Buy an e39 or e60? What would you do?

[whiskychaser]

e60's here are notorious for their constant panderings for attention (read: they're service whores) electrical problems and the fact that they have no door protection iirc, so dent easily.

E39 there's a massive following for these days, in the UK they're now the most common 5 as the E34 is dying a slow death. The E34 is now a disposable car that can be picked up for £400 and binned when it comes to MOT time. They're disappearing rapidly.

E39s are doing a roaring trade, especially pre-2001 models who evade the new "green" taxes. Be prepared to have a fight on your hands, the rear E39 suspension is easily as complicated as the floating link E34 suspension and tends to loosen up later in life. If you let them go they eat tyres for breakfast.

There's also been some interesting electrical glitches with the E39 - it's heater 'hedgehog' is prone to failing and flattening the battery, locking you out of the car. (It's called a hedgehog because of the shape of the heatsink on top of the heater resistor) Gearboxes are prone to going pop in the 100-120k miles mark as well. Very common for them to pop up on the uk forums going 'argh gearbox failed!'

Other than that, many think the E39 outhandles an E34 as the E39 was essentially an E34 with floating link rear suspension... the engines are slightly better as well - though more prone to electrical faults and vanos problems. If you buy a straight 6 of either model, get it code read before you buy - they're very prone to exhaust side cam sensor faults that default the vanos unit into a certain position - which then sticks there and the next time it tries to move... it breaks. I'd get it code read at least once every six months as well.

The diesel E39/60s are also prone to having major turbo failure - but I doubt you'll go near one of those

The v8's are where it's at - the E39 535i and 540i manuals are the pick of the bunch with the 4.0 M60 going up to a 4.4 M62 after the first few years of production.

Oh, something I nearly forgot: the early E39 straight 6's were NIKASIL blocks... beware, the odd failure still pops up to this day on the UK forums.

You pays your money and you makes your choices

John (Powerflex Bushes John!) and I were at the N England BMW 'show' at Tatton Park last weekend. Hardly any E34s there I've been offered an E39 4litre of a P plate for £2K. Its an auto though. Any views?

[DaveVoorhis]

I've been offered an E39 4litre of a P plate for £2K. Its an auto though. Any views?

I'll take it!

Er, maybe.

[whiskychaser]

I'll take it!

Er, maybe.

You sound enthusiastic. Its said to have full leather, aircon, OBC. But my contact doesnt know if it has a rear sun blind or tweeters in the doors Its silver and not that horrible mint green so thats a start. Parkers seems to list all 4 litre as year '96. Anyone know if thats a misprint? Or they had a lot of '96 4.0 motors and took years to get rid?

[e34.535i.sport]

You sound enthusiastic. Its said to have full leather, aircon, OBC. But my contact doesnt know if it has a rear sun blind or tweeters in the doors Its silver and not that horrible mint green so thats a start. Parkers seems to list all 4 litre as year '96. Anyone know if thats a misprint? Or they had a lot of '96 4.0 motors and took years to get rid?

Doesn't Parkers work on a 'from' 1996 basis so to speak? So that one would go from 1996 to 2000, then it got a facelift or whatever and went 2000-....

[Paul in NZ]

John (Powerflex Bushes John!) and I were at the N England BMW 'show' at Tatton Park last weekend. Hardly any E34s there I've been offered an E39 4litre of a P plate for £2K. Its an auto though. Any views?

thats a lot of car for 2000

[Ferret]

John (Powerflex Bushes John!) and I were at the N England BMW 'show' at Tatton Park last weekend. Hardly any E34s there I've been offered an E39 4litre of a P plate for £2K. Its an auto though. Any views?

See that's what you'd pay for a good 4 litre E34 manual here

It'll have a tiptronic box, so when you want to get more involved you can change the gears yourself!

(Though, you'll have to do the microswitch mod, bmw put the tiptronic switches a stupid way around)

How many miles it got, and has it had a fluid change? If it's had a fluid change post 70k miles you're on dicey ground (though if the box hasnt 'sploded after 12 months you've got a much better chance,) if it's not had a fluid change post 70k it'll likely run to 140-150k before the box explodes. If it was fluid changed pre-70k miles rip his arm off

Other than that, you're going to have to get handy with a ball joint separator and some specialist tools.

Would I buy it? Hell yes, I need another project atm you're going to get a lot of car for the cost of a well sorted E34, and all the joy of fixing a knackered E34 up (One of these days the wife's going to run me over with one of my 'damn projects')

Just make sure it's not a nikasil - some of the early 4 litres were as they used up the M60 stock!