BozzaFC

Thanks a lot for the advice guys. It seems to me that the most cost-efficient and effective thing to do would be to replace the springs first of all, and get new shocks and mounts etc while I am in there. My question is, should I just go standard OEM springs and shocks, or go m-sport? If I were to choose m-sport, is it necessary that I do the ARBs and essentially overhaul the entire suspension? I'm not sure if I want to fork out that kind of money on a daily driver. Ultimately, I'd have to take one for a drive to know if it's worth it. @Eagle @Young Thrash Driver do you guys have the list of parts from when you upgraded your suspensions? I could probably find a list with some research, but if you lads have already been there you might have something? And do both of your cars sit flat? Before upgrading the suspension, do you recall them ever sitting higher on one side?? @Olaf cheers for that. Is your E46 an m-sport? I'd be really interested to have a go in that with just the m-sport ARBs and staggered wheels. Your E60, too, would be very helpful with just the refreshed OEM setup. Would help me to decide whether the gains in handling/ride will be worth the pennies spent to do it. Just keep in mind I am under 25, but in saying that I've driven Jane for four months without so much as a run-in with a curb. Even so much as a ride in them would be invaluable I would imagine

Thanks. I quite like the idea of the m-sport springs. Are they compatible with non m-sport Sachs shocks? Or will I need to get the Sachs shocks and other associated goodies like bump stops? If anyone has a list of all the bits needed for a suspension rehaul that would be perfect ?

They’re great rims, and even greater cars!

I have the M54 in my E39 530i and I easily get below 10L/100km. Usually around mid 9s, but that’s mostly motorway miles Also, note that I am not a ‘nana’ driver ?

Are the OEM Sachs not what are on it currently? Or are they the m-sport shocks? Ah yes I’ve heard of the Meyle shocks. What has your experience been with them in terms of ride quality and ride height? What springs do you have them paired with? It’s a shame you’re in Hamilton, I would be very interested in having a look at your car before making a decision. Yeah Jon said that it’s the springs. I am taking her back next week to get the brake hoses fitted because the part hadn’t arrived when it was in earlier this week. I’ll get this confirmed then

After undertaking a few more hours of research, I am now leaning towards just replacing the springs with OEM parts. It’s not only the more cost effective solution, but I don’t want to ruin the soft ride and the look of my car by lowering it excessively (in the future, when I’m older and wealthier, I’ll buy a more sporty vehicle. Perhaps an M5... ?) Do we think it is likely that new springs will solve my uneven ride height issue? Or are they just all like that when on stock suspensions?

Thanks, their website looks promising. A bit closer to home, Advanced Wheel Repair in Porirua has been pointed out to me. Does anyone here have experience with them? They seem relatively inexpensive, with $120-$160 per wheel and a quick turnaround

Not having a lot of luck with the rim hunting. Tempted to try and get these ones repaired. Has anyone used WheelFixIt in Auckland? I’m open to any other recommendations

Thanks a lot qube, but I’m pretty big on keeping the car as stock-looking as possible. Plus, I really like the style 81s on it already

Cheers for that. I’m looking to keep the stock head unit, and just upgrading the speakers themselves

To mark hitting 143,000kms, I had Jon at Auto 38 do the Inspection 2 Service this week This consisted of: Oil + filter change Diff oil change Brake fluid change Power steering fluid change 6 new spark plugs Idler pulleys x2 New wiper relay to fix an occasional stopping of the wipers Rear brake hoses Inspection of all other pulleys, belts and hoses

After weeks of postponement caused by work and uni exams, it's finally time to give Jane some well-deserved TLC. After taking inspiration from @Olaf 's excellent documentation of his journey in his E60 - - I have decided to do a similar thing with my E39. Exactly four months ago to the day, I drove out of @str8_6's driveway with my first Bimmer, 136,423kms on the clock, and no regrets since. Over those four months, I have: - Replaced the leaking radiator, expansion tank (which had previously been glued together at some point ?), and the upper coolant hose from the thermostat to the radiator - Fitted a Euro-style license plate surround (couldn't quite justify the $300 for the real deal, maybe one day) - Received two speeding tickets from the same camera (both within the first week of ownership ? ) - cruise control is now used religiously on the motorway - Installed a GROM Bluetooth unit into the stock BMW head unit (with the generous help of @str8_6) - Replaced the wiper blades with a genuine pair from FCP Euro, applied an overdue coat of Rain-X, topped up the washer fluid with genuine BMW concentrate My family has a habit of forming bonds with their cars and keeping them for several decades; a habit which has well and truly passed on to me, hence why Jane has reached 'girlfriend' status. As with all long-term relationships, if you want to keep them, they soon get expensive. Hence, I have a list of future plans for my girl: - In the 6,500kms or so I have done in Jane, I have managed to buckle both drivers side rims . Replacements are needed relatively soon, but I'm unsure of which way I want to go. I love the style 81s that I currently have, so getting a new set of rims isn't really an option. Alternatively, I could either repair the two buckled rims (noting that they aren't severely buckled), or purchase two new style 81s. I'm leaning towards buying two new rims (or maybe just one and using the full-sized spare?), since I'm not totally convinced of the efficacy of rim repairs?? Any advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated. - Following the rim issue, it is time for new tyres. I plan to buy a set of four Pilot Sport 4 tyres to get fitted when I eventually sort out what I'm doing with the rims - The GROM Bluetooth unit has highlighted how pitiful the E39 base audio system is. This certainly isn't a pressing upgrade, but a decent audio system is a must for me in the long-term. Has anyone on here upgraded the speakers in their E39 with success? - Tints. I like the stock look without tints, but we're heading into summer and I'd like to keep the interior looking as sharp as possible. - Suspension. I am at a crossroads when it comes to what to do with my suspension. I have noticed that the driver's side of the car sits noticeably lower than the passenger's. I did some reading online and was met with conflicting theories; some said they were made like that from the factory to balance out the slope of our roads, and others claimed that because of our sloped roads one side will wear quicker than the other. One thing was for certain, I didn't know the answer. After talking to Jon at Auto 38, the driver's side rear spring is quite tired, causing it to sit 30mm lower than the passenger rear. Okay, so that solves one problem: my 17-year-old car with over 140,000kms has tired suspension, I probably could have guessed that. Now, I have a few options, with the cheapest probably being to just replace all four springs with OEM parts. But if I'm going to be keeping Jane for many years, I am considering being slightly more extravagant with my solution. While the ride is superb, the body roll is laughable on a twisty road. Moreover, I could fit another E39 inside the wheel arch gap with the stock set up. I'm thinking a bit of a suspension rehaul. Maybe some H&R springs? But I don't want the ride height to fall dramatically. Looking online, some suggest also fitting new shocks to pair with the springs, such as Bilstein B8s. Again, unsure of the impact this would have on ride comfort? I'm far from making a decision on this issue, and have plenty more research to do, but does anyone have experience with either of these? Ultimately, I'm after something that will improve the handling and reduce the wheel arch gap (but still respectable - no StanceNation here), but also not ruining the supple ride of the E39. Here are a couple of snaps from the BMW Car Club's recent drive to Cape Palliser:

Update? Has this sold yet?

After 2x style 81 rims for my e39 if anyone has any

You’d be mad not to

It’s the lighting I swear ?

Came across Jane's oxford green sister today in Hataitai. That touring is stunning

I too think the premium is for the mileage + NZ new. Have emailed the owner; apart from regular servicing, only the ABS module has been replaced. The tune was installed shortly after he got it. He bought it with just under 8kms and has done around 22kms with the tune issue free (apart from ABS). With regard to the missing iDrive - that is the ideal ‘option’ in my opinion

I’d tend to agree with the thrashing point. A shame really, because it is a stunning car. Yeah I noticed the odometer decrease too. The classic WOF typo is annoyingly common I’ve found

Yeah, I agree. Definitely wouldn't pay that much for it. Although, it is the perfect spec in my opinion. It will be a long-term car. Last car she bought is the SLK in my profile picture; bought when only 3 or 4 years old and still driving it daily.

Yep that's it. Thoughts?

Cheers for that. I have emailed the guy, but it seems to be a very sorted car. Ticks all the boxes. It's only got 30km

Hi all, A family member of mine is looking at buying a 335ci. It has a JB4 tune on it currently, which she isn't overly interested in. Have been in a stock one before and it is plenty fast. Just wondering if anyone knows about the uninstallation process? And if there are any potential consequences of having a car that was once tuned? Would one be better off to go for a car that hasn't been tuned? I have zero knowledge when it comes to tuning so any advice is appreciated. Cheers

Isn't that the colour that comes on a lot of the M3/4 CS's? I think it suits the shape really well

I think it's because it's the Merino leather and not the standard leatherette? Also, it's brand new so is still nice and matte