ppressle

In the fleet, I have a couple of older BMWs that occasionally need factory parts. I don't currently have a cost effective place to buy BMW (OE) parts. I'm looking, perhaps in vain, for something similar to what Sunset offers for our Porsches.

Any recommendations? Preferably out of CA for tax reasons.

Thanks in advance,
Pete

ppressle

Just found this with some seaching:

Can I assume that Tischer Porsche is the same as Tischer BMW of GetBMWParts.com fame? If so those guys are the Sunset of BMW parts providers.

993Brendan

I use Tischer for my BMW parts- I find they are the "Sunset" of the BMW world.

Bruce SEA 993

I also use Autohauz AZ for parts but many EOM parts are not available. The radiator is $139 from Autohauz AZ and $347 from Tischer. Some stuff is better!

bart1

Not OE in many cases, but where does Pelican fit on Bimmer pricing? That's where I have ordered BMW parts for friends.

SSTAR

I second Tischer and getbmwparts.com

porschemikeandnancy

Bavarian Autosport (in NH) has a great catalog. I don't know if they have OEM body parts - but I'm certain they would direct you to who does.

http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp#undefined

Jim Morton

Besides Tischer, I also price Crown as sometime their hard part pricing is a little better.

YMMV

Cactus

More info on the older BMW's

jmazz

I always used bimmerparts.com and liked them a lot.
bimmerzone.com seems to have a similar catalog with slightly different prices but I don't think I ever used them.

Slow Guy

I've used them quite a few times but only for original BMW (OE) parts. They're not quite "cost +15%" but they're much lower than others. AutohausAZ and RMEuropean are much better on OEM parts though.

I have had a couple of poor experiences with slow-to-ship from Tischer, not so with Autohaus or RMEuropean. Pelican's prices are usually MSRP or just a little lower but customer service is good.

ppressle

Thanks all! Parts are for a 1991 M5 and a 2000 528it 5 speed.

I spot checked a few prices and Tischer was a bit higher than AutohauzAZ, but AutohauzAZ didn't have everything I needed on-line. I'll try them on the phone this AM. I'll use one of the two dealers for the remainder.

OEM parts houses:

AutohauzAZ (best prices thus far)
RMEuropean (limited availability, good prices)
Pelican (great on line catalog, pricey?)
Bavarian Autosport (good, but limited and pricey?)
BMA (good availability and prices, in CA)
Bimmerparts (no experience yet)

Dealers:

Crown
Tischer/getbmwparts.com (prices higher than AutohauzAZ)

Cactus

I have heard that that generation M5 is very expensive to work on and for parts......is that true?

Bruce SEA 993

Interesting thing about AutohauzAZ is they sell the radiator, a known weak point in the E39 5 series, as a Behr unit in a Behr box. The same unit from BMW comes in a BMW box and has been through the BMW parts supply chain that adds a lot of cost.

I am sure if AutohauzAZ were not selling a lot of radiators they would drop the part. By keeping their inventory low and buying directly from the suppliers to the BMWs and Porsches of the world they are able to be very price competitive.

I do not begrudge the dealer for their high part prices...I just do not buy from them. The parts departments are there so the dude who brings his car in and has to have his car fixed RIGHT NOW has everything on the shelf from the manufacturer. For those of us who can wait, there are other sources.

There was a thread a while back about oil drain plug washers and O rings. I think it was last year...Porsche is about 10 times the price for those little bits....but they have them.

Cheers!

ppressle

The e34 M5 is a rock. It still makes me smile every time I drive it. It has been very reliable. I have 30+ track days and 175k miles and it has needed just normal (obsessive perhaps) maintenance. (actually, the AC has stopped cooling, but I'll fix it.) There is a pretty strong community for support as well.

Parts are quite reasonable if you can go OEM. If you need to buy OE or big engine parts, watch out. Very similar in parts pricing to the 993, except that I haven't found anyone quite as good as Sunset is for factory only parts.