![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Are we talking about your stripped out E36 here?
You told us you hated it inside, and the interior was nasty, therefore you had a Focus for day to day driving. Now its a 'lush place to be, very nice indeed'
Project E39 Revival
- Thread starter Nitrojan
- Start date
Are we talking about your stripped out E36 here?
You told us you hated it inside, and the interior was nasty, therefore you had a Focus for day to day driving. Now its a 'lush place to be, very nice indeed'
[TW]Fox;21123798 said:Are we talking about your stripped out E36 here?
You told us you hated it inside, and the interior was nasty, therefore you had a Focus for day to day driving. Now its a 'lush place to be, very nice indeed'
There are 2 cars lol, a red stripped out one and a purple standard one.
Not too bad in the grand scheme of things, better than losing £1.5k.
Just for anyone that is interested, I have a small update 
Took the car to have the sill repaired.. then noticed another dent on the other side so had that pulled for a total of £230 (gasp..) - ready for the spray now though.
Here is a picture of when I took it, please excuse the front end
Took delivery of some dechroming tape and a few other bits and bobs ready to be fitted.
Then today, I began work on fitting some LED angel eyes and HID bulbs to my DEPO P39 headlights.. This required modification of the original angel eye housing (as depo had tried to mimic the original angel eyes with small bulbs within the housing). This turned out to be a much larger job that I had first thought..
So these are finally done and HID bulbs fitted! Will keep you updated as things progress
P.S Looking for some decent BMW wheels to replace the horrible 'old-man-style' (as I like to call them hehe) wheels that are on it currently. Does anyone have a set?
Took the car to have the sill repaired.. then noticed another dent on the other side so had that pulled for a total of £230 (gasp..) - ready for the spray now though.
Here is a picture of when I took it, please excuse the front end
Took delivery of some dechroming tape and a few other bits and bobs ready to be fitted.
Then today, I began work on fitting some LED angel eyes and HID bulbs to my DEPO P39 headlights.. This required modification of the original angel eye housing (as depo had tried to mimic the original angel eyes with small bulbs within the housing). This turned out to be a much larger job that I had first thought..
So these are finally done and HID bulbs fitted! Will keep you updated as things progress
P.S Looking for some decent BMW wheels to replace the horrible 'old-man-style' (as I like to call them hehe) wheels that are on it currently. Does anyone have a set?
Anyone mind if I hijack slightly and ask some nerdy question about bumpers and stuff?
So I'm looking at E39s myself, and one thing is for sure - you absolutely definately need sport bumpers, no question about it. However it may end up that the right car in terms of condition and interior options that I'm fussy about is not a sport, in which case it will need the bumpers replaced.
So my question is, are the aftermarket Ebay sport bumpers OK, or do you have to go OEM? I'm talking about the ones on the bay that claim to be awesome (I guess they would wouldn't they) and made of the same material as OEM and come with the foglights and mesh, etc for a surely too good to be true price about half what a genuine scratched up breaker one with no fogs seems to command. So anyone have any experience of this? Nitrojan - what bumper did you go for, OEM or aftermarket? If aftermarket, have you trial fitted it yet and do you have any comments on quality, etc?
Also, some sport bumpers have this extra 'shelf' in the lower aperture - what's that all about - a model year thing?
Finally, is there any difference between sport and standard suspension other than the springs/dampers used? If I was to, say, get a tired non-sport that needed a suspension refresh, could I fit sport springs/dampers and have sport suspension if I decided I wanted sport suspension in the first place? (do I?).
Hmmmmm - those pics of your car, Fox, make me think I could consider a grey one. Not grey inside and grey outside, but maybe just grey outside. Hmmmmmmm.....
Cheers.
So I'm looking at E39s myself, and one thing is for sure - you absolutely definately need sport bumpers, no question about it. However it may end up that the right car in terms of condition and interior options that I'm fussy about is not a sport, in which case it will need the bumpers replaced.
So my question is, are the aftermarket Ebay sport bumpers OK, or do you have to go OEM? I'm talking about the ones on the bay that claim to be awesome (I guess they would wouldn't they) and made of the same material as OEM and come with the foglights and mesh, etc for a surely too good to be true price about half what a genuine scratched up breaker one with no fogs seems to command. So anyone have any experience of this? Nitrojan - what bumper did you go for, OEM or aftermarket? If aftermarket, have you trial fitted it yet and do you have any comments on quality, etc?
Also, some sport bumpers have this extra 'shelf' in the lower aperture - what's that all about - a model year thing?
Finally, is there any difference between sport and standard suspension other than the springs/dampers used? If I was to, say, get a tired non-sport that needed a suspension refresh, could I fit sport springs/dampers and have sport suspension if I decided I wanted sport suspension in the first place? (do I?).
Hmmmmm - those pics of your car, Fox, make me think I could consider a grey one. Not grey inside and grey outside, but maybe just grey outside. Hmmmmmmm.....
Cheers.
I went for aftermarket from ebay, haven't trial fitted them yet though. The quality is very good and I would recommend them. I am planning on getting the car sprayed next month so I will be putting pictures up of the finished exterior once I have everything fitted for you to look at
P.S - One of my LED's on one angel eye doesn't work (/perfectionist)
I'm not sure on the exact height differences of stock vs sport suspension but it is noticable. My car is running stock suspension and I plan on lowering it in the future. If you got a non-sport you could easily fit springs/dampers or coilovers (whatever takes your fancy) but bare in mind that you sacrifice ride quality by doing so.
Full outer respray
From?
A friend of mine down here in Peterborough - last time I spoke to him, some guy had flown in an Impreza for him to spray! He's recommendation based only so doesn't advertise and his work comes purely from the quality of the sprays he does. He's a nightmare to get hold of though.. as I have found with a lot of sprayers
A friend of mine down here in Peterborough - last time I spoke to him, some guy had flown in an Impreza for him to spray! He's recommendation based only so doesn't advertise and his work comes purely from the quality of the sprays he does. He's a nightmare to get hold of though.. as I have found with a lot of sprayers
Is he based off Dogsthorpe Road?
I did read the thread but couldn't find a definite answer - Why on earth are you spending so much money repairing a 523i which can't be worth much more than 1500 quid?
I know you mentioned it has low mileage and somehow it being in your family for so long means you're able to insure it, but still I can't see why you'd go through all of the hassle and cost to save something that isn't particular rare or special?
I know you mentioned it has low mileage and somehow it being in your family for so long means you're able to insure it, but still I can't see why you'd go through all of the hassle and cost to save something that isn't particular rare or special?
There are a number of reasons really. For one, it was my late mother's car from new (she died when I was 11 - and I remember she used to cherish that car). When she fell totally paralysed my dad used to take her to and from hospital in it - so you could say it has a lot of memories for me. I think it's a nice car, we have owned it from new, insurance isn't silly, it has low mileage, I know the car inside out (i.e. no one else has used it) and I also had an £800 excess if I was to repair through insurance including the cost of declaring for the next 5 years.
A lot of the stuff didn't need doing at all, for example I didn't need sports bumpers/wing mirrors/headlights etc but I chose to do it. Sometime I think I am silly for doing it because of the cost of doing so, but having not been on the road for 7 months because of the crash, I haven't been spending the money on petrol/insurance so I guess I am not losing that much?
I could have spent the same amount that I have spent on a 1.2 corsa sxi or clio (a good example of one..) for a few thousand, but even then.. It'd be a slow 1.2, insurance would still be high and they wouldn't be worth a whole lot when I came to sell it.
I never intend on selling this E39, and simply run it to the ground until I graduate and either get a company car or car allowance - there's no real need for a different car as the E39 is comfortable and brilliant to drive as it is.
I may have gone slightly over the top, but I have realised now that modifying cars cosmetically is ridiculously priced and swear to myself never to do it again
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Its pretty much costing the same to fix as it would to buy a ropey e39, but in this case he knows he's got one thats been looked after in the past. Okay, this one has had an excursion into a hedge but who knows what a £1500 e39 has lived through?
Thanks for the info above. One more Q - do all sports have black trim on the bumpers where the parking sensors are? If so, then if you sport-up a non sport car, I guess you need to get the black trim for the doors too, right? Or could you just have your bumper black strips painted with your bumper if you want to keep the body colour look (or are they that textured 'old black plastic bumper' finish, in which case painting them would be gash)?
Cheers
Cheers
Ok, a few questions asked here so I'll just say a bit to try and answer them all.
Only the front and rear bumpers are different on a Sport - there is no side-skirt as part of the Sport styling pack. The front and rear bumper is identical to the M5 one - it's the same part (This is why I laugh when people whinge about the F10 and say its not like the old M5's and looks too boring!). The M5 has a different rear diffuser (It's colour coded and has an extra space for the other exhaust outlet) and it has a different front lower grille (and the mirrors). The Sport models have the T bar or 'shelf' with brake cooling ducts. The M5 has no T-bar but oddly, no brake cooling ducts either. With the bumper off the car the M5 or Sport grille simply clicks in behind. Just go for whichever you like best.
Do not buy cheapo replica rubbish. Go genuine all the way. A used bumper is as good as a new one once it has been resprayed anyway.
All Sport models have black rubbing strips and not colour coded ones. The colour coded ones are from SE's (facelift V8's have colour coded with a chrome strip). So yes, you will need black side mouldings for the Sport look. But they are very cheap and take seconds to fit. Colour coded Sport's just look wrong, IMHO.
As you are after a V8 Liam, the main benefit besides the styling - the M-Tech II suspension and Sports Seats - is standard fit anyway. So all you would be missing out on is the black headlining, sports steering wheel, sports wheels, M badged door sills etc. Cosmetic stuff.
If this stuff doesn't bother you then you will find a 540i is often significantly cheaper than a Sport (There is no SE for the V8, it's either 540i or 54i0 Sport) and they tend to have been less likely to be owned by wideboys and more likely to have had a few careful owners from new. This leaves you with some change which you almost certainly need to spend on sorting the suspension out. These are big, heavy cars and its nearly always past its best and at the very least would benefit from new control arms and dampers.
Only the front and rear bumpers are different on a Sport - there is no side-skirt as part of the Sport styling pack. The front and rear bumper is identical to the M5 one - it's the same part (This is why I laugh when people whinge about the F10 and say its not like the old M5's and looks too boring!). The M5 has a different rear diffuser (It's colour coded and has an extra space for the other exhaust outlet) and it has a different front lower grille (and the mirrors). The Sport models have the T bar or 'shelf' with brake cooling ducts. The M5 has no T-bar but oddly, no brake cooling ducts either. With the bumper off the car the M5 or Sport grille simply clicks in behind. Just go for whichever you like best.
Do not buy cheapo replica rubbish. Go genuine all the way. A used bumper is as good as a new one once it has been resprayed anyway.
All Sport models have black rubbing strips and not colour coded ones. The colour coded ones are from SE's (facelift V8's have colour coded with a chrome strip). So yes, you will need black side mouldings for the Sport look. But they are very cheap and take seconds to fit. Colour coded Sport's just look wrong, IMHO.
As you are after a V8 Liam, the main benefit besides the styling - the M-Tech II suspension and Sports Seats - is standard fit anyway. So all you would be missing out on is the black headlining, sports steering wheel, sports wheels, M badged door sills etc. Cosmetic stuff.
If this stuff doesn't bother you then you will find a 540i is often significantly cheaper than a Sport (There is no SE for the V8, it's either 540i or 54i0 Sport) and they tend to have been less likely to be owned by wideboys and more likely to have had a few careful owners from new. This leaves you with some change which you almost certainly need to spend on sorting the suspension out. These are big, heavy cars and its nearly always past its best and at the very least would benefit from new control arms and dampers.
Thanks for another informative post, Fox . Ah so any 540 has the M-Tech suspension - didn't know that. Hmmm I'm sure I've seen 540s without sports seats, but maybe that's only when they have the comfort seats option fitted - better pay more attention. There's a nice looking i for sale with heated comfort seats and OMG - active massaging option too. Too bad a) it's grey inside and out, b) i'm not buying one yet.
Thanks again.
. Ah so any 540 has the M-Tech suspension - didn't know that. Hmmm I'm sure I've seen 540s without sports seats, but maybe that's only when they have the comfort seats option fitted - better pay more attention. There's a nice looking i for sale with heated comfort seats and OMG - active massaging option too. Too bad a) it's grey inside and out, b) i'm not buying one yet.Thanks again.