Tell me about the E39 535i
- Thread starter MikeHiow
- Start date
They should be. It rarely happens in any other way. We all spend 10,20,50,100k based on an hour, day at max with the car and research. You better make sure on that test drive you're going to "gel" or it's going to be most expensive lack of "gelling" you will experience in your life.
Dr. Phil, Dr. Pam thank you.
One could get an impression we were discussing replacing 1968 Mustang GT with 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. It's a decade and three designs old, black cab mileage, regular (what do they call it - "business"? ) trim 530i being replaced with a 335i. You could argue class for class discrepancy, that it would be like replacing Mondeo with Focus, but in this scenario, it would be pattisson shape mk2 Mondeo, being replaced with Focus RS. And I would imagine the 3 series would be the new idrive thing sporting 08+ model with spec sheet twice as long as the old girl, etc.
Not even Fox would be irrational enough to give up a "best on this side of M badges" beemer coupe for what a car that is essentially two orange indicators and a skinny plastic boot stick on spoiler away from getting "no thanks" valuations in part exchanges? Unless there is "splatter" from Dexter Morgan bags in he boot of that 530i, I don't see any scenario in which our Fox, the BMW Approved Used highest unpaid "commissioner", the man who convinced armies of his forumates to purchase more used 3 litre coupes than BMW managed to sell when they were new (wink), would do such a thing you lot are describing. Say it ain't so?
And then he says it is so (took too long to type, leaving my post on just for pure "sunday cartoon value")
I definitely have a point, ive recently sold an S-Class which i covered over 100k miles in which i think is a fair period to live with a car and get complacent about it. Mid way through amongst others i even had a 530i Sport(!)
95% of the time the luxury car is as different to the sportier car as a fiesta is different to the exec car.
5% of the time the sportier car is as different as an elise is in the oposite direction.
Weighing up the options you are mad to not simply buy into the correct class.
The only thing which totally invalidates this argument is that i now drive a much sportier car with a fairly firm ride as its so much fun (SL500 ABC)
[TW]Fox;20095333 said:
But I have to say, it's only that model in that colour that looks "fresh-ish" in my eyes. Every E39 I see on the roads is more heavy and bulgy looking. My bosses E39 in dark blue looks very 90ies next to newer beemers on parking lot. It looks visually much rounder, fatter, uglier than pics of that bright silver Sport Fox has. Even B10 alpina I stumbled across recently, mouldings on the side panels, thick door slam strips, very retro.
Depends which one you have. Mine excels quite nicely at moving the scenery past you at an alarming rate and while keeping you nice and comfy too
I don't know....I'm not sure where this E60 negativity comes from. To me, they seem like a huge amount of car for £8k - £10k.
What sort of things are regularly supposed to fail on them? I'm guessing electronics rather than mechanical?
What sort of things are regularly supposed to fail on them? I'm guessing electronics rather than mechanical?
My dad an E60 525d for 5 years. Granted, he only did about 50,000 miles in it but the only thing that ever failed was the radio knob, which fell off.
Oh, and the chrome trim around the front windows fell off too.
Here is my 2p worth. I have owned a 535 that was a year older than that and when I got shot was on 135k iirc.
tl;dr
Don't buy it unless you intend keeping it for 6 months or less
Full:
Buy it if you want to experience a V8. The engines are quite sound and fairly easy to work on (I found working on mine both a pain and a joy, spark plug changing for example is easy until you get to the back ones) Saying that, there are plenty and I mean plenty of how to guides out there on swapping things around.
The alternator on mine wasn't water cooled, that only comes on the later 4.4 (cars which had their engines swapped because of the nikasil issue) The alternator does have an air duct.
The suspension as Fox states will likely be in a bit of a state. Its not a question of swapping bits out as you have to torque to the correct setting while having the correct loading in the car. It isn't a thousand pound job as people are making out, nowhere near it. In fact, if you went for oem parts, I would be surprised if you paid more than half of that.
Common issues on the E39 is the automatic gearbox. There are so many horror stories out there, but I think as long as you keep on top of servicing, it will be peachy.
I kept mine for a little over 2 years. In that time I spent £300 on tyres and another £100 on brake parts. The rear suspension was starting to squeak like a rusty bed frame, but that can be fixed by a DIY suspension refresh or by drilling into a rubber rose on the rear and filling it will grease.
Looking at that car, I can say that without a gearbox refresh, that car will be knackered. There is a tow bar on the back, and surprisingly, the BMW automatics are not good towcars. They need an extra oil cooler for the gearbox, which I can almost guarantee will not have been done (nobody thinks of doing it until they have to recon their gearbox)
Choice is yours at the end of the day, but I would only buy that to strip for parts.
tl;dr
Don't buy it unless you intend keeping it for 6 months or less
Full:
Buy it if you want to experience a V8. The engines are quite sound and fairly easy to work on (I found working on mine both a pain and a joy, spark plug changing for example is easy until you get to the back ones) Saying that, there are plenty and I mean plenty of how to guides out there on swapping things around.
The alternator on mine wasn't water cooled, that only comes on the later 4.4 (cars which had their engines swapped because of the nikasil issue) The alternator does have an air duct.
The suspension as Fox states will likely be in a bit of a state. Its not a question of swapping bits out as you have to torque to the correct setting while having the correct loading in the car. It isn't a thousand pound job as people are making out, nowhere near it. In fact, if you went for oem parts, I would be surprised if you paid more than half of that.
Common issues on the E39 is the automatic gearbox. There are so many horror stories out there, but I think as long as you keep on top of servicing, it will be peachy.
I kept mine for a little over 2 years. In that time I spent £300 on tyres and another £100 on brake parts. The rear suspension was starting to squeak like a rusty bed frame, but that can be fixed by a DIY suspension refresh or by drilling into a rubber rose on the rear and filling it will grease.
Looking at that car, I can say that without a gearbox refresh, that car will be knackered. There is a tow bar on the back, and surprisingly, the BMW automatics are not good towcars. They need an extra oil cooler for the gearbox, which I can almost guarantee will not have been done (nobody thinks of doing it until they have to recon their gearbox)
Choice is yours at the end of the day, but I would only buy that to strip for parts.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
The very early E60's are actually no more hassle really than the E39 because things like the engine *is* that from the E39. Not until late 2005 did the E60 move on from the M54 engines found in the E39. Therefore your biggest worry is the iDrive system. Diesels are the same as the older ones as well but tbh the diesels are universally more faff than worth the bother IMHO even the E39's.
Post 05 but pre 07 cars have the fairly reliable N52 engine.
After 07 it gets nasty - completely new bus system and all new direct injection N53 petrol engines which are both a complex nightmare and a reliability gamble. Many indys dont know an awful lot about them either as they are not long out of warranty.
But the problem is that IMHO the pre LCI E60 just isn't that good. It was a brand new example back in 2006 which I test drove for a day which first got me really not liking E60's. Years later not only do you have to put up with what IMHO is a frankly bizarre interior, but most of the interior seems to enjoy flaking off for a hobby and lots of them look very very tired these days. A far cry from the E39 which hid its age and miles in a fantastic way.
So, in order to get an interior that befits that of an executive saloon you need an LCI which are both expensive and an out of warranty pain.
Depends which one you have. Mine excels quite nicely at moving the scenery past you at an alarming rate and while keeping you nice and comfy too
OT: but, have you got any pictures of your M5? Would really like to see them
And Fox, what happened about the loan you took out for the 335i? Did you pay this back in one lump sump or do you still have to suffer the interest?
[TW]Fox;20098284 said:
Great!
Well...anyway...i'll just leave this here shall i...?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3171702.htm
The M5 has massive appeal for me now. I think if I lived on the mainland, it is definitely something I'd love - far too big and just generally wasted over here though.
As for the 535 I viewed, I think I'm going to leave it for now. The more I think about it, the more I think I'd rather have something a bit nicer and perhaps even plump for the 540 to get some decent performance out of it. There doesn't seem to be anything on PH at the moment that really appeals, but it gives me some time to get shot of the Golf first.
As for the 535 I viewed, I think I'm going to leave it for now. The more I think about it, the more I think I'd rather have something a bit nicer and perhaps even plump for the 540 to get some decent performance out of it. There doesn't seem to be anything on PH at the moment that really appeals, but it gives me some time to get shot of the Golf first.
