M535i - Mtech Bodykit or Chrome Bumper ???

[AlexSpellman]

Hi All,

I own a 1986 BMW M535i. I have for the build sheet ordered from my local BMW dealership here in Calgary, Alberta and the car comes up as a M535i

The car has chrome bumpers on it and not a Mtech bodykit. It has the Mtech spoiler and arch spats and chrome bumpers. I have been around E28's for a while. I currently have three of them. The car looks like it was built like that. From my understanding you could factory order a M535i without the Mtech body kit?

Does anyone else have a M535i that came with chrome bumpers? Or am I losing my mind and they all came with the Mtech kits and mine has been deleted at some other point in its life.

Just after come confirmation that my understanding is correct or not.

Thanks.

 

[vinceg101]

That's a tough one. Based on my (limited) understanding with how EU cars were allowed to be ordered, everything was an option (with some exceptions). Which means that, yes: you could order an M535i in any configuration which could be without the full M-Tech body kit.

Where I am at a loss, is not knowing if the M-Tech body kit came only as a single line item which means it was all or nothing (my own build sheet oddly doesn't list anything specific for an M535i). If that is the case, then one couldn't pick and chose which kit components you wanted.  Also, part of this was that the M535i was one of the first (if not THE first) model specific package BMW offered in which they packaged a handful of specific components that defined the model and were only available as an M535i.  For example, I think the M-Tech body kit was only available for either the M535i or M5 (and for the M528i in the AU and SA markets); you couldn't get it for say a 520i (someone correct me if I'm wrong, I frequently am).

So, if all that is correct and true, then the story of your chrome bumpered M535i with M-Tech rear spoiler and wheel arches (I assume the lower rocker skirts also?) is a bit of a mystery and may indicate they were replaced at some point. But keep in mind they would have had to replace the front valance and install one from either the standard EU 5 Series or an M5 (along with a re-paint also?) 

What other M535i components does your car have?
-Front & Rear window trim bright aluminum (not black shadowline)
-Shadowline Rear tail lights
-Shadowline Door guard strips (beltline trim)
-M-Tech Interior (cloth or leather)
-M-Tech I Steering wheel
-Engine & Driveline?

[AlexSpellman]

Thanks for the response. No, it does not have side skirts. It looks like a chrome bumper E28 M5. I know that those cars could be ordered with and without the M-tech kit. I think we have very similar cars:

The spec of my car is:
- Alpine White code 145
- Front & rear window trim bright aluminum
- M-Tech rear spoiler
- M-Tech arch spats
- Shadowline Rear tail lights
- Bright aluminum Door guard strips (beltline trim)
- M-Tech Interior (Pacific blue Herringbone)
-M-Tech 1 Steering wheel
-Engine & Driveline? - M30B34, 5 Speed manual, LSD

I have taken the liberty to order a "Birth Certificate" from BMW in Germany to clear up all the queries.

[Blue Shadow]

What does Free BMW VIN Decoder : ///M Decoder say your build sheet has on it. 

[vinceg101]

^^^This, but I'm not sure it's going to be very accurate (I just plugged in mine and it was missing half the info). You might be best waiting for the sheet from the dealer.

But from what you're describing on some of those parts, I'd say no: this isn't a real M535i. It sounds like a hobbled together amalgam of parts someone in the past put a regular 535i through. At the very least if it is an actual M535i, it sounds like a lot of its parts got swapped out.

I forgot to ask about the most obvious: Badging. What is on the front grille and rear trunk lid?