Project E39 Revival

Sone said:
E39 is just too hard.

I had a S80 and drove to glasgow in back in a day. Had 2 e39's (an se and sport) and would not do it in either!

Old mans had a few A6's and they seemed comfy, not spent loads of time in e-class of that age but it seemed nice and wafty.
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Maybe it was because I had a v8 in mine, but I could never describe the suspension as hard. I drove from Wales to Newcastle and back and felt as fresh getting out as going. I've driven several A6's and unless they were all broken in the same way, I would say they were totally uninspiring and pretty dire.

The S80 I drove was lovely apart from the seat making my bum go to sleep.
 
[TW]Fox;21685478 said:
On a long Motorway trip like that 35-38 depending on traffic etc etc. I stick to the speed limit on Motorways though.
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I have the same engine in mine as yours don't I?

I never get above 32 :(
 
[TW]Fox;21685478 said:
On a long Motorway trip like that 35-38 depending on traffic etc etc. I stick to the speed limit on Motorways though.
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Hmm.. I struggled to get 30mpg out of my 523i and that was really trying too.. Something must be wrong. Hopefully a good service will sort it out (hasn't been done for ages whilst it wasn't in my hands).
 
mejinks said:
I have the same engine in mine as yours don't I?

I never get above 32 :(
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Mine is a 530i with the M54B30.

It's a manual though - I can't get more than about 33-34 out of the Touring which is an Auto. Taking it on a long run in a few weeks so will see what I can manage out of it.

Nitrojan said:
Hmm.. I struggled to get 30mpg out of my 523i and that was really trying too.. Something must be wrong. Hopefully a good service will sort it out (hasn't been done for ages whilst it wasn't in my hands).
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You have the early M52 engine without dual VANOS which I'd imagine is a bit less economical.
 
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Lashout_UK said:
I wouldn't wax or polish that for a few weeks, let the paint settle and harden :)
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Funny you say this, I was just googling this exact thing lol :D :D

What is the best way to wash/polish/wax a freshly painted car to keep it looking new? :)

[TW]Fox;21685552 said:
You have the early M52 engine without dual VANOS which I'd imagine is a bit less economical.
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Hmm yeah I guess so! Ah well!
 
Nitrojan said:
Funny you say this, I was just googling this exact thing lol :D :D

What is the best way to wash/polish/wax a freshly painted car to keep it looking new? :)



Hmm yeah I guess so! Ah well!
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Use polishes marked as bodyshop safe, and do not use any LSP for a few weeks. Ideally avoid leaving it in direct sunlight too directly after painting, it can cause solvent pop.
 
Nitrojan said:
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It certainly has presence. I love the colour, and the 'stealth' look :cool:
 
Shouldnt need polishing really, but i guess all you need a pure polish if the paint is mint, ie a polish with no cleaning properties.

I'd glaze it with a coat or two of wax after about 3 weeks :)
 
[TW]Fox;21685439 said:
No complaints about the cruising ability of my E39. Infact my only complaint is that the damn thing is so good I'm going to be stuck with it for so long i'll end up looking like a hobo driving a 30 year old BMW.
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If you saw someone driving a mint 70s or 80s 5 or 6 series would you think they're a hobo though? :p
 
Looking very nice, i like the carbon with that interior colour, breaks it up nicely. Are you planning on dechroming the windows at all, I think they look much more modern without it.

As for comfort I think the e39 is fantastic on the motorway, very solid and easy to get to license losing speeds without ever noticing. I'm off to Bognor Regis in July it wil be the longest trip i've done, can't wait :)
 
Looking good. It's amazing what facelift lights, sports bumpers, decent wheels and a de-chrome do to the E39 looks. I'd probably go so far as to say timeless. Has your opinion of the Ebay-special bumper remained high through fitting, etc?

One question for the experienced - does anybody know how hard an M5 is comapred to a V8 sport? Is an M5 a sound proposition for cruising or would it ride just too hard?
 
I dont think there is an appreciable difference in ride quality between M5 and V8 Sport. It's just as good a cruiser a V8 Sport - the only snag is that the more you drive it the more you notice the increased running costs.

Plus the fact that £5-6k gets you a mint last of the V8's or a suspect M5.
 
I can't help noticing the passengers side wing and bonnet do not line up properly. But apart from that it does like it just rolled out of the factory, amazing for a design that is a few years old.
 
[TW]Fox;21688421 said:
I dont think there is an appreciable difference in ride quality between M5 and V8 Sport. It's just as good a cruiser a V8 Sport - the only snag is that the more you drive it the more you notice the increased running costs.

Plus the fact that £5-6k gets you a mint last of the V8's or a suspect M5.
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Hmmm interesting, and ties in with an old scanned magazine article I was reading saying the latest 540 sport was pretty close in ride to an M5. Is there any difference in the sport suspension of a V8 compared with, say, your 530?
 
Liampope said:
Hmmm interesting, and ties in with an old scanned magazine article I was reading saying the latest 540 sport was pretty close in ride to an M5. Is there any difference in the sport suspension of a V8 compared with, say, your 530?
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No. Though the Sixes handle a little better than the V8's because of the better weight distribution.

There are a few technical differences between the front suspension of the V8 and that of the Six but they are for packaging reasons rather than performance reasons.
 
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