The powers that be here at BimmerLife decided that you need to be exposed to even more of my nonsensical ramblings, so I’m starting a new weekly column. In addition to my usual long-form monthly articles, each week you’ll be treated to a smattering of boring facts, cool finds, errant thoughts, and bad ideas. Here are some examples of the types of topics you can expect from me over the next few weeks.
- E12 and E28 5 Series BMWs used the exact same windshield and rear-window molding over the entire production run of both chassis. That’s better longevity than most BMW cooling systems.
- One of the reasons I prefer N52 E90s to N54 E90s is the oil-filter-housing gasket—a common failure point. On the normally aspirated car, it’s a pretty simple fix that shouldn’t take more than a half hour or so if you’re changing the oil. On the twin-turbo car? It’s a weekend-long affair if you haven’t done it before, necessitating not only an oil change but a cooling-system flush-fill-bleed procedure.
- Similarly, the E34 has a propensity for blower-motor failure, which commonly causes dashboard fires. Simply put, it’s not something that can be ignored. It’s a pretty easy procedure on six-cylinder cars, but eight-cylinder cars have a lot less room to work with, and it takes a whole lot longer. I’ve been putting it off since I parked mine last year for this very reason.
- Speaking of projects, for the past two years I’ve had my eye on an E21 that’s been sitting in front of a nearby shop with long-expired temporary tags. Moving a mile up the street didn’t exactly help matters, and about once a week I’d drive by the shop and see if they were open. One day last week they finally were, and I left my phone number. I currently own six cars, only three of which run, and only two of which are registered. Why am I like this?
This is a Google Street View image of the shop from four years ago. In that time, the car has moved roughly fifteen feet to the right of where this photo was taken.
So there you have it; you can expect the above, but what else would you like to hear about? Project-car nightmare stories? Used-BMW buying advice? Dangerous Craigslist finds? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll see what I can do.—Cam VanDerHorst