An e12 - how much??

My dad's 520 e12 was a good car drove very well and I allways got exsited about going for a run in it. Sham we part xed it for a Rover Montgo. You are so right Doive, I love all classic cars wether thay were good or not ther all fun to drive, People put a lot of time and effort in to there cars wether it's BMW or a Allegro and people just take the **** for it. it is not right, Well dun to you all.

Edited, please follow the language guidelines

Edited by Nigel

Compared to later offerings from BMW and other performance manufacturers, the E12 M535i is inferior. At the time its creation in 1979/80, it was however one of the quickest and best handling 4 door saloon cars available. As with the majority of classic cars it is easy to comment retrospectively in 2005 that a particular make / model was a bad car. With the benefit of hindsight you can pick holes (no rust puns please!) in most previous car designs. If a car was perfect, why update / replace the model?

The reason that most of us here choose to own older BMWs is not to rival the driving characteristics of the lastest 3, 5 or 7 series, but to drive something we that we enjoy and gain pleasure from keeping examples of older models on the road and in good condition - so that new generations of BMW drivers can still get to see the marque's heritage. My E21 Baur and E12 M535i evoke momories of cars I wanted to own as a child in the late 1970's and that I now have! I still own and drive modern cars and appreciate their improved refinement, improved passive and active safety, etc. However, given the choice for pleasure driving I will always take one of my older BMWs. They create a sense of driving enjoyment that most new cars cannot achieve.

As always this is an individual choice and there will only be so many people who want to take on the responsibility of older / classic BMW ownership. If car ownership needs to be entirely practical and efficient, a 25 year old car - of any make - is probably not going to be top of the shopping list......

 

 

The older model cars in the BMW range have a certain character and poise about them that the models thrown off the production line now will sadly never have. OK the oldies might get a bit rusty and may not have the get up and go that people want nowadays but they will always have a place in the hearts of those who love and cherish them. When I finally got my 635CSi I hoped I could get her back into a good condition but alas this was not to be, for a variety of reasons. But given the choice of a new car or a classic oldie, I would plumb for the classic oldie everytime.

Sadly this is the difference between classic car
shows in the U.K and everywhere else. At the end of
the day most cars are just a tool for a job. BMW 520,
Chevette, Allegro - all cars that nobody really lusted
over when they were new. So what's changed?
You will not see many 520's at a classic car meet
(BMW or otherwise) in ze Fatherland. We regarded
them as being a Munich taxi, nothing more. If every
E12 520 was crushed, the world would not mourn
them.

I would not cross the road to look at a Chevette, or
the Opel Kadett equivalent of Ze Germans. Sorry. I
remember them from my early days in U.K...or do I?

You don't have to buy an E Type or a 300SL Gullwing
to enjoy a classic car. An E12 M535i is STILL a very
quick car. A 6 Series is a classic car yet still
comparatively cheap to buy. Every time I see one, I
turn and look. "That's a really pretty car". An Opel
Monza Coupe is a very striking car, very desirable
when new, worth next to nothing now. You can buy a
Mercedes SEC, a stunning looking car style by Bruno
Sacco for a couple of thousand in decent order. My
colleague has a perfect condition 1969 2 door
MG1300 (remember those :-)). I use it to pop to the
bank. It amazes me how modern it feels. 70 bhp with
750 kg and close ratio gears. To think that 40 years
ago you were making cheap cars with disc brakes,
independent hydraulic suspension, FWD and so
much interior room when VW were selling crappy
Beetles to ignorant Americans and most Brits were
buying even worse Fords.

Guys, raise your Horizons a little. If a car was crap
when it was new, it's crap now. Nothing has
changed.
I would not give 10 pence for that Bronze one, it's just
an old cooker to me.

VonPaulus wrote: Sadly this is the difference between classic car shows in the U.K and everywhere else. Guys, raise your Horizons a little. If a car was crap when it was new, it's crap now. Nothing has changed.

Everyone has their own idea of their ideal car (or one not so ideal but loved) I don't care if someone has a Mini or a Daimler Conquest, if that is their chosen vehicle  and they are prepared to put the effort in to save it they are enthusiasts and it is wrong to slag them off.

Hiabboy,

Just as an aside to this post, if you have or know of a source for decent E12 body body panels (even better if they are polaris silver!) along a decent chrome rear bumper, please let me know. I'd like to create a 'secret stash' of these for use as my M535i may need them over time. 

Edited by Martin325iSport

ah but are you totally cured, considering the e23 affliction you appear to be lumbered with?

What about Laserchrom, he has e12 panels a while back, may be worth giving them a call?

Oh God, it's the old 'lets save worthless rubbish from
the scrapyard' argument. I believe we had someting
similar on the old 7 Srs forum. Maybe you should
ask yourselves WHY you're all messing around with
£100 cars - nothing personal, but you need a wake
up call.

Doive - I think our Teutonic mate was referring to the
Bronze 520, a truly awful car. I doubt he would insult
your 525e.

I agree with him about the Chevette tho. A 525e is a
nice old thing, but to say that you gain as much
pleasure out of a 1256cc shopping trolley as an E
Type is ridiculous - I doubt you've even driven an E
Type. A Chevette HS is of course a classic. If you had
a Shove-it hatchback with a 2 litre Pinto and Minitites
than that's different. Personally I wouldn't wish to be
seen in an orange 4 door. A 525e - I've run a couple
and think they're okay.

What he (and I) are saying is - why rescue junk (like
a scrap ebay 528i with a cooked engine and dented
panels......) when there are better cars to mess about
with for so little. Look on ebay and you will find an old
635CSi needing work for a few hundred quid. As
long as the wings can be repaired (most can), a 6
Series costs no more to restore than some nasty old
E28 as 99% of the bits that matter are the same. It's
not about financial gain although only a fool would
not realise that at the end of it, a clean E28 is worth
about £350 and a 6 Series £2000.

Sorry, but you've got to be some kind of loser to
mess around with a cooking 5 Series. Don't waste
your time.

P.S what do you think of my old blue 8 Series in BMW
Car this month? Nice pics eh?

Hiabboy,

Can you provide me with some contact details for the owner of the Polaris E12 M535i breaker that you mentioned yesterday. I'd be interested in some of the car.......

 

same old arguement, same old story Andy, those that 'rescue' old 5's do it because they want to, and like doing it. Not everybody wants a 6! Regardless of costs of parts and cost of resale. Lots of people are not fussed about an end figure.