(Possible) E39 owner's dilemma...

[GoldenHawk]

Good morning guys, WARNING: If you're not a fan of long-winded stories, you'll regret reading this post I'm a middle-class, single, private sector employee who fell in love with the 'mafia car' the 1st time I saw it. The E39 has always been somewhat of a "life's goal" for me so naturally, when my old, '89 model Saga died on me last week, I mourned the loss of my daily-drive, then started toying the idea of finally going for my Ultimate Driving Machine I'm eyeing a pre-loved post-2000 E39 520 (M54B22) or 525 (M54B25). I've made some rough calculations and it would (at a little of a stretch) fit my disposable income of RM1200/month (loans + maintenance included). At least it works out that way on paper... My questions are: 1) Am I aiming too high? Should I go ahead with this or put the idea on a shelf for the time being? 2) If it's sensible, which one of the 2 should I be looking at? 3) Pre-purchase advice? I've been roaming around this forum and many other E39 sites for quite some time & I'm aware of the more common issues with these machines. And I have acquaintances in BMW service centres who would be able to advise me on more rudimentary issues quite reliably. This boosts my confidence of ownership a little. But a bigger confidence-booster is you guys in the forum - nothing short of inspiring At the moment, I'm going against almost EVERYONE in my social loop (family included) on this. I'm not asking for assurance from you guys, just honest opinions. You guys seem to be a sensible lot, so I'm hoping to call the shots based on your feedback. Please understand there's no obligation here, so I would REALLY appreciate any advice/feedback/opinions you guys have. Thank in advance guys P/S: Please do let me know if I've posted in an inappropriate section - this is my 1st thread in this forum

 

[bimmerholic]

Welcome to the forums GoldenHawk!

Well for starters, you could introduce yourself formally in the newbies section. That way we know and can greet the new members of the family.

About the choice of cars...well done in the pick!! Yes you've got the right taste and choice when comes to E39!! They say it's evergreen and true enough....it is! ;-)

Regarding the monthly maintainence of the car, I suggest you iron out the initial mechanical/cooling inspections immediately after purchase. Even better if you could negotiate with the potential seller to offer a reasonable price should those items have not been replaced. That inspection also known as preventive maintenance is to sort out any potential headaches upon owning the car in the coming months.

Once that is done, its the regular maintenance & wear and tear. Depending on item, recommended to set aside 500-800/month. This should cover the engine oil service incl filter every 10k suppose you're using fully synthetic. That's a whooping 6.5liters of engine lube. As for ATF, that runs in the region of 600-700 every 40k km.

The rest of the money you set aside is for mods. ;-)

Plenty of racun kings around....trust me you will not run out of ideas!

 

[bmw7833]

Get the M54B25 among the 2. The selling price is quite cheap now.

U have to really love the UDM badge to own one because the maintenance fee is no joke in future. Just to let u know no matter how carefully i drive my car, i still have to spend RM500 per month for my e39.

Bring the prospect car to any reliable workshop to throughout check-out before u commit the deposit.

 

[GoldenHawk]

Welcome to the forums GoldenHawk!

Well for starters, you could introduce yourself formally in the newbies section. That way we know and can greet the new members of the family.

About the choice of cars...well done in the pick!! Yes you've got the right taste and choice when comes to E39!! They say it's evergreen and true enough....it is! ;-)

Regarding the monthly maintainence of the car, I suggest you iron out the initial mechanical/cooling inspections immediately after purchase. Even better if you could negotiate with the potential seller to offer a reasonable price should those items have not been replaced. That inspection also known as preventive maintenance is to sort out any potential headaches upon owning the car in the coming months.

Once that is done, its the regular maintenance & wear and tear. Depending on item, recommended to set aside 500-800/month. This should cover the engine oil service incl filter every 10k suppose you're using fully synthetic. That's a whooping 6.5liters of engine lube. As for ATF, that runs in the region of 600-700 every 40k km.

The rest of the money you set aside is for mods. ;-)

Plenty of racun kings around....trust me you will not run out of ideas!

Thanks for the feedback bimmerholic. Really appreciate it.
RM500-800/month seems a little steep, even with my current budget stretched to the maximum. Looks like I'm cutting things pretty thin, huh?

Owh, and thanks for pointing me to the "Newbies" section. Introduction DONE!
--> http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?47933-(Possible)-E39-owner...

Get the M54B25 among the 2. The selling price is quite cheap now.

U have to really love the UDM badge to own one because the maintenance fee is no joke in future. Just to let u know no matter how carefully i drive my car, i still have to spend RM500 per month for my e39.

Bring the prospect car to any reliable workshop to throughout check-out before u commit the deposit.

Thanks bmw7833, appreciate the honest feedback. Still, like I mentioned above, RM500/month is a little out of my budget. Being the sole breadwinner is taxing of the bottom-line. So I guess it won't be a good idea to embark on this journey after all, huh?

 

[muffinz]

Hi Goldenhawk,

1. Aim high!! Always aim high!!

2. M54B25! otherwise a feeling of regret might come after going for a ride in a member's 525 or 530.

3. Get the car inspected by your trusty mech, a little cash for initial service and some preventive maintenance (quite shy when BMW stall on the road causing jam )

4. Get another credit card, repair bill --> installment plan hahah. Worst case scenario.

There will always be people out there who'll tell you (wah! BMW high maintenance! u can afford or not?? - But 99% of them do not, have not, and probably will not own a UDM!! haha)

I've always believed that where theres a will, theres a way, money can always make... if expenses really so high, there's always spare hours in a day to get another part time job.. or on weekends.

Welcome to BMW.

 

[ICEMAN 68]

if ya buy a standard stock e39 it will looks a little bit off "my personal opinion " but if youre into the mafia look then might else well get the one which have already got all the kits and rims fitted as this will save you the hassle and more money ...yeh i know such car demand a little higher in the price tag , but then it's all up to a negotaition and you'll never know ..the seller may end up selling it ...

but one thing to say ..if you're into a tighter budget ..don't strain yourself too much ...why not opt to an e34 instead OR an e32 ...eggie's E32 is selling at a resornable price which you may end up just maintaining it without much headache ...and then slowly as you climb the cooperate ladder ..opt for an e39 530i , e60 or an f10 ...

 

[535i]

if ya buy a standard stock e39 it will looks a little bit off "my personal opinion " but if youre into the mafia look then might else well get the one which have already got all the kits and rims fitted as this will save you the hassle and more money ...yeh i know such car demand a little higher in the price tag , but then it's all up to a negotaition and you'll never know ..the seller may end up selling it ...

but one thing to say ..if you're into a tighter budget ..don't strain yourself too much ...why not opt to an e34 instead OR an e32 ...eggie's E32 is selling at a resornable price which you may end up just maintaining it without much headache ...and then slowly as you climb the cooperate ladder ..opt for an e39 530i , e60 or an f10 ...

Bhai - wa hijack sikit ..

Itu kereta E36 biru punya rim kasi tutup dgn daun boleh kaaa .. Org lalu KL -Seremban hiway - mata ada sakit silau laa bhai ..

 

[EL118]

Hi Goldenhawk, nice choice with an E39. i would tell you that you will be impressed by the driving pleasure much more than the look.

nevertheless, just like other bro who has prewarned you, the maintenance cost is not cheap. frankly speaking it has cost me much more than i anticipated (my expectation is RM5k -7k per year) but my actual "toll" todate is a whopping RM33k (well, 12k is upgrades, repaint etc) that left with maintenance of 21k for 11 mths. (Considering my car was well taken care off by previous owner, who had spent close to RM40k in 6 years before me)

my car is a 2002 530i. hope i didn't scare you.

 

[alive88]

hi goldenhawk.. here is some of my feedback.. first of all, if this would be ur only mean of transportation, it would be kind of hard, as when it breaks down, u gotta splurge ur atm to fix it rite away. if u have other car, u can at least take some time to fix it.

1) Aim high bro.. i would personally say i bought mine as it is my dream car, like u, and though i know that i might suffer maintaining it, its my best external motivator to progress faster in life, as driving it is sumthing words cant describe. rasa sekali nak lagi!. UDM is indeed a good motivator,but a real bad teacher!
2) if u want to start low, u may look for m52b25.. (523i) 10 - 15k cheaper. save that for maintenance.
3) Newer doesnt mean better. lower mileage too doesnt mean less problem. luck plays a big role here, and to increase ur luck, bring along ur trustworthy mechanic, and pray hard things are fine. i would recommend to look one for the direct owner, rather than the used car centre.

 

[GoldenHawk]

Hi Goldenhawk,

1. Aim high!! Always aim high!!

2. M54B25! otherwise a feeling of regret might come after going for a ride in a member's 525 or 530.

3. Get the car inspected by your trusty mech, a little cash for initial service and some preventive maintenance (quite shy when BMW stall on the road causing jam )

4. Get another credit card, repair bill --> installment plan hahah. Worst case scenario.

There will always be people out there who'll tell you (wah! BMW high maintenance! u can afford or not?? - But 99% of them do not, have not, and probably will not own a UDM!! haha)

I've always believed that where theres a will, theres a way, money can always make... if expenses really so high, there's always spare hours in a day to get another part time job.. or on weekends.

Welcome to BMW.

Thanks muffinz, you're quite a "salesman". Lets say I'm 'bought over' But my wallet says otherwise... so... hmm... dilemma again Still, thanks for the input. I REALLY needed a good dose of reality

if ya buy a standard stock e39 it will looks a little bit off "my personal opinion " but if youre into the mafia look then might else well get the one which have already got all the kits and rims fitted as this will save you the hassle and more money ...yeh i know such car demand a little higher in the price tag , but then it's all up to a negotiation and you'll never know ..the seller may end up selling it ...

but one thing to say ..if you're into a tighter budget ..don't strain yourself too much ...why not opt to an e34 instead OR an e32 ...eggie's E32 is selling at a resornable price which you may end up just maintaining it without much headache ...and then slowly as you climb the cooperate ladder ..opt for an e39 530i , e60 or an f10 ...

The "mafia" styling is just icing on the cake. The whole idea of owning one of these UDM intrigued me the most. I.... REALLY wanted to own one.

Hi Goldenhawk, nice choice with an E39. i would tell you that you will be impressed by the driving pleasure much more than the look.

nevertheless, just like other bro who has prewarned you, the maintenance cost is not cheap. frankly speaking it has cost me much more than i anticipated (my expectation is RM5k -7k per year) but my actual "toll" todate is a whopping RM33k (well, 12k is upgrades, repaint etc) that left with maintenance of 21k for 11 mths. (Considering my car was well taken care off by previous owner, who had spent close to RM40k in 6 years before me)

my car is a 2002 530i. hope i didn't scare you.

Err... actually you just did 21K is how much I earn in 11 months! OK, not quite... but you get the picture... Wow...

hi goldenhawk.. here is some of my feedback.. first of all, if this would be ur only mean of transportation, it would be kind of hard, as when it breaks down, u gotta splurge ur atm to fix it rite away. if u have other car, u can at least take some time to fix it.

1) Aim high bro.. i would personally say i bought mine as it is my dream car, like u, and though i know that i might suffer maintaining it, its my best external motivator to progress faster in life, as driving it is sumthing words cant describe. rasa sekali nak lagi!. UDM is indeed a good motivator,but a real bad teacher!
2) if u want to start low, u may look for m52b25.. (523i) 10 - 15k cheaper. save that for maintenance.
3) Newer doesnt mean better. lower mileage too doesnt mean less problem. luck plays a big role here, and to increase ur luck, bring along ur trustworthy mechanic, and pray hard things are fine. i would recommend to look one for the direct owner, rather than the used car centre.

The M54 has a good reputation of reliability & being the least problematic of the lineup, thus the specific goal. But I really feel where you're coming from when talking about owning an UDM. Butterflies-in-the-stomach

Guys, you have REALLY given me that little boost of confidence if I come to the conclusion of actually owning one. That and a good bit of reality to anchor me down. I think I'll really need to get down to the matter of finances before I can commit. But all the information you guys have willingly shared here is really vital. I now have a baseline to work off.

Thanks a LOT guys and please keep the comments rolling... or better still, any good offers?

 

[rpmnut]

Hey there bro,

It's great that you're considering the E39. It's a great car that will put smiles on your face every time you drive it.
Looking at your post, one thing stands out - your monthly budget for loan repayment & maintenance.

RM1,200 a month seems a bit low, if I'm being completely honest.

When I bought my 2003 525i 2years ago, I had to initially spend about 10-15k to replace all the wear and tear items (bushes, engine mountings, transmission mounting, shock absorbers) and do complete fluid flush from all the components (engine oil, transmission oil, axle oil etc).

This was done over a period of 2-3 months to spread the financial "pain".

Once those major items were sorted, the car required on & off maintenance - eg: minor water leaks from the radiator hoses, replacement of ignition coils, new set of brake pads & brake discs, fresh set of tyres etc - this is inevitable seeing the age of the car. They don't happen all at once, but they DO happen.

Just last month my power steering hose burst, leading to a loss of power assistance. Replacing the hoses, flushing the system and topping up with fresh fluid set me back almost 1k....

Replacing a complete set of brake pads and brake discs ran up a bill of almost 2k the month before.

So a budget of RM1200 may be way too small if you intend to upkeep an E39 at its optimum condition. The E39 may be relatively cheap to buy these days, but they're still BMW's, and the cost of maintaining them isn't for the faint of heart.

 

[wutty]

Have to agree with the other bro here about your budget which is too small.

Just for your info, I bought mine 12mths ago and to date already spent around 20k for wear and tear parts only.

Still haven't got the chance to indulge in aesthetic upgrades yet.

 

[huskar3399]

in the early phase of ownership typically it's a period where u will spend quite a lot for wear & tear parts, all kinds of fluid replacement and what not.

if you are into DIY you can actually save a lot. we have a well-established community around from domestic & international for us to refer to.

also it's best to learn and know about your car. so you wont simply get slaughtered by some of irresponsible workshops.

from my experience, if you are buying 2nd hand car and it's a udm u better have another car ready to serve u whenever your udm stranded in workshop.

 

[pam312]

i bought my e39 525 back in Feb this year

to date, i have spent close to 8k for wear and tear stuffs...and these are just maintenance stuffs. I bought over this baby from my friend who maintains his car well
all these are excluding items like tinting, car detailing and some minor audio upgrade

among the things I have changed:

engine mountings
oil separator and hoses
ignition coils & spark plugs
vanos hose
rear left & right lower arms
rear left & right ball joints
absorbers and absorber mountings
engine oil pan gasket
ATF oil filter & oil pan gasket
air filter vent hose
aircon filter
fuel tank floater for left tank (because it leaks everytime i pump full tank)

all fluid changed, engine oil (twice d), atf oil, brake fluid, coolant,


next items on my list:
1. top valve gasket & petrol filter
2. aircon service & cooling coil coz got some small leakage
3. 18" rollers and some new donuts

be prepared to spend to get a sweet ride....
i prepare about 1.2k a month just for maintenance.....this for beginning bcoz u hv to expect for things to happen

 

[ck318ci]

your 1.2k a month include repaying the installment?

 

[Yeow]

your 1.2k a month include repaying the installment?

He did say RM1200 is for loan & installment.

 

[pam312]

your 1.2k a month include repaying the installment?

1.2k is just for maintenance...my car no loan

 

[mick123]

my 525i is coming to 2 1/2 years old and have spend almost 25k to date which includes changing out the entire cooling system, almost the entire power steering system, some parts of the brake system, some wear and tear items, new pairs of glasses for the front and rear, normal servicings, tyres and etc and etc.......there are still many things on the to-do list :O

this babe is surely a wallet lightening affair but the feeling is syiok syiok syiok

 

[BlackCat]

Mr Hawk,

When the heart beats faster looking at a ride... she the one, even if the head says otherwise!

End of the day, with all your research, account balancing, opinions polling, social weighing etcetra...

You will know what your heart desires... Welcome to the world of JOY!!!

 

[scyfull]

Hi there Goldenhawk,
Just dont think too much, follow your heart when buying car, then all the other thing dosen't matter anymore...FYI i own E39 530i, X5 4.4i and BMW R1200 GSA...still day dreaming every day...even thought burn deep pocket but i'm more happy than ever...hehehehehehehe