1988 535is original owner -35,000 miles

[M-technik-3]

Cabrio's got their facelift 9/91 for plastic bumper and late model tails. 92 and 93's were late models. Cabrios were sold into 93 as the E36 Cabrio was not ready for delivery at the start.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

Metal euro bumpers bolt up to early cars (pre-9/87), plastic euro bumpers bolt up to later cars (9/87 and later). BTDT several times over with E30s I've owned and E30s I helped several friends with. Cabrio facelift took place in 12/88 if I recall correctly. The car in my signature is mine, '87 iS with a build date of 12/86 that I retrofitted an OEM M Technic kit to. This is how I have all of this info in my head; it was quite the undertaking.

You may not be trying to be a dick, but you are succeeding.

LOL. So in the USA, no US Market E30 ever had the original metal Euro (I'll say low profile) bumpers. Anyone that has an idea of a US market E30 with "Euro bumpers", which appeared from the factory as the 1989 model year update, thinks of the plastic (cover) bumpers. So now saying you meant the metal Euro bumpers only ever available on European E30's AND the plastic bumpers is a bit disingenuous at this point; you could have been more clear, but you were not.

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I'm not trying to be a dick about it, but re-read your original post. It says bolts up to E30's built before 9/87, now you are saying after. I was addressing your original comment, which was not correct. If I was off by a year ('88 vs. '89) okay. Like I said when I researched it 20 years ago the consensus was MY '89. IIRC it was from one of the Bimmer Magazine articles they published about "Collectable BMWs - E30" or something to that effect.

The cabrio's got the Euro bumpers in the USA for the last MY in 1992 (just for info purposes).

As someone else pointed out, E30 cab's went to 1993 (I've owned one), 1994 according to Wikipedia (although, not US-market, I believe).

Originally Posted by Mani59

What an awesome example!



I am not really au fait with USA motoring rules and regulations but I am just curious; would the new owner be able to stick Euro bumpers on the car and it be legal or would the owner have to keep those bumpers?

Yeah you can put on whatever bumpers you want and no one will ever know/care. My e30 passed CA light inspection without a third brake lamp. Our inspections are a joke.

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

LOL. So in the USA, no US Market E30 ever had the original metal Euro (I'll say low profile) bumpers. Anyone that has an idea of a US market E30 with "Euro bumpers", which appeared from the factory as the 1989 model year update, thinks of the plastic (cover) bumpers. So now saying you meant the metal Euro bumpers only ever available on European E30's AND the plastic bumpers is a bit disingenuous at this point; you could have been more clear, but you were not.

I'm sorry but the other guy is right. Every E30 owner (for the past decade) calls the low profile metal bumpers "Euro bumpers" and the plastic bumpers...."Plastic bumpers". Maybe this was different 20 years ago.

To me it doesn't make any sense to call the plastic bumpers "Euro" because they came from the factory on US-spec cars...

[stein_325i]

Gorgeous, absolutely love me an E28 5er, my father had one growing up, such a great car.

[ky0u]

Originally Posted by Vivek.

I'm sorry but the other guy is right. Every E30 owner (for the past decade) calls the low profile metal bumpers "Euro bumpers" and the plastic bumpers...."Plastic bumpers". Maybe this was different 20 years ago.

To me it doesn't make any sense to call the plastic bumpers "Euro" because they came from the factory on US-spec cars...

Same referencing was used when I threw my wallet in the fire about 10 years ago. Actually ended up learning there was a minor difference with the euro/US plastics in relating to reflectors

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Vivek.

As someone else pointed out, E30 cab's went to 1993 (I've owned one), 1994 according to Wikipedia (although, not US-market, I believe).

Yeah you can put on whatever bumpers you want and no one will ever know/care. My e30 passed CA light inspection without a third brake lamp. Our inspections are a joke.


I'm sorry but the other guy is right. Every E30 owner (for the past decade) calls the low profile metal bumpers "Euro bumpers" and the plastic bumpers...."Plastic bumpers". Maybe this was different 20 years ago.

To me it doesn't make any sense to call the plastic bumpers "Euro" because they came from the factory on US-spec cars...

I'm not an E30 owner in the "past decade"; I was an original owner of a 1989 E30 beginning in Nov. 1988. I took mine to 256,000 miles and sold it in 2006 when I bought my E90. I know the E30 very well, and well before the internet was a "thing". Genuine Bimmerheads from the 1970s and 1980s called the late-model plastic bumpers on the US Market E30 Euro-style bumpers back in the day. So I was off by a year on a few details; it was 30+ years ago, BFD.



LOL.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Cabrio's got their facelift 9/91 for plastic bumper and late model tails. 92 and 93's were late models. Cabrios were sold into 93 as the E36 Cabrio was not ready for delivery at the start.

Yes, our '91 cab had the diving boards. Other than that, GREAT car!!!

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by EdM5

What's up with these horrible bumpers? 1988 US regulations?

The bumper regulations hit in the 1974 model year which required 5mph impacts, front and rear, to be absorbed without damage. Take a look at a 1973 versus 1974 BMW 2002 or the Bavaria (E3). You can do the same with all other makes too. Porsche did a superb styling job on the 911 -- compare the 1973 and 1974 911 for the US market.

The regulation changed actually for the 1973 model year (from previously being none), but then changed again in 1974. It was hard to believe how nasty bumper additions became in 1974. It was so "out there" that, at the time, many believed the regulation would be rescinded. I can remember seeing a 1974 2002 for the first time and just being in shock that these monster bumpers were real. In later years it wasn't uncommon to drill the bumper pistons, drain the oil, compress the bumper, trim the plastic edges and have a much shorter (but still large) bumper. I mostly saw that done on 2002s and E21 320i...there was even a DIY article in the BMW CCA Roundel magazine.


Rob Siegel does nice job covering the time period in this article.

Back to the car at hand here -- looks like a really nice E28! We bought a near new 1985 535i 5MT for my wife's daily driver back in 1986 and really enjoyed the car. 1985 was the year BMW introduced ABS brakes to the US market, so it was nice/weird having a car with ABS for the first time too. Within a few months of ownership, I had installed Dinan sway bars, Konis, 16" Rial wheels (ditching the metric stock wheels), and Cibie headlights...all sort of typical "mandatory" needed changes common in that time era for BMWs.

[M-technik-3]

I had Rial's in the day on my VW's couldn't afford BBS so they were a nice touch. I had a 73 Ford Capri and it had small metal bumpers and for 74 they came with heinous plastic covered diving boards. DOT/NHTSB have made some horrible choices and some fantastic changes over the years.

That E28 is a stunning car to bad the orignal poster never listed more detalils about it.

[BMWCCA1]

No more info on the thread-starter car? Has to be in a BMW Dealer showroom. No one else would use those expensive battery maintainers BMW made them buy.

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I'm not an E30 owner in the "past decade"; I was an original owner of a 1989 E30 beginning in Nov. 1988. I took mine to 256,000 miles and sold it in 2006 when I bought my E90. I know the E30 very well, and well before the internet was a "thing". Genuine Bimmerheads from the 1970s and 1980s called the late-model plastic bumpers on the US Market E30 Euro-style bumpers back in the day. So I was off by a year on a few details; it was 30+ years ago, BFD.



LOL.

Yes, I've seen your posts and we've discussed your past cars before. My point being, terms that are used now are not the same as 30 years ago.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I know the E30 very well................I was off by a year on a few details; it was 30+ years ago

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Vivek.

Yes, I've seen your posts and we've discussed your past cars before. My point being, terms that are used now are not the same as 30 years ago.

Yup, and back in 1988 people weren't confused on pronoun use either.

[BMWCCA1]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Yup, and back in 1988 people weren't confused on pronoun use either.

I would suggest that back then people were even more confused, they just weren't aware of the alternatives to "he" and "she" we have today. People—and even the percentage of GLBTQ persons in the world—haven't changed. Freedom of expression is what is different today, or should be.

[Beemer2022@outlook.com]

Originally Posted by Day Laborer

Came across this beauty for sale.


Still on its original tires and still starts up like it's new.

Will have the tires and battery replaced


DM me is interested

Private seller doesn't even have a price yet lol, but are taking offers

Originally Posted by Day Laborer

Came across this beauty for sale.


Still on its original tires and still starts up like it's new.

Will have the tires and battery replaced


DM me is interested

Private seller doesn't even have a price yet lol, but are taking offers

Looks good for 30k miles

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by CSBM5

In later years it wasn't uncommon to drill the bumper pistons, drain the oil, compress the bumper, trim the plastic edges and have a much shorter (but still large) bumper. I mostly saw that done on 2002s and E21 320i...there was even a DIY article in the BMW CCA Roundel magazine.

There is a nice E12 on BaT currently that has had the bumpers compressed as I mentioned was common back in the 80s: