New Car

[Paul in N FL]

So I'm getting a new car. I love my e28, but I don't have the time to rebuild or replace the engine with school and work.

It's currently FS if anyone is interested, in the FS section.

The car I'm getting is a 2000 528i on the cheaps through a friend of a friend. Really amazing deal, because the engine only has 9k on it.

It's not a 5 speed, but the car is too good of a deal to pass up.

Here is the CL ad, one picture shows a missing A-pillar cover, but it is there. Also, I'm not paying the price on the ad. I'm paying SIGNIFICANTLY less.

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/4038534814.html

Bring on the hate, but I'll be back in an e28 for certain after I graduate next year.

[Mike W.]

At least your smart enough to replace it with an E39 not an E36 like someone I know...

They have their quirks but they're good cars.

[Jeremy]

At least your smart enough to replace it with an E39 not an E36 like someone I know...

Hey, I'm right here. Quit talking about me.

There's nothing really wrong with some of the newer BMWs. They don't have the soul of the older iron, but pretty much all the manufacturers have moved in that direction. The newer cars are way more pleasant and comfortable on long trips and as daily drivers as a general rule. I'm still amazed at how well my e36 rode with M-tech springs, Koni adjustable shocks, and 17 inch wheels and tires. Competent at the track and comfortable on the street.

Sure, the price is more rubber bits that need periodic replacement, but geez it's effective.

[vinceg101]

Congrats, nice color combo and even looks like it might a Sport (?). Interior looks a little worn, but mostly cosmetic.

The E39 is very good choice for a DD replacement. It will feel bigger and more slug-like than the E28 for sure; definitely not as nimble. But if it is the Sport, that goes a long way to improving the handling and ride feel.

Good luck!

[Paul in N FL]

Congrats, nice color combo and even looks like it might a Sport (?). Interior looks a little worn, but mostly cosmetic.

The E39 is very good choice for a DD replacement. It will feel bigger and more slug-like than the E28 for sure; definitely not as nimble. But if it is the Sport, that goes a long way to improving the handling and ride feel.

Good luck!

The ride felt great when I drove it, and the brakes were really impressive too. It has been maintained by my mechanic its entire life and like I said, new engine 9k miles age and new cooling system too. And the transmission and diff. fluid has been changed about 10k miles ago!

I'm pretty excited, but at the same time it's a weird feeling selling my first car and e28.

As for the sport model I feel like it is because of the M5 wheels and steering wheel, but couldn't find much info about specifics online. Is there someway I can verify it? I guess do a VIN lookup is the only way?

My first plan is to swap the CD53 unit and get rid of the tape deck. The CD53 is SW 50, so it should work with an aux cord from what I read.

[vinceg101]

Congrats, nice color combo and even looks like it might a Sport (?). Interior looks a little worn, but mostly cosmetic.

The E39 is very good choice for a DD replacement. It will feel bigger and more slug-like than the E28 for sure; definitely not as nimble. But if it is the Sport, that goes a long way to improving the handling and ride feel.

Good luck!

The ride felt great when I drove it, and the brakes were really impressive too. It has been maintained by my mechanic its entire life and like I said, new engine 9k miles age and new cooling system too. And the transmission and diff. fluid has been changed about 10k miles ago!

I'm pretty excited, but at the same time it's a weird feeling selling my first car and e28.

As for the sport model I feel like it is because of the M5 wheels and steering wheel, but couldn't find much info about specifics online. Is there someway I can verify it? I guess do a VIN lookup is the only way?

My first plan is to swap the CD53 unit and get rid of the tape deck. The CD53 is SW 50, so it should work with an aux cord from what I read.

I went through the same thing this past March when I sold my first E28 I had for 12 years. It was a melancholic moment for the first month driving the E39; constantly kept comparing it to the E28 and not appreciating it for what it was. I have gotten over that for the most part, besides I still have my M535i so I can revert back to my E28 roots whenever I need to. I just bounce back into the E39 faster now.

I too was impressed with the brakes on mine. But I guess they have to be to stop the heavier E39.

Run the VIN and it will tell you if it has the Sport Package. A quicker down-and-dirty method is to find another E39 that obviously isn't a Sport and park next to it. The Sport Package lowers the car a good 1.5" (I think) and is easy to spot in the front wheel well clearance. It was hard to tell from the CL photos.

Good luck with the audio upgrades; the E39's are far less flexible in this department than the older cars.

Great news on the engine and especially the transmission fluid service; I still have to do this to mine.

How are the pixels in the cluster and MID?

[Paul in N FL]

Good luck with the audio upgrades; the E39's are far less flexible in this department than the older cars.

Great news on the engine and especially the transmission fluid service; I still have to do this to mine.

How are the pixels in the cluster and MID?

Yeah, I really just want the aux port and that should be fixed with the CD player and the BMW aux cable.

There are no missing pixels. That's actually the first thing I noticed and was impressed for a body with 200k miles.

[John in VA]

As for the sport model I feel like it is because of the M5 wheels and steering wheel, but couldn't find much info about specifics online. Is there someway I can verify it? I guess do a VIN lookup is the only way?

Bimmerfest.com and Bimmerforums.com both have decent E39 sections - check them out.
Try your VIN here - http://www.rubmw.ru/vincode/eng/

[garageboy]

Not to put your hand in lukewarm poo...

If you purchased your E39 to replace your E28 on the assumption that the cost of ownership will be lower because the E39 is newer, that is a terrible miscalculation. Your 9k engine will go forever, but the rest of the car will nickel and dime you into welfare. OK, maybe I exaggerate a bit, but the point is that when you run the numbers, the E28 has a significantly lower cost of ownership than the E39. This assumes you are starting with a clean car that hasn't been messed with. If, however, the car you start with is a shitbucket, E28 OR E39, it is anyone's guess how boundless the craptitude you will experience.

Good luck with the purchase. In case it's not a done deal, I think you're far better off replacing your car with a pristine E28 that isn't an M5 or 535is. Just a thought.

[Mike W.]

Not to put your hand in lukewarm poo...

If you purchased your E39 to replace your E28 on the assumption that the cost of ownership will be lower because the E39 is newer, that is a terrible miscalculation. Your 9k engine will go forever, but the rest of the car will nickel and dime you into welfare. OK, maybe I exaggerate a bit, but the point is that when you run the numbers, the E28 has a significantly lower cost of ownership than the E39.

I have not found that to be the case. I've done everything myself, as I did with the E28, but I'm at .045 cents per mile for maintenance and repairs on the E39 and I was at .044 per mile when I sold the E28. Not a significant difference and more than made up by the cost of bigger tires bought in a more expensive era. That is discounting the cost of my labor and stupid stuff like plastic pipes in the cooling system and the time it took to replace them, and the E39 is more difficult to troubleshoot, but higher cost per mile? Not really.

[garageboy]

Not to put your hand in lukewarm poo...

If you purchased your E39 to replace your E28 on the assumption that the cost of ownership will be lower because the E39 is newer, that is a terrible miscalculation. Your 9k engine will go forever, but the rest of the car will nickel and dime you into welfare. OK, maybe I exaggerate a bit, but the point is that when you run the numbers, the E28 has a significantly lower cost of ownership than the E39.

I have not found that to be the case. I've done everything myself, as I did with the E28, but I'm at .045 cents per mile for maintenance and repairs on the E39 and I was at .044 per mile when I sold the E28. Not a significant difference and more than made up by the cost of bigger tires bought in a more expensive era. That is discounting the cost of my labor and stupid stuff like plastic pipes in the cooling system and the time it took to replace them, and the E39 is more difficult to troubleshoot, but higher cost per mile? Not really.

Well, apparently, we live in different parts of the country, our cars are exposed to different threats, and we are probably different kinds of drivers that abuse our cars differently...

For me, in the part of the world that I live and the type of driving that I do, I find that the E39 is way more expensive to run than the E28. I have always started with E28s that were low mileage, all original, and not messed with. I was able to easily keep them that way with aggressive oil changes and timely maintenance. I also started with well-kept E39s, but the types of repairs and the expense of the parts, since I usually use factory parts, is not within a percent or two as you have found.

Take, for example, the cooling system, which is an extreme issue, admittedly, but one that all owners face. In the E39, every 100k, without fail, one must spend nearly $1000 on parts to refresh the coolant system. If you don't, you will experience a catastrophic failure that can destroy your engine. However, on the E28, with proper maintenance, I never got anything less than 200k miles out of every radiator, 120k out of every water pump, and it required 3 hoses and a thermostat every 60k (about $75 in parts) when I did the timing belt. Both E28 and E39 received a coolant flush every 4 years as scheduled.

Also:
- synthetic oil is twice as expensive, which is offset by half-as-frequent oil changes, but the E39 uses 33% more oil.
- factory E39 wheels are way more expensive, and I go through wheels in NYC.
- E39 summer tires (235/45-17) are at least twice as expensive as E28 summer tires (205/60-15), and seem to wear more quickly since the car is so heavy
- E39 brake parts are also more than twice as expensive (factory parts) and seem to wear at approximately the same rate, at best, as the E28 brakes.
- E28s go through valve cover gaskets (<$20) seven or eight times in 100k miles if doing valve adjustments on schedule, but the E39 gasket starts to leak by 100k miles and requires replacement; combined with the cover that often cracks when removing because it is plastic, this can cost $400 in parts, merely to fix an oil leak. That's nuts.

I could go on. Everyone's experience is different, for sure. If I had to pay someone to do everything, the difference would probably be a wash because the E28 does indeed require more regular maintenance. I also think I have had particularly good luck with my E28s over these past few decades, which is definitely a factor. Now E39s are supposedly rock solid between 100k and 200k miles, and I'm into that phase of E39 ownership with mine, so I am hopeful for the future. Perhaps I am yet to be convinced. But based on the first 100k, from what I have seen, the numbers are clear...

[wkohler]

My EBT card covers E39 parts.

[garageboy]

My EBT card covers E39 parts.

Oh, I knew that. My Section 8 housing subsidy already covers all my garages, too!

[davintosh]

$1000 in parts for a cooling system refresh? Must be the New York taxes making them extra cool.

[Paul in N FL]

I just priced this stuff on AutoHaus and it was around $260 without the hoses, and around $415 with the hoses.

[leadphut]

not a bad car. change those rims and i'm on board.

[davintosh]

I just priced this stuff on AutoHaus and it was around $260 without the hoses, and around $415 with the hoses.

I don't have an e39, but that's more in line with what I've found having done the job on an e36 and priced it on an e53. When it comes time to do the job again (looks like it was done recently on the car you're looking at) you ought to shoot an email to steve@blunttech.com with your parts list; he may be able to do a little better than that, and get the hoses & such from dealer sources. Autohaus carries some scary brand names on some items.

Is the car in your possession yet?

[Paul in N FL]

I'll be getting the car tomorrow when the money clears.

I just called the original dealer and it has the sport premium package and Xenons.

http://i.imgur.com/SjubRkt.png

[Mike W.]

I could go on. Everyone's experience is different, for sure. If I had to pay someone to do everything, the difference would probably be a wash because the E28 does indeed require more regular maintenance. I also think I have had particularly good luck with my E28s over these past few decades, which is definitely a factor. Now E39s are supposedly rock solid between 100k and 200k miles, and I'm into that phase of E39 ownership with mine, so I am hopeful for the future. Perhaps I am yet to be convinced. But based on the first 100k, from what I have seen, the numbers are clear...

Well, for cooling system I do radiator, stat and water pump, maybe a hose or two so it's well under $300. I never buy anything from the dealer if it's not an absolute emergency so those costs are low. Brakes I did 4+ years ago, they still have meat on them 95K later and all 4 rotors and pads cost me under $200. Tires about $20 more than the 225-50's I ran. Now the auto tranny makes me nervous, but so far so good. Now my E28 was not one of the finer examples when I bought it. It had a blown engine, that I knew, but it looked pretty good but turned out nothing else worked.

[Justin_FL]

Well, for cooling system I do radiator, stat and water pump, maybe a hose or two so it's well under $300. I never buy anything from the dealer if it's not an absolute emergency so those costs are low. Brakes I did 4+ years ago, they still have meat on them 95K later and all 4 rotors and pads cost me under $200. Tires about $20 more than the 225-50's I ran. Now the auto tranny makes me nervous, but so far so good. Now my E28 was not one of the finer examples when I bought it. It had a blown engine, that I knew, but it looked pretty good but turned out nothing else worked.

Parts for the 528i are less, at least... the brakes are quite a bit more for a 530i (from the 540i) and the cooling system bits are more, I see about $400 for rad/electric thermostat assy/water pump/expansion tank/2-3 hoses). Hopefully you do the expansion tank, those tend to be the most problematic! I was more thorough on my car and the total was over $800, finding the fan shroud needed replacement (brittle and cracked), 2 belt idler pulleys had marginal bearings, plus various other incidentals (like the lovely plastic coupling o-rings that wouldn't reseal, so I had to buy a new hose assy). One cost I probably didn't need to do was the fan clutch, but oh well, they have caused more than a bit of misery when they lock up and the fan blades disintegrate and tear up the front end of the car. You'd probably need to be deaf to miss the locked up fan, but was a "while you are in there" item for me.

With the exception of splurging a bit more for Dinan suspension for my 530i, it really is a very reasonable car to maintain. Yes, tires do go faster especially with the sport package alignment (mainly inner tread on the rears). And E39 with over 100K should really have the shocks replaced, so the Dinan bits were a nice improvement in handling on my car. The 20% discount at the time made the spring/shock kit very close to a non-matched set of the usual aftermarket Bilstein/Konis and XYZ brand spring. But to do it again, I think just the Koni Sports would have been a fine choice for the stock sport package springs.

The E28s have all been more needy in my experience, but not necessarily more expensive or less expensive. It seems around 100-120K miles, BMWs need a fair bit of work and once you get over that hump they go for a while. After that, you get to repair the less common wear items

[Tammer in Philly]

I could go on. Everyone's experience is different, for sure. If I had to pay someone to do everything, the difference would probably be a wash because the E28 does indeed require more regular maintenance. I also think I have had particularly good luck with my E28s over these past few decades, which is definitely a factor. Now E39s are supposedly rock solid between 100k and 200k miles, and I'm into that phase of E39 ownership with mine, so I am hopeful for the future. Perhaps I am yet to be convinced. But based on the first 100k, from what I have seen, the numbers are clear...

Well, for cooling system I do radiator, stat and water pump, maybe a hose or two so it's well under $300. I never buy anything from the dealer if it's not an absolute emergency so those costs are low. Brakes I did 4+ years ago, they still have meat on them 95K later and all 4 rotors and pads cost me under $200. Tires about $20 more than the 225-50's I ran. Now the auto tranny makes me nervous, but so far so good. Now my E28 was not one of the finer examples when I bought it. It had a blown engine, that I knew, but it looked pretty good but turned out nothing else worked.

Similarly, my mom bought her '01 530i in 2006 with ~45k on the clock. Since then I've done radiator, water pump, hoses, and belts, pads and rotors, and it's coming due for shocks and control arms soon. She has had to replace a heater blower ($650ish at her local independent, who is good but not cheap), an alternator ($300) and a battery ($120). I replaced her fan resistor, but it turned out to not be necessary. With fluid changes, we've barely crossed the $2k mark in maintenance and repair over 7 years and 40k miles. The car was well-maintained before we got it, though, which helps.

-tammer

[garageboy]

This isn't supposed to turn into a pissing contest over who can find the cheapest parts for their BMW. If that's what you're into, have a ball and be sure to let me know if you're ever trying to sell me your car so that I can run in the opposite direction. I know folks that go that route and end up replacing their radiators and overflow tanks at alarming frequency. And yes, of course I replaced the tensioners and a lot of other tidbits (you can actually buy those o-rings separately now so that you don't have to buy new sensors, just the hoses) because there are quite a few components at risk and I don't want to deal with the same repair twice. So yes, having shopped around carefully for parts, I spent a lot more than some of you on the coolant refresh parts. Good for you guys that spent $300. Woo hoo.

ALL of you folks that had higher E28 maintenance costs started with hurting examples of E28s.

One more time: all things being equal, starting with a well maintained E28 versus a well maintained E39, based on using quality parts that won't prematurely fail any faster than the factory parts, the E39 costs more. For me. Your mileage may vary. I feel like a broken record (a record is a disk that spins on a thing called a turntable).

[Mike W.]

ALL of you folks that had higher E28 maintenance costs started with hurting examples of E28s.

Now that is an understatement for mine.

One more time: all things being equal, starting with a well maintained E28 versus a well maintained E39, based on using quality parts that won't prematurely fail any faster than the factory parts, the E39 costs more. For me. Your mileage may vary. I feel like a broken record (a record is a disk that spins on a thing called a turntable).

Sure seems like it, but when I ran the numbers it wasn't. I might have been including things like a low end paint job and other upgrades that the E39 hasn't had. (but needs)

[Paul in N FL]

This isn't supposed to turn into a pissing contest over who can find the cheapest parts for their BMW.

I feel like you turned it into a pissing contest. You said it cost $1000 to replace the cooling system. I proved that wrong using OE parts through third party suppliers. You kept arguing about maintenance cost, but as you can see by the original post, the car I am buying is an extremely well maintained example that I'm purchasing for well under retail. The cooling system has already been replaced using all OE parts within the past 10k miles.

While the e39 may be a more expensive car for you to maintain, that is, obviously, not true for most of the people in this thread. You say you go through wheels, but I can guarantee you that most owners don't live in areas with nothing but six inch washboard roads.

I appreciate your comments regarding maintenance, but you seem to be a pin in a hay stack regarding it.

With my current schedule I have 2 or 3 days a month to mess with a car, and I know, from experience an e28 needs more time than that. I love the e28, and fully intend to purchase another one after I graduate and have the money and time to devote to it. Right now the e39 seems like the best choice, especially for the price I'm paying for it.

[oldskool]

If it's not an e23, . . . limp bisquit.

[Sleeper21]

Not to put your hand in lukewarm poo...

If you purchased your E39 to replace your E28 on the assumption that the cost of ownership will be lower because the E39 is newer, that is a terrible miscalculation. Your 9k engine will go forever, but the rest of the car will nickel and dime you into welfare. OK, maybe I exaggerate a bit, but the point is that when you run the numbers, the E28 has a significantly lower cost of ownership than the E39. This assumes you are starting with a clean car that hasn't been messed with. If, however, the car you start with is a shitbucket, E28 OR E39, it is anyone's guess how boundless the craptitude you will experience.

Good luck with the purchase. In case it's not a done deal, I think you're far better off replacing your car with a pristine E28 that isn't an M5 or 535is. Just a thought.

I've couldn't have said it better. Ive owned a e39..they are a plastic shitbucket (IMO). Fast as hell, but you better pray you never overheat it or wreak it. I couldn't sell mine fast enough

[Mike W.]

Such a fitting sight today given this thread. I was in a meeting at work, came back out to an E39 parked next to me in the county car. With a tow truck behind it and a large pool of water on the ground. Nice white car, sport shadowline, style 5s, good looking car. I wonder if it's going to be on Craigslist next week as a mechanics special of if they caught it in time. It seemed like it would have been rude to take pictures, but seemed somehow appropriate to this thread and as a warning to prospective E39 buyers who might be reading this.

[wkohler]

I was somewhat tempted by this car last night (I have a thing for sleepers and flying under the radar), but I did some research (easy to do since apparently only FIVE Dakar E39 M5s came into the US) and found this isn't the one I want to buy.



Then I did some more research and found that no E39 is the one I want to buy.

[Kyle in NO]

This.

[djazz]

I was somewhat tempted by this car last night (I have a thing for sleepers and flying under the radar), but I did some research (easy to do since apparently only FIVE Dakar E39 M5s came into the US) and found this isn't the one I want to buy.

Then I did some more research and found that no E39 is the one I want to buy.

That's a shame. They're great cars. Mine has it's quirks and I've cursed it on occasion but I don't think they're any more complex or expensive to maintain than any previous M5. Just a slightly different set of tools.