A current picture of the poor old 535,

[Bill R.]

I promised her a paint job and anything else needed for a christmas present...

[632 Regal]

poor thing, why dont you put it out of her misery and let me pick it up off your hands? ;)

[shogun]

And from me the new outer door handle gaskets come, will send them out today, Bill.

But why a paint job? On the pic is looks good.
Just checked a bit in the japanese auction house for you, what else you could give her as present,
found wood (?)
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n47716262
a clock? http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/117702045
or for the tires? http://page17.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v81969213

[Bill R.]

was actually raining today here so its not so obvious that the clearcoat is peeling badly on the roof and the rear deck.





And from me the new outer door handle gaskets come, will send them out today, Bill.

But why a paint job? On the pic is looks good.
Just checked a bit in the japanese auction house for you, what else you could give her as present,
found wood (?)
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n47716262
a clock? http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/117702045
or for the tires? http://page17.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v81969213

[Jr ///M5]

Hey Bill, we were just talking about you last night. Scott asked if I had heard from you recently. I feel better now, seeing you post pictures of the 535i sure brings back the memories, good ones too!

I would like to extend my best wishes and happy holidays to both you and Yvonne. Take care of yourself old friend, it's surely good to hear from you again.

Good luck with the 535i, you know it's been said that it has the best mechanic in the Southwest for an owner...

Merry Christmas Bill....

Jr

[Jeff N.]

:) Hear hear! Well said Jr! And a hearty cheer from the (snowy!) pacific northwest. We too are still here. My 5er toils away on daily commutes, Eric's stocker just keeps chugging along while Martin has just completed a home brew turbo system on his.

None of us can sell 'em. They just don't make like this anymore. Nice to see you're still sitting on yours too Bill.

Jeff

[Jehu]

5 speed?

[Bill R.]

nice to see that you are all still popping in here. And like Jeff said, its not easy for me to get rid of this car.... I work on enough enough e39's now that its been really tempting to get one.
I like them. They are definitely getting cheap enough around here. I just haven't been able to part with the old e34 . So it looks like i'll keep it and go through most of it and make it my daily driver for parts etc.
This site does bring back a lot of memories and i Hope that all my friends here have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays... Hope you guys aren't freezing your asses off either.

[Jeff N.]

hehe...Scotty is showing signs of E39 weakness.

[Jr ///M5]

"Wagon Weakness"....hmmm '03 540i Sport...

Bill's right about the plummeting prices. Lori's '01 E39 isn't worth much these days, but has served us well with 163k miles on it.

Let's see, I've replaced the plugs (twice) O2 sensors, sway bar links, valve cover gasket, radiator, water pump, thermostat, cyclone valve cold weather update, LKM module, brakes (Akebono) fan resistor, alternator and battery, the cheesy cupholder, windshield and foglights. It still runs great, except for needing the vanos o'ring replacement and doesn't use any oil between the 6k mile changes. During extreme cold starts it wants to idle rough until the temp comes out of the blue, then it's runs great. The control arms need to be replaced by now and the transmission fluid has never been changed. It still shifts fine, probably due to the mileage being 98% highway. The E39 drives real nice and after 5 years of ownership the above work probably adds up to about $2400 plus my wrenching time at a nickel an hour it would be about $1.65...=)

And yes, Bill...I'm freezin' my ass off....6 lonely degrees this Christmas morning..

JR
PS (Send some of that Arizona warmth up this way would ya???)

[Bill R.]

I have nothing to complain about weather wise:)... I don't seem to have to do alot to the e39's either , other than routine replacement stuff.. and the ABS control module on the 97 to 2000 models that fails. But Gavin at module master does a great job on them cheaply.
I frequently replace the various crankcase /pcv type hoses on them including the oil drainback line that feeds into the dipstick tube on the 528's... Seems like the e39 lost value much faster than the e34's did. I find a number of them here for 4 to 5k with 110k miles on them.
I've got the poor old 535 up on the lift today at a friends place and will be working on it until the 5th of jan... That should be enough time to go through everything mechanical.
Hope you guys are enjoying your Christmas day and staying warm. Time to go eat a slice of pie before heading over to the shop.




"Wagon Weakness"....hmmm '03 540i Sport...

Bill's right about the plummeting prices. Lori's '01 E39 isn't worth much these days, but has served us well with 163k miles on it.

Let's see, I've replaced the plugs (twice) O2 sensors, sway bar links, valve cover gasket, radiator, water pump, thermostat, cyclone valve cold weather update, LKM module, brakes (Akebono) fan resistor, alternator and battery, the cheesy cupholder, windshield and foglights. It still runs great, except for needing the vanos o'ring replacement and doesn't use any oil between the 6k mile changes. During extreme cold starts it wants to idle rough until the temp comes out of the blue, then it's runs great. The control arms need to be replaced by now and the transmission fluid has never been changed. It still shifts fine, probably due to the mileage being 98% highway. The E39 drives real nice and after 5 years of ownership the above work probably adds up to about $2400 plus my wrenching time at a nickel an hour it would be about $1.65...=)

And yes, Bill...I'm freezin' my ass off....6 lonely degrees this Christmas morning..

JR
PS (Send some of that Arizona warmth up this way would ya???)

[Martin in Bellevue]

Merry Christmas guys!
Might as well keep the 535; replacement costs for something similarly useful are huge. I had the 911 itch for a while; but took the boys on test rides. No room for much family beyond the dog in a 964 or 993.

[Scott H]

heading for Chicago.

I'm glad I poked my head in here to see that the original crew is still holding on. I let my 535iTm go to Josh Gore. I've been too busy to tend to its needs and he will take care of it and probably help it along its way to its true destiny - turbo.

I was a lot more upset than I thought I would be watching him drive off. I put my 91 M5 up for sale too but after driving it a few more times and getting emails from interested parties who had sold theirs and regret it, I feel I will too. I'm going to pull it off the market and enjoy the last E34 I have and will probably ever own.

The latest stable:
2006 X5 3.0
2003 525iT (coming soon)
1991 M5

Now to complete the circle, I think I'll give George Mann a phone call.


hehe...Scotty is showing signs of E39 weakness.

[Bill R.]

535it...or not for a long time anyway.



heading for Chicago.

I'm glad I poked my head in here to see that the original crew is still holding on. I let my 535iTm go to Josh Gore. I've been too busy to tend to its needs and he will take care of it and probably help it along its way to its true destiny - turbo.

I was a lot more upset than I thought I would be watching him drive off. I put my 91 M5 up for sale too but after driving it a few more times and getting emails from interested parties who had sold theirs and regret it, I feel I will too. I'm going to pull it off the market and enjoy the last E34 I have and will probably ever own.

The latest stable:
2006 X5 3.0
2003 525iT (coming soon)
1991 M5

Now to complete the circle, I think I'll give George Mann a phone call.

[Scott H]

I'm the type of guy who does his homework, makes a decision, and then holds on until the end. Cars bring a lot of enjoyment but they are also tremendous wastes of money, especially if you lease them or trade them often. I try to avoid both and as a result I always plan on keeping my cars until they stop running.

The 535iT, as you know, had some issues after I rebuilt it. A few of those issues have been solved and a few have remained. One issue that has remained is something that prevents me from being able to drive it on very cold winter mornings. I've only been getting busier with work and family and I don't have the time to troubleshoot the problem. The best option right now was for me to eliminate the frustration completely. It's a very weak answer from a "car guy", I know. I could also have taken to our very capable local independent but the time necessary to replicate the issue and the potential cost to solve were somethings I was not willing to deal with as well.

All in all, the car gave me a great project, 3 years, and 40k miles. I sold it for cheap (you guys would shake your head), to a friend who can take care of it, get maximum use from it, and take it to the next level.

A frustrating decision indeed, but as long as this E39 touring shows up in good condition, I believe it was a necessary decision for many reason.

Aside from my story, it looks like you have some interesting plans for your 535! A few modifications going in as well.....I'll be keeping my eye on the progress.


535it...or not for a long time anyway.

[Robin-535im]

"Wagon Weakness"....hmmm '03 540i Sport...

Tell me about it. There used to be 5-7 2003 540iT sports on Autotrader all the time, but for the last few months, zilch. I've been showing them to my wife for the past year, breaking in the idea that IF the 535 should ever suffer an untimely demise, that would be a good replacement.

Maybe it's seasonal... let me know if you find a good source!

- Robin

[Bill R.]

matching wagons and e46 and an e34 or even a 540i e39 since they are going dirt cheap right now... There was one on ebay the other day i tried to get my wife interested in... but says i have to get rid of some cars first..



Tell me about it. There used to be 5-7 2003 540iT sports on Autotrader all the time, but for the last few months, zilch. I've been showing them to my wife for the past year, breaking in the idea that IF the 535 should ever suffer an untimely demise, that would be a good replacement.

Maybe it's seasonal... let me know if you find a good source!

- Robin

[JAlfredPrufrock]

I put my 91 M5 up for sale too but after driving it a few more times and getting emails from interested parties who had sold theirs and regret it, I feel I will too. I'm going to pull it off the market and enjoy the last E34 I have and will probably ever own.

At least you came to your senses, and hopefully you still have my clears! ****ing gorgeous car.

[Jeff N.]

Hey Scotty - what wagen did you end up with? Not the one from our here is it?

[Scott H]

...and the clear are still on.


At least you came to your senses, and hopefully you still have my clears! ****ing gorgeous car.

[Scott H]

05/2003 production 2003 525iT. steptronic. blk/blk. 58,750 miles. CPO til 7/2009. sport pkg. premium pkg. cold pkg. xenons. rear air suspn. PDC. window shades. cd changer.

Basically everything except NAV, sat radio, bluetooth, and slideout cargo floor. I picked up a set of 16" style 134 E60 wheels and went over to Josh Gore's dad's shop and we machined the hub bores to 74.1mm so that is what transferred my 16" Nokians over to for winter use.

The interior is pretty darn clean. It looks like the pass and rear seats have never been used. The driver's seat still has leather texture too but the steering wheel has smoothed out. The carpets are almost spotless with the only blemish being a silver dollar sized ring where a chemical burned the carpet pile in the cargo floor.

I have not had a good chance to wash the car yet due to such cold temps here in Chicago and other time constraints. I did get a fair look at it coming off the trailer and there is one ding on the passenger side which is only noticeable while sighting down the side of the car. It could be removed if I cared more but it's just not that noticeable. It's a CA and WA car so it had not seen salt until I started using it :D. As a result, there are very few paint chips and very little sand blasting to the grille, headlights, and windshield.

The glass hatch rattles a bit on hard bumps, the coin tray in the driver's door pocket is stuck open, the fuel door hinge is weak, and the front left fender liner needs to be replaced as it is cracked from a bumper+parking block incident.

Mechanically it should be sound as I have seen the service records. There are a few things that I will try to get taken care of under CPO just to be safe going forward.

Other than that, I don't know what else there is to say. I am still trying to figure out if the auto box is going to be too boring for me but so far I'm digging the stiffer chassis and more up to date creature comforts more than I thought I would. The open diff is definitely noticeable compared to the LSD I was used to.




Hey Scotty - what wagen did you end up with? Not the one from our here is it?

[Bill R.]

m54 motor? not the n52 i hope.... From the few that i've worked on so far i'm not a huge fan of the n52 and its aluminum bolts.




05/2003 production 2003 525iT. steptronic. blk/blk. 58,750 miles. CPO til 7/2009. sport pkg. premium pkg. cold pkg. xenons. rear air suspn. PDC. window shades. cd changer.

Basically everything except NAV, sat radio, bluetooth, and slideout cargo floor. I picked up a set of 16" style 134 E60 wheels and went over to Josh Gore's dad's shop and we machined the hub bores to 74.1mm so that is what transferred my 16" Nokians over to for winter use.

The interior is pretty darn clean. It looks like the pass and rear seats have never been used. The driver's seat still has leather texture too but the steering wheel has smoothed out. The carpets are almost spotless with the only blemish being a silver dollar sized ring where a chemical burned the carpet pile in the cargo floor.

I have not had a good chance to wash the car yet due to such cold temps here in Chicago and other time constraints. I did get a fair look at it coming off the trailer and there is one ding on the passenger side which is only noticeable while sighting down the side of the car. It could be removed if I cared more but it's just not that noticeable. It's a CA and WA car so it had not seen salt until I started using it :D. As a result, there are very few paint chips and very little sand blasting to the grille, headlights, and windshield.

The glass hatch rattles a bit on hard bumps, the coin tray in the driver's door pocket is stuck open, the fuel door hinge is weak, and the front left fender liner needs to be replaced as it is cracked from a bumper+parking block incident.

Mechanically it should be sound as I have seen the service records. There are a few things that I will try to get taken care of under CPO just to be safe going forward.

Other than that, I don't know what else there is to say. I am still trying to figure out if the auto box is going to be too boring for me but so far I'm digging the stiffer chassis and more up to date creature comforts more than I thought I would. The open diff is definitely noticeable compared to the LSD I was used to.

[Bill R.]

other day and have started putting the trim and moldings back on whenever i get time..

[Bill R.]

Turned out suprisingly well for a 700 dollar paint job

[Bill R.]

the oe bronzit beige and they color sanded and buffed the clear which i didn't expect for that price either

[Bill R.]

One last pic, these new side molding clips i had a lot of trouble with them breaking when installing the new molding...wondered if the clips have sat on the shelf too long

[Jeff N.]

Looks nice Bill. Mine's getting to the age where it could use a little cleanup. Even with some care, the dings are adding up and so are the scratches and chips. Of course, it just has to be black and so it shows everything.

Oh well...still looks good for a 20 year old car. :)

[bad_manners_god]

One last pic, these new side molding clips i had a lot of trouble with them breaking when installing the new molding...wondered if the clips have sat on the shelf too long

warm them up first to help them flex more.

[Jr ///M5]

WOW! It looks GREAT Bill... Not only will it run forever with you as the owner, it will also look BRAND SPANKING NEW!

You got a hell of a deal for $700...The damn paint and clear cost about $250!

Did you remove all the chrome window trim?

Gordon would be soooo jealous...

Good job buddy, the moldings need to lay out in the sun for a little and a little touch of grease on the white clip will make it easier for them to pop in the track. They could be like me though, ....old....

Enjoy,
JR

[Scott H]

as it share oil filter kits, etc with the X5.

Your project looks like it's coming along nicely. Those trim bits can be frustrating. Is it possible the openings in the doors were filled in with paint, making the opening smaller and harder to press the mouldings in to? or have I lost your train of thought.


m54 motor? not the n52 i hope.... From the few that i've worked on so far i'm not a huge fan of the n52 and its aluminum bolts.

[632 Regal]

car looks brand new from the pictures, cant wait to see it with all trim back on.

[Bill R.]

I don't think i'll ever go to the amount of detail that you and Gordon have gone to on your cars... this is supposed to be a dailydriver/parts runner, but still i'm irritated that i find myself parking way out when i drive it to go get something already.. and somebody parked next to me when i ran over to ace to pickup some adhesive. I find myself looking down to side to see if they door dinged me, thinking to myself, at least let me get the trim back on before somebody wacks it one..

The more i look it over the happier i am with the job they did, its not perfect but for the price its fine for me... He claims the basecoat cost him 200 per quart, don't know if i believe that number or not.

I didn't pull the window trim and i should have but i thought i'd bend some of it and have to buy more.. as it is they scratched short area with a DA sander and i'll have to take some 1000 grit and smooth the trim back out and polish it.

This second batch of clips i got from Patrick all worked fine with no breakage, all the rest of the side trim went on with no problems. I was using silicone spray lube on the clips and trim to try and get them to go on easier... And it was 75F out when i was doing it both times.




WOW! It looks GREAT Bill... Not only will it run forever with you as the owner, it will also look BRAND SPANKING NEW!

You got a hell of a deal for $700...The damn paint and clear cost about $250!

Did you remove all the chrome window trim?

Gordon would be soooo jealous...

Good job buddy, the moldings need to lay out in the sun for a little and a little touch of grease on the white clip will make it easier for them to pop in the track. They could be like me though, ....old....

Enjoy,
JR

[Bill R.]

reamed those holes out slightly to remove any paint buildup when i first started doing it, as much trouble as i had getting the door handle trim back on I thought the paint buildup was probably too thick. And the first white clips i tried to put in without reaming I couldn't push the center pins in, after reaming the hole the center pins were still more force than i liked but they finally went in.

I spotted an e39 wagon on ebay that other day that had the slideout loading bed and was really tempted to bid on it. but common sense prevailed at the last minute.

The m52/54 motors seem to be pretty bulletproof motors and i like them alot..



as it share oil filter kits, etc with the X5.

Your project looks like it's coming along nicely. Those trim bits can be frustrating. Is it possible the openings in the doors were filled in with paint, making the opening smaller and harder to press the mouldings in to? or have I lost your train of thought.

[Scott H]

One day you will find two things occurring at the same time. 1) you'll see a reasonable E39 and 2) common sense will be taking a siesta. The rest will be history....

I just heard from a buddy who built an E34 535iT right after me. He just sold it and bought an E39 540i/6. Our Chicago independent had his E34 535iT (the one he was making at the same time I was) meet an untimely demise on 12/26 on iced up roads. He has purchased a customer's 528i.

It just seems to be the logical progression as much as we have all accused the E39 of looking like a jellybean compared to the E34.....

I'd love the power of the 540 but in the long run I think I will be happier with the 30mpg hwy and lower maint cost of the M54. I did just find a spot of diff fluid on my driveway though. I guess I'll have to take it in under CPO.....




....

I spotted an e39 wagon on ebay that other day that had the slideout loading bed and was really tempted to bid on it. but common sense prevailed at the last minute.