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or, alternately... some model recommendations:

Update #17 We're back on the ground!!! Been a big day today - and we ended with the car back on the ground :parrot: This morning we started out by swapping the brake discs on the front, as Rajvosa quite correctly pointed out that they were back to front :facepalm: Also while I remember, Dad made up a custom bodge-tool to do the steering tie-rods. The interior size of the box-section is exactly the right size to do up the tie-rods, and so with an old socket welded on the other end we were good to go! Then we were on to the drive shaft. We'd prepped it last week but were missing the gasket between the driveshaft and the rear diff. With that procured during the week from Continental BMW, we were good to put the driveshaft back in the car. Greased and ready to go: The offending gasket in place: With some fiddling around, we soon had the driveshaft in place: CSB in place: We torqued up the driveshaft, and reattached the heat shield over the drive shaft, then it was on to reassembling the exhaust. The exhaust system is a bit shiny-er than when it was last photographed, here's a couple of photos before we put it together: There was a fair bit of fiddling to get the exhaust system all back in the right place and located correctly, but we got there, and it's looking good! While we were there we also replaced these trim pieces as one of them was badly damaged, and replacements were cheap: Then it was on with the plastic under-tray components and the rear brace (which I didn't get photos of) and then the (clean) wheels were back on... A couple of hours later (really didn't want to drop it after all the work we've done on it) and it was back on the ground!!! We hooked up the battery, did a final check of everything and fired it up. Given we'd run the starter last week, the fuel lines had charged, etc. and the engine started on the first key-turn. All sounding good (no clanking noises - win) and no dash lights. We let the engine run for a few minutes and switched it off. We were going to give it a short test drive, but night had fallen and we decided that it would be best to do a first test run in daylight - so we have that to look forward to tomorrow. It's been 5 months and 3 days since the car went up on the jacks. With the discovery of the RACP issues, plus the decision to do the rod bearings at the same time, it's turned out to be a larger project than anticipated, but it's been enormous fun, and it's very satisfying to have the car back on the ground, and running :thumbsup2: It's been a huge exercise, and I'm very much indebted to my Dad for the massive amount of time and effort that he's put into this project. It's great to know that the car's in good shape now and that the major maintenance items are all taken care of. Tomorrow we'll move the car out of the garage, give it a bit of a wash and take it for a short test drive. Then next week it'll be off to BMW for a full wheel alignment, a WOF and the driver's airbag recall. I'll also be spending some time helping Dad clean the garage so he and mum can finally park their cars indoors again!!! :hattip:

Standing in SCA looking for a fuel filter for a genset and heard staff say to customer "they're all the same, just different brands". He was talking about engine oil.

This clip is just epic. That sound is the old heart and soul of what made BMW great.

Hey there, just bought this baby, my 6th BMW I've owned to date.......

Rear brake pads on e39 530, as well as replaced windscreen washer hoses. Also cleaned right rear wheel and wheel arch etc. on the M5, fixing up loose deflector just ahead of the wheel underside. And got radar detector LED working after it was shorted to itself, can't work out whatever installer was thinking... 530 ready for roadie tomorrow to Auckland coffee meetup...

Brake fluid service, WOF and wash on the M5 at Continental BMW. Only $216 and I went and had breakfast while it happened.

Hey Guys, Finally the old girl got out of the shed and had a fresh walk round the driveway and house. Got a few problems with the accelerator cable and in search of a new air filter for the Holley carburetor apart from that she is running well and got the finishing touches before she is off for a WoF and Rego Pretty close to the end of this build and looking forward to driving the BM around once the accelerator cable is fixed. Need some rear lowering springs too. Doesn't look quite right with the massive rake. A few photos below that turned out nicely.

I am traction limited. Since I uploaded the Stage 1+ MHD tune to the 335i I see the DSC light up with regularity. It has got to the point that even doing 80kph on a wet road flooring the accelerator will result in a quick shimmy and a flash of the DSC light. The MHD tune gives more top end power for sure but the torque and mid range power levels are where the real story is. I am starting to see why the N54 is so highly regarded by tuners; it hits hard from 2000 rpm upwards and while an N/A car builds revs the MHD tuned engine is already belting out some serious power. Throttle response is the best I have ever seen on a turbo car and even the Ford Barra 6 turbo which is a torque monster doesn't have the same instant response. Anyway I feel an LSD is now on the cards, I am thinking of an M Factory Helical style but they also offer a plate model for similar money but I haven't found a lot of detail on their plate models. If anyone has used an M Factory diff or perhaps a Wave Track let me know your experiences.

A 2011-13 or VF Holden Commodore SV6 sedan or Sportwagon would be on my list. Or SS-V Sportwagon . My picks for a 'family wagon' commuter: BMW/Euro - E60/F10 wagon, X3 or X5, Volvo XC60 or 90, Audi, Merc Jap - Mazda 6, Mitsi Outlander, Honda Accord Euro Other - Ford Territory diesel

This one is awesome!

Unless you're a business then it's still under CGA warranty, why not give them a call?

Yes I was more than happy to keep it - but I could easily see how this scenario might arise for the more fiscally challenged.

These are great cars to own and drive (had a 09 550i msport sedan with lowish kms, sold at 81km last november). The active steering/swaybars are amazing and it was fairly reasonable on fuel. You certainly will enjoy that part of owning it, I certainly did. Make sure you get Mechanical Insurance, it'll give you Piece of Mind as any issues can be very costly. It was reliable except for when it didn't start a few times due to a strange relay in a power distribution box that gave out randomly when it was cold (broken solder joint). The maintenance though is high, much higher than I expected and I'd owned a 3 series for 6 years prior to buying this. It wasn't so much the cost (and it costs, 8+ litres of oil per change, brake pads in the hundreds, very expensive batteries), but the time taken and frequency given I was doing it all myself. The engines leak like an old 1700s naval warship and fixing the main offenders (there's a few) nears 4 figures each if you do it yourself, and goes into 4 figures if you don't. The gearbox does need maintenance earlier than you'd expect. Watch out for a ~1 second delay (or longer) when going into reverse from Park. Usually a sign of seal wear. I had a noticeable delay in mine. You'll constantly be looking under your bed at night for valve stem seal issues. Even with a PPI it's a hard concern to shake Try and get one with the newer Car Computer (called CIC). CCC is quite dated. CIC is much more usable, contains a HDD, and can be made to work with NZ maps in english with Voice Control and navigation directly on the HUD. This will be available on late 2009 models (the one you linked has CCC). There's parking sensors but no reversing camera., you can get a video interceptor to sort this and they integrate reasonably seamlessly with the car, but they're pricey. It'll likely have bluetooth but this will only work for phone calls and not for playing music. You can install an adapter to AUX for this (I installed airplay into mine, which hooked into the display as well). I think i had to do some challenging trickery hackery with the phone module in the car to get my contacts displaying (couldn't program it directly, think i had to change the country region in other authoritative modules and initiate a full reset or flash to the phone one so it reprogrammed itself). Overall I loved the car., they're great to drive and amazing to own. Ultimately I spent too long tinkering and maintaining it so it needed to go. My recommendation would be to keep looking and try to find as a late model one as you can, with the lowest kms you can. Took me about 6 months to find one. Hope that helps. Scott

I ceramic coated the roof tonight as it's been a month or so since it was painted, this should allow enough time for the paint to 'gas off'. Looks glorious, it's more reflective than the glass sunroof haha. Also Scott at East Tamaki Auto did a bit of work over the past week or so; removed the cats from Section 1 and welded in stainless straight pipes, fixed my sticky handbrake and fitted the BMW M Performance short shift kit I've had in my garage for the past 3 years haha. Shift is much shorter, and the shifter sits about 1/2 an inch lower which is nice for my low Recaro seats. And it sounds spectacular. Will take a vid over the next few days. Quite loud & raspy, but no drone and the overrun is glorious. It's straight piped through to the Supersprint 'Race' muffler (which seems to do bugger all muffling anyway).

Hey John I have the wavetrack installed on mine and another friends e90 335i-, works really well on road and track and is a must option when running some serious power Another friend of mine had the M factory diff installed on his 135 and it unfortunately screwed his whole diff as the pins in the unit popped out and munched things Was one of the units apparently under recall due to a factory issue with the unit bolts not being secure - I will give M factory its dues that it stepped up and sent a new diff and paid for all the work required to fix / sort the issue btw - if you get a LSD i would suggest a few of the re-codes as below http://www.onelapx1.com/blog/how-to-make-your-bmw-actually-fun

yep, that one's reserved. I read the maintenance archive in detail.

that's a firkin' worry. He should sell women's shoes. Customer expects expert advice; instead receives "wisdom" from Master of Muppetry.

Bought the world's most expensive cupholder for one of the E39's. The cost of the new cupholder was enough to have Customs pick up this latest package for GST etc- added $150 to the cost of the package- package duly arrives with a left hand drive cupholder inside So will have to pay return shipping to FCP Euro- then buy the correct one! Rookie mistake

Looks tidy. Given the state of e30 pricing, a bidding war on TradeMe could net you upwards of $5k5 or more. my old e30 touring was also white with shadowline, this really brings back a wave of nostalgia. GLWS, I should imagine this will be very, very easy to sell.

you're in luck. There are a few of us here running e60, and some amongst with V8 (or even V10). First port of call is "So you've just bought an e60" http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=731460 download the latest version of the PDF, have a good read. If you're not put off by that (and you shouldn't be), read on! I've had an e60 545i for 2.5 months and am loving it. The 550 and ///Msport wagon combo should be lovely, a bit more horsepower and torque than the 545. The e60/61 is a great distance car, a real sleeper. Very composed. Great comfort and pretty high-tech (usefully high-tech) compared with earlier cars. Very, Very important - get the sunroof drains cleared, and the rubber grommets in the rear wheel well behind the inner guards cleared out and drilled out so they don't block in future. Blocked sunroof drains account for many of these going to the wreckers, the electronics get drowned. Also ++NB: Transmission maintenance (new filter pan, mechtronics sealing sleeve, bolts, fluid) is essential; the ZF 6 speed is a lovely trans, though does not respond well to neglect despite BMW's "sealed for life" or "lifetime fluid" strapline. ZF themselves recommend periodic maintenance. Wheel Alignment issues account for most active steering issues. There's a few more bushes in the front suspension compared with the 3 series setups, and the car will tell you if it needs attention through wobbles or vagueness. I think the active steering is well-executed on this model. YMMV. If you're lucky enough to get Dynamic Drive (active anti-roll bars), you're in for a flat-cornering surprise. Having driven back-to-back regular and dynamic drive, I'm very happy to have scored the latter. Consider an MBI policy to cover you for the big-ticket items. They're a pretty tekkernogikal car, and when "sh*t goes wrong" it can be pricey. Since acquiring mine (itself well maintained), I've done new shocks and bushes, new tyres, new coils, and am about to do a transmission service. I enjoy every minute behind the wheel, and have no regrets about the purchase. Hope that helps. EDIT: PS, welcome to the forum, Paul!

Man, this thing is being resold every couple of months now o.o Looking great, GLWS.

Got the headliner back for the 38. Installed it today, includes A B C pillars and rear parcel tray. great to get it in and sorted, did internal LED upgrade as well, much fresher and improved. ready now for next weekends Napier trip