Whenever we decide to buy a pre-owned car we usually go out of our way to scour all the online resources available containing any sort of information that could prove useful. It’s the same regardless of the car brand or model, and that includes BMW. So, who better to ask when thinking about buying a BMW E34 5 Series than a BMW Classic expert mechanic? That’s exactly what’s happening in the video below as one ambitious couple is trying to find the perfect car for participating in the Allgäu-Orient Rallye 2017.

The video is a bit dated as the Allgäu-Orient Rallye 2017 already took place but it does explain how one of the six cars taking part in it was a BMW E34 5 Series Touring. The budget was set at under 2,000 EUR and the team found its perfect weapon of choice priced at around 1,400 EUR. The technician also gave his thumbs up after checking it and the short clip below actually tells you what to look out for if you’re also interested in buying one.

The chosen car had a 6,000 kilometer (3,730 miles) to cover before reaching its destination in the rally so the suspension had to be top notch. That’s also one of the key elements you should check on an older E34. The car the BMW Classic technician checked was in great condition. First he checked the front axle, to make sure the wishbones and struts have no play. Then he checked the rear axle to make sure that the rubber bearings were in good condition. Another thing you want to check are the wires of the tailgate. The area around the gas cap, the lower part of the front fenders and the door rabbits are also parts that can rust easily and need to be checked.

The reason why the E34 platform was chosen was not, as you may think, the fact that it is fun to drive or looks cool. The reason why the participants went for it was because it is easy to maintain and fix in case something went wrong during their trip. It’s a car that relies as little as possible on electronics and most of its internals are simply mechanical and therefore easier to fix. The team eventually finished second and, more importantly, managed to finish the race without any major issues, despite traveling through some rather rough terrain.