Eagle

Was it the genuine\OE replacement?, don't trust the diaphrams in the aftermarket ones. The few ive done on M52 and M54's reduced the oil consumption after replacement.

That a fair bit. Have you done the CCV?

Doesn't mention that in the auction. Ive cured minor ones in the past with better gear oils but guess it depends on what its actually like. Either was id hold out for a decent FL 325i as im sure you'd save time and money in the long run.

Driven around on various semi's in my old E30 and they will certainly will wear quickly, i don't think i got more than 10,000 with 3 or 4 track days. Yeah grip is next level but very little warning when it goes. They don't age well for road use and usually get slick when tread gets low. Overkill for the street imo

There a blue or green plug for the flywheel lock below the starter motors but its plastic and may break off. Id try my bore scope up the bell housing drain if i had to do it myself.

Is it running a dual mass or solid flywheel?

Only issue if you are struggling financially. Wealthy people will just pay to play.

Some what poverty spec vehicle but looks good, probably needs a 2.8L in it though. Is first E39 ive seen in NZ with a single climate control setup, great bonus since rotary temperature knobs are superior. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3346079202?fbclid=IwAR3x27njiLIWn_Q-rEpchrDof-5FXxNI-OIlEv7PVsSsHbgTWAkczIu2a9E&bof=fhjZSUFI

You'll need a long 18mm spanner or leverage to crack the center bolt which has threadlocker on it. Jaw puller makes taking the bearing off easy. You can use the other half of the driveshaft to tap the bearing on.

Did the hardest job on list - CCV and hoses, plastic water pipes and cleaning. Pipes were still in decent condition but new parts come with peace of mind. Couple of small bits of broken plastic to flush out later from the block, otherwise the heater valve may grab them for me.

A real space cadet. He's too busy to type but not to busy to field phone calls though, probably wont be receiving many at that price so i suppose it works.

Probably easier just to take them into a garage which would probably have a mounted one. All the Wellington guys recommend Auto38, im sure he's done plenty.

I dont remember seeing any like this at his asking price. Bound to be more than meets eye. Fixing those seats alone wouldnt be cheap

What a hori mess

Ive found ride height always raises after a full refresh compared to before. Being new springs you may need to wait a little longer but most E39's etc are driving around on worn suspension.

Finished off the rear suspension - Trialing a set of TRW rear shocks which are suppose to be Msport equivalents (Sachs don't make any now days). RTABS + limiters - old bushings weren't as bad as i expected but are '02 labeled so probably the originals. Front struts done - old ones were completely gone as expected, the weight of a 19mm 1\2" impact socket would compress the piston to near bottom. I only noticed one of the strut towers was mushroomed upon strut removal, likely caused by worn struts and mounts combined with pot holes. Have hammered it flat and will be putting in some reinforcement plates before re-installing.

Always money well spent. It's fatiguing driving a car with worn suspension.

Looks like reps to my eye. Can't see BBS stamped anywhere on those photos either.

Replaced the vanos seals for good measure, the old ones certainly were loose in the bores like some. Head and top valve cover clean as you'd would expect from a car like this.

Mostly comes down to being old, its 1960-1970's tech and 40 year old car. Parts harder to get\more expensive than e28 stuff. Manuals drive ok but 3 speed autos haven't aged well. Engines more problematic than the later M30's.

E12 based E24's aren't very good

@Sammo Haven't sourced one yet but will likely just find a good used one for now at least. They are around the same price as the lower coupling ($~370 NZD local dealer and ~2 week wait). About the same UK pricing by the time you add shipping and tax. RE bearing - Didn't even know it was an issue on these. Was it making any noises or just steering feel?

Made a dent in the list. Only issue was the hack who fitted the rubbish CTE FCAB's and cross threaded the RH threads while he was at it. Luckily the were repairable. FSU decided to start acting up so i had to replace that with a good spare i had. '02 build so may of been original. New genuine lower coupling on the way and will replace the upper as there is some minor play there also. Also fitted the 2x bottom rear window trims @hqstu gave me. Expensive parts for a little improvement.

Yeah its been for sale semi recently as KWS stated. My old 320,000km E34 535is made 171rhwp on Torque performance dyno, 5-10hp more than a similar car on the same day with MAPECU fitted. So many people try to improve performance on cars with even making sure all the EFI components are in good order.

Can't say ive had one issue buying or selling mostly BMW's, but im sure the trash count is much more than it used to be given the Japan>Euro migration.