A Complete & Comprehensive Guide to Buying/ Inspecting A BMW E34 5 Series | Covers Every E34 Issue!

A couple years ago I compiled a quick BMW E34 Buyer's guide showing things to look for when buying a 1989-1995 Generation BMW 5 series. Also known as the E34, one of BMW's Best cars ever. Well at the time I didn't have great camera equipment and I missed A LOT of important details, however the video has done thousands of views indicating that people really want to know about the issues E34s might have before purchasing one, or inspecting one they just purchased.
So given my knowledge has grown and my equipment has improved I have made a new edition, this time as you can tell by the hour long video, its an extensive one. Showing EVERY SINGLE worry point on a BMW E34 possible, from body work identifiers to engine problems to worn suspension components. This video shows you how to inspect a E34 from top to bottom and then some.
We have exterior problems, rust problems, interior problems, engine problems, underside suspension/chassis problems, and also how it should drive!
I hope this video helps people who either want to buy an E34 or people who own one and just need some guidance on possible issues their car is having.

[@Dinner34]

Daaaaaaaamn 1 hour of e34 knowledge...hell yea

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I went all in on this one🙏🏽

[@TheDaneJohni]

My favourite BMW guy🎉

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@TheDaneJohni ayyyyy! i appreciate that!!

[@itsreal123]

Every time I think about getting into a new project, always double down on my 95' 525I. Don't see them much anymore, especially a 5-speed. Want to keep it going no matter what.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

As you should man!!

[@juancorrea9037]

Now, that was a great video. Could you do one for E46? How about a manual trans rebuild? Another thing, if you were a normal guy with no spare parts, where are the best places to find them? Im in Puerto Rico and there are very few E34's. I have to get all the parts from somewhere else and would love to know where is the best place to get them. Again, great video.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thanks Juan!! Manual transmissions aren’t easily or in some cases even possible to fully rebuild unfortunately. I can do one for e46! But hmmm maintenance parts I get from fcpeuro or pelican parts or bimmerworld. They should be able to ship to you. For bigger things/ NLA stuff Id say just need to reach out to US BMW guys to send them over

[@juancorrea9037]

@@m3nameisjosh464 awesome

[@juancorrea9037]

I found here a 535i manual finally with transmission problems for $1900. Not in bad shape at all and with an extra set of M5 rims.

[@nicholaskolomiets2929]

wish i saw this before i sent it and bought a e34 couple weeks ago lol

[@alx5361]

damn bro wheres the hoodie from looks sick

[@m3nameisjosh464]

My hoodies bro! I have Larges left in stock, if your interested let me know!

[@viperocco]

Love these videos man.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you dude!!

[@imtiazahmed2147]

i miss my E34 : (

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Time for another 😉

[@user-is9sf5wo5s]

*1 hour later* "there's not a whole lot you have to worry about"

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@user-is9sf5wo5s 😭😭🤣🤣🤣

[@madmanwheelies6157]

1year ago looked your old video and get mine e34 touring didnt regret one second ❤❤❤

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Love to hear it!!!!

[@madmanwheelies6157]

@@m3nameisjosh464 looking to get now e34 sedan 4000€ freshly repainted before they get to expensive with swapped m52b28 single vanos from e39 with obd2 harness just needs interior which i have spare laying in apartmant😆😆

[@madmanwheelies6157]

Now looking to buy e34 sedan before they get too expensive cosmoschwartz sedan 4000euros freshly repainted swapped with m52b28single vanos with whole obd2 harness just needs interior which i have spere laying around in apartmant 😆😆

[@288gto7]

Perfect timing , im about to inspect e34 520i with m20b20 in couple of days

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Love to hear it!!

[@rasic7041]

m20b20 dont even inspect 💭

[@dflat3084]

I own one. Benn driving it the last 4 years, left me strandet one time due to a bad distributor. Other than that, stone cold reliable, easy to work on, slow af but still a joy to ride 😄... and make sure to change the timing belt if it's not done 👍

[@288gto7]

Had to walk away, the car was junk and nothing like in the facebook pictures 🥲

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@288gto7 ahhh man thats the worst:(

[@M5E3495]

Amazing video! =)) E34 owner since 2003 and I think you nailed it. Greetings from Sweden.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@M5E3495 thank you sir!

[@Goongine]

Picked up a 1989 BMW e34 520i, and man its work. Got it for 600 bucks with almost no interior. The paint is rolled white and its the worst but rust wise is only the driver side floor. Going to try and restore this car as best as I can. Will for sure do a engine swap since it has the m20b20 engine its slow but might keep and restore it for now.

[@EthanE34]

When you do get to the fuel lines, you should do a tutorial!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Hoping I dont have to get there for a little while😅 rest assured itll be filmed

[@michaelppaull]

Josh, I'm a long time viewer and now an owner of a 6 speed 540, and you're the man for anything e34!! I have a diff question. Before I go back through all your videos in search of my answer I'll ask you here. I have an LSD out of a 750iL that I want to install in my 540 and I know that I need to swap the flange for it to fit. I know that setting the proper "preload", or whatever its called, is essential for proper function and damage prevention, and Im planning on having a shop do that for me with the proper equipment. Besides swapping the flange, I also ordered all new hardware as well as a new C/V gasket and diff cover gasket. Do you have any further wisdom for that process? Thanks so much in advance if you happen to read this and get a chance to respond! Thanks for all your hard work and info helping us keep these cars on the road :)

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@michaelppaull love to hear it man!!! Congrats!! Good call on the shop for the bearing. I recently messed that job up and had to rebuild the whole diff( see in my Alpina video coming soon) lol. As for the seals the rest are very intuitive with diff on a work bench. No special requirements

[@angelespinoza1098]

If you don’t mind me asking what tire size are you running

[@Pansu1]

Decent info. One thing you forgot on the gas tank is its gas lines and air lines that rot away easily. Mine was rotted out and started smelling a lot of gas fumes. These fumes could make the car a fire hazard. 😀

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Good call!

[@jacktharippares]

Can you please tell me what trim you got from eBay for the doors? I am slowly restoring my e34 and I cannot seem to find good trim. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Ive never bought ebay trim, just heard of it being alright

[@wrxnfx127]

Awesome video sir Thank you very much

[@farrahmaye4575]

Hey bro I bought a e34 v8 and the gear box has blown up can you do a transmission swap video I don't know how to take it out thank you bro keep the good work up ❤

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I did a while back. Part of my white 540i series!!

[@ayxanov81]

Can any android monitor be mounted on this

[@raywalsh4028]

That paint depth gauge doesn't measure in mm. It's in um (0.4mm)

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@raywalsh4028 mils. Not mm, may have said it wrong

[@ItsLaniBro]

please can you do a e36 video whenever you can, I've been thinking of getting one and i would like to hear your opinion about that car

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I sold mine so have no e36s to make the video with hahaha

[@robertkasten9433]

I have had owned and wrenched on my E34 540i/6 for nearly 30 years now. This is absolutely terrific stuff bro!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you man!!

[@Hama_19]

One day i will buy this ❤

[@awk666]

Going today to pick up a white 535i that's been stripped out inside, doors cut out with plexiglass windows, basically a drift build. Traded a set of rc035, think it's a good deal?

[@m3nameisjosh464]

For a set of wheels why not!! Sounds fun

[@awk666]

@@m3nameisjosh464 I ended up taking it, but it's in much worse shape than anticipated... runs, but it was outside for about 5 years and the sunroof cover ended up leaking and now its got a huge rust hole in the drivers footwheel and they cut everything between the rear seats and the trunk. And the title is by a friends father that travels a lot and maybe it will show up in the next 3 months... I'm still happy with it, but i'll have to wait for the title before i begin to work on it.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@awk666 good luckk!!

[@deviouscarma]

im looking to get one of these cars in the future currently i own an f32 435i and an older 523i e39 but im leaning towards going something like an e34 for its styling and character so cool!

[@jimmielmholt]

I don't believe that it's mm of paint you are measuring.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Mils is the unit on reader.

[@greebj]

1/1000ths of an inch So 20 mils = 0.5mm

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@greebj thank you for the clarification

[@DannysGarage]

The sad thing is that most E34's are in far crappier condition than before, and people are asking way more money for them. Kinda sucks to see clapped auto 525i's for $4000 when decent manual ones used to be $1500, sigh.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Yeah agreed. They have trended upwards for sure. Still better than E30s but no longer nice cars under $2500

[@cliftonjackson441]

What's that lift?

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Atlas 4 post

[@shanedawson1541]

Love the videos! Bought a 95 e34 off you last March and I’ve been loving it as my daily driver. Recently am wheel shopping, and was wondering what wheels you run on the glacier blue e34? Also, what steering wheel hub adapter do you have on the calypso? Also looking for a new wheel lol

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Love to hear that dude!!! I have OZ Fittipaldis on the blue E34 and an E36 MOMO hub adapter on the calypso!

[@myeditedhandle]

Shit man I’m not even tryna buy an E34 rn and I’m still watching the full

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Appreciate you bro!!!😭

[@richardvand.3925]

Thanks Josh, Very recognizable. Just had the fenders of my E34 B10 replaced (and therefore the entire front section, hood and doors resprayed) because of rust that was not visible on the outside. Found out that the lower left trim piece is NLA (right is still available) except for one last ‘new old stock’ on eBay that I had to buy despite the outrageous price the seller requested for it.😱 Some parts are more and more difficult to find nowadays.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Those door trim pieces are outrageously priced if they can even be found, thats one issue with these cars

[@JY-vr8ok]

*fluid film* with the hose & directional spray head! Stop the rust from eating your car! No more dinner for Mr rust monster!!😂😂

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Good tip!

[@ihate_5x108]

Thank you for this, Josh. You’ve convinced me to get one of these (if not now, eventually). Not that I need a new project rn 😅 (only one of my 3 cars is barely running rn)

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thanks for watching!! Hey thats how it goes hahaha

[@524_td]

Neat! I always enjoy learning about new generations of BMW thanks for the knowledge. I am an E28 guy, I always forget the E34 is a classic now. Gosh my E28 is old.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

E28 is now an antique 😉 thanks for watching!!

[@placeholdername3206]

Im in the middle of turboing an e36 i restored and looking at a 540i for a future project but the thought of a car with a lot less aftermarket support and just starting over with rust issues scares me

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Aftermarket support isnt a huge deal, oem parts are widely available and dont require much mods to make the car enjoyable. Definitely gotta avoid the rust though

[@robmur]

love the og style videos

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Means a lot that you recognize this style as OG!! More of these planned!!

[@mikesphoenix_e46m3]

great video yet again josh found it so interesting add love to own another e34 again but got enough going on with the e36 and e46 m3 😅

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you Mike!!

[@olifs8083]

2 weeks till my E34 1993 2.5TU purchase. Leaks there leaks here this hose that hose. Jesus Christ Now I'm sacred to buy this old BMW. Old Audi's are soo simple built. Love e34 look. They don't make them like this anymore. Elegant and angry look.😎

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@olifs8083 replace the hoses once and they will last another 2+ decades!

[@gonzo5648]

Any car has to worry about old rubber. Audi is not immune.

[@brenden0311]

this video makes me want to buy an e34

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Mission accomplished 😩🙌🏼

[@stevenpike7530]

Best tip…Buy a W124…

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Nooo

[@awk666]

Why not both?

[@stevenpike7530]

@@awk666 Bang on!

[@kncaptures]

filming this when you should've been supporting your friends at fb is crazy

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I FILMED THIS 5 MONTHS AGO

[@kncaptures]

@@m3nameisjosh464 oh so you dont have an excuse for not supporting the homies, even worse :(

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@kncaptures get a grip!!!

[@joe34-e46]

Josh always got the knowledge on lock 🔥💯🗣️

[@m3nameisjosh464]

💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@MaynorVasquez-h6y]

Autos muy exelentes y su diseño lo mejor

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Agreed!

[@janekende8627]

Great video!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you!!

[@niroyangunaratnam7869]

Great Job man!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you!

[@rodrigofreire3228]

for first car is it a good car ??

[@Prof_CS]

It definitely is, especially if u find a good example of an e34 thats well kept! My first car is an e34 with 250k original kilometres and its in decent condition, I can tell you its lots of fun to drive it and also servicing it :) You can really feel that raw driving experience and the luxury of 90s cars thats no longer available today, overall feels way more solid than the more modern cars!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Agreed! They are fantastic first cars. Cheap, easy to service, pretty darn reliable too.

[@merciless9285]

My first car was a 1995 540i, and if I could go back in time I wouldn’t do anything different!

[@Prof_CS]

​@@merciless9285 mine is a 93' 520 vanos 😅

[@matthewhagedorn3209]

Been waiting for this drop 😮‍💨🤌🏼

[@m3nameisjosh464]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🤝🤝