New e28 owner in NY

[ctebb]

Hello! I am new to this board, to e28s, to BMWs, to just about everything most members here are very comfortable with. I've wanted a BMW for a very long time and after a fair bit of research and a look at my bank account, I went ahead and got a 1985 535i with 113,500 miles.

Even with it's obvious cosmetic problems, I love the way the car looks and how it drives. However, knowing nothing about repairing cars, I dropped it off at a local shop to get it looked at and quite a few issues taken care of. It wasn't a ridiculous amount of money (they were great about the labor costs), but I feel like from here, I want to maintain the basic things myself.

I work in the film industry as an electrician, so I'm not afraid of getting dirty and doing the technician thing. I've got a Bentley manual, so I guess what I need to know is if anyone in the NYC area wouldn't mind lending some knowledge to an eager student.

Thanks again, reading this board is a real pleasure.

[deucestudios]

welcome!

I'm fairly new here myself. Congrats on the purchase, any pictures?

[ctebb]

Once I get the car back from the shop, I'll post some pictures. The exterior isn't.. great. But still, I love the look of these cars regardless.

Also, I briefly looked through the area group sticky, but didn't see any in New York. I'd really like to meet up with some more experienced e28 owners and learn the basics (beer provided of course!)

Thanks again

[Jeremy]

Not many from New York, but quite a few from NJ, northern Pa, and CT, so we're around.

Beer nearly always works for bribery, feel free to ask questions and search the archives. There's a LOT of good info in there.

Congrats on the low mileage find, I hope it works out well for you.

Jeremy

[johnnye23]

Welcome to the board .The Bentley is the right choice for information on your car,lots of great info. There is a lot of information posted here you just need to search for it.Also check out the stickys in the Tech section DIY area .Good luck with your new ride.

[Mark 88/M5 Houston]

Welcome to the asylum. I'll second everything johnnye23 said.

[shagrath]

Welcome! I am an electrician too (though my job doesn't involve it) and I must say the systems in this car aren't too bad. As long as you USE the Bentley, you should be able to fix most anything yourself on these cars!

[C.J.]

Welcome to the nuthouse dude! I was pretty new to BMWs when I got my car, and I hadn't done much of any work myself on any of my prior vehicles. These cars are pretty easy to DIY, and if you ever get stuck the guys here really know their stuff.

[Shawn D.]

Welcome! Make sure you read and heed the Forum and Tech FAQ sections.

[igotbank]

Once I get the car back from the shop, I'll post some pictures. The exterior isn't.. great. But still, I love the look of these cars regardless.

Also, I briefly looked through the area group sticky, but didn't see any in New York. I'd really like to meet up with some more experienced e28 owners and learn the basics (beer provided of course!)

Thanks again

BOOMER5 is out of nyc...brooklyn to be exact. I'm from brooklyn too but now live in orange county. Welcome to the board man. I'm always up for a cruise down the thruway!!

[jimoreno]

Welcome to the board and congrats on the car! Now that you got the Bentley and being an electrician by trade, all that you need is your car's ETM (Electric Troubleshooting Manual). They are based on a specific year and model and can be found here http://www.e28planet.com/etm.php.
I'm from North New Jersey so I'm not that far. BTW, anyone going to the NJ BMWCCA meeting at BMW headquarters next week? I'll be there!

[BOOMER5]

Welcome to the board.I've been an e28 owner for the past year and a half,and it has truly been a great experience.These cars are not only durable but also have a certain "presence" about them.In Brooklyn.I rarely go a week without spotting at least one e28.If you ever travel in the downtown/Prospect Park area you'll find a big following of e28 fans.Most of whom will probably ignore you.


So far "alpinewhite",aka DanR and myself are the only NYC board members that I know of.If you're free on Sundays we could get together and talk cars.Drop me a pm for the details.

[tdbrewst]

Welcome aboard. I'm an ex-Brooklyn-ite. Brooklyn in da house.

[igotbank]

Welcome to the board and congrats on the car! Now that you got the Bentley and being an electrician by trade, all that you need is your car's ETM (Electric Troubleshooting Manual). They are based on a specific year and model and can be found here http://www.e28planet.com/etm.php.
I'm from North New Jersey so I'm not that far. BTW, anyone going to the NJ BMWCCA meeting at BMW headquarters next week? I'll be there!

Exactly when next week, if the weather is clear I'll go. I recently installed new suspension(springs, shocks/struts) and want to try em out on a long drive