BMW Reviews

This is fine as an illustrated guide to the different models, as there is a large photo and usually a few smaller detail photos for each model, along with some technical statistics following the photos, and snippets of owner commentary. The introductory "Buyer's Guide" chapter is a good 5-6 page guide on what to look for when evaluating a used BMW, or other brand for that matter. The rest of the guidance comes in the form of a 1-2 page intro to each model in which the changes to and quirks of the particular year or model are discussed, and then notes on the photos with arrows pointing to the problem areas on the car.

I guess I was expecting a bit more detail on what makes one BMW a better buy than another, comparisons of the different models, series, etc. Instead, I found the actual buying advice, while valuable, a bit skimpy.

This actually is a pretty good book. There are a number of color photos for each car (it covers 2002's-e46 BMWs, even M models and the 8 series!) with text captions for problems to look for for each car. It lists the specifications for each model and provides a handy summary of repair costs and parts costs for items such as bumpers, fuel pumps, oil filters etc. I don't remember seeing a pricing guide for each car, but such information can easily be found in a bluebook or a website like edmunds.com.

This isn't a repair manual, but definatly gives a prospective buyer a number of things to think about and look for when shopping for a used BMW.

Fred Larimer's "BMW Buyer's Guide" is not only a truly
informative book for anyone contemplating buying an
used BMW but, in addition, it is a treasure for anyone
interested in the BMW in general. Specifically, it
provides beautiful pictures of various BMWs with a
comprehensive outline of potential problem areas prone
to the models illustrated. More importantly, it
provides an useful and meticulous outline of the steps
to be followed in testing an used BMW prior to the
actual purchase of an used BMW and, by extension, any
used vehicle.

The book title is incorrect because the story contained within is not complete. There is no mention of the different styles of ventilation control housings underneath the center of the dash panels, in E28 5 series BMW. Illustrations on pages 75, 80 and 96 show different styles E28 vent control and a/c housings, however there is no mention of these differences in any of the text. Appropriate additions should be included in all future editions of an otherwise excellent 5er book.

This book has lots of great pictures and articles about 5's.

It covers the history of the brand, of the boxer motor and the developement cycle of the R259 series. It has LOTS of nice photographs of the prototype motorcycles for the RS, pictures of the new motor under various angles (assembled & dissassembled) and of various parts of the RS. It has a somewhat limited coverage of the GS, S, RT, 1200C, F and K series (about 6-8 pages each). Very good for boxer enthusiasts, but I was a bit dissapointed since I am an RT fan I would have liked to see more of it in the book.

Offers an interesting glimpse into the BMW motorcycle division's development process. Most of the book is devoted to the R1100 series with much smaller chapters describing F650 and K series development. The title is deceptive because the R1100S gets only a paragraph and the C1 is given a single photograph and no text. It gets a bit thick when the author describes riding the motorcycles and sounds suspiciously like advertising copy. For instance the transmission of the R1100RS is described as "buttery". Anyone who has ridden an R1100RS knows how far from the truth that is. As an R1100RS owner with over 76000 miles and having ridden numerous other R11 models I can atest to that. Overall, I reccommend the book, particularly for the many interesting photographs of the R1100RS development.

This was written more for a professioanl mechanic than a weekender like myself. Many of the instructions are vague and omit critical intermediate steps. On the other hand other areas seem to be written for the weekendeer, referring some repairs to a "qualified profesional".

I much prefer the Haynes manuals. They are based on a complete teardown and describe some of the less intuitive procedures in better detail.

The wiring diagrams included in the book are however worth the price of the book alone. I recommend this book, but you might want to supplement it with other more detailed manuals.
Anyway, if you own a Z3 you will likely use this a lot. The Z3's reliability leaves much to be desired and you will need all the help you can get.

Essential Guide for the Z3 DIY owner. Information, however, pertains largely to left hand drive models. For enthusiasts, model modifications by year a boon to know. Hard Binding would have made the book more lasting, especially in a workshop environment.

Having found an 1957 Isetta convertible (which sat for 27 years stored indoors!), the car needed many little (and some not so little) repairs. This book is a great help! Clearly written and very readable. It can become frustrating for me when dealing with things mechanical, and this book helps de-mystify the process. I am having a great deal of enjoyment (most of the time) getting my "little egg" back on the road, and this book is a very helpful resource!

Having recently fallen in love with this tiny bubble-car made by BMW in the late 50s and early 60s, I was surprised to find myself with one, albeit a fixer-upper, in short time. After going to a minicar and microcar meet, the other Isetta owners said: 'You must buy this book!' and 'This book is truly amazing!' I got the book and indeed they were right: this book is astounding. Mr. Jensen offers insightful step-by-step guidance with useful pointers and tips for every facet of restoring the 1958 sliding window export model of 'the rolling egg.' When I bought my Isetta, the seat and inside panels were missing. Imagine my joy when I found, in the book, templates for the panels and a design for a replacement seat. It was almost a spooky, spine-tingling, X-files kind of sensation. It this thoroughness into the restoration process that I found extremely useful. Indeed, this book is truly amazing and, if you are restoring or upkeeping an Isetta, you must own it.

i want to review 1950 to 1662 history of the bmw motorcycl

Paperback book. B/W photos. This is a good general reference for the BMW fan. Covers the entire history from the Dixie to the present. A good value for the money.

This is a lower cost soft cover replacement title of an unaltered hardback original, part of the Motor Racing publications [MRP} stable in the UK. First published in 1992, it covers only the first two generations [1975-1990] of 3 series. Coverage is detailled, racing and road,but concentrates on German and UK developments, not the USA. Appendices, including performance are particularly useful. If you are interested in American BMW 3 series go for the same author's recent Robert Bentley title which also covers all models up to 2000. This does have detailled US model information, year-on-year. If you are interested in the earlier Eurtopean models, then this is a very handy and concise way of learning the most for minimal reading time.

I found that there were many things to read in this book, that will help the avid BMW driver. If you need to find out how to find the functionality of your BWM, this is the book for you!

I'm comparing this book to other BMW factory manuals and the Bentley 5-series manual, neither of which is available, (as far as I know) for the 1600-2002. In this comparison, the Haynes manual falls a little short in terms of the quality of the photographs and diagrams (especially the wiring diagrams), but is still very useful.

The book is well organized and easy to read, and contains good detail on just about every rebuild, including transmissions, engine, rear end, brakes, etc. As the cover says: "...Based on a complete teardown and rebuild."

I'm about to embark on a complete teardown and rebuild of a '71 2002, and bought this book to make sure I would have all the information necessary to complete this project. All of the stock BMW carburetion systems are covered, but my car has dual Weber 40 DCOEs (a common aftermarket addition). The excellent "Weber Carburettors Owners Workshop Manual" from Haynes covers them.

After reviewing it, I'm satisified that everything I will need is there, equivalent in content to the BMW and Bentley manuals. I'd give it five stars if the quality of the reproductions were better.