05 STI to E39 M5
Discussion
I've run mine without any big bills I didn't opt in just because I wanted the sharpest car I could. Suspension was a biggie this year but most of the work has been fairly standard for age and mileage. Rod bearings seem more a scare story than commonplace. I'm just about to sell but honestly don't know whether I want to go through with it. Took it out for a spin today and had a real laugh. I've got b8s with intrax and upgraded arts which would definitely be a good choice for what you want to do. Brakes also need to be looked at for tracker and tyres aren't cheap but for fun, noise, ability and practicality these are very special cars. If I sell I'm going to miss it for a long time to come, but duty calls it's estate time and sadly they never did the touring edition!
Having had an Impreza tweaked to around 300bhp, done lots of track days (and a few races) in an E36 M3 and now just purchased an E39 M5, I’d say it’ll be fine for the occasional track day to stretch its legs, but don’t expect too much due to weight.
If I were to put mine on track I’d leave the brake discs and callipers, but expect to cook the fluid, so I’d fit braided hoses, use Castrol SRF fluid and Pagid (yellow) endurance pads. You should then get rid of any brake fade issues without spending a huge amount of money.
As for suspension, it’ll probably wallow like a pig ion standard suspension, but if you change it, you’ll kill the whole character of the car for everyday use, so I’d just leave as is.
Maybe take the heavy seats outs for track days and fit a couple of used lightweight bucket seats and maybe a spare set of track rims. I’d fit good harder tyres, rather than anything super sticky as it’ll trash a set of soft ones with all that weight.
I can’t imagine it’d be any more fragile than an E36 M3, but they’re both getting old now and we trashed the M3 clutch last time out. The M5 clutch and flywheel will cost over £1k to replace if you cook it.
Personally, I wouldn’t track mine as I wouldn’t get what I wanted out of it in road trim. I’d rather keep it as a fast road toy and buy a cheap old 944 for the track. That said, I’m weak-willed, so look out for it at Brands in the next 12 months
If I were to put mine on track I’d leave the brake discs and callipers, but expect to cook the fluid, so I’d fit braided hoses, use Castrol SRF fluid and Pagid (yellow) endurance pads. You should then get rid of any brake fade issues without spending a huge amount of money.
As for suspension, it’ll probably wallow like a pig ion standard suspension, but if you change it, you’ll kill the whole character of the car for everyday use, so I’d just leave as is.
Maybe take the heavy seats outs for track days and fit a couple of used lightweight bucket seats and maybe a spare set of track rims. I’d fit good harder tyres, rather than anything super sticky as it’ll trash a set of soft ones with all that weight.
I can’t imagine it’d be any more fragile than an E36 M3, but they’re both getting old now and we trashed the M3 clutch last time out. The M5 clutch and flywheel will cost over £1k to replace if you cook it.
Personally, I wouldn’t track mine as I wouldn’t get what I wanted out of it in road trim. I’d rather keep it as a fast road toy and buy a cheap old 944 for the track. That said, I’m weak-willed, so look out for it at Brands in the next 12 months
Edited by m3psm on Sunday 4th January 00:09
Haha Ill probably join you! Thanks for the informative post. The supportiveness of the standard seats did cross my mind actually.
With regard to track days, I'm not a mega hard driver. I prefer to see track days as a legal, safe, full on 110% country road blast type of affair; as opposed to them being a time to test my own limits, as well as that of my cars. I suppose in essence I was concerned that the M5 was far too powerful to enjoy on the roads, but far too comfortable to cope on track. Now if I've gathered things correctly, it's simply a fine handling, powerful car that weighs 1800kg, and needs to be treated as such, then that's fine. I doubt I'd be trying to drive it like I did my MX5 (I.e, trashed it everywhere). I've enjoyed driving most of my previous cars fairly hard/briskly on the right roads and adjust my driving style accordingly.
My mind is made up. I'll do my trackday in Feb, then prepare the STI to be sold.
Anyone fancy a swap?
With regard to track days, I'm not a mega hard driver. I prefer to see track days as a legal, safe, full on 110% country road blast type of affair; as opposed to them being a time to test my own limits, as well as that of my cars. I suppose in essence I was concerned that the M5 was far too powerful to enjoy on the roads, but far too comfortable to cope on track. Now if I've gathered things correctly, it's simply a fine handling, powerful car that weighs 1800kg, and needs to be treated as such, then that's fine. I doubt I'd be trying to drive it like I did my MX5 (I.e, trashed it everywhere). I've enjoyed driving most of my previous cars fairly hard/briskly on the right roads and adjust my driving style accordingly.
My mind is made up. I'll do my trackday in Feb, then prepare the STI to be sold.
Anyone fancy a swap?
I'll give you some idea of the the things that went wrong with mine. Now bear in mind this was an earlier car and was for three years covered by what was an amazingly good bmw warranty.
Interior/exterior
Pixelated dash
Failed auto dim mirror -fluid leaked
CD changer broke
Radio display pixelation (no nav)
Seat leather bolster worn. Caramel leather coating dreadful quality
Driver side mirror replaced twice as would not drop/failed to return
Engine
Both banks accumulators
Steering rack
Half front suspension due to premature wear
Engine mounts failed
Mass air meters
Cam position sensor
Exhaust emissions sensor
Anti roll bar bushes
Rear diff leaking seals
This is by far a complete list as time forgets.
Saying that, mine ran without fault from 150k to 200k when it got written off on a snowy day by an idiot in a van. I do recall it had 13k of warranty work in its first year.
I would be very cautious of buying a high mileage one. Check the oil grading. mine used 10w60 and it drank a litre every 700 miles - considered acceptable by bmw. Opie oils will be your friend. Pays your money...
Interior/exterior
Pixelated dash
Failed auto dim mirror -fluid leaked
CD changer broke
Radio display pixelation (no nav)
Seat leather bolster worn. Caramel leather coating dreadful quality
Driver side mirror replaced twice as would not drop/failed to return
Engine
Both banks accumulators
Steering rack
Half front suspension due to premature wear
Engine mounts failed
Mass air meters
Cam position sensor
Exhaust emissions sensor
Anti roll bar bushes
Rear diff leaking seals
This is by far a complete list as time forgets.
Saying that, mine ran without fault from 150k to 200k when it got written off on a snowy day by an idiot in a van. I do recall it had 13k of warranty work in its first year.
I would be very cautious of buying a high mileage one. Check the oil grading. mine used 10w60 and it drank a litre every 700 miles - considered acceptable by bmw. Opie oils will be your friend. Pays your money...
drivin_me_nuts said:
I'll give you some idea of the the things that went wrong with mine. Now bear in mind this was an earlier car and was for three years covered by what was an amazingly good bmw warranty.
Interior/exterior
Pixelated dash
Failed auto dim mirror -fluid leaked
CD changer broke
Radio display pixelation (no nav)
Seat leather bolster worn. Caramel leather coating dreadful quality
Driver side mirror replaced twice as would not drop/failed to return
Engine
Both banks accumulators
Steering rack
Half front suspension due to premature wear
Engine mounts failed
Mass air meters
Cam position sensor
Exhaust emissions sensor
Anti roll bar bushes
Rear diff leaking seals
This is by far a complete list as time forgets.
Saying that, mine ran without fault from 150k to 200k when it got written off on a snowy day by an idiot in a van. I do recall it had 13k of warranty work in its first year.
I would be very cautious of buying a high mileage one. Check the oil grading. mine used 10w60 and it drank a litre every 700 miles - considered acceptable by bmw. Opie oils will be your friend. Pays your money...
You sound unlucky, I would suggest that's not indicative across the board, especially for what was a new car.Interior/exterior
Pixelated dash
Failed auto dim mirror -fluid leaked
CD changer broke
Radio display pixelation (no nav)
Seat leather bolster worn. Caramel leather coating dreadful quality
Driver side mirror replaced twice as would not drop/failed to return
Engine
Both banks accumulators
Steering rack
Half front suspension due to premature wear
Engine mounts failed
Mass air meters
Cam position sensor
Exhaust emissions sensor
Anti roll bar bushes
Rear diff leaking seals
This is by far a complete list as time forgets.
Saying that, mine ran without fault from 150k to 200k when it got written off on a snowy day by an idiot in a van. I do recall it had 13k of warranty work in its first year.
I would be very cautious of buying a high mileage one. Check the oil grading. mine used 10w60 and it drank a litre every 700 miles - considered acceptable by bmw. Opie oils will be your friend. Pays your money...
However, regarding the bold parts, of all cars where maintenance and history take precedence over mileage, this has to be close to the top.
Mine is on 140k but I'd wager it would be a far safer bet than most out there on significantly lower miles.
As an example, a car out there on 90/100k miles will likely have the majority of its original suspension and it will be tired. Mine has new suspension arms all round, new front shocks and steering tie rods along with a whole host of other mechanicals being replaced. They'll never be cheap to run and they will require maintenance, best bet is to buy from an enthusiast. Mine would be a far better car to buy now than it was 40k miles ago. Trouble would be finding an enthusiast who wants to sell after sorting so much...
Edited by Patrick Bateman on Sunday 4th January 00:58
Yes I'm realising there's not a great deal of ten on the market at the moment. I've not even began to lol at distances from me yet. I have seen one or two I'd consider but I've set my heart in black or dark grey. Plus a few of the ones I've seen that read well all have had remaps etc and that's something I'd like to do myself further down the line. I like to personalise and modify. I wouldn't want to buy a 'completed' car...
Anyone car to sell me theirs? No caramel leather though please 
Anyone car to sell me theirs?
No caramel leather though please Edited by Jim1985 on Sunday 4th January 23:45
You will need to spend £3k+ on most E39 M5s with 100k on the clock; big ends, timing chain guides, sensors, all bushes ball joints etc. Then you will want some coilovers for the track which will be about £1000. I use HSD coilovers on mine. It is a heavy car, but with coilovers it does handle very well in all but the tightest twisties. You will rip through tyres and brakes though.
Standard brakes OK, but you must use good pads and fluid.
Standard brakes OK, but you must use good pads and fluid.
m3psm said:
If I were to put mine on track I’d leave the brake discs and callipers, but expect to cook the fluid, so I’d fit braided hoses, use Castrol SRF fluid and Pagid (yellow) endurance pads.
Good advice, seconded here. Exactly what I did on mine earlier this year - Goodridge braided lines, Castrol SRF and Pagid RS29's. Only painful bit was that the pads alone were about £330!liquidsmoke said:
You will need to spend £3k+ on most E39 M5s with 100k on the clock; big ends, timing chain guides, sensors, all bushes ball joints etc. Then you will want some coilovers for the track which will be about £1000. I use HSD coilovers on mine. It is a heavy car, but with coilovers it does handle very well in all but the tightest twisties. You will rip through tyres and brakes though.
Standard brakes OK, but you must use good pads and fluid.
Not quite. Standard brakes OK, but you must use good pads and fluid.
Rod bearings and timing chain and guides dont just suddenly fail when they get over 100k miles. There are M5's with well over 200k miles on original bearings and timing chain / guides.
Cam shaft sensors quite possibly, i have a set to replace. There is a lot of Internet folklore surrounding these cars.
TheAngryDog said:
Not quite.
Rod bearings and timing chain and guides dont just suddenly fail when they get over 100k miles. There are M5's with well over 200k miles on original bearings and timing chain / guides.
Cam shaft sensors quite possibly, i have a set to replace. There is a lot of Internet folklore surrounding these cars.
m5board is bad for it because of a lot of the Yanks. 3000 mile oil changes OR ELSE!! and the rest...Rod bearings and timing chain and guides dont just suddenly fail when they get over 100k miles. There are M5's with well over 200k miles on original bearings and timing chain / guides.
Cam shaft sensors quite possibly, i have a set to replace. There is a lot of Internet folklore surrounding these cars.
I take it you saw the car on there on over 300k miles with no major engine work? Refreshing to see.
I thought I’d ask this here rather than starting new threads. Looking at cars, I’m looking at between 120,000-160,000 miles and hoping that it has had possibly a clutch, and at least MAFs and most importantly suspension components replaced (thrust arms and balljoints? I’m still learning!).
I’m not familiar with BMW servicing (or main dealer servicing of any brand actually). I understand that the Inspection 2 is actually a physical inspection of the car as well as a service. So would I be right in thinking that if the car has lived his life regularly visiting the BMW dealer, if at any point when it had an inspection it needed suspension components, would they have been replaced?
Obviously I can’t be ringing every for sale ad asking for full documented service history. So seeing if it has had FBMWFH throughout its life, would I be right to presume it’s in tiptop condition? Or is it all done at the discretion of the owner on a car by car basis?
There are certain checks at all the services but it goes like this:
Oil Service
Inspection 1
Oil Service
Inspection 2
Then repeat the above until it's scrapped.
Coolant and Brake fluid are meant to be on a time basis rather than the above.
The inspection 2 involves a lot more than the others and is expensive even if they don't pick up on anything outside of the scheduled items that borked. Things like plugs etc. are included in every inspection 2.
There's more details specific to the M5 here: http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-dis...
Oil Service
Inspection 1
Oil Service
Inspection 2
Then repeat the above until it's scrapped.
Coolant and Brake fluid are meant to be on a time basis rather than the above.
The inspection 2 involves a lot more than the others and is expensive even if they don't pick up on anything outside of the scheduled items that borked. Things like plugs etc. are included in every inspection 2.
There's more details specific to the M5 here: http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-dis...
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