Monica wants a BMW

[Dan Chambers]

Howdy all:

Monica is in the market for a BMW 530i. Looking for a very nice to excellent 2003 (E39 I think) version.

Specifically:

White exterior
Tan or Gray interior
Sport package (of course!)
Reasonable price

We'll run it through a thorough PPI at BF or Dieters, so no flake-a-roonies, please (ie: salvage title, "only 199K miles", "It wasn't really hit that hard but the insurance company totaled it anyway.", etc.)

PM me if you know of a good resource for finding this new ride. As always, finder's fees will be rewarded. Just name your favorite vintage.

Thanks!

[Don Middleton]

Monica is in the market for a BMW 530i.

Hey Dan, just FYI, but the guys at Dennis Sherman, who work on BMW, Porsche and Audi, tell me that the '03 530i had a torque converter problem that costs about $2,500 to repair. You might run this by another BMW shop. Would she consider the 525i, or possibly an '04?

[Steve Grosekemper]

Dan,
E39's are great cars and end production in 2003.
My wife drives a 97 528i E39.
It has lots of miles on it but looks and drives like new.
You want a complete service history.
People buy these cars and typically sell them after a few years of doing no or substandard maintenance.
Yes, there are loved cars out there...But they will come with service history.
in 2000 they went to an aluminum block so beware of cooling system issues.
If they overheat they will pull head bolts out of the block.
If you are OK with less power the 525 is a nice car as well.
Better mileage and on par with the earlier 528's power.

These are great cars, but THIS IS NOT A HONDA/TOYOTA!
You will pay for the great ride, brakes, performance and handling.

Who ever inspects/services this car must have a late BMW diagnostics tool, like AutoLogic.
I know Black Forest has one just as we do. Most other BMW specialty shops should as well, just ask first.
They will check every control unit in the car plus an amazing amount more...

Good luck, we love ours!

[Dan Chambers]

Thanks for the advice, guys. Yes, I've done a bit 'o' research on the 5-series E39's. We've driven a couple of 525's and 528's which rode like a dream but, the lovely misses felt they were "gutless." She made some comment about " heck, if I wanted a dog like this I'd get a 944 with autotrans."

She's pretty much settled on an '03 530i with Sport package, and light interior color like tan or gray. Hey, it's her car. Do you want to argue with Monica? (Hint: not a good idea. )

The PPI will be done by a "competent" BMW service shop like Dieters or Black Forest who knows the intracacies and idiosyncracies of these cars. Like other used finds, we'll take our time, research the car thoroughly, and walk away from any Guido's in plaid jackets that "have no records 'cause we bought it at auction." We'd prefere a high miles car with complete records over a low-miles car with "no history."

The wine rack is full, so keep those eyes peeled!

[Kim Crosser]

She made some comment about " heck, if I wanted a dog like this I'd get a 944 with autotrans."

Well don't let her drive a 545i or 550i! I was trying to get Marian to go with the 530, but after she drove the 545i she said the 530 didn't have enough power, so now we have a V8.
I have to admit the 545i has plenty of grunt and is a lot of fun to drive, but I thought the 530 would be sporty enough for grocery driving!

[rshon]

I also tried to get my wife into an E39 530i Sport, but she found a 540i Sport/6-speed, and once she drove it, she didn't want one of the "slow cars" anymore. She didn't want a "3" (my fave BMW) either. Oh well, it's fun to drop it into 4th, hit the gas, and watch the car try to leap the guardrail!

[Rsylvestri]

Dan,
We've got a nice 525i E39 2001 White/tan/sport pkg w/80k. My wife and I have talked about a new car but not ready to sell yet.
I'm guessing it would fetch 8-9k$$ when we let her go, later in the year. Not to bad to work on, just did the valve cover gasket and a new water pump.
I'm really surprised as our 525 GOES! Put it in sport shift mode and shift @ 6k, fast enough for me in town/highway + 24-26mpg highway.
I know this doesn't help right now, just thought I'd throw it out there.

[325racer]

Check with these guys.

http://www.autobahnwest.com/

They have some of the best BMW's I've seen. All of them are near showroom condition.

I would personally purchase a car sight unseen from them if they told me it was what I wanted.

[Dan Chambers]

Dan,
We've got a nice 525i E39 2001 White/tan/sport pkg w/80k. My wife and I have talked about a new car but not ready to sell yet.
I'm guessing it would fetch 8-9k$$ when we let her go, later in the year. Not to bad to work on, just did the valve cover gasket and a new water pump.
I'm really surprised as our 525 GOES! Put it in sport shift mode and shift @ 6k, fast enough for me in town/highway + 24-26mpg highway.
I know this doesn't help right now, just thought I'd throw it out there.

Well, with the way our search is going, I may be talking with you down the road. The car sounds like a gem, and knowing the PO and how good he is with maintenance, it would be a real find for us.

Okay, so it's not a 3.0L 530i. Who cares? I'm pretty much done with 3.0L German engines anyway.

Keep me in the loop, Rick. When you're ready to sell, call me first.