Junk or Gem? Donated 1992 BMW M5

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As some of you likely know by now, I really enjoy seeing what turns up at the charitable donation lots. It’s pretty remarkable what people give away in exchange for a modest tax break, and you have to wonder if some of them have any idea what certain vehicles would sell for on the collector market, even cars that aren’t running. This 1992 BMW M5 is such an example, as this is a limited production sedan from the company’s Motorsports arsenal, and even as a non-runner like this one, it’s a very sought-after model. The listing notes the M5 doesn’t run and that the engine needs repair or possibly replacement, but most bidders seem to think it can’t possibly be that bad. Find it here on eBay with bids to $11,000 and no reserve.

Right off the bat, you can tell the paint is in good shape. Black isn’t very forgiving, so I suspect it’d look far rougher in photos if the finish was trashed. Plus, given this is California, a car sitting outside in the blazing sun for months at a time would likely have clearcoat failure or other tell-tale signs of neglect; not here. The M5-specific bodykit is accounted for, as are the factory badges, and even the license plate tells you this car belonged to an enthusiast. The only obvious detraction from stock are the non-standard wheels, which is shame because the M5 either came with a set of very sweet turbine/”turbofan”-style wheels, or the later “Throwing Stars,” both of which fetch a pretty penny on the used parts market.

The interior continues to the theme of being a looked-after example, with factory sport bucket seats showing no obvious damage to the black leather seating surfaces, and being a black-on-black M5 makes this super sedan even more desirable. The E34-chassis M5 is sort of a poor man’s Bullitt Mustang given its prominent role in the iconic chase scene in Ronin, as the so-called enemy used a (fake) M5 to evade Robert DeNiro’s character through a hair-raising chase going against oncoming traffic. If this M5 has somehow just barely made it through years of abuse and turned up as a donation as the result of a cash-strapped owner not able to afford one last repair, I’d buy that the engine failure is terminal. But nothing I’m seeing here indicates the previous caretaker didn’t look after this M5 or didn’t have the means to do so.

Now, the S38 inline-six engine is not the type of mill you can ignore. It does need love and attention, and rebuilds are not uncommon once it eclipses a certain mileage. However, most owners claim the engine can see 150,000-200,000 before it needs that level of maintenance, and even then, it may just be a top-end refresh once the mileage begins approaching 200K. It’s hard to say what is actually the issue here, as per usual with a donated car listing, as they simply receive it as a non-runner and write it up as such. Since it sounds like they’ve made no attempt to fire it up, you could be looking at an issue as simple as a dead alternator or even just the battery, which they admit is faulty. Even so, it is a roll of the dice to buy a car like this sight unseen, but they aren’t getting any easier to find or cheaper to buy.

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. JCAMember

    A gem worth the $11k at least

    Like 3
  2. EuromotoMember

    Just because a vanity plate says, “I RACER” or some other such nonsense does not an enthusiast make. There are a lot of poseurs out there, particularly in California and, most particularly, among BMW owners in California (Porsche, too).

    Like 3
  3. Shawn

    Very interesting. I’m betting that as Euromoto suggested this person wasn’t really an enthusiast, or else they would have had an army of online friends at least that would have taken this off their hands for more than what the person got via the tax break. Either way, I’m just glad to see this up for auction and getting a 2nd chance at life. This is a lot better than wasting away in a barn or field somewhere because the owner swears they’ll “fix it up one day.”

    Like 9
    • SubGothius

      I suspect a lot of these valuable/collector models showing up in charity auctions may be cases of the owner having passed away, and the surviving family knowing little about the car or its potential value and just wanting it Gone.

      Like 3
  4. djjerme

    So tempting…

    These are greatly under rated considering everyone goes with either the E28 or jumps to the E39 version (which are both brilliant as well). The E34 always suffers from the 90’s build quality (headliner sagging yet?)

    Like 2
  5. douglas hunt

    i have a buddy with one, but his is auto…..he swears its super fast.

    Like 1
  6. alphasudMember

    I love this body style. The early 90’s is when BMW was starting to loose its old world craftsmanship but I’m sure others would argue. My BMW fanatic friend will give me grief for that statement. I could never quite swing a M5 as a daily but often would look for a 535 5-speed. I think from what I see in the pictures it would be a smart investment as long as it doesn’t go much higher than 12K or so. The thought of rebuilding the engine on one of these $$$$. Hopefully it just needs top end work at the most and a good detail.

    Like 0
  7. t-bone BOB

    Ended: Feb 25, 2022 , 3:35PM
    Winning bid:US $13,433.00
    [ 62 bids ]

    Located in:Orange, California,

    Like 1
  8. trav66

    I never gave these a second thought years ago thinking they were too complicated but always liked the looks of them for some reason. I worked at a shop about 15 years ago that accepted BMW’s and Volvo’s willingly and I changed my mind about them. The suspension is easy to work on and the engines aren’t any more complicated than GM, Ford or the Japanese imports. This one is great with the 5-speed and good luck to the new owner, maybe the engine will respond to a simple fix.

    Like 1
    • douglas hunt

      i had an 2001 e46, and i was able to diagnose and fix it ……the easiest was the radiator and fans and thermostat, the hardest was the pcv system under the intake manifold, and the throttle body failed in 17 degree weather, also under the intake, my fault codes led me to it, however consensus on a e46 forum was that was not it, however i deep dived on the web and found explanations for my codes that did indeed indicate the throttle body, so i dug in and swapped it out and she ran like a top again. had 205k miles on her when unfortunately someone pulled out of a side street in front of me, and ended her

      Like 1
  9. Big Al

    Eeeeeeek 34!!! Run!!!!

    Like 0

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