Posted by Klaus Wiehl on December 13, 2001 at 15:13:10:
Hey there fellow-Fivers ! Yup, Dave Spencer is in South Africa, and visiting Cape Town on Saturday. Unfortunately he will only be here for the day, I'll be picking him up at the airport around 09h30 and taking him back around 18h00. I believe for the rest of his stay he will be working in Johannesburg, which is about one and a half hours away by plane from myself. Besides taking the 530 for a drive, I hope to show him a bit of Cape Town, point out all the E12s, possibly visit a few salvage yards, have some lunch and beers, and just basically bore him to death with the 530 !
While on the 530, time for me to bore you guys. These South African 530 Motor Sports came out with a special BMW Motor Sport steering wheel. For some odd reason the previous owner of my car removed the damn thing, so mine has a Personal wheel. Well, after years of searching, I found one, and got it for free !!! It was quite knackered, but the old-style M logo was still there and in perfect condition. I have had it recovered and fitted, and it just looks great. But how's this, remember the German track with those flared arches we were all marvelling at a few weeks ago ? The steering wheel is the same ! It's an Italian make called Italvolanti. I wonder what the connection is. Otherwise all is well with the old girl, she recently had a service, had the handbrake restored, and the period Pioneer radio refitted. Fitting that radio was a painful job, I had to have my father make a special bracket to hold the thing firmly in place as it was rattling away.
For Sam : Besides the article Troy very kindly put together on this site, I have written a fairly comprehensive article on the local 530s which you can find on Ulrich Thieme's site www.e12.de . Just click on his South African section and then on 530. Take note though, Ulrich has combined the 530 MLE article and pics. with a later 530 which was also unique to S.A.. So, if you want to be a purist, ignore the data and the pics of the silver cars and the car with Pentax sponsorship on the windscreen. These are 530s, but not the lightweight 530 MLE. Hope you enjoy the article, it gives the basic mechanical info. and may show the differences from your injected 530s in the U.S.
Till later
Klaus
'76 530 MLE
'90 525iA