Reply With QuoteYes. Considering she looks better than most late model rice-rockets out of there. Fast and with class. Have you seen the new Sentra SE-R? Ewww...
2 Grand Master
Mechanic seemed to think i was crazy
I stopped by a local Bimmer guy shop today. A former Ferrari race tech. In his shop were i think three E 39's on which he was working. Their engine bays all looked clean as could be.. we discussed my Timing Chain Cover gasket leak and he seemed to think i was a bit dim for even contemplating spending that kind of money of my car. I was a bit surprised when he said he'd just let it go and get rid of it and move on and up to the newer models... He didn't refuse the work saying to come back in July after his vacation on some Saturday and he'd look at it and then tell me what it would cost for him to fix it but it also needs struts and shocks, tie rods and upper control arm bushings then a windshield and some rust remediation around that while its off . I could easily drop $4k more and already have about $15K into it inc. purchase price and he pointed out for that I could have bought a low mileage e 39 540 /6 but I'd have to put cash into that as well. I drove around the rest of the afternoon working and thought about what i should do. the e 34 did look a bit tired next to all those clean E39's then driving down this windy suburban road a shiny E24 came roaring up the road looking like it just rolled off the Concourse and i thought ... he obviously isn't concerned he's driving an old , outdated model. He keeps it mint and its a sight to behold and a constant blast to drive. Am i really out of touch for finding the E 34 appealing enough to spend all this cake on fixing?
Last edited by Jehu; 06-20-2007 at 08:33 PM.
1995 540i Manual build 1/95
3 Grand Master
Yes. Considering she looks better than most late model rice-rockets out of there. Fast and with class. Have you seen the new Sentra SE-R? Ewww...
5-10 Grand Master
it all evens out in the end, new car and upkeep or old car and upgrades/maintaince, to me theres no way id trade a e34 for a e39, i like the 540s much better then the 6 cylinder (540s steering box makes it drive way better then the rack on the 525/528) but i am not a big fan of the e39 in general, so if you like your e34 go for it, what are ya gonna do not spend money on a car?! may as well spend it on a car you enjoy
all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it
Green Beret Special Ops
why not do it yourself and make it a problem free car for years?
costs a lot to pay someone else to do simple things, thats why this board is here.
95 E34 530I V2.37
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Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy
2 Grand Master
Where do i do a job that requires me to drain the oil and coolant when i live at a Condominimum ? Timing chain cover ain't coming off without that step is it ? I've done whatever i could, spark plugs, heater valves i guess are about it .. I don't see myself having a garage and a yard of my own in the next few months ... I am for whatever reasons relatively comfortable coexisting with this oil leak but i just generally dislike leaving things undone... I was just a bit surprised he was so dismissive of my old girl..here i was thinking i had a somewhat rareish gem and he's telling me he'd dump it...
Last edited by Jehu; 06-20-2007 at 09:20 PM.
1995 540i Manual build 1/95
5-10 Grand Master
one mans meat is another mans poison
Originally Posted by Jehu
all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it
Grand Master
See this is all about commitment, I am moving into a place with a lock-up garage, and that was a priority when i looked at places. See I'd rather work on a car and learn than throw money at a problem to make it go away.
In Australia it is a no-brainer though. drive a local shitbox (and i do mean shitbox), drive an e34 which costs around 10k or drive an e39 which costs 20-30k (and isn't built as well).
Last edited by rob101; 06-20-2007 at 11:03 PM.
Germans: Why can't they make everything?
Grand Master
People call mejust about everyday when they find out how much I love my car and how much time and effort I put into it, not to mention money. And I put up with it everyday because most of the people who say this to me aren't car people and I tell them they'll never understand because as my friend disappointingly pointed out he viewed cars as refrigerators with wheels. Whenever I see or drive a newer BMW I think how great it is and how goo it is to drive...but the moment I see my E34 and get behind the wheel I realize how much more I like it than any newer car(Except maybe a 997 GT3) but anyway. Every time I drive it I think God I'm happy I bought this car and I wouldn't have spent my money on anything else.
Anyway that's just my opinion
-Mike
5-10 Grand Master
my next place will have atleast a two bay shop for me where i can put a lift (two cars wide and two deep if i can get my way), don't care as much about the house as theres a place for me to have a home shop even if i gotta build it, doing all my personal projects 20 miles away at work sucks
all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it
Major Contributor
If you read the May 2007 edition of TotalBMW, which goes into the E39 in depth, you will most definitely side towards the E34. It seems that the E39 just has too many problems. All temptations I had of upgrading to a newer 5er have just been vanished by what these guys had to say (and I don't think they're ********ting either).
Perhaps your Ferrari-trained mech just couldn't be ****ed to work on your car, and just hiking up the number of things "wrong" and their cost to try and make you go away. If you're still concerned, get a second (or third) opinion and see what they say.
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