Wiktoria & Marcin's E28 520i
Photography by Sylwia Klaczyńska
Why is simplicity so alluring? Well simply put, it just works. When every piece is in harmony with its core they enhance it as opposed to distract from it. Simplicity is difficult to achieve and isn't valued nearly enough. All of this can be related to in the car modding scene too. While the majority of enthusiasts are wrapped up in pushing the limits and adding this or that to catch attention, it's refreshing to see some unaffected by this habit. Wiktoria and Marcin Włodarczyk are a few who choose the road less traveled.
This 1984 E28 520i was bought a year ago for Wiktoria. Her and Marcin went to see it with no intention of actually buying it but after a while they knew it would soon be theirs. It still had the original BMW-bronzitbeige-metallic factory paint; it was very, very well-maintained, had healthy bodywork, and even had Pfeba front and rear spoilers installed—"What more could you want!?" they stated.
So the E28 was imported from Germany. After they received it they decided it needed some individuality. The plan was to enhance the classic image and not spoil anything in the process. The first modification was to make a set of homemade coilovers—threaded bushings and springs from the universal set are matched to standard Bilstein B4 shock absorbers.
Next on the list was to refresh that factory paint. So the car was fully detailed, which brought the exterior back to a much more youthful state. They also spent a great deal of time figuring out what wheels to go with at this time. There were a few ideas tossed around of BBS, Hartge and other classic wheels. One thing they were sure of was that the wheels had to be 17". They wanted to keep the OEM appearance of the car, yet do something that was still unique. After talking with their good friend "Dzidziusbmw", they jointly decided that it had to be something different, original, and distinctive from other E28's.
The decision was made and the guys from Indywidual-wheel Dzidziusbmw & Zbif were set to work. They went with a set of metric-sized forged alloys originally found on the E28 M5 and E24 M635CSi. They were custom-built into 3-piece wheels with new specs resulting in 17x9" with an offset of et20. The centers were painted a gold color from the Isuzu palette which complimented the Bronzit Beige perfectly. Dunlop SP9000 205/40's were mounted on the front and 215/40's on the rear. The outcome left them speechless and it's made quite an impression on the internet already as well.
Further modifications to the car are minor details, mostly consisting of BMW accessories. At the end Marcin did a comprehensive review, changed out all of the fluids and the 5er was ready to hit the road. The most recent plans are to mount wider lips on the rear and make a custom air ride suspension based on Bilstein B6 struts. Marcin said, "This 80's BMW gives me and my better half a lot of joy, so we do not intend to say goodbye any time soon."
It just goes to show that well thought-out modifying and keeping things simple can grab just as much attention as a car with every part that has been changed on it. In the end though it's really how the style has been executed and this E28 has pulled it off brilliantly.
