zara

I'm looking at getting some angel eyes from Umnitza, springs and bushings from turner motorsport and some speakers + maybe subs and amps from Ebay or Amazon. So not very big items and from around 3-4 vendors.

Hey guys, Look at buying multiple bits and bobs from the USA from various vendors, wondering what's the best option for shipping? I've heard people getting them shipped to one combined shipping company and then paying for just 1 shipping fee. Is that generally the cheaper and more hassle free option? If so, which companies have you guys got good experience with? Cheers

A case study in why you should always have cash on hand!

Casual bump

Is your car Msport or non-M? I have an Eisenmann muffler for a non-M sport 540i that may fit a 520i (lines up perfectly on 525i so I'm assuming here) that you can have a look at? More than happy for you to come over and have a look, jack the car up etc or I can bring it around some time They retail for 899 pounds brand new, I'm only asking for $650

Let's T.A.B on how much it ends up going for, it's a car I'd own in a heartbeat. Kind surprised that they'd only give me 5k for my 540i lol. I'm gonna say 27,490 for absolutely no reason.

Haha should see some of the Honda crowd do this....sit low and back. There's a guy on NZH who used to own quite a nice yellow EK9 (CSET you'll know him, blackdevil) and he's a short Asian fella, perhaps 165cm? When he's driving his head's at the B pillar and his nose at the waistline. I have no idea how he sees out or control the car... I had many people tell me I don't sit like a "gangsta" enough when I drove an ITR because I sat in a position where my arms were slightly bent when hands on wheel.

Sorry to make you go through that trouble mate, thanks for the fast PM replies. And yeah sorry Arma, M5V8 replied me thinking it was you as I asked him similar questions upon reading this thread. He also said to replace the tweeters if you have them, and you can buy the speaks in for around $300 landed from the states, as opposed to $1000 from rapid radio (my research). Also M5V8, curious as to what amp/sub combo you run if you're running any. Thanks again and please take your time to respond, I'm not in a hurry and I know typing on iPhones in hotels is a pain...

From my research, you should be able to get a set of Bilsteins HD shocks + H&R springs in for around $1500NZD. The ride will be about 1" or so lower than standard motorsport and a tad bit harsher, though with improved handling. Thrust bushings are around $50USD a pair. Genuine BMW items maybe around $65USD, but they're liquid filled and will fail again, or so my research has said. I'm not a mechanic nor am I very mechanically inclined but I've been doing this research for the last month or so, it's just what I've picked up from various forums. Have a look at some offshore vendors like turner motorsport, ECS tuning, bimmerzone and Pelican parts for example to get a better idea of everything. 530s were in my consideration too, but I couldn't find one that fitted my bill (leather, heated seats+glass sunroof, facelift). That and a V8 is quite nice. From my limited experience of 2 months or so, the V8 has given me no big issue. There have been other issues but it's not really the car's fault or limited to 540s. From my understanding, the cooling system of the M62 is weak, maybe with the 6 cylinders too. Everything is plastic and everything should be replaced if you plan on driving the car for long. I was told around $1k by Glenn from Botany Motor Worx to do the whole system except the radiator (which was new on my car). Other than that, no real issue. I've read that vanos seals can go bad which causes loss of power, poor fuel economy etc, but that was mostly on 6 cylinder cars and can be remedied. Someone will know better than me on that. Also O2 sensors may need to be replaced and the MAF can sometimes go kaput, but these are universal E39 things, not engine specific. I just can't justify 530s over 330s, but I can with the 540 over the 330, so I picked a 540. If space isn't an issue, I would strongly recommend you to at least try an E46, it's a very good driver's car. I've read that quite a significant amount of E46s have cracked subframes, but I'm not sure on details.

Here's a bit of my input. The main difference with the facelift is the headlights, tail-lights and TV screen (cosmetically). You can easily fit angel rings into your headlights, bake them open and put in the rings. You can go aftermarket for tail lights and give you the same look as facelift models. There are many many options, have a look at http://www.umnitza.com/ for a start. You can buy new OEM headlights at well over $1000, or hella 'knockoffs' (hella are the OEM manufacturer anyway) which is literally the same thing for 30% of the price. These headlights can all come with the rings and HIDs. As for cooling system + chain guides, if you plan on keeping the car for long I would recommend you have a look at this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-586839808.htm I've viewed and drove the car in person, the seller has spent over $5k at BM Workshop getting the above items overhauled and it also has the M5 front bumper. However the cosmetics is a bit scruffy, the sunroof is not a glass roof and the suspension felt a bit softer than it should (bottomed out over a tall speed bump) If the suspension is original, you should look into getting new struts and shocks and most E39s will need new thrust bearings. The difference between an M 540i and non-M mostly comes down to suspension and seats in terms of driving feel. The shorter final drive can be felt if you're a bit sensitive but both are fast cars. The seats on the M sport are much more comfortable in my opinion as it hugs you better and provides critical support. The suspension (if in good condition) on the non M sport make for a comfortable ride but they're not that great in tighter corners. The M Tech II suspension are a very good balance between comfort and sportiness. If you really want a better handling car though, I would recommend the 530i. It get better gas mileage, 'feels' better thanks to rack and pinion but it lacks the Teutonic feel of the 540i as it doesn't have 440nm of torque. I've looked at 330s, 530s and 540s before buying a 540i. I would personally choose the 330 over the 530 as it's faster and handles better. But the 540's torque beat them all out in my mind. If you buy a 540, best thing to do is never look at gas mileage or range on the OBC, you'll enjoy the car much more that way.

Checked the VIN and the car shipped with xenon. Changed the bulbs back to standard and guess what....no issues on cold mornings. I haven't checked yet but the aftermarket bulbs may very well have been 50 or 55w, going back to 35w seems to solve the problem

The car appears to be factory fit HIDs as it has factory ballasts, though strangely with cable ties around them. The production date of the car is 28th June 2000. I'm not sure if it attempts to re-ignite the light but it does display check low-beam when the light is not working. The bulb I bought is both brighter (in my eyes) and bluer, I think 6000K? Not sure about wattage tbh. When you say genuine retrofit, did you mean that you bought genuine ballasts and fitted them on a non-HID car?

So I have a 2000 E39 facelift that comes with factory HIDs. I recently changed the bulbs to a much brighter output one and have started experiencing cold start woes. Initially the passenger side bulb will light up, then flicker off immediately when cold. When the car has been warmed up though, it will operate no problem. As the temperature dropped these few days, both sides are doing the same. From some Googling, I've come to the conclusion that it is either the cold or the amperage in the car (or the combo of both) that is creating this problem. I have yet to try changing bulbs but I've bought these bulbs from the same shop before and had no such problems, albeit they were in Japanese cars. My question is, if after changing the bulbs and the problem exists, can I be safe to say it's the ignitors/ballasts that are on their way out? Or could I simply wire in a capacitor/HID harness that may fix the issue. If the ignitors are indeed kaput, is it possible to bypass the standard ballast all-together and install an aftermarket ballast? Cheers

According to my research, if your headlight was manufactured before sept 2001, you can bake them open, after that you can't and it literally needs to be cut open. My adjusters are broken too but it's been OK for the WOF so far so I'm going to leave them for now, they don't jump around at night anyway.

Bump, take it off me before it goes on TM

Forgot to mention, will swap with radar detectors such as V1 (latest software) or Escort 9500

I would if I am keeping the car for any longer but I'm very likely moving overseas at the end of the year so I wouldn't bother too much about modifying the car. It was kinda an impulse buy too. The new FS thread is here, http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=44374 Is it ok if I use your expired TM listing for photos?

Hey guys, I bought this muffler off a BS member a few weeks ago only to realise it doesn't fit the M-sport rear bumper. It will fit the standard E39 bumper. Was told it came off a 540i but looks to fit all E39's (tried with a 525i) It owes me $650 so I'll be happy if I get that back. It will not clear the M-sport bumper exhaust outlet unless you cut the bumper. These are super rare in NZ and are £800 new Here are some photos from the expired TM link (if that's OK) http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=577897317 Best to get in touch with me via txt 0210628488

Bumping this up a little, I bought the muffler and tried getting it fitted. Turns out it's made for the non-motorsport bumper. The muffler won't fit my car unless the msport bumper is cut, won't clear the tip exit. I placed the muffler under a standard E39 and it fits perfectly. So now it's for sale! It most likely will fit any non-msport E39 sedan as it seems to fit perfectly on a 525i

On the topic of SIV, I read somewhere that Autocar NZ said they'll qualify any car made as "important" because they regard any car has historically significant. That being said, it still doesn't help the M5s case as it still won't get 3 points

Hey guys, Got 2x Potenza RE-01R (185/55/R15) for sale. TM Link: $1 Res!!! 2x Potenza RE-01R (185/55/R15) | Trade Me $1 Reserve! Auction is for 2x Potenza RE-01R (185/55/R15) tyres in 185/55/R15 size. Still lots of tread left, estimate over 5mm at least. The RE-01R is a tyre we can't get in NZ and is a super high performance summer tyre that can also double as a track tyre you can drive home on. The 2 tyres have a bit of scratching on the side-wall but it's only skin deep and doesn't affect side wall integrity. Pickup in Silverdale preferred or else Auckland Central pre-arranged. Open to offers.

Hey guys, Got a set of 17' Style 66 for sale + tyres. TM link: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.as...368&ed=true Auction is for a set of genuine BMW Style 66 17" M-parallels off an E39 Motorsport. Front: 8Jx17AH2 ET20 Rear: 9Jx17ah2 ET26 In excellent condition with only a few small curbing as outlined in the photos. Tyres all have at least 4mm and are Yokohama A drives up front and GT Radial Champiro HPX at the back. All 4 wheels with centre caps intact and ///M stickers. Open to offers. Pick-up in Silverdale or Auckland central

Saw "BMW Z1," RHD too which according to Wiki there is only 1 in the world (which is probably wrong) unless it was converted to RHD. Often see the Alpina Z8 around.

At a guess, that'll be TG Australia. Unlikely the UK one will come down here, but one can hope! I hope season 20 will be epic, 6 episodes a season is really too short. I hadn't thought about the rust problem, that could very well be the case. Still, silly cheap...good for track car/thrash car.

Just watched the latest (well half a week old) episode and I'm constantly amazed by the price of 2nd hand cars in Britain. This time for 1500 pounds, they managed to get 3 tidy looking wagons. ***spoiler**** An E39 528i touring, manual. A bug-eye Impreza WRX and a Volvo 850R! An Impreza WRX for under $3k NZD!!!!!