FAO Fox: Buying a E39 530i Sport

Can be fine enough with shrouds fitted and proper calibration. The problem is so many people just want the silly blue tint with no regard to whether they cause issues for other road users, they just don't care.
I'm a Xenon sceptic through and through though. Some on here swear by them and bang on about once you have them you will never go back. I've driven cars with factory Xenon before, and retrofitted ones. I don't honestly think either option gives that big of an improvement over my halogens to make it worth converting.

I've said my piece though, back to E39 talk.
 
maccapacca said:
When I was contemplating breaking the tourer the xenons were the first item to be stripped off but looking into it the kit that is included scattered around the car is immense, how does a retrofit kit work with self levelling?
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The Touring has self levelling suspension which is actually sufficient to absolve the car of any requirement for self levelling headlights anyway, legally speaking.

maccapacca said:
Not really, it's not really 'fine' then as a retrofit then, is it?
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The most important part of a safe Xenon installation is projector lenses - the housings are the same on both models with and without Xenons. The self levelling feature is a product of legislation catering to the lowest common denominator, in this case muppets who load a car up with luggage and people and don't bother to use the manual adjuster. It doesn't adjust the headlight beam quick enough to have a credible effect on the car driving over bumps etc.

There is nothing wrong with a decent retrofit on an E39, IMHO.
 
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Clarkey said:
Not really. The non-xenon projectors are like the e36 ones aren't they, there's a reflector around the outside of the lens
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On the prefacelift cars, yes it's the same as per E36. Not on the facelift cars.

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The only way to tell a factory Xenon fitted E39 from a retrofit Xenon fitted E39 without lifting the bonnet is to check for the levelling wheel inside the car :)
 
Liampope said:
Did you pull out the rubber grommets on the underside of the thin strip between the boot and bumper for an inspection? I did when fitting my towbar and the edges were starting to rust up. Nip it in the bud with a rub, touch of paint and a squirt of waxoyl in the cavity.
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Previous owner had already done this. I'll keep an eye on the area though.

The bumper clip/carrier on the NSR 1/4 is where I have some rust starting to bubble up.
 
Couldn't live with Arizona Sun. Cinnamon is pretty nice, but naaaaah - it's all about Caramel Full/Extended leather...
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I'm about half way to getting that in mine.

Champagne Full/Extended leather is pretty nice too...
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