What to look for when buying an E39

[keefy6]

^ absolutely true..the well maintained examples are well above that price.

However, I paid 10K for my E39 it had been in accident and fixed..but not one issue in 11 years. Risk is always taken in buying used.

[E30 Wagen]

What e39's came with limited slip diffs? Is that a sport package or cold weather package option? After experiencing the difference it makes in e30s and e36s, it's become a must have option for me, especially if I'm going to drive it this winter.

I come across a few nice e39's with a manual transmission but they always lack the sport package, so I wonder is it hard to swap in the sport package stuff? I mainly just prefer the sport seats over the lame comforts.

edit: quick google search tells me that no e39's save for the M5 came with a limited slip. Lame.

[flyboyx]

i don't think this is true. i found one with an lsd in the junk yard. it was a ratio in the low 3's or high 2's. i am thinking something like 2.89 or 3.06.....

someone had removed it and left it sitting behind the car. i checked it out enough to see that it was indeed an lsd, the ratio, but i apparently had no idea how rare it was. i figured i didn't have a use for it at the time so i left it laying there on the ground. i guess it would have been one hell of an 80.00 investment.


as far as the two local ones i posted, don't they both have sport seats?

[E30 Wagen]

If it was indeed an LSD it must have been from a different car, an M5, or it was an aftermarket unit. Apparently BMW quit offering LSDs to keep costs down, at least for non-///M cars :???:

[Tino-m30b35]

E39 is the best 5'er ever.
I have a 02 530d... White, with black interior.

[george graves]

Get an M5 and be done with it.

You mean be done with your wallet when then repair BOM comes in.

buy a crown vic /grand marquis and save yourself the headaches....you can invest in hookers and blow ;D

You'd need that if you was forced to drive a vic.

[SGT4677]

As with any used car, buy the nicest one you can find, not necessarily the one with the options you want.
We found an 01 525i 5spd about a year and a half ago with only 16k on it, while searching for a touring. It was a euro purchase (not euro delivery) by a military guy, and
apparently spent most of its life sitting at Ft. Knox after 9/11.
It's not perfect, and has some ugly scratches on it, but it's a nice driver/family car for us. Now at 25k I'd maybe like sport seats, and more power, and the CDV drives me nuts but the trade off for a nice affordable car for my wife that I don't have to worry about and don't have to spend all my time fixing like my e30's is well worth it. We are taking it on a road trip next week, I might check the oil before we go.

[henryki]

I just bought a 2002 530i sports package tonight for dirt cheap, front bumper needs to be repainted, interior cleaned and suspension bushings replaced.

I'll post here with whatever problems I find along the way with it.

[adjmcloon]

I've had a bunch of e39s. I vote with others for the 530 as the best car ever. The 8 cylinder model e39s (m5 and 540) are awesome but break out your wallet.

I currently have an 02 525 touring and I'm thinking about selling it to get another 530. Long live the e39!

[henryki]

Here she is, a 2002 530i, sport package, auto with 167k on the odometer. I tend to name my cars, not for sentimental reasons, but rather to make myself kind of chuckle whenever I think about it.

My E30 was named Tammy Lynn from the movie Ted (Ted's Jersey whore grocery store cashier girlfriend) because the car was bought in Jersey.

And my E39 is now named Oxsana, if any of you can get the reference, prizes will be awarded in the form of free E30 parts.

[CirrusblauS52]

Nice! How much is dirt cheap?

[Swanny]

And twiiiiiiins

[henryki]

Nice! How much is dirt cheap?

Less than $3k :pimp: I'll leave it at that

And twiiiiiiins

Looks nice man! I gotta get my front bumper repainted at one point

But I have black interior and sport package :D

[shameson]

The black on black looks really good! Kinda wish my wagon was that color combo.

And oxsana. Is that a reference to blue mountain state??

[henryki]

The black on black looks really good! Kinda wish my wagon was that color combo.

And oxsana. Is that a reference to blue mountain state??

I eventually want to get a touring, They're freakin sweet.

And YES! "I love you dad, you're my hero! "