I feel the need for a manual gearbox equipped European sport sedan...and I want it big enough for a family. And don't give me some domesticated import that has had its European mystique neutered, I need something without airbags, that only shows kilometers on the speedo, is grey market and unregister-able in California. Oh. Here. Find this 1990 BMW 535i E34 offered for $5900 in Pasadena, CA via craigslist.
Welcome to Leap Day on DT, where we look at cars ready to take the Leap from depreciated crap to appreciating classic: I've got to admit that I have a soft spot for the E28 generation BMW 5-series...particularly the zippy 535i with a manual gearbox. I've personally driven 2 of them to their unfortunate death in the 24 Hours of LeMons (sorry about that...had to be done) but I'm (somewhat) happy to see prices rise (probably because people have bashed them into Cadillac Hearses on racetracks...again, sorry about that) and see the E28 get the respect is deserves. Regardless...this guy is asking a lot for an old BMW. Find this 1988 BMW 535i offered for $7,500 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.
The E28 generation BMW 5-series market is currently somewhere between discarded junk and desirable classic, and the low mile, clean examples are starting to fetch decent money. The E28 also offers a purity of driving experience undulled by electronic power steering, stability control, traction control or any number of electronic nannies found in modern cars. This example appears to be a nice looking E28 offered for a decent price and has bonus points for the preferred manual gearbox. Find this 1987 BMW 535is offered for $5,800 in Chino, CA via hemmings.com. Tip from BP.
I've struggled with the decision about buying a depreciated late model (like a modern 2010ish BMW 535i) with manual gearbox or buying an appreciating classic from yesteryear -- because the older car will possibly be worth more in a few years, but the modern car will be a faster and more reliable (probably?) ride? I'm sorta leaning towards getting the classic these days. Find this 1986 BMW 535i here on eBay bidding for $4,500 with 5 days to go, located in Price, UT.
I don't know what the future holds for automotive enthusiasts, but I can tell you for certain that we live in exciting times. A few years ago a car like this sweet BMW 5-series would have cost you an arm/leg and in a few years they'll be all crushed or appreciated to silly money. New cars, while clinically fast and superbly comfortable, are missing that crucial man-machine symbiosis that makes them seem like something other than a pile of parts. But for the next few years you can drive stuff like this and seem like a forward thinking genius...I guess. Find this 1985 BMW 535i E28 offered for $3,500 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.
The simple things in life are typically the best. Like a sunset. Or a walk along the beach. Or a glass of cheap bourbon. Or a nachos bellgrande from taco bell. Or a 5-speed manual transmission equipped German touring sedan with a crisp inline-6. Yeah. I wonder if I can eat nachos without spilling my drink* while driving down to see the sunset? Find this 1989 BMW 535i offered for $4,500 in Bellingham, WA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
Seven years isn't a long time in the life of a car. I've daily driven cars with twice that age, so to buy a car from 2011 and drive it every day...wow...that sounds like almost new to a guy like me. The asking price on this one seemed suspiciously low until I checked KBB and verified that a $50k car loses 80% of its original asking price in the first 7 years. Find this 2011 BMW 535i offered for $10,700 in Sacramento, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
Today's Mid Week Match-Up request comes from Balzac who writes -- so apparently now VW will make me whole for the lying, cheating TDI
wagon that I love. They will have to pry it from my cold dead hands...
Or offer me significantly more than I paid for it, since I scooped it
from a friend who sold it to me because he was super pissed at VW. Now
he's gonna be SUUUPER pissed. The car is gonna be worth in the
neighborhood of $16k after adjustments for high mileage and manual
transmission. We can probably add another $10k so up to about $25k. I
need something for me and my wife and our dog to get back and forth from
the Bay Area to SW Colorado 3-4 times a year. It will be a daily
driver and must be AWD or 4x4. I know all about snow tires, but my wife
is more comfortable in the snow with all wheels engaged. Chain up
requirements are also a pain. I know it limits our options and will
have a negative impact on fuel consumption.
Take a gander at this 1987 BMW E28 535i here on eBay bidding for $3,550 reserve-not-met with auction ending Tuesday at 2:34PM PST.
The E28 generation BMW 5-series may not have been the first 5-series launched to the public, but it looks, drives and feels miles ahead of the E12 and much vintagy-er than the E34. The M5 version has already become a collectible, but if you are looking for a simple 535i, now couldn't be a better time to pick one up for cheap. Find this 1986 BMW 535i offered for $2,500 in Berkeley, CA via craigslist. Tip from Kaibeezy..jpg)
The E28 generation BMW 5-series is regular star on the pages of Daily Turismo, because it offers an extremely useable sedan for hauling around your family while still being fun for the back roads or maybe hitting the track on the weekend -- all for a bargain price. Today's E28 535i isn't just a good deal, it is also a European bumper equipped beauty. Find this 1988 BMW 535i E28
currently bidding on ebay for $6,600 with 2 days to go, located in New Fairfield, CT.
If you want this writer to put on his best Carnac the Magnificent costume and make a prediction, it is that the E28 535i won't be an affordable classic for much longer. It will simply be a classic. The E28 generation 535i combines good looks rivaling the BMW E3 Bavaria with a rust proof chassis, modern ergonomics and fuel injected reliability. Find this 1985 BMW 535i E28 offered for $5,900 in Fernley, CA via craigslist. Tip from Kaibeezy.
Quick! What cost almost $40k when new in 1988, is worth about $4k today and could be used for the distribution of methamphetamines? If you said a single family residence in Riverside, CA, you would almost be correct, but the answer we were looking for is the E28 BMW 5 Series. Find this 1988 BMW 535i E28 offered for $4,000 in Springfield, MA via craigslist. 
BMW's E28 generation 5-series lives the in netherworld between classic and depreciating junk..but soon enough it will be redeemed. The E28 M5 is already recognized as a winner, but the 535i is 9/10ths of the M5 at 1/3rd of the price and those are the kind of numbers we like to see on the pages of the Daily Turismo. Find this 1985 BMW 535i
currently bidding for $6,101 with 1 day to go.
The E28 generation 5-series wagon never crossed the Atlantic to be sold in the USA, but a few wagons (most with manual transmission) were sold all in Europe, reportedly the work of an aftermarket company. The result is that a combination of fuel tax costs, classic car registration costs and insurance costs all lead to an interesting market for cars that we (in the USA) would call rare. For example, this 1987 BMW 535i Touring is for sale in the Netherlands for €12.500,00 ($16,500 USD) via marktplaats.nl. 
The E28 BMW 535i is one of those classic 1980s sedans that can be picked up for cheap, run forever and can be a blast to drive. In 1981 BMW combined a large inline-6, rear wheel drive, optional limited slip diff and manual transmission to create the first in a long line of luxury 5-series sedans. Find this 1986 BMW 535i e28 5-spd for sale in Willow Glen, CA for $1,800 via craigslist. Big thanks to tip from Jeffrey L.
The E34 BMW market (5 series from 1988-1996) is currently near its low point for price. The nice E28s are starting to appreciate and the E39 series still haven't reach rock bottom, but we think that the E34s are currently in the weeding/crushing phase before the nice condition ones start to appreciate a few percent per year. But we aren't stock brokers or seers, so we can only guess, but this 1988 BMW 535i with 5 speed manual is for sale in Gardena, CA for $1250 via - an exclusive seller submission on Daily Turismo. Contact Jorge at eurorace@pacbell.net to buy the car.