'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

[AseanAero]

Hi Tony here,

I'm an Australian expat who's been living in Jakarta since 2000.

A few days ago I ended up buying one of my all time favorite cars a Oct 1990 build E34 M5

It has done a genuine 52,000 kilometers (approx 30,000 miles) and is in really good shape , no rust at all.

It was regularly driven by the son of a 4 star army general from 1991 to 1998 then put in storage until May 2012 when they had a 'garage sale' . A customer of mine (a BMW enthusiast) purchased it from the general's son in May 2012 and then decided he had enough cars and decided to sell the M5 (he has a 730il and 750il and a 3 Merc S class and doesn't like manuals)

I own an aircraft and parts trading business and have a pretty well equipped workshop and handy with tools so I will be asking a lot of questions.

Here's the build sheet and some photos of the M5


Vehicle information
Type Value
VIN WBSHD92010GA25324
Type code HD92
Type M5 (EUR)
E series E34 ()
Series 5
Type LIM
Steering RL
Doors 4
Engine S38
Displacement 3.60
Power 232
Drive HECK
Transmission MECH
Colour SCHWARZ 2 (668)
Upholstery (9990)
Prod.date 1990-10-17

Options
Code
Description (interface)
Description (EPC)
S199A AUSSTATTUNG BLEIHALTIGER KRAFTSTOFF without catalytic converter
S302A ALARMANLAGE Alarm system
S401A SCHIEBE-HEBEDACH, ELEKTRISCH Lift-up-and-slide-back sunroof, electric
S430A INNEN-/AUSSENSPIEGEL AUT.ABBLENDEND Interior/outside mirror with auto dip
S459A SITZVERSTELLUNG, ELEKTR.MIT MEMORY Seat adjustment, electric, with memory
S500A SCHEINW.WASCHANL./INTENSIVREINIGUNG Headl.washer system/intensive cleaning
S534A KLIMAAUTOMATIK Automatic air conditioning
S548A KILOMETERTACHO Kilometre speedo
S560A LESELEUCHTEN IM FOND Reading light in rear compartment
S687A RADIOVORBEREITUNG Radio preparation
S781A LM Rad 9Jx17 auf Hinterachse BMW LA wheel M Kontur
S818A BATTERIEHAUPTSCHALTER Battery master switch
S823A HEISSLAND-AUSFUEHRUNG Hot-climate version
S850A ZUSAETZL. TANKFUELLUNG EXPORT Additional Export tank filling
S925A VERSANDSCHUTZPAKET Dispatch protection pack

Individual vehicle data
Text
Z1XX Special upholstery
= Innenausstattung in Komplettleder Walk-Nappa schwarz,
wie Schl.Nr. 0330
(Bereitstellung Schalttafel-Oberteil durch ZS-411)

The car feels tight with no rattles , squeaks and goes like hell without hesitation.

My goal is to bring the M5 back to top condition with a minimum amount of modification and drive it for at least the next 20 years.

Immediate work as follows

1. New tires all round

2. Idle control valve - idle jumps to 2,500rpm when the air conditioning is turned on , 1,000 rpm with air conditioning off

3. Replace or rebuild the rear shocks , PO has put non self leveling shocks in the back , I have the old OEM shocks

4. Remove the 535i badge from the rear and put the M5 front badge on the correct side of the front grill

5. Annoying steering wheel squeak.

6. Repair the air conditioning system , no air conditioning at the moment , it was working on Sunday prior to buying the car and now just blows hot air so could be a leak

7. Change all the fluids and filters , this has been done by the PO but I want to do it again so I know what fluids have been used.

8. Upgrade the stereo system head , the original Blaupunkt has a dead display and the speakers may need to be replaced as well , I want something compatible with an iPhone or iPod , I will keep the original radio for future generations that may want to restore the car after I'm gone (I'm 50 now)

9. Thoroughly clean and treat the leather seats, the seats are in good condition but the leather is a bit hard and needs some elbow work.

10. Some small dents and scratches that need repair.

11. Find out why the Brake Lining warning is coming on (only when I turn the ignition on or off) , the PO 'said' he put new brake linings in.

12. Clean the boot carpet and replace some of the missing tools in the toolkit (about half are still there)

13. Replace the ugly $2 black rubber floor mats the PO has put in. Carpet is like new.

All the lights work , trip computer is functioning , sunroof and windows all work great, doors have no sag and close like new.

Here's some photos a few days before I bought it

535i badge already removed , I've ordered another M and 5 badge from the dealer

Trunk needs a tidy up , the PO just put a new set of Tokico rear shocks on , they are coming off and I'm putting the original BMW SLS rear shocks on , toolkit is 50% there , I'm going to order the missing pieces so the toolkit is complete

From what I can find out there are approx 10 to 12 E34 M5s 3.6L in Indonesia with only 5 on the M Registry. I purchased a genuine S38B36 engine in a jakarta junkyard complete with headers in 2007 for $800 and at the time I was told the owner got sick of bad fuel economy so somewhere in Jakarta there's an M5 running around with a 525 six :-( , I bought that M5 engine 5 years ago to either build an M5 clone or with the remote hope I would find an M5 here (which finally happened) or sell it on if neither happened, so I have a spare engine already.

Pics of my spare engine , an $800 junkyard find from 2007


To me the E34 is the best looking of all the M5s, I've always wanted one.

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[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

I plan on doing some 'parts runs' to SG in the near future so doing some homework now on which places are the best to buy new and used parts.

 

[e46monster]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

I plan on doing some 'parts runs' to SG in the near future so doing some homework now on which places are the best to buy new and used parts.

now thts a really great car!

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

now thts a really great car!

Thanks , it will be a great car when I'm finished.

Not many mods planned, upgrade the stereo to something iPod and USB compatible as it's my daily driver , I'll keep the original radio stored for the next owner , any mods will only be made if something fails or wears out and an non OEM solution gives better performance and better value for money than the BMW part.

I'm the 3rd owner , the second owner had the car 2 months but didn't like manuals.

Mechanically it's in great condition , I'm going through and fixing some electrical and air conditioning gremlins at the moment which is to be expected as the M5 was hardly driven since 1998.

I replaced those terrible aftermarket bonnet and boot badges with original BMW badges and removed the 535i badge yesterday and ordered a bunch of small parts from the BMW dealer yesterday , rear boot opening cylinder, brake wear sensors , proper M5 boot logo, and still trying to work out the best and most cost effective way to handle the re-installation of the rear SLS shocks , the PO put some Tokicos and I don't like them. I figure the factory went to a lot of trouble and expense with the self leveling system for a reason.

Some small dents and scratches to be removed caused by crazy Jakarta motorbikes.

The interior is perfect , it just needs a good wash and some leather treatment to bring it back to great condition.

Where are the best places in SG for E34 parts ? Are there still any E34s left in SG ? Any E34 M5s ?




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[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

I've opened it up on the tollway to 170kmh yesterday but don't want to push it harder until I get the valve clearances and throttle body balancing checked , apparently the valve clearance check is critical , a lot of new owners have bent valves pushing their M5s too hard before checking everything is right.








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[Darth Vader]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

i think its extinct in singapore, i have seen one e34 m5 in 2007.cars of more than 10 years in sg is rare.

 

[e46monster]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

wil b in jkarta end july.
wil pm u n meet up w/another gd fren in jkarta also forumer who posted his done up e30 on tis forum too. my 135 seats r fitted in this car.
he jus bought an e36 n intend to do up as well.
hes another car freak who had a merz 190 2.5-16v kept at home n then gav it to missus for grocery shoppin.

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

i think its extinct in singapore, i have seen one e34 m5 in 2007.cars of more than 10 years in sg is rare.

Yes , I know over 10 years they start to get scarce.

I like your username , I've actually named my M5 'Darth Bimmer' as everything is black on black ... with more black !

Original owner was a 4 star army general.

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

wil b in jkarta end july.
wil pm u n meet up w/another gd fren in jkarta also forumer who posted his done up e30 on tis forum too. my 135 seats r fitted in this car.
he jus bought an e36 n intend to do up as well.
hes another car freak who had a merz 190 2.5-16v kept at home n then gav it to missus for grocery shoppin.

I met up with another E34 M5 owner today to get some advice on where to go and he was very helpful, he also had nice 1988 911 Carrera , SL300 sitting in the garage and he had a 190 2.5-16 until a few years ago.

Good thing about Indo is I don't know ANYONE that has ever got a speeding ticket in the 13 years I've been here , if you get out on the tollway you can really open the taps , you just have to watch out for Kijangs in the fast lane with no lights or people or animals trying to cross the toll.

There's videos on youtube of M3 owners hitting 290kmh on the Jagorawi toll , the new Bandung tollway has about 60 kms of nice road which is even better.

 

[Darth Vader]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

Yes , I know over 10 years they start to get scarce.

I like your username , I've actually named my M5 'Darth Bimmer' as everything is black on black ... with more black !

Original owner was a 4 star army general.

the e34 m5 owner i met in 2007 maybe in this forum as well, maybe you can ask around.
he is an sg indian and he attended BMW intensive driver course 7 or 8 times,that is why i cant forget him.

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

Thanks Darth , I'll ask around

From what I know there are approx 10 to 15 E34 M5s in Indo.

Until I bought my M5 I've never seen one driven on the road in Indo.

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

Speed Creed: Halloween Run (Jakarta, Indonesia) - YouTube

BMW M3 Full Acceleration On Jagorawi Highway....0 - 270 km/h - YouTube

Here's what some of the locals get up to on the tollway , the problem is lane discipline ... it doesn't exist.

 

[T6]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

Welcome and tks for sharing the video. I am impressed by the large sports car community over there. Just hope they dont try to outshine each other in convoy outing to detriment of other road users. Look forward to your updates on your M5.

I daresay most of us not good with working on our cars as in we dont DIY. Modifications and troubleshooting we leave largely to the workshops. Luckily there are a few of these workshops around, quite about from going back to the authorised agent.

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

Hi T6,

Believe it or not Indonesian drivers are pretty skilled at weaving in and out of traffic and the road snails are used to it , the problems occur when someone pulls out into the fast lane at 70kmh when there's another car closing in on them at 250kmh.

Having said all that I've never seen a really bad accident here except involving trucks and buses when the drivers fall asleep or lose control. I've driven all over Java and it's a bit like Mad Max on some of the roads , the truck drivers are insane a-holes

 

[T6]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

Hi T6,

Believe it or not Indonesian drivers are pretty skilled at weaving in and out of traffic and the road snails are used to it , the problems occur when someone pulls out into the fast lane at 70kmh when there's another car closing in on them at 250kmh.

Having said all that I've never seen a really bad accident here except involving trucks and buses when the drivers fall asleep or loose control. I've driven all over Java and it's a bit like Mad Max on some of the roads , the truck drivers are insane a-holes

Woots. Sounds like a driving heaven with autobahn like possibilities. Enjoy. We dont have that "freedom" in Singapore.

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

I daresay most of us not good with working on our cars as in we dont DIY. Modifications and troubleshooting we leave largely to the workshops. Luckily there are a few of these workshops around, quite about from going back to the authorised agent.

I'm pretty handy with tools and have my own 1,500m2 warehouse and workshop (reasonably well equipped) as I do aircraft parts sales and aircraft salvage for a living. The problem I have is time and I don't know the tricks of the BMW yet , I want to learn to do the valve clearances and throttle tube balancing myself as there's only 1 factory trained M technician in Indonesia , the valve clearances done wrong is fatal for the S36B38 engine.

Luckily I have an expat friend who is a career BMW person (tech and now a country after sales head) and he's been helpful with straight forward , honest advice. I may even entice him with beer and wine to get his hands dirty next time he's in Jakarta hehe.

I'm surprised more Singaporeans aren't DIY as there's a very high level of tech and engineering skill there.

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

Woots. Sounds like a driving heaven with autobahn like possibilities. Enjoy. We dont have that "freedom" in Singapore.

I call the Jakarta toll roads the AUTO-BARN as it's like driving at high speed through a barnyard dodging chickens and ducks ...

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

A grandpa BMW vs youngster Porsche on the highway - 265+ kmh - YouTube

This video of an old M5 chasing a Porsche was filmed in Bulgaria but the road conditions are VERY similar to Indonesia, however driving at 260kmh in the emergency lane is just plain stupid , I don't think this particular BMW driver will ever get grey hair ... a 'temporary Bulgarian'.

One aspect I love about this video is the WAIL of the M5 engine at high speed.

Wait until the end of the video to see how whipped and stuffed this particular M5 is.

Remember the E34 series was the last of the hand built M5s by BMW Motorsport , later models were and are built on the regular production line. The engine is just a work of art , it can sit at 10kmh in bumper to bumper traffic in Jakarta for hours without overheating and pull away in 5th gear from 1,000rpm with no snatching . Most overseas owners have 250,000 to 300,000kms on the their engines and there's an owner in Australia that has 500,000kms on his engine with just a top overhaul. It has to be one of the strongest engines ever built by BMW.



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[Mockngbrd]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

I plan on doing some 'parts runs' to SG in the near future so doing some homework now on which places are the best to buy new and used parts.

Nice one. Where to get parts? Eng Soon. Website link » Eng Soon Auto Pte Ltd. (reasonable prices too)

i recommend dropping off a note or email for the parts you want before coming by in case some stuff needs to be shipped in. basically whatever you need, you can find it there or they will be able to ship it in.

Here's some pics of my ex E34. Awesome car, just not my taste and didn't bond with the car in the end.

Just wondering, do you have a set of original E34 Throwing star wheels lying around?

 

[AseanAero]

Re: 'New' E34 M5 Owner in Jakarta

I don't have a spare set of TS wheels yet but if any come up I can let you know (and they do come up) , also lots for sale in the USA and UK if you look.

The E34 is a bit wide for most people, I grew up driving wider cars in Australia so for me it feels right.

I love the color and trim combination on your M5 , what happened to it ? Do they get exported from SG when they hit 10 years or do they go to junkyards for part out ?