1988 BMW M5 Mine $22,535

Link to my ad on autotrader.com

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=523377558&LNX=

link to my flickr photostream with over 200 photos and some videos

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159999126@N07

Link to my failed BaT auction.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-bmw-m5-47/

Over a year on autotrader with price drops regularly, it appraised for $28,500 in January 2020. I may have been a little too picky on who I sell it to, I just don't want this girl to sit on blocks in someones yard because they can't maintain it.

Can drive anywhere in the country.  Will consider partial trade for a motorcycle(600-1000cc, no cruisers)

Beauty

Beautiful car. GLWS!

Thanks guys. I always feel like there's people out there with money and they don't ever search at such a low price point . thats fine. The issue is the enthusiast that can ALMOST afford to buy the car and if I will come down in price just a few thousand..... they will buy the car and really enjoy it until something needs work at which point it will sit on blocks unused and rust away till they can "fix" it which never happens. NO THANK YOU.  This car with an uncracked dash that is ready to drive across the country at any speed will not go quietly in to the night. If your negotiation tactic is to describe how you are going to restore it but can only pay X amount because the rest of your money will be spent to make it perfect, you can't afford this car. go buy a corolla. I;'ll keep it for that. thank you, and you're a liar. Sorry, I've been approached with this exact tactic at least half a dozen times. Does nobody with money want a quality vehicle anymore?

-

I've always liked these and wanted one.  Just don't really have the space or $$ to devote to one now.  Of course when I'm retired and do, they'll be far more expensive I'm sure.

I had an E28 about five years ago.  It is crazy how the prices have stagnated since then.  I would have imagined them going through the roof along with everything else from the 80s.  Especially a limited production halo car like this one.

Especially given the increase in price of the E39 M5's...

I took her out this morning to get a donut with my youngest, she loves riding around in it. she calls it "the cool car". She wants me to keep it so she can drive it. this morning she was saying, "If you don't sell it by the time I'm 16, can I drive it then?" She's 11. I told her only if she learns to drive a stick on my corolla first.

Still a brilliant car to drive.

The want is there.  It's just I can't justify the purchase at the price.  Not saying your price isn't valid, just can't justify it when it's an extraneous car and I already have the 911. 

docwyte said:

The want is there.  It's just I can't justify the purchase at the price.  Not saying your price isn't valid, just can't justify it when it's an extraneous car and I already have the 911. 

Its all good . you can live vicariously through me. I have felt more like a caretaker than an owner to the car at any rate.I just want to feel that I am letting her go to her next adventure than somewhere she will rust away.

There are so many cars I'd love to buy right now.  This one, a nice 93/94 Corrado SLC/VR6, 2l 16v GTi, Clown Shoe, etc, etc.  Just don't have the space for them.  I could fit 1 more car in the garage right now but I've gotta justify the purchase to myself...

I'm at a point where I'm ready for an experience I have been missing for 25 years. Motorcycles. Selling the car will allow me to pay cash for one and save the rest for my next car adventure later. I have never done only a bike year round and I want to have that experience. I still have other cars if there is an emergency or the bike goes down, just something I want to experience. If I like it I might sell other vehicles and get other bikes. My wife has already expressed that she wants to have her own bike at some point. Funny thing is I finally posted it on marketplace yesterday and had a guy 10 miles away message me within 15 minutes of posting. he has an M635i already and a 60's Impala SS and they are beautiful and he wants to see it this weekend, so Im pretty stoked. OTOH when I took it to my mechanic to get the clutch fluid hose replaced three weeks ago he came to me as I was leaving and offered to buy it then ghosted me the next day and I've been going to his shop since I bought the car in 2010, granted its the son not the owner but still. Freaking people. I'd bet his wife said no and he was embarrassed but whatever.

I'd like to get another dual sport but just don't have the time to ride right now.  At some point I'll buy another one.

Update, to verify to myself that the car is indeed ready for a fly and drive, or I guess even a drive and fly under the right circumstances I took her on a 400 mile round trip this weekend and she was flawless. Highways, interstate, back roads, etc. Ran beautifully.

Have you checked out Cars and Bids yet? This sounds like a great candidate for their site.

dj06482 (Forum Supporter) said:

Have you checked out Cars and Bids yet? This sounds like a great candidate for their site.

I have looked at it. Two reasons I haven't already put it there, First it's been on autotrader for over a year and I get to renew for free every month until it sells, and that was 90 bucks up front so I would lose that money, second getting the info they require for an auction is a lot of work, or at least it was for the BaT auction, and it can't be listed on any other sites while its on auction. So I am considering that route, I'm just not there yet.

Mine if this keeps tempting me....  I must say I'm baffled that you still have it, why do you think it hasn't sold?  These are the OG M5 and I think a far more enticing car vs the later E39 M5

docwyte said:

Mine if this keeps tempting me....  I must say I'm baffled that you still have it, why do you think it hasn't sold?  These are the OG M5 and I think a far more enticing car vs the later E39 M5

 

 

The rust issue, where people that could afford rust free examples in otherwise similar condition/miles were snapping them up for $40-$45 grand and people that could afford my asking price were trying to use the rust repair as a bargaining chip (shipping too) to try and get the price To where they could afford it. My issue with that as I stated above is you can just afford to barely buy the car, that means you can't afford to maintain it, therefore I'll just keep it for the right owner, also that the car was already priced according to condition. I also think other people that could afford the car just don't want to spend 25 grand on a car that is immediately going to need rust repair or has rust at all.  I have always tried to be up front about the issues, thats why they are one of the first things stated in the autotrader ad, hoping to weed out the people that would be turned off by those issues. The thing is, this car is just brilliant. When I went on my trip last weekend I just felt like a boss driving her. It got all kinds of attention everywhere I went. It's always been like that with this car, but thats not something I am good at conveying in an ad. My ads tend to read very cold and clinical to me which could also be part of the problem. My thought has always been selling something should be simple and if not pleasant(although it can be) at least not soul suckingly difficult, and it has always been that way for me when buying or selling cars. I also think everyone  is expecting a hidden gotcha when buying a car, whereas I just want everything to be out in the open so there are no surprises to either buyer or seller.  I agree with you ultimately that the latest hyped M5 being the E39 because it has a V8. They are forgetting or don't know what magic BMW does with a straight 6. I mean, THE ENGINE DERIVED FROM THE M1 SUPERCAR??? I'd rather have an E28 or an E34 M5 all day long and twice on Sunday. Plus the E28 M5 was built during the era where BMW built cars to last a long time. No disintegrating interiors or coolant systems requiring complete replacement at 100,000 miles. No one that contacted me has even seen it in person or driven it. If they had, it would have sold. Well, thats my opinion on why I still have it. I don't mind though, I thoroughly enjoyed it this last weekend. Glad it didn't rain.

Edit: By the way, I wanted your 944 V8 really badly when I saw it for sale way back when, but there was no way I could have gotten the funds together. I was so glad when you sold it because then I didn't have to think about it anymore.

So, um, the guy who bought my 944 V8 is selling it.  I think it's on Racingjunk.com.

docwyte said:

So, um, the guy who bought my 944 V8 is selling it.  I think it's on Racingjunk.com.

I found it. Thank God it's still out of my price range, and since I don't frequent racingjunk.com I wont have to stare at it daily til it sells. It's the little things that make life better.

This car got accepted by cars & bids for no reserve sale so it is no longer available for sale here. when I know the live date Ill post it up.

No reserve?  That worry you at all?

In reply to docwyte :

Heck yeah. If nothing else it will be exciting. what I finally decided is that I have been saying all along that I wanted it to go to an enthusiast. this will never be an investment car, its a driver, and a good one. now I'm ensuring it will go to an enthusiast, and I can move on to my next adventure. I'd love for it to go for more than I was asking, but in reality it could go for a couple of grand, and if it does, oh well. that's the way it goes.

Well, I'll be watching the auction.  Please post the link when you get it...

In reply to docwyte :

I will. In this forum as well as the main forum.