Excellent information. Good questions and good answers.
I've got two M30's in two 535im which run very strong, even the one with 208,000 miles on it. Both manual transmissions which I expect to continue to run for a very long time.
I also own an M62 1997 740i with 110,000 miles on it. I've done the radiator/water pump replacements (easy job). And I've done the Vacuum plate replacement on it. It's hard but really not a terrible job to do your self as long as you take your time. The car is a wonderfull car and I love the engine. I have no regrets about owning it whatsoever. I think it's a technical marvel and very "self" repairable. The 740 is our vacation car, the others are our daily drivers. It is my opinion that, for a bimmer to be fun to drive, an auto trans needs a V8, and a 6 cyl needs a stick!
Also, are the "articles" mentioned available for our reading pleasure?
Originally Posted by kramsivad