by CrossExamine.com that feature Kyle and his story; a very amazing story.

1.6 Ford Sigma
From £19,450
or less than £300 per month*

• Learn to be a racing driver in the world’s most popular racing car
• Price includes road-legal car, technical support, race licence and entry to your first season of racing
• High spec 1.6 Academy car includes full roll cage
• The ultimate package for the novice racer

They require you to have your own Caterham 7, and you even have to drive the crap out of it to succeed in the academy. Somehow my life seems very incomplete… I’ll get over it, but wow does that look like a great idea. Where’s that time machine?

]]> http://www.davintosh.com/2011/09/16/caterham-7-academy/feed/ 0 http://www.davintosh.com/2011/09/14/attackwatch-com-really/ http://www.davintosh.com/2011/09/14/attackwatch-com-really/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:12:47 +0000 dave http://www.davintosh.com/?p=3096

This is a for-real play in the Barack Obama reelection campaign playbook. Gotta wonder though what exactly is considered an “attack” on the President; anything that puts him in a bad light I guess, which in most cases includes the unvarnished, un-spun truth (ie: not what comes out of the White House Briefing Room, nor what’s regurgitated by the mainstream media.) Looking through the site’s “Attack Files” shows enough spin to make a carousel operator dizzy.

Makes me wonder how many times I’ve might get ratted on. Not that I’m too worried about it, but if I end up with an IRS audit in the next couple of years, I’ll be more than just a little put out. Just to be on the safe side, I’ll break with my usual procedure and not include links to that site. wink wink

edit: I threw this post together in a matter of a few minutes soon after I first heard about AttackWatch.com, and before I had heard any commentary on it. Since then, the disdain for the idea of the website and the website itself has been pretty much universal; even the left hates it. Here’s one snide bit of funny about it; enjoy!

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