E39 M5 prices on the rise ?

[RenesisEvo]

Face for Radio said:

Phoned the chap up to find out where the car is located, SOLD!

Not entirely surprising - it appears the good ones go fast, the bad ones sit around for weeks on end. A shame.

[Hair Flick]

I used to think the same about the wood but actually its not that bad in the flesh.

[tjlazer]

Wood is easily swapped out, changed mine as soon as I picked it up. It ain't too bad but definitely has a wiff of old man/smoking room about it. The standard titan trim is much more agreeable.

[Hair Flick]

How much did it cost to do the swap and where did you get the trim from? was it quite easy?

[EddieFelson]

Hair Flick said:

How much did it cost to do the swap and where did you get the trim from? was it quite easy?

Easy, ebay and you just wrap it which is cheaper.

[tjlazer]

Picked up the kit on eBay for 90 quid and the swap takes about 15 mins. Sold the old trim for 45 quid so not too bad. Didn't want to go down the wrap route but does seem to work well if you're patient (I'm not)

[cosworth330]

Just started mine for the 1st time in about 2 months ! The wife and kids were away at the airport in the Volvo and i had to get my own tea ! So had to dig the M5 out of the garage and drive to the chippy, only drove it 2 miles but forgot just how good these are to drive considering its such an old car. Its tucked back up in the garage now. Ordered an Eisenmann sport exhaust for it today

[lowcadillac]

I like those piano black inserts, think they look great on sportier e39's,like the M5, that the garage might eventually let me have after having my deposit 2 weeks ago But as i often drive in my slippers smoking my pipe the wood is just fine in my Touring

[CB 987]

Another AUC E39 M5 has just popped up. Apparently a 1 owner car. I wonder what they gave for it?!

http://www.approved.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/bmwauc/dsct_ap...

[torquehappy]

Crazy money, especially with the crappy timber trim....

[isaldiri]

CB 987 said:

Another AUC E39 M5 has just popped up. Apparently a 1 owner car. I wonder what they gave for it?!

http://www.approved.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/bmwauc/dsct_ap...

Well that one was sold before i managed to even call up to do some due diligence on it.....didn't hang around long!

[RenesisEvo]

CB 987 said:

Another AUC E39 M5 has just popped up. Apparently a 1 owner car. I wonder what they gave for it?!

http://www.approved.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/bmwauc/dsct_ap...

Compared to the ones stocked by Hexagon going for 20-25k, that's actually almost reasonable money for the mileage. Especially when factoring in that 85k-mile one on Autotrader was 10k; 4k more for half the miles and being AUC is not so crazy IMO. Shame about the wood trim, otherwise I'd be tempted to go and see it. As an 'investment' it might make a good choice - I can't see that one depreciating by a lot over the next few years

[tjk123]

RenesisEvo said:

Compared to the ones stocked by Hexagon going for 20-25k, that's actually almost reasonable money for the mileage. Especially when factoring in that 85k-mile one on Autotrader was 10k; 4k more for half the miles and being AUC is not so crazy IMO. Shame about the wood trim, otherwise I'd be tempted to go and see it. As an 'investment' it might make a good choice - I can't see that one depreciating by a lot over the next few years

Can't understand ruling one of these out based on the wood trim. As other posts have said, it's pretty easily swapped out for aluminium look or whatever floats your boat. Given decent ones are few and far between and there's so much else on a ten year+ old M5 to worry about, just seems like the wrong thing to be focused on if your seriously in the market for one.

[RenesisEvo]

tjk123 said:

Can't understand ruling one of these out based on the wood trim. As other posts have said, it's pretty easily swapped out for aluminium look or whatever floats your boat. Given decent ones are few and far between and there's so much else on a ten year+ old M5 to worry about, just seems like the wrong thing to be focused on if your seriously in the market for one.

It is relatively minor thing, you make a good point. My criteria is largely in this order: condition/service history, stock (no mods), facelift, Le Mans blue, no wood. Having said that, there's an Oxford green car on Autotrader that has wood and appeals to me. What it will boil down to is how badly I want to scratch the itch, versus the risk of buying a less-than-perfect example which will be very hard to shift on in the future.

[lowcadillac]

Or get a slightly less than perfect one and have fun making it perfect. That's what makes me happy.

[RenesisEvo]

lowcadillac said:

Or get a slightly less than perfect one and have fun making it perfect. That's what makes me happy.

That is a very slippy slope with serious wallet implications. A tatty example would likely cost me more in the long run than a reasonable one to start with. But I would enjoy the process of making it better.

[lowcadillac]

Yes fair comment,but if the purchase price of the car is right and you factor in the price of the jobs to do and lets be honest it seems that a lot of M5's do need work of one sort or another, you can have fun with the car and enjoy the improvements as you go.If you were running one as a daily driver though i guess things would be different.
At least if it's a toy you can park it in the garage when it breaks and save up for the repair.............as long as the mrs doesn't find out.

Edited by lowcadillac on Saturday 6th April 19:50

[Hair Flick]

~The idea that wood trim really will make these cars hard to shift is absolutely laughable. It wasn't on my highest of requirements but actually in the flesh I've grown to like it, it certainly breaks up the interior. The last time I checked when I was driving the car I was not paying any attention to the placement of wood trim inside. It can be swapped, I briefly considered it but on the lovely drive home this morning I thought to myself it would just be silly to replace it.

[TheLordJohn]

My E36 Evo has wood trim and I'm far from willing to swap it. And I'm only 25!

[Hair Flick]

Its just impossible to imagine the colour of the trim being a buying factor. ok if you have two identical colour and spec cars, both similar mileage and both in same condition I could imagine it but on such a fantastic car/package it seems nuts considering how rare the good examples are and how easy to replace it is if the desire is strong enough.