New BMW in Wellington! E39 530i

[BozzaFC 300]

First time BMW owner!

3 weeks ago I bought @str8_6's 2001 530i and have since fallen in love with her! Nicknamed 'Jane', she is a facelift, NZ new, very tidy car that has spent most of her life garaged. She is in Oxford Green Metallic, with the standard black leather interior and wood trim. At 137,500kms, I have already done over 1,000kms in her and can honestly say I have enjoyed every moment of it! I have never needed any more power on a passing lane, and she is silky smooth at idle. Oh, and don't get me started on that beautiful 6-pot purr! Although I am normally a hardcore manual supporter, I have switched over to the dark side simply because it is almost torturous to drive a manual through Wellington and Wellington's traffic.

I am currently a first-year student at Victoria University and am a diehard car guy. My grandmother got me into cars with her 1998 R170 SLK230 Kompressor (the car in my profile pic - and yes that's me on the bonnet!), I loved that car and still do; she actually still uses it as her daily and has done over 200,000kms in it. I recently got a new job out in Petone which finally justified my intense desire to buy a new car! Previously, I had a 1999 Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 6-speed which was my first car. I loved that car with a passion; I spent a substantial amount of money doing preventative maintenance on it (not myself, although I would like to be able to start working on my cars in the future) by replacing the water pump, cambelt, radiator and a couple CV boots. Unfortunately, after owning it for only 3 months it was written off - not by me though! It was parked outside my high school one morning when a gentleman drove past towing a car trailer which didn't have the safety chain attached. Just as he drove past my car, the trailer bounced off the hook and ploughed straight into my baby. Fair to say I was devastated (and to this day haven't fully gotten over it). It was only a few weeks prior to that that I had sunk many dollars in securing the longevity of my pride and joy. Luckily, we both had insurance and I was paid out for it. *Photos attached*

This tragedy occurred in September of last year, and ever since I have been longing for a replacement, but have never been able to justify it/find the right replacement. And then Jane came along. I have always been a BMW enthusiast, with my mother owning an E36 when I was growing up and an E90 now, and am very glad to finally have one that I can call my own. I keep her in a parking garage in Wellington's CBD, and use her 3-4 days each week to drive to and from Petone (although that hasn't stopped me taking her out most days just to go for a cruise!) and occasionally to drive back home to Whanganui (2.5 hrs). 

Unfortunately, after only owning the car for 2 days, my radiator sprung a crack while I was visiting home in Whanganui. I got this replaced by our family mechanic easily enough, but it was nonetheless a pain!

In terms of future plans for the car, I have bought some euro style licence plate surrounds which I am yet to put on (couldn't justify spending $299 on the real deal - maybe one day), I am considering putting a tasteful tint on the windows to preserve the leather and parcel shelf which is surprisingly un-faded, and am currently looking into installing an aux-cord into the stock stereo setup. I am leaning towards a Grom unit which plugs into the back of the stereo since the stereo will be pre 09/2002, but am open to recommendations. My only requirement is that the stock head unit remains - I'm big on OEM. Obviously, I'm a first-year uni student so don't have heaps of money to burn (and the parents won't pay for it ;)) so affordable recommendations of any kind will be much appreciated.

This is turning into a bit of an essay so I'll finish it up here. I've joined the BMW Car Club and will be attending the Cars and Coffee meet this weekend. I really look forward to meeting more of you guys and gaining insight into BMW ownership and any pointers on working on my car myself (this is hard, however, since I am in a hall of residence and don't necessarily have the capacity to do much work myself). This is such an exciting community and I am thrilled to be a part of it! 

Cheers,

Boston.

Edited August 19, 2018 by BozzaFC

[hugo_nz 166]

That's a fine kooking 5-er! Welcome. I have always maintained that the E39 is one of BMW's most iconic designs. Compared to MB and Audi models of the same generation the E39 has aged so beautifully. 

[SmithyInWelly 212]

Welcome Bozza; no relation to Bosnich then? haha - I recognise where those pics of Jane were taken only too well! Shame about the Alfa - I had a (poxy) 147 and to this day it remains one of the sweetest driving manual cars I've ever owned... it's a duty to tick the Alfa box at some point!

Enjoy!

[Olaf 3313]

Welcome, Boston.  Look forward to seeing you at the cars and coffee this weekend.  You’ve scored a beaut e39, and sounds like you’re heading in the right direction to keep it that way ?

[SteveArmy90 55]

Welcome, I'll look out for you in on the M/way! 

[TermiPeteNZ 1318]

Welcome Boston - nice to meet you at the last pub night and congrats on the tidy E39!

Sorry to hear about the Alfa - understand how gutted you must have been when that happened ?

 

[treone 646]

Welcome aboard! 

[adro 1083]

Welcome, I have a AUX cable for E39 you can have.

[BozzaFC 300]

2 hours ago, adro said:

Welcome, I have a AUX cable for E39 you can have.

Thanks! Is that just the cable? So I'll still need to buy a unit to plug it into?

[viskop 99]

Was good to meet you last night at 1847 young man. (I was the one sitting opposite you and I had the steak!)

[hqstu 780]

On ‎8‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 6:31 AM, hugo_nz said:

I have always maintained that the E39 is one of BMW's most iconic designs

...very wise words...

[leonf 162]

Welcome, Boston.  Amazing to me that the Alfa was a write off with that damage.  I'm guessing its value was not too high, and we all know the cost of repairs in this country is horrendous.  All it really means is there are a lot of vehicles meeting premature deaths here.   Shame.

[BozzaFC 300]

On 1/2/2022 at 10:37 PM, maxime said:

Hi Boston!

Curious to know, do you still have ownership? 

Recently bought my first car - It being an 03 530i with same, Oxford Green and black leather interior. 

I've admired BMWs since I was much younger, thanks to my grandparents of course as they both owned them while I was growing up. The fact that I finally have one is truly a blessing (could also turn into a possible nightmare haha) especially considering it's my first car. 

Whether you still have it not, I'd really love to know how it's been/was? 

 

 

 

G'day!  Nah, no longer have the 5er.  I sold it to a Wellington local after getting a great deal on an E39 540i Motorsport.  I still see it floating around town .  

I had the 530i just over a year and did more than 20,000kms in it. It was ridiculously reliable and a fantastic cruiser.  I spent quite a bit on preventative maintenance and regular servicing (Vanos, cooling system, spark plugs, tyres), but nothing failed other than the radiator.  The word of the day with BMWs is servicing - if you keep on top of it (fluids, spark plugs, filters etc) it will serve you well. The E39 is very DIY-friendly too. 

Sounds like you've got yourself a great car.  Oxford Green is a beautiful colour and 2003 is the last model year of the E39.  You should start a thread for it!

Edited January 9, 2022 by BozzaFC

[BozzaFC 300]

On 1/4/2022 at 5:50 PM, leonf said:

Welcome, Boston.  Amazing to me that the Alfa was a write off with that damage.  I'm guessing its value was not too high, and we all know the cost of repairs in this country is horrendous.  All it really means is there are a lot of vehicles meeting premature deaths here.   Shame.

Unfortunately, the damage was more than superficial.  It didn''t take much for the repair estimate to exceed its $4.5k insurance valuation . 

$4.5k is a steal for a tidy manual V6 156 nowadays!

[BozzaFC 300]

The 540i was such a fun drive.  The V8 roar was addictive.  I'll own another V8 one day.

I actually have a different BMW now.

I did use Auto38 (they were great), but it unfortunately no longer exists.  Some other Wellington members will be able to give some good mechanic recommendations.

Can't wait to see your thread (and pics)!

Edited January 10, 2022 by BozzaFC

[BozzaFC 300]

The E36 definitely hits some good ‘90s nostalgia points!

I haven’t needed a mechanic since Auto38 closed, but others @Olaf @TermiPeteNZ @str8_6 @treone may be able to chip in 😁

[Olaf 3313]

I go all the way to Marton to continue with Jon of Auto 38, at Begley Motor Works.

You could try Peter Craigie at All European Service in Fifeshire Avenue, if you need to go local.

I don't recommend Page European.

And I wouldn't bother with VTNZ, they're not useful for PPIs, and barely adequate for WoFs.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Olaf

[TermiPeteNZ 1318]

I've used Driscoll Motors on Walter Street for general servicing for many years ... do wish Auto38 was still here in Welly of course though - Jon is brilliant.