Andrew Wilson's 1988 M5 Restoration Thread

[wkohler]

Could have been much worse. Glad it's sorted and you had a great trip the rest of the way! Was really disappointed I didn't get to see this one.

[adawil2002]

M5 is at European Auto Service in Gardiner, ME. Oil change, new sway bar end links and the driver side rear marker light assembly and socket being replaced.

[adawil2002]

Drove the M5 to VSR for a suspension update, alignment and valve adjustment Most likely new springs, currently has Eibachs. The current Bilsteins are shot and will most likely go with Bilstein B12 Sports & new Eibachs. https://www.bilstein.com/us/en/product/ ... sportline/

[wkohler]

Wow if the B12 setup is available for E28, that’s great. Eibach doesn’t offer their own springs anymore.

[ahab]

I just put Eibach Pros and Billie B8s in my M5 an' comeafindout, they ain't that well suited to each other. I don't hate the ride, but it's pretty uninspired and I have more confidence in myself than I do in the suspension backing up my abilities, which is not a good thing. Interested to hear what you think about the new compared to the old Eibachs. Mine were NIB but perhaps they offered a different spring rate in years past?? I've never seen B12s on an E28 in the wild before, also would like to find out more about that.

[adawil2002]

I just put Eibach Pros and Billie B8s in my M5 an' comeafindout, they ain't that well suited to each other. I don't hate the ride, but it's pretty uninspired and I have more confidence in myself than I do in the suspension backing up my abilities, which is not a good thing. Interested to hear what you think about the new compared to the old Eibachs. Mine were NIB but perhaps they offered a different spring rate in years past?? I've never seen B12s on an E28 in the wild before, also would like to find out more about that.

Received an e-mail rom VSR.
B12 package is not available on the E28 chassis.
Suspension will be Bilstein B8s with a 5 ride height grooves in the back and springs from England.

[adawil2002]

The Bilstein B8s and new springs from England have transformed the car so it feels like it's made out of one piece. Stance is the same as it was before.

[adawil2002]

The M5 is now planted and simply amazing with the new suspension. Also fit a Cantaloupe Bluetooth receiver in the period correct radio it's brilliant! Next big project is convert the A/C, what is it? 134A from R12 when it no longer blows cold, maybe next year.

[adawil2002]

A/C gave out Monday July 29th at 3:30pm it was 90° F and wickedly humid up here in the perpetual Winterlands of Maine. Car is scheduled for the conversion to 134A in a few days.

[adawil2002]

Spoke with VSR, sees a lot of M5 air conditioning parts are NLA. So there is some custom fabrication taking place.

[topher800]

Have you seen this thread on upgrading:

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?f=3& ... lit=sanden

[adawil2002]

Have you seen this thread on upgrading:

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?f=3& ... lit=sanden

Thanks for the link!

[adawil2002]

VSR completed the conversion to 134a and the vent temperature now blows 36°F. Really pleased with the results, they tell me it's the coldest AC in any E28 VSR has done.

[topher800]

All [most] of us are jealous. Nice work. Did they put in a bigger condenser, new compressor, etc?

[adawil2002]

All [most] of us are jealous. Nice work. Did they put in a bigger condenser, new compressor, etc?

Yes, a parallel flow condenser, new compressor and new pusher fan as the old pusher had failed.

[adawil2002]

Spring 2020 Update. Finally took the car off the battery tender after a longer than usual time. Last time it snowed was May 9th, just flurries, but still wicked cold up here in the Perpetual Winterlands of Maine. I joke the state is air conditioned year round but freeze warnings on May 13 are not normal where we are.

The converted 134a AC in the M5 survived the storage season which ended May 7th. Drove our senior Husky, Camille, to the vet for her 3 month cancer check up. The awesome news is she's in full remission from Leukemia diagnosed in February 2019. The M5 is nice & low for her so she can just step up instead of jumping up into an X3.

[adawil2002]

Having been driving the car as a daily since May 2020. I have to say it has quickly become my favorite BMW to drive. During the May "Covid-speed-limit-days" I became a bit of a speed demon, 5K rpm in 5th the car was so quiet, smooth & confident. I regularly do 3000-3500rpm so 70-80+ and follow the flow & speed of traffic. Still have a squeaky clean driving record as of this writing on 10/26/2020.

The AC has been great, we can get the interior so cold the glass sweats on the outside on super humid days.

Just this weekend had a few electrical gremlins show up. The turn signals became erratic & would work for a while then stop & make the buzzer alarm then a few minute later be fine. The speakers quit working all together for a while. I did a German tune-up & spun the fuses & replaced the radio fuse & that fixed everything. When I washed the car this past Friday water must have gotten in somewhere & caused the gremlins.

[tig]

Having been driving the car as a daily since May 2020. I have to say it has quickly become my favorite BMW to drive. During the May "Covid-speed-limit-days" I became a bit of a speed demon, 5K rpm in 5th the car was so quiet, smooth & confident. I regularly do 3000-3500rpm so 70-80+ and follow the flow & speed of traffic. Still have a squeaky clean driving record as of this writing on 10/26/2020.

The AC has been great, we can get the interior so cold the glass sweats on the outside on super humid days.

Just this weekend had a few electrical gremlins show up. The turn signals became erratic & would work for a while then stop & make the buzzer alarm then a few minute later be fine. The speakers quit working all together for a while. I dis a German tune-up & spun the fuses & replaced the radio fuse & that fixed everything. When I washed the car this past Friday water must have gotten in somewhere & caused the gremlins.

This makes me smile. Happy for you!

[adawil2002]

My friend Darryl's 29 year old son, going too fast for conditions, got his M5 sideways & wrapped it around a tree just behind the B-pillar at 60+ mph. He had a broken collarbone from the impact & wound up in the passengers seat. The M5 was nearly folded in half when we saw it in Darryl's garage in mid October. The silver lining is the 29 year old isn't dead & the demise of Darryl's M5 while tragic, has been parted out.

The engine & drivetrain will go into an E9 & other parts will go into 2-4 other M5s.
As of this writing all salvageable parts have been spoken for & claimed.

For my assistance with inspecting & loading the car in a trailer. I was able to get the trunk carpet, the parcel shelf & what could be salvaged from the headliner.

My trunk carpet had a section cut out of it at some point in the past, so that was replaced. My parcel shelf seat belt retainer clip was broken, so I replaced that with Darryl's good one, what a PIA that was. Saving the headliner material for replacing my pretty knackered sunroof headliner panel, not looking forward to that job.

[adawil2002]

Highly recommend this E28 cup holder from Patina Handle!
https://www.patinahandle.com/product/ri ... r-solution

[John in VA]

Highly recommend this E28 cup holder from Patina Handle!
https://www.patinahandle.com/product/ri ... r-solution

$70 - guess it'll hold my Big Gulp cup filled with cognac!

[adawil2002]

The M5 is part of the History of M at the BMW CCA Foundation in Greer SC.

https://bmwccafoundation.org/uncategori ... th-august/