Jim Green

Well, now I've looked at four M5's, and only found one that I'd be willing to spend my money on.

Never thought it would be this hard to find one. Maybe I'm just too particular after having the cossie so long, and taking such care of it.

M5 number one, was a total shed....... Bald tyres, rippled body panels, an engine bay that hadn't been cleaned for years, and a scruffy interior.....and the guy wanted nearly 13k for it, and described it in the add as Immaculate..... . Must have been looking at it in the dark.

M5 number two, good bodywork, only three car park dents in int..... 83k, patchy history, engine sounded like it had a dodgey cam follower on one of the banks. Bald Tyres, (Down to the canvas on one of the rears).....and the digital mile-ometer wasn't working......Hmmmmm.

M5 number three, (Dealer).......Nice looking car, but the guy kept asking me to call him once I had set off to come and view the car......so told him I would be there some time early afternoon....but deliberately didn't tell him when as I wanted to hear the car start up from cold (Vanos system noisy from cold if it's on it's way out, plus any worn followers can be heard much easier........so deliberately arrived an hour early..... He take me out to the car which is in a corner of the work shop.....say's I'll pull it outside so you can get a good look around it, so I stood deliberately close to the bonnet so I could here it from cold......Sounded Nice. Then he left me with it to get a good look around it. Pulled the bonnet catch, and went to rest my hand on the engine.......HOT !!!!!!, bearing in mind he'd only pulled it forward ten meter's and the engine should not even have been warm. Car was really nice, and a late 2001 (Face Lift Model).... Not immaculate (My Immaculate that is, not a sellers immaculate)..... had the wooden trim which I'm not a fan off, but for the right car I could live with it (Prefer the brushed aluminium)..... anyway, this car had all the toys and drove very well. So I told the guy I would think about it (Nearly 15k)..... decided to surprise him the next day, and popped back in and asked him if I could have another look and asked him for the keys.....sure enough he gives them too me.....I go out to where the car was the day before, jump in it.....start it........Rattle Rattle Rattle from the Vanos.........Another one discarded. Now....I wonder why it was hot when I went to see it the first time....I recon he'd been out starting it every hour the day I was due to go and see it.......Sorry Pal, but you won't pull the wool over my eyes that easily.

M5 number 4..... Saw one advertised relatively local to me. (Dealer) Late 2000 car, again with all the toys. (TV, Sat Nav, Double Glazing, etc etc etc)..... gave them a call and told them I would be there sometime in the afternoon (Same Trick on my part......arrived ten thirty in the morning).... went into the Unit and was surprised at what I saw.....Ferraris, Porsche's, Lamborghini's....... and sat right at the front, the silver M5, with a very nice private plate on it. Looked at the body, and with the exception of one very minor scratch on the rear bumper....the body was mint, with no dents not even the hind of one, the whole of the panels looked like glass. Wheels not kerbed, new tyres, Interior absolutely mind, and Black leather with grey inserts (Suited the silver colour very well)..... Popped the boot, again totally mint, with everything there that should be.....(No spare wheel in an M5)...Just a compressor and a bottle of foam....LOL. Popped the bonnet, and to my surprise, there is a totally original engine bay, just looking as if it had come of the production line. Not valated, not sprayed in shiney stuff...just totally clean and original. Checked underneath the car and again, not to concourse standard, but with a few days work it would be very close, no corrosion at all, just totally original. Checked the engine...COLD. Started it......the slightest hint of a follower not quite a quiet as it should be, but very very minor, and the sound dissappeared after a few seconds......and the engine had 83k on the clock (Just). Took it out for a drive.....(30 minutes) and it was absolutely perfect.....and ohhhh such long legs....each gear seemed to pull for so much longer than the cossie. With full BMW Service History.

Now..... this car would be perfect for me, but the only thing is, the dealer is asking 16k for the car, which it absolutely top end for a 2000 car, with that mileage. So........at the moment I'm abit hesitant at giving 2001 money for a 2000 car.

Dilema.......

Saturday/Sunday I have two to look at in Leicester and one in Lincoln..........F-cking long drive from Portsmouth......anybody close-by might like to check if I'm wasting my time.............

maxest

iTrader: (1)

What about this one Jim,, 2000 car but with much less mileage than the one youve mentioned...

http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/112607.htm

carlo

iTrader: (4)

What shit luck mate mind send me the chassis no & i will check them

EIL132

Jim, take your time finding one. Took me months to find the right Evolution and paid almost top dollar. Cheap M5s are just that, same as M3s. People always say I can pick one up for this and that, but dont realise that they are sheds or require work. The top end prices are probably just the real price for a sorted M5 and rather than mileage, etc it's condition/spec that sells these cars

bud-weis

last one sounds good mate for that money haggle for a longer warranty etc, peace of mind is worth paying for

Mike1

Best of luck finding a good one Jim - worth while holding out judging by the experiences of Steve Sutcliffe (Autocar mag ) and David Tremayne ( BMW Car mag ) who both seem to have got stung on buying one in a hurry.

Jim Green

Maxest : Black Dials = Pre April 2000 = Nicaseal Bore Liner Problems.....Some Cars Were Lucky and didn't have the problem, but alot did and still do.

Grey Dials = Post April 2000 = Revised Bore Liners, and no problems.


EIL132 : Your Dead Right......they're very similar to Cossies, when it comes to finding a good one. Worth taking your time.

BUD : Yep, the silver one could be worth a haggle.

THIS WEEKENDS ASSIGNMENTS :

1. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...4851&rd=1&rd=1

2. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...1779&rd=1&rd=1

3. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...4233&rd=1&rd=1

WISH ME LUCK.......

Nath

Silver ones not that far from me ...sounds like a nice car as well as having decent mileage

lamb chops

Keep looking Jim, must be the right car out there for the right money, People need the cash this time of year You are going to make Mark green!!

Jim Green

Lamb Chops : Mark,,,,,, He's already slagging me off, LOL

NATH : Yep, I agree, the silver one sounds interesting...... and with that milage. I only hope his immaculate is the same as my immaculate......if it is, then we both might get what we want.

rapidcossie

Jim..
wouldnt let a slight tappet rattle worry you too much from cold mate..
my dads 330ci ticks for about 5 secs from stone cold.

it only has 5k miles it.

Rhys

Trouble is Jim, with most of these cars the owners dont give a fook about them! thats why its hard finding a auality BMW imo.

Adam_BlackRS

Jim, Do you have a buying guide for the M5 ??

craig todd

good luck finding one.

my brother has one, he's modded it alot now, tubi exhaust, cold air intakes just put a set of tarox 10 pots on, awsome machine.
here's a pici

Ad4m RST

craig todd

JjCoDeX75

Hi Jim

Having bought one recently (ie in June) I think I am probably uniquely qualified to advise.

The trouble is that the M5 buying price guide is irrelevant. The diff between a good and a bad car is huge at any age!!!!

Mine, for example when I bought it was a 70k 1999 T reg black one, with BMW warranty till Jan. It was and is very clean, but most importantly the mechanics were sound, and with the BMW warranty balance for nearly 8 months, this made me close the deal.

I paid lots and lots, and the prices have fallen. I paid around 16k. Quite a lot.

Of that, I consider that I paid a premium of about 2k just for the warranty, which was worth every damn penny.

This is the problem. The warranty system with BMW changed as of Feb 2006. Under the new system, it cannot be renewed over 100k, and costs nearly 2k to do so. Thats not the worst of it. Under the new system, there is an excess of Ł250 per claim!!!!! That is just untennable!

It means that the BMW warranty is not worth much compared to what it was.

There is a major exception. If you buy the car from BMW as a used car, then you will get 12months proper warranty! This means no bullshit, and a car of a better standard. Given the level of investment, I would do that.

With reference to the noise on startup, that is entirely normal so long as it goes away relatively quickly. Mine does it, and had had vanos work done!

To be sure Jim, go to BMW and give them the last seven digits of the car you are intersted in. They can verify any works done, and also any service history that is claimed.

LAstly, perervere! Mine is the best damn car I have ever owned!

JJ

xr2i-carl

lovely motors, i will have one one day, maybe next year

good luck with the look

most will have been well used and have high milage, it aint no town car FFS

most will have munched many motorways

ALOT would have been clocked

JjCoDeX75

Just to add, tappets shouldnt be noisy - they are hydraullic, not like the M3. Mine are quiet.

If you want to have a chat with an owner that will not pull his punches, then by all means pm me. I am happy to help if I can.

PS - tyres cost about Ł600 min for a complete set if this is part of the negotiation.

JJ

craig todd

Just been talking to my brother and he's hinted that he's putting his car up For Sale... You will not find a better e39 M5 IMHO.

He's had the car just over two years and recently had new Vanos Units covered under warranty.

This car is a "money no object" passion for him. Fitted with the best of the best including, Supersprint Manifolds, Tubi Cat Back Race Exhausts, Active Autowerk CAI, Bilstein PSS9 Coilovers, Eibach Anti Roll Bars, Tarox 12 Pot BBK, Rogue Octane SSK, Rogue uprated Transmission Mounts, Custom 19" ACS TypeIII Rims (Powdercoated Black/Polished Lip) plus OEM Wheels used in winter, latest DVD Nav with perspective view etc etc. Over Ł15k in mods... Senior member on M5board.

Never tracked and due to him working from home is currently getting little use.

If you are interested and want his Tel No. shoot me a PM and i'll forward his details.

Si B

iTrader: (59)

What sort of money is he looking for Craig?

Only just got my M3 Cabby, but have plans for an M5 or Evo shortly

Si

JjCoDeX75

Evo and M5 are quite different .....

Si B

iTrader: (59)

Yep, well spotted

Seriously - can't decide what to get next, and don't think I can afford both, although I'm considering it.

Will have a good mooch round yours on Sunday, and maybe have a look over the Evo SHITE in the car park at Weston and see what they're all about.

Always some shitty Evos there, can't see why it won't be the same again this Sunday

EVO owners note the One person on here will know what I'm on about!!

Si

JjCoDeX75

I must admit I looked at the EVO before I bought the M5, but I opted for the M5 on the basis it was a little more "grown up"! Also, for me, company image was a factor, and the EVO does rather have that certain stigma!

Dont get me wrong, if I was looking to replace the cossie, then the Evo would be right up there, but it wasnt a car I felt I could live with day to day.

I do about 20-30k a year in the M5, and it loves it! And it has a telly.

And electric leather seats etc etc. Which means if you arent in the mood, it can feel a little like a limo! That was the clincher really.

To be fair to the Evo, I could have bought a quite a lot younger/ newer example for the same money, so it is a little like comparing apples and oranges!

Ill take you for a spin in the M on Sun, though as I say, it aint as quick as your cossie was! (note tense)

JJ

Anonymous

The E55 AMG is so much better than the M5

500NEIL

I have an e39 m5 and start up vanos noise is very common and nothing to worry about,every single one i looked at had it,they also sound a little bit diesely on idle even when warm,again this is very normal. Go on m5board.com and you will get plenty of advise. Awesome choice of car,you won't be dissappointed i love mine and think for the money there's no better all round fast and comfortable saloon car out there,enjoy

craig todd

You are joking... pretty similar in a straight line and remember that the big ///M is normally aspirated, believe me when I say that the M5 certainly likes corners a wee bit more than an old mans car with a slush box.

Two similar but very different cars. The Merc is a good car but will never be the drivers car that BMW's M Division create.

500NEIL

I have to agree with that,for a big 4 door saloon it handles better that you'd think.Earlier on in the year my brother couldn't keep up with me in his 997 porsche on the ring,the m5 really surprised on how well it brakes and corners as standard,wasn't that much of a hand full even with the traction conrtol switched off

silverfox999

What, on resale prices, or on trade-ins prices with a merc dealer?

As a performance road car - its not even in the same league!

JjCoDeX75

notwithstanding torque, better than the M5 at......

JjCoDeX75

I have to say that I agree that the M5 is great for the car that it is, but my exp of the 997 around the Ring (if we are talking about the Nurburgring) is that they were one of the cars to catch! I had some fun with one, but he deffo had the upper hand on me!

JJ

silverfox999

Was the 997 on hire?

Anonymous

Resale value is similar if your looking at YEAR....mine is NORMALLY ASPIRATED ..later ones got the supercharger which puts them in a totally different league to the M5 we are talking here

As for mine not handling thats bizarre it is fantastic ALTHOUGH it is tail happy without traction control and the car would be smashed up by now ...i personally didnt like the M5 to look at or interior...i feel the Mercedes eeks superiority with comfort and style mixed with awesome torque

(All banter BTW before we get the blazing squad in )

silverfox999

I must admit they do look pretty smart (e55 in AMG trim). But not my cup of charlie.

I remember reading about the e55's over zealous electoncics that halted any fun with the rear and that it was quite intrusive (but hell with all that torque i thinks needed!)

I agree with the dash thing - the e39's dont look good in the polished wood trim. Definately needs the dark or silver trim.

I have seen an m5 trim which is like a champagne brushed silver and looks pretty mint.

Anonymous

...as said in this slippery weather its quite fun go fast in to a wet bend...your arse twitches as the rear end steps out thinking SHIT what shall i do...just keep it planted and viola back comes back...what WOULD be funny is if a mate switched traction off as it lost grip,as the button is situated closer to the passenger

JjCoDeX75

You see the problem with the AMG form of Garden shed is that it just dont have a limited slipper - ( I must admit here that I am guessing on the basis that I know that the new one dont have it, and assume that they didnt remove it).

With your M5 garden shed, you get LSD, as well as plenty of room for those all important flower pots! PMSL

Agree about the gay wood in M5's though! I saw one before I bought mine (with the brushed alum), and was nearly very very sick indeed!!!

JJ

JJ

silverfox999

What would be even FUNNIER was if you went into a bend a little to fast and the damn traction didn’t work at all because of an electrical fault. (Which German car manufacturer from around 98 onwards is synonymous with electrical gremlins....mmm)

I prefer not to rely on any gadgets and gauge it myself (i am not saying i am better than they are, just i dont like them), and then thank f$ck when they [the gadgets] do actually kick in and save me from running out of skill and ability...

i think the new porshce (and ferrari(?)) have a staged intrusion device on there gadgets. you can make the back step out a fair bit without it reigning you in. This I would like. It would be nice to know that 'mother' would kick in and collect you from the brink if you spectacularily ran out of skill!!

craig todd

if anyone is genuinly interested in my brothers m5, drop me a pm and i'll give you his phone number.

cheers craig

Anonymous

Silverfox...this is what i like about the E55 it does let the back step out quite alot before traction kicks in..hence why i said its quite worrying at times

silverfox999

scary...