Finally found the right new car! update pg2

[munky]

After a lot of soul searching, opinion searching (which you were all very patient and helpful with), heart vs head battles, me vs the wife battles, build-ups and their subsequent let-downs...

... I have a new car!!




Its a 96 528i.

99k on the clock, one owner from new, full bmw dealer service history (all done by my local dealership), absolutely immaculate condition inside and out, well specced and impeccably maintained.

Yes I know, I know... I wanted a 540, I needed an e39 V8 and was willing to get an auto to get one...

But I really wasnt.

What I ORIGINALLY wanted was an e39. I wanted a sensible, reliable, practical car that I could use as the family car. It needed to have a few select toys and a large chunk of luxury. It couldn't be slow, but it didn't need to be fast. It would be an e39 with cruise control, a/c, cd multichange, the upgraded OBC and it had to be black, white, silver or blue.

Then I got sidetracked by the proverbial apple proffered by the snake... A stunning 540 manual for half the price of any other similar car. It was too good to be true but it was there! But thanks to delays getting the money I missed out on it by a day.

I was gutted and decided, in my weakened mental state, that ANY e39 v8 would do.... So started hunting for 535's... which are ALL auto it seems. But I could live with an auto if it meant I got the v8, couldn't I?


To cut a long story slightly less long... No, I couldnt.

I also couldnt live with the facts.

A 535i auto has 245bhp and does 0-60 in 7.8 seconds while returning 20mpg combined.

A 528i manual has 194 bhp and does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds while returning 30mpg combined.


So, while constantly reminding myself that I ALREADY have a car that will be stupidly quick and immense fun (albeit half built at the moment), I found the 528.

It really is completely spotless. There isnt a single mark, scratch, dent or imperfection on the entire body, the interior looks like it just came from the factory, its got more toys than I wanted (rain sensing wipers, side airbags, headlight washers, 12 speaker 'business spec' stereo and a few more), it was less than 20 miles from me (no flights to bloody inverness!!) and for sale at a very good price which I made even better...

So anyway... enough of my huge rant/gibber... Sorry, I just felt that, after the weeks of build up and random annoying topics on the subject, I should explain the choice and try to pre-empt any questions.

All that aside.... I love it!

It seems/is faster than the ti, it has no lag and pulls all the way from 0-7000rpm, it sounds yummy thanks to a nice big torquey inline 6 (even with the standard exhaust), its got so many toys and buttons I don't know what to do with myself (nearly crashed it on the way home while playing with the computer) and it feels like a solid, high quality piece of metal. I've always wanted an e39 and now I have one I can honestly say it is everything I wanted it to be and more.

The only downside is that I feel a bit out of place.... Little old me, in my hoody and baseball cap (skate/surf oriented, NOT chav), sat in a big fat luxo-barge... The wife looks just right though, but she always was a bit classier than me.





christ... what a load of b*llocks!... 2am alcohol fueled posts should be banned.

[Vard66]

Shut yer yap.

Glad you've found a decent example.
I'll have to see it when I'm down.

[agw_01]

Nice car, but you could have got one with better wheels... and is it an SE?

[munky]

lol... you're very far from being the first to mention how sh*t the wheels are.

And they really are horrible.

But why would I pay more for a car with nicer wheels when I've already got a set of replacements picked out.

In just 2 and a half short months it will be sat on some very tasty new shoes. I'll let you wait til then to find out what they will be. (they're not the ones in my sig)

I've got a handful of mods that I'll be doing over the next 6 months, for styling and performance. There's nothing too radical, just some simple tasteful changes to bring it up to date and make it stand out from the crowd.

Watch this space

Oh and yes its an SE.

[618ireland]

Looks a nice bus, happy motoring with her, I would be interested to know how she is on fuel in the real world, sort of kind of fancy one of them myself tbh.

[TomcatDan]

I don't know why but apart from on the sporty ones, 90's beemers always seem to have hideous wheels. I found the same when i was looking at a 525 a couple of years ago, and Si's 318i SE was the same too. I mean come on, it's not like a different design of alloy would be much more, it comes to something when steelies look better

[Grant620]

Nice.
How much was that?

[200coupe]

The only downside is that I feel a bit out of place.... Little old me, in my hoody and baseball cap (skate/surf oriented, NOT chav), sat in a big fat luxo-barge... The wife looks just right though, but she always was a bit classier than me.

Iwouldent worry about it i where similar kind of clothes you do and i didnt look like any of the 800 owners round by me (exept one) as there mostly all flat cap grandads bar my dad, but he is a grandad though!

Sorry slightly

Looks like a nice motor, theres nothing like driving round in a luxobarge.

[shen]

It seems/is faster than the ti,

Ti was knackered?

[Roboscot]

The only downside is that I feel a bit out of place.... Little old me, in my hoody and baseball cap (skate/surf oriented, NOT chav), sat in a big fat luxo-barge...

That reminds me of a guy I know - he's 27 I think but has been a dentist for a few years now so has plenty of money, but he doesnt look a day over 16. He was once pulled by the police after they received a call from a council worker saying they just saw a kid in a stolen car. He'd just bought himself a spanking new BMW Z4

[Din]

It seems/is faster than the ti,

Ti was knackered?

Was gonna say, your Ti cant have been running much boost then, that beema has less power and weighs more

Does look like a good example though mate, glad you got what you wanted

[munky]

Its not quicker... its 0.5 seconds slower to 60 (book figures). Though my Ti was only running 10psi...

Plus, its not all about power and weight, gearing comes into it too. Not in this instance, but it does affect a cars speed a huge amount.


Its definitely true that bmw's tend to come with nasty wheels. Dunno why, maybe they leave the wheel designing up to the office junior or something.

It was advertised at 20 grand but I got it for 1800. That is a lot for an early model e39, parkers have them at 1600... but this one really is completely mint and the history it has definitely make it worth the extra pennies.

[618ireland]

It was advertised at 20 grand but I got it for 1800. That is a lot for an early model e39...

asking 20 grand
the shrewd bastad put a bit in for negotiating me thinks

[RobBBoi]

It was advertised at 20 grand but I got it for 1800. That is a lot for an early model e39...

asking 20 grand
the shrewd bastad put a bit in for negotiating me thinks

Or turned up with a chainsaw and threatened to hack some limbs off! lol

[David-Ti]

The book specs on the e39's suprise me when taking into account there size/weight and power ratings. They all have reasonable performance. I'd have one taking into considertation there excellent value..

I was toying with a measly 520 e39 the other night. Obviously a walkover but I do think they are amazing motors for the money and if ever I was in a position I'd have to go for the 540.

[munky]

Yeah, I went in swinging... I mean 20 grand is fair, but I wont ever pay the asking price.

I started at 1500, he countered with 15000, I suggested 1510, he retorted with 14950, we repeated the process 734 times until we settled on 1800 as a fair compromise.



I've been waiting a long time for the e39 to fall into my price range and have to agree with you david, they really are a massive amount of care for the money. I did a LOT of research and shopping around and there doesnt seem to be anything else on the market that offers the same sort of value for money.

As to the performance figures being good for such big cars... they only weigh 13-1400kg and all the good ones have 6 cylinders or more. A 2.5 litre inline 6 > a 2.5 litre 4-pot.

And... well... they're bmw's, so everything is built and designed to be better than every other car on the planet, so of course they perform well. [/bmw whore]

[Din]

And... well... they're bmw's, so everything is built and designed to be better than every other car on the planet. [/bmw whore]

Does the dash work or has it got missing pixles, are the rear bottem ball joints ok, are the brake pipes rotten ?

[munky]

oh please.... you talk to me like I dont know e39's inside and out.

No pixel death, not a single one.

Brake pipes are as solid as the day they were born.

Rear suspension is as tight as your mum.

[Punx0r]

its got more toys than I wanted (rain sensing wipers, side airbags, headlight washers, 12 speaker 'business spec' stereo and a few more)

Does it have the ever-so-rare "indicators" option?

[xr4x4]

its got more toys than I wanted (rain sensing wipers, side airbags, headlight washers, 12 speaker 'business spec' stereo and a few more)

Does it have the ever-so-rare "indicators" option?

funny that, coz i was out in martins bimer the other day, i was automatically not using my indicators, i suddenly realised that i wasnt using them and then said that it was ok, becasue i was driving a bmw now and it was ok, it was the done thing.

[nathankentell]

i will rember to keep an eye out for that heap
so i can chuck a brick through the windsceen
again with the bmw's
wrong site numb nuts


watch the abuse come in now

[mg-richard]

thats allot of car for the money, but i cant help thinking it looks a bit boring a boot spoiler and some better wheels like the ones in your sig would look good

its like you always do when looking for a car you look for specific model and colour and wheels, then when you get it you just dont care

[Din]

oh please.... you talk to me like I dont know e39's inside and out.

No pixel death, not a single one.

Brake pipes are as solid as the day they were born.

Rear suspension is as tight as your mum.

As i said, im glad you got what you wanted mate

i will rember to keep an eye out for that heap
so i can chuck a brick through the windsceen
again with the bmw's
wrong site numb nuts

watch the abuse come in now

You my friend are a complete waste of space and time, obviously you are trying for yet another argument for your weird pleasure.....
Can a mod PLEASE just get rid of this idiot

[xr4x4]

dont feed the troll

[Din]

[paul888]

Oh no not again ffs.

[fergy7197]

lovely car munky, always loved all 5 series right up to the current shape.

Get a set of strobes fitted to your headlights, give a few boyracers the sh1ts when they boot it away

my mate had a white vectra GSI with the strobe kit, though probably highly illegal - muchos fun!!!

cant believe how well equipped these cars are - just shows really how some companies were really ahead of time at one point

[-Alex-]

Nice another luxobarge!

Enjoy it man smooth rides

[nathankentell]

bother you all


**posted edited for abusive language**

[radddogg]

[radddogg]

bother you all


**posted edited for abusive language**

[IrishRover]

Sounds like Nathan is trying "internet suicide by mod".
So it seems likely that he will achieve what he is looking to appear to be trying to do.

I say appear to be trying to do because I don't think he really wants to be banned. I think he has just painted himself into a corner, and now in a flailing attempt to salvage his own sense of dignity would like to pretend that it was his goal all along to be shunned by everyone, when really all he wanted to do was belong.

Nathan, I think you are in reality most likely not a bad person at all, but you need to be better at interacting with people.
You could decide to take this experience on board and learn something from it.
We're all only here for a short time on this planet. It is a noble thing to try to improve ourselves while we are here.

Cosmic.

[xr4x4]

Sounds like Nathan is trying "internet suicide by mod".
So it seems likely that he will achieve what he is looking to appear to be trying to do.

I say appear to be trying to do because I don't think he really wants to be banned. I think he has just painted himself into a corner, and now in a flailing attempt to salvage his own sense of dignity would like to pretend that it was his goal all along to be shunned by everyone, when really all he wanted to do was belong.

Nathan, I think you are in reality most likely not a bad person at all, but you need to be better at interacting with people.
You could decide to take this experience on board and learn something from it.
We're all only here for a short time on this planet. It is a noble thing to try to improve ourselves while we are here.

Cosmic.

im sorry... but because of his behaviour..who cares...!

[munky]

its got more toys than I wanted (rain sensing wipers, side airbags, headlight washers, 12 speaker 'business spec' stereo and a few more)

Does it have the ever-so-rare "indicators" option?

funny that, coz i was out in martins bimer the other day, i was automatically not using my indicators, i suddenly realised that i wasnt using them and then said that it was ok, becasue i was driving a bmw now and it was ok, it was the done thing.

I had been wondering what those flashing orange lights were for...

lovely car munky, always loved all 5 series right up to the current shape.

Get a set of strobes fitted to your headlights, give a few boyracers the sh1ts when they boot it away

my mate had a white vectra GSI with the strobe kit, though probably highly illegal - muchos fun!!!

cant believe how well equipped these cars are - just shows really how some companies were really ahead of time at one point

Had a proper police style strobe kit on my mazda. It looked great and I managed to pull over a double decker bus once... Then I found out it can carry a charge of impersonating a police officer if you get caught, so got rid of them.

thats allot of car for the money, but i cant help thinking it looks a bit boring a boot spoiler and some better wheels like the ones in your sig would look good

I like to buy standard then make it my own, so watch this space.

Cosmic.

[nathankentell]

what book did you nick that from irish?