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BMW E28 528iSE
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This car has recently been sold.
Previously featured in Total BMW Magazine 2001 as the car used by them in their buyer's guide to the E28.
For many years this car was the cherished possession of the late Mr John Lomas. A well known BMW Car Club member and Institute of Advanced Drivers Instructor who owned the car from when it was only 15 months old having traded his previous 1982 E28 in at Sytner Nottingham against it.
His widow subsequently sold the car to a mature close family friend who is also a BMW enthusiast and Car Club Member. The car was seeing very little use and the owner could no longer justify keeping this car along with his other classic BMW which is another E28. Thus I was offered the car...
SPECIFICATION
This is a very highly specified car:
Polaris Silver Metallic over Pine Green Interior
184 bhp M30 'Big Six' In-line 6 Cylinder Engine
4-Speed Automatic Transmission
ABS
The following were additionally specified, at extra cost, when new:
219: Sports Steering Wheel
540: Cruise Control
551:'Big' On-Board Computer
411: F+R Electric Windows
300: Central Locking
314: Electric Mirrors - optional heated nearside
401: Electric tilt and slide sunroof
500: Headlamp Wash/wipe System
498: Rear Headrests
415: Rear Blind
Additionally, the car has bronze tinted Windows, electric aerial, heated washer jet
HISTORY
Vast! Meticulous records were kept by the previous owner and there is far too much for me to detail here. Please see photographs.
I have totalled the accompanying receipts and they amount to £14847.57 spent on this car by Mr Lomas in maintenance. Bear in mind many of those
pounds will have been at 1980's and 90's values!
Just prior to me buying the car it also benefitted from a brand new full genuine BMW exhaust and radiator/transmission cooler.
I have then spent another circa £5000 in costs to achieve the result one now sees.
!IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!
The previous owners had two minor 'incidents' with the car:
Firstly, a shelf in his garage fell on it...damaging the bonnet and one wing. He thus had these replaced by his BMW Maindealer...and of course they replaced everything on the bonnet eg. sound proofing pads etc.
Then, whilst the next owner was sitting reading the newspaper in the supermarket car-park, someone reversed into it. This damaged the other wing and front bumper. Again he had it repaired by his BMW main-dealer.
This was a minor repair...the total bill for parts, paint and labour (at main-dealer rates!) was only something like £700... I have the bill. Unfortunately, because the car was insured on a normal policy rather than an agreed value classic policy, an unsympathetic insurance clerk chose to write it off at 'book value'!
This was clearly ridiculous and I even have a letter from the BMW Bodyshop manager stating that this was a minor repair and that this should never have constituted a Category C write-off (see photo). This is the category applied when the cost of the repair is said to outstrip the value of the vehicle.
However, even on the VOSA description it makes it clear that on an older car it is possible for a minor scratch to end-up with this category if the insurance company take that view on the value of the car.
This is clearly nonsense but unfortunately once applied apparently cannot be erased.
Thus following the completion of the project I have had the car VOSA inspected and obtained a VIC certificate.
Even the VOSA inspector couldn't believe that the car should have had a CAT C applied to it. He was stunned by the condition of the vehicle and it took about 3 minutes to obtain the VIC!
At the end of the day the car is actually (and ironically!) all the better for the two incidents as the front panels are all effectively new panels!
Additionally, in the course of the bodywork that I had done all the usual E28 rust areas were properly repaired.
My usual body/paintshop actually hired in a welder specifically just for this car...and his work was a work of art!
Additionally, the usual (slight on this car...and I have pics of 'before') rust on the rear wheel arches wasn't just rubbed back and repaired (which inevitably leads to recurrent problems as the rear arches are double skinned and go from the inside out in terms of rust) whole, brand new panels were put in! The quality of the work is however superb!
So, I think and hope any sensible enthusiast (rather than an insurance clerk) will understand that in fact the car is all the better for the above incidents and that won't put them off in any way.
The whole car was the resprayed with the exception of the roof and front valance.
The whole underside (which the previous owner always kept waxoyl undersealed) has been completely cleaned and then resealed. Exposed suspension/steering components have been cleaned and repainted with rust preventative paint.
The car has covered 142K miles but despite this the car is mechanically in superb order:
It has had two replacement gearbox in its life. The engine runs superbly smooth and strong (see MOT emissions readouts). It has new distributor cap, rotor arm and a new set of uprated MAGNERCOR ignition leads. It has been set-up by an ex-BMW head mechanic of 25 years standing.
The brakes were recently overhauled. New front dampers have been fitted.
The car has been fully serviced to Inspec II level to include spark plugs, all fluids replaced (Engine Oil, Coolant, Transmission Fluid, Differential Fluid, Brake Fluid). All filters INCLUDING the gearbox fluid filter.
The ball joints, front drop links, rear Pittman Arm bushes have been replaced. The control arm bushes have been replaced with polyurethane bushes.
The engine bay has been extensively detailed.
The interior is in virtually perfect condition. It has never been smoked in. There are absolutely no cracks in the pristine dashboard! The door cards are all perfect. The seats are also all perfect except on the driver's side bolster it is just 'beginning' to wear.
Nevertheless, I managed (eventually) to obtain one of the three remaining (!) genuine seat-back covers in Pine Green from BMW Mobile Tradition in Germany. Unfortunately, the pattern of the central portion is different (the herringbone pattern is no longer available) but it does mean that when and if the side bolster does eventually wear out the new owner could get an upholsterer to use the side material (which is the same) on the replacement cover to replace the whole side bolster with the correct material...and there would still be a spare amount for the otherside!
I have fitted a period Blaupunkt radio cassette and replaced all four speakers with uprated JBL speakers but these are the same size as the originals and are fitted behind the original grilles. I also managed to source and fit one of the rare period accessory cassette tape holders.
The car has the rare rear screen blind and leather sports version steering wheel from new. However I can also supply and fit one of the larger non-sports 4-Spoke steering wheels if preferred.
Everything works (including the headlamp wash/wipe) apart from the cruise control which did work but mysteriously stopped when it came back from the bodyshop? I will still look into that...
The car comes with two sets of wheels:
The original metric wheels with all matching Michelin TRX tyres. These wheels had previously and fairly recently been refurbished by the previous owner's dealership and remaining in good order. The Michelin tyres (very expensive!) all have lots of tread - all have 8.5mm (these tyres start with 10mm).
Secondly, the car also comes with a fully properly refurbished set of non-metric 16" Crosspoke pattern wheels. This allows for the fitment of modern non-metric tyres which are both much cheaper and also out-perform the Michelin TRxs. Thus the car also has a set of Michelin Piloy tyres all with over 7mm of tread (new tyres start with 8mm).
The rolling circumference of this set-up is virtually identical to the original TRX set-up so there are no issues with gearing or speedo readings.
The is MOT'd until 20th February 2009 (only travelled 186 miles since the MOT on 21st Feb 2008!!!) and is taxed until the end of November 2008.
The car is eligible for (and of course should be!) insured on an agreed classic car policy. For me and my wife to be insured on this car fully comprehensive with no mileage restriction only costs £134/annum.
This is a very handsome car which drives superbly and is ready to enjoy!
PRICE:
£8,000 - SOLD
Please click here for the full photo gallery of this car, with over 100 pictures!
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About Me
Relevant articles:
The Nikasil Issue
BMW Servicing
Fuel Calculation
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