FAO Fox: Buying a E39 530i Sport

I paid 4k for a 2001 530, which is high-end of the market, but it was 54,000 miles, FBMWSH, 2 previous owners with some sweet options including electric comfort seats, double glazing, DSP and rear and side blinds. Om nom! 4 michelins, very good interior but bodywork not mint - I really want to give it a paint correction.

Knowing what I now know from being on BMW5.co.uk I wouldn't be as scared as i was about a cheaper higher mileage one with less perfect history if there were other compelling reasons to go for it. There's really not much major to worry about other than the autobox, and that really doesn't seem as problematic as I first heard. I do my own work though. If you need to go to a dealer/garage for everything then you have a better reason to search hard for a really good one. It'll be more expensive to run than a brand new mondeo, but you should expect that - it's a 10 year old car that will need plenty of maintenance and preventative maintenance. It wont ruin you though.

I've retrofitted seat heating to mine and am now in the process of fitting a full-leather caramel interior (another uber rare and awesome option) :).
 
Liampope said:
I paid 4k for a 2001 530, which is high-end of the market, but it was 54,000 miles, FBMWSH, 2 previous owners with some sweet options including electric comfort seats, double glazing, DSP and rear and side blinds. Om nom! 4 michelins, very good interior but bodywork not mint - I really want to give it a paint correction.

Knowing what I now know from being on BMW5.co.uk I wouldn't be as scared as i was about a cheaper higher mileage one with less perfect history if there were other compelling reasons to go for it. There's really not much major to worry about other than the autobox, and that really doesn't seem as problematic as I first heard. I do my own work though. If you need to go to a dealer/garage for everything then you have a better reason to search hard for a really good one. It'll be more expensive to run than a brand new mondeo, but you should expect that - it's a 10 year old car that will need plenty of maintenance and preventative maintenance. It wont ruin you though.

I've retrofitted seat heating to mine and am now in the process of fitting a full-leather caramel interior (another uber rare and awesome option) :).
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Did you have the satnav option or not ? Can't remember, will you be going for a dynavin then if not?
 
pepsilol said:
Did you have the satnav option or not ? Can't remember, will you be going for a dynavin then if not?
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Nah despite ticking some cool option boxes, original owner didn't even tick high OBC, let alone nav :(. So yeah I'm planning on a Dynavin or something similar. There seems to be loads of these things coming onto the market now but so far only the Dynavin looks good fitted - all the rest seem to have a really curved front face that suits the X5 dash rather than E39, so Dynavin is still top of the list despite the price.

To make it work I need to remove the DSP amp so I intend to replace it with a decent aftermarket such as the JBL MS-8 which will work with an aftermarket head unit. For completeness I'm thinking about the BSW speaker upgrade package. I have to say the DSP setup sounds pretty good so I'm considering just an Intravee for the time being and the full upgrade in the future.
 
That's what I'm thinking, looks nice though. I might have a look at it when my insurance coughs up.
 
Could somebody kindly post an image of their xenon light pattern against a wall?

Probably not something you have but if you could grab a photo when convenient that'd be a great help. I want to compare my aftermarket kit to OEM and/or another aftermarket setup.


IMG_0034.JPG


This is mine, after replacing the adjusters I aligned the headlights myself as per the TIS document. Hopefully it's correct? Unsure if the drivers side light should be higher? The lights do not dazzle me (walked across the car park away from the car to check) and nobody has flashed. I am really pleased with them but wish to double check they are operating optimally.
 
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Phil W said:
Drivers side headlight beam on most cars is generally higher than the right :)
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It's the other way round is it not? I.e. necessitating the need for beam adjustment stickers when driving abroad if you can't adjust them

Edit: re read your post and it contradicts itself lol, if by drivers side you mean passenger side then yes
 
Lucero said:
Oil service for cars over 4 years old at the mo is *just* £139. That includes a wash and hoover :eek:
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Only for the E60, the E39 'Value Service' price is a less-than-value-packed £189, unless a local dealer is doing a promotion. The E60 oil service is cheaper because as standard the price does not include Microfilters whereas the E39 oil service does.
 
Oh, that's a shame. The email I got wasn't model specific though. It simply reads:

OIL SERVICE FOR BMW VEHICLES
4 YEARS AND OLDER, JUST £139.

If you have a four or six cylinder BMW that's four years and older you can have an oil service carried out by a BMW Dealer for a fixed price of just £139*.

This low price comes with the promise of exceptionally high quality as we only use Genuine BMW Parts and BMW Recommended oil. Further reassurance comes from knowing that all the work on your car will be carried out by BMW technicians with unrivalled expertise.
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Although at the bottom it does say (does not include micro filter), but that's no biggy.
 
Found a couple of potential E39s for sale after some trawling. One is local, just waiting to hear from the seller. The other a little way away, but quite possibly a very good example. Can't say too much else lest anyone snap either of them up!

*excite*
 
Tesla said:
Could somebody kindly post an image of their xenon light pattern against a wall?

Probably not something you have but if you could grab a photo when convenient that'd be a great help. I want to compare my aftermarket kit to OEM and/or another aftermarket setup.


IMG_0034.JPG


This is mine, after replacing the adjusters I aligned the headlights myself as per the TIS document. Hopefully it's correct? Unsure if the drivers side light should be higher? The lights do not dazzle me (walked across the car park away from the car to check) and nobody has flashed. I am really pleased with them but wish to double check they are operating optimally.
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Drivers side is too low, both lights should be the same level.
 
Clarkey said:
Drivers side is too low, both lights should be the same level.
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No, they shouldn't. All cars appear to have their passenger lights slightly higher (to light the kerbside of the road) and the drivers side appears slightly lower to avoid dazzle to oncoming traffic (driver to driver). There's very little in it though, but incorrect alignment is an MOT failure. Although not actually set higher, it's based around beam cut off. What he's posted is fine
 
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