Allanw

Bushes - our E39 had a very slight wobble under light braking about 90km/h. Didn't touch the brakes, just did a front end rebuild, and no more wobble at all.

The cost doesn't matter - it's worth it anyway Auto E36 6 cylinders sound like they are driving through deep sand continually.

Well... Dad owned one Toyota, and after the reaming he got on the required parts for it, he brought a BMW and has been raving about how little it's cost him over the last 15 years, and Dads a stickler for replacing anything that might cause him a problem. BMW parts are surprisingly cheap in a lot of cases, especially on older cars, and there are a lot of aftermarket options too.

Jeez, by the time you've finished you'll have a race car and about $13K at the rate you're going!

tempting... Mrs would KILL me though...

Apparently he hasn't compared Toyota parts prices with BMW ones.

Don't rely on the gauge to warn you of overheating - the gauge will read normal until at least 115C. Temps of 120C or higher will trigger the gauge to move. See here: http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/47848-e39-obc-secret-menu-ktmp-coolant-temperature/#entry517475 The leaking component may change shape a bit as it cools, causing the crack to open more at a particular temperaure - it probably leaks a little bit while hot, but may not be noticeable. I wouldn't be using it as it is. Enegine temperatures often spike AFTER they're switched off too - some VW stuff has a fan that comes on after they're shut down, to keep the coolant temp down. The bottom of the radiators can bow down on these, eventually causing leaks, but the majority of the cooling system is made of chocolate anyway - sounds like it might be overhaul time - the plastic doesn't last forever.

Welcome anyway....

Haha! Actually - I did! I normally ride in shorts, T-shirt (+fleece vest in winter) and lycra sleeves

You might be surprised - Mrs ran ours flat last summer, roll started the car, and I charged over night when she got home.... It's a warranty replacement that was fitted in 2003! Normally I'd have replaced it just to keep it reliable, but I'm tempted to leave it there to see how long it does go for! Dads E30 battery died after 11 years... though it actually turned out to be an alternator fault which meant the new battery was cranking slowly after 3 months use too... so the original battery lasted longer than the alternator!

Plus it was extra amusing, because of the poor grammar and punctuation

Isn't the 525d lump a REAL lump? I thought they were hungry slow POS's? Certainly nothing like the 320d at least! The UK guys talk about the E39 525TDS (in the early E39's - prior to the 525d and 530d) being a dog.

Nice - My Mrs would kill for that. IO keep telling her she's only allowed an X5 if it's a V8

Yep... sure is cold... I wore gloves on the bike this morning at 630

Waaaaaaaaaaaaa! I was expecting interior......

Most likely the oil filter housing (nearly as common as the rocker cover), and the power steering hose clips on the bottom of the reservoir, and the oring on the reservoir lid. All pretty common.

With the VID, you have identified her, and she'll probably admit fault... in which case your 3rd party insurance should pay up and get it back from her or her insurance. If the Insurance company aren't helpful, find another one oafter it's all sorted. Also, dealing with a local branch is often easier and gives better results than the call centre does.

Holy sh*t! Who thought a Mistral could move that fast?!?!?! Nah, seriously, bummer about the car! I actually often leave my dash cams running in the carpark at work, on the days I drive. Just in case... although a modern car vs an 80's VW van... most people stay clear in case their car catches something! Scarily enough, someone using one of the Hospital "Pool" cars managed to do about $8K of damage... IN the work carpark Hope the cops sort her out - causing the damage to start with, but failing to give details etc too.

They don't make a V8 manual though I've studied the conversion though!

I won't be out of pocket - I just need to pay for the other wheel I got!

It's OK Jooles, You can still buy my steering wheel for less than you told me it was worth, if you want . It'll be in Aucks weekend after this one .

Some of the performance difference is due to your prefacelift 525i really being a 523i in disguise - for some reason (and BMW let them do it) the Japs stuck with the 525i badges. Our 525 i ( a "real", facelift one , the little brother of your 530i) actually goes really well, but if I could have a manual 530i, i'd be happy! The M54 is a very good engine, especially with the problem parts fixed (Vanos, DISA and vacuum leaks, Rocker cover and oil filter housing gasket, old cooling system parts replaced). They have a tonne of torque down low, and don't mind screaming either. They have a really good shaped torque curve!

Nah, as far as E38's go, the 730i and 735i are the least desirable - you have the V8 running costs, without it being a 740i with the associated grunt. the 730i V8 was hungrier and slower under most circumstances than the 728i (especially the 728i with the M52TU).

maybe the extra 10K is for the paint... "Metallica Blue"

I still fancy attempting a manual conversion on an E38 728i