E39 Specs and Options list ?

Fuzz

Fuzz

Fuzz

Soldato
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A lot of BMW enthusiasts in here with more of a clue than I, so could anyone enlighten me to the spec sheet / list / options, that were available on E39 M5 cars around the 01-02 era.
Sometime later this year one is on the cards so I need to start thinking about what it should come with..
Suggestions of what the best set of options were, are also welcome.
 
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Key options are the Communications Pack (Phone, 16:9 widescreen nav), sunroof and double glazing, most of the rest of the stuff is standard.

They make pretty crap buys these days though - most of them are too far gone and well into knuckledragger territory and the ones that are not are ridiculously priced garage queens. The boat has sailed sadly, or I'd buy one myself :(
 
Pretty sure the Sunroof was standard fit on the M5.

There really isn't much other than the Comms pack and Double glazing as already mentioned but a couple that come to mind...

Climate Comfort windscreen, Rear electric blind, Privacy glass.
 
I know there are some sheds about and I wouldn't entertain one of those.
They are on the verge of being cheap enough for some knuckle draggers I'll agree, but those are the decked sheds with black tints, stupid twin upswept exhaust tail pipes I've forgotten the name of and a bangin toon system.... I ain't into that, so hopefully it will still be seen as the car it once was if I can get a nice example.

I've seen some utterly hideous interior options and the mention of "Individual".
Was that more of a "spec the interior in your own gash style" option?
 
On the verge? They've been cheap enough for ages, you can buy some real snotters for £6-7k now and everyone thinks they can run one, so they just spiral downwards ever more.

Most people who can really afford to keep one properly have no need to be buying something as old as that anyway, which means most of the people buying them are those who cannot afford to keep them properly.

Those who can afford the often relentless costs associated can also afford to buy something a lot newer :(

Such a shame, they will remain my favourite car.
 
Even things like tyres, brake discs and pads will be eye watering won't they? Never mind if something breaks rather than just wears out!
 
[TW]Fox;19023273 said:
Key options are the Communications Pack (Phone, 16:9 widescreen nav), sunroof and double glazing, most of the rest of the stuff is standard.

They make pretty crap buys these days though - most of them are too far gone and well into knuckledragger territory and the ones that are not are ridiculously priced garage queens. The boat has sailed sadly, or I'd buy one myself :(
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I don't think it's necessarily that, just that 2x -3x over an equivalent 530 isn't value for money for the extra performance and slight appearance differences, then you have the extra running costs of fuel and insurance making it a bad financial decision unless you have a fuel card, many are still running late 90's e36 cars without any significant issue.
 
Trade prices... The know-how to fix it...
Maintenance on one of these is the least of my worries in my job, come on.

I was think of more the 9.5K and above to stay out of the ****ter category.
It has been my favourite car for a long time also, hence why at the end of the year I shall, for all intents and purposes, be buying one.
(Although this may be time dependent on the cost of a holiday I'm having to book for a mates Wedding in Sweden for Jan next year)
 
[TW]Fox;19023776 said:
you can buy some real snotters for £6-7k now
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4 Doors, Manual, Saloon, Petrol, 106,000 miles, Metallic CARBON BLACK, MOT-12-2011. Insurance Group:20A, REGISTERED (14/07/1999) T REG *** JUST ARRIVED *** CHEAPEST BLACK M5 IN THE COUNTRY *** P/X TO CLEAR *** BIG SPEC *** PRIVATE PLATE INCLUDED *** LONG MOT/TAX *** FULL SILVERSTONE NAAPER LEATHER, E/SEATS, MEMORY SEATS, HEATED SEATS, E/WINDOWS, C/LOCKING, PAS, ABS, POLISHED 19 INC M5 ALLOYS, DUAL CLIMATE CONTROL, AIR CON, 6 SPEED MANUAL, GLASS SUNROOF, PRIVACY GLASS, SAT NAV/ TV/ RADIO/ CASSETTE/ 6 CD CHNAGER/ TRAFFIC MASTER, PHONE PREP, VOICE CONTROL PACK, TYRE PRESSURE CONTROL, FIRST AID PACK, MULTI FUNCTION STEERING WHEEL, CRUISE CONTROL, ON BOARD COMPUTER, TRIP COMPUTER, BI-XENONS LIGHTS, AUTO WIPER MODE, SPORT MODE, TITANIUM TRIM FINISH, FACTORY ALARM & IMMOBILISER, TRACKER, FRONT FOGS, 106,000 MILES WITH FULL DOCUMENTED HISTORY, PREVIOUS MOT'S, NICE CLEAN CAR, SLIGHT PIXEL PROBLEM ON DASH, VANOS SLIGHTY NOISEY CHEAPEST BLACK M5 IN THE COUNTRY EXCELLENT CONDITION INSIDE OUT FIRST TOO SEE WILL BUY CALL ANYTIME FOR MORE INFORMATION *** FREE 7 DAY DRIVE AWAY INSURANCE *** ALL MAJOR CREDIT&DEBIT CARDS ACCEPTED INCLUDING AMEX *** VIEWINGS VIA APPOINTMENTS ONLY *** OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK *** WARRANTY AVAILABLE *** FINANCE ARRANGED SUBJECT TO STATUS *** ALL PART EXCHANGES WELCOME *** ALL EXPORT ENQUIRIES WELCOME *** VIEW OUR WEBSITE FOR A CHOICE OF QUALITY USED CARS *** NEAR HEATHROW AIRPORT. £5,450 p/x welcome
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:(
I bet they would take £5k for it. - Its enough to make you weep.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...radius/1501/quicksearch/true/page/1?logcode=p

Here is another hound. complete with engine warning light!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ksearch/true/postcode/st74hg/page/1?logcode=p
 
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Why does it make you weep? Its an old dated very thirsty saloon so of course its worthless. No-one with a brain would want that car hence the price it is now :/
 
Jez said:
Why does it make you weep?
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I weep because like Fox, its one of my all time favorite cars, I remember them when they were new, pristine, the King of the Hill..... :(

The King is dead, Long live the King..... ;)

Slumberbox said:
He should buy it, he prob only does 100 Private miles a week as a stobart tramper.
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Oi! If you don't mind I'm trying to use the fact that I hardly use my car any more as a reason not to go buy something like that of an e38 750i.....

Then you go & hint its a good idea....... :o:D
 
[TW]Fox;19024216 said:
Remember what happened last time you bought a silly-expensive car :p
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That only became silly expensive due to silly modifying it.

Learnt lesson, burnt fingers. End of
 
Posting an advert of the "cheapest M5 in the UK" proves noting apart from the fact yes there are people in the world that can't look after a car to save their lives.
This is not the sort of car I am after.

Anyway, it has to be 2001 /51 or later for my private reg to go on it
 
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I think there's two schools of thought when it comes to something like a E39 M5.

You can get one for £6k, but like Jez points out, its going to be old, dated and expensive to run. Its also going to be well past it best mechanically and going to need a ton of money spent on it to bring it back from the brink. Money you're never, ever going to see back because its a 12 year old 2 gen old 5 series. If you're head is control of your heart you really are best off with the memories of top gear, car mags and seeing one burble by once in a while. 'Never meet your heros'.

Of course the other school of thought is 'Sod it, I'll buy one anyway', and I think for some people that works if they love the car rather than what It 'could' do back in the day. At the end of the day I guess it boils down to how much you want one. Do you want one enough that you can delude yourself into thinking a once great car that has now as seen better days is still king? Enough that you can see past all of the bills and the money you'll never see back. I guess you've got to be properly committed to the car. I've always told myself that if I were to get that deep on a car it'd be a total labor of love and I would have to keep it forever. You only have to take a hit on a car if you sell it, keep it forever you can't loose any money on it ;).

What Scuba seems to be suggesting is going in between these two schools and I'm not convinced that he'll be able to pull it offer for very long. I can see yourself either getting sucked into chucking money at it to make it a nice car again or cutting your losses and selling it before things get silly.

As for E39s. Personally I've never been a fan. BM's lost the 'Wow' factor for me once they dropped the 'shark' quad headlight design. Of course I was about 5 at the time so I was obviously opinionated from a very young age :).
 
Scubascorpion said:
Posting an advert of the "cheapest M5 in the UK" proves noting apart from the fact yes there are people in the world that can't look after a car to save their lives.
This is not the sort of car I am after.

Anyway, it has to be 2001 /51 or later for my private reg to go on it
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I was not even hinting you should get a snotter, just bemoaning that so many M5's are just that now. :(

I'm with your quest all the way.


Joshy said:
'Never meet your heros'.
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True with a rock star perhaps Not so some cars - a healthy e34 M5 is still an impressive piece of kit today, never mind a healthy, tidy e39 variant.

Your right though, he has some thinking to do.
 
DM said:
Get a e60
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Are you having a giraffe, the cheapest one on Autotrader is £16,294.

Can't and wouldn't pay that much.



Back on E39 bandwagon normality, a note to think about is the vanos issues were, I think, cured on the 2002 model onwards. Correct?
 
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