The Best ///M/Barge/General Rant/Look at this/O/T (Vol XVI)

[deadslow]

m5wagon said:

Ooof, yes please...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Alpina-B10-Bi-Turbo-...

Ooof indeed

[L100NYY]

[melvster]

Playsatan said:

How bad an idea are we talking here?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-VAUXHALL-LOTUS-CARL...

I'll raise you this; at least you have 4k left over for potential bork.


http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

[L100NYY]

Bloody ruddy love this.....

Black mit green leather is imho

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-MINI-COOPER-LE-One...

[E24man]

A Lotus Carlton, B10 BiTurbo and M5 all on one page? Are we playing Top Trumps Bork Special?

[LaurasOtherHalf]

L100NYY said:

Bloody ruddy love this.....

Black mit green leather is imho

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-MINI-COOPER-LE-One...

Super!

[Patrick Bateman]

The chap I bought the car off is now selling this rather lovely thing-

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

[Gruber]

E39 B10... Really rather good!

Test-drove a couple today - gloriously comfortably but goes like a scalded cat when prodded. Felt a lot more sprightly than the quoted 340-ish bhp.

Is there much to beware of with these?

[Patrick Bateman]

Gruber said:

E39 B10... Really rather good!

Test-drove a couple today - gloriously comfortably but goes like a scalded cat when prodded. Felt a lot more sprightly than the quoted 340-ish bhp.

Is there much to beware of with these?

Rust, headgaskets on early cars and autoboxes from what I gather.

[E24man]

E39 rust is a minor issue compared to the BMW's that went before; V8 headgaskets are organic before 2000, metal and no issue from 2001 (engine number 14500 onwards) but there are plenty of older E39 B10 V8's, B8 4.6's and B10 4.6's still going on their original headgaskets, mine included; E39 coolant systems are iffy when they get old but are fixed with a full set of hoses; B10 V8S cars have the better (but insanely expensive) custom Brembo front brakes set-up (absolutely nothing aftermarket will fit it) and the sealed-for-life ZF gearboxes actually need a filter and oil change every 80k miles.

And most cars make a little more than the stated 340/347/375 bhp

[tdm34]

deadslow said:

m5wagon said:

Ooof, yes please...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Alpina-B10-Bi-Turbo-...

Ooof indeed

I've just sent the link to a certain Northener, await the mushroom cloud.... that's fookin glorious.....

[tdm34]

E24man said:

E39 rust is a minor issue compared to the BMW's that went before; V8 headgaskets are organic before 2000, metal and no issue from 2001 (engine number 14500 onwards) but there are plenty of older E39 B10 V8's, B8 4.6's and B10 4.6's still going on their original headgaskets, mine included; E39 coolant systems are iffy when they get old but are fixed with a full set of hoses; B10 V8S cars have the better (but insanely expensive) custom Brembo front brakes set-up (absolutely nothing aftermarket will fit it) and the sealed-for-life ZF gearboxes actually need a filter and oil change every 80k miles.

And most cars make a little more than the stated 340/347/375 bhp

THought it was from engine number 34500?

[Patrick Bateman]

E24man said:

E39 rust is a minor issue compared to the BMW's that went before; V8 headgaskets are organic before 2000, metal and no issue from 2001 (engine number 14500 onwards) but there are plenty of older E39 B10 V8's, B8 4.6's and B10 4.6's still going on their original headgaskets, mine included; E39 coolant systems are iffy when they get old but are fixed with a full set of hoses; B10 V8S cars have the better (but insanely expensive) custom Brembo front brakes set-up (absolutely nothing aftermarket will fit it) and the sealed-for-life ZF gearboxes actually need a filter and oil change every 80k miles.

And most cars make a little more than the stated 340/347/375 bhp

Having been to see two M5's covered in the stuff and a B10 with rotten jacking points I'd consider it noteworthy.

[E24man]

tdm34 said:

THought it was from engine number 34500?

Definitely 14500, mine is 14752 and if you're in any doubt which is fitted there is a visible tab on the later metal ones.

Patrick Bateman said:

Having been to see two M5's covered in the stuff and a B10 with rotten jacking points I'd consider it noteworthy.

Tomatoe, Tomato. Most E39's that I've seen have been in far better condition than the E12/28/34 fives, and most other BMW's, that came before, which was what I was trying to say.

[Patrick Bateman]

Oh I don't doubt that, I'd firmly have it as a top priority in terms of what to look for though, isn't always obvious.

[Gruber]

E24man said:

E39 rust is a minor issue compared to the BMW's that went before; V8 headgaskets are organic before 2000, metal and no issue from 2001 (engine number 14500 onwards) but there are plenty of older E39 B10 V8's, B8 4.6's and B10 4.6's still going on their original headgaskets, mine included; E39 coolant systems are iffy when they get old but are fixed with a full set of hoses; B10 V8S cars have the better (but insanely expensive) custom Brembo front brakes set-up (absolutely nothing aftermarket will fit it) and the sealed-for-life ZF gearboxes actually need a filter and oil change every 80k miles.

And most cars make a little more than the stated 340/347/375 bhp

Thanks

It certainly felt friskier than I expected.

On the autobox issue: is the oil and filter change an easy job? I only ask coz we've been quoted £800+ to service Mrs G's box (oo er!) on her e61.

The specimen in question is on 75k, but the shift was still silky smooth.

And is a complete hose change a biggie?

[richtea78]

GreatPretender said:

Playsatan said:

How bad an idea are we talking here?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-VAUXHALL-LOTUS-CARL...

I'd rather try and MOT an E34 M5 that's been sat at the bottom of the sea.

However, the description is refreshingly honest.

Get Wheeler Dealers on it. That would be interesting to watch I think

[E24man]

Gruber said:

E24man said:

E39 rust is a minor issue compared to the BMW's that went before; V8 headgaskets are organic before 2000, metal and no issue from 2001 (engine number 14500 onwards) but there are plenty of older E39 B10 V8's, B8 4.6's and B10 4.6's still going on their original headgaskets, mine included; E39 coolant systems are iffy when they get old but are fixed with a full set of hoses; B10 V8S cars have the better (but insanely expensive) custom Brembo front brakes set-up (absolutely nothing aftermarket will fit it) and the sealed-for-life ZF gearboxes actually need a filter and oil change every 80k miles.

And most cars make a little more than the stated 340/347/375 bhp

Thanks

It certainly felt friskier than I expected.

On the autobox issue: is the oil and filter change an easy job? I only ask coz we've been quoted £800+ to service Mrs G's box (oo er!) on her e61.

The specimen in question is on 75k, but the shift was still silky smooth.

And is a complete hose change a biggie?

The gearbox should be a half or third of that with a gearbox specialist depending on whether a flush or a full torque converter fluid change as well as the filter. The gearboxes are fairly robust with just the five gears compared to the very electronic 7 or 8 speeders but a couple of years ago ZF gave a fairly definitive answer that sealed-for-life was 75-80k miles.

The Switch-Tronic box is normally silky smooth and as quick as a manual change, and the Alpina tweaks make all the difference to an auto and make up the difference to a manual box.

Coolant hoses are relatively easy but replacing one weeping one just exposes the next weak one..... and so on..... so once they start weeping expect all the hoses at the front of the engine to go in short order. All the hoses and unions at the back are jubilee clips; (nearly) all the ones at the front are clip-and-o-seal.

I'm not throwing all the weight to Alpina over ///M, I come back to what I always say; if you drive at 10/10ths for most of the time, be in no doubt, get the 'M', but if you only ever go to 9/10ths then consider the Alpina version.

Edited by E24man on Saturday 2nd August 23:14

[Patrick Bateman]

How often do people drive at ten tenths on public roads? I'd put more weight into the type of gearboxes to suit what you're after.

[E24man]

Patrick Bateman said:

How often do people drive at ten tenths on public roads? I'd put more weight into the type of gearboxes to suit what you're after.

Kin hell,you are being picky this evening.

Fair enough, well shall I word it like this; if you like revving the tits off your engine at the traffic light getaway and then examining the limits of your tyres adhesion then get an 'M', if not test drive an Alpina.

To address your gearbox question, for modern traffic situations I wouldn't ever pick a manual over a semi-auto gearbox, with a manual only ever being required for driving pleasure trips or track-days.

The plain facts are that to get the (for example) 5.4 secs to 60 out of an E39 M5 you have to have an on-song engine and gearbox, and precise gear changes at exactly the right rev point; to get the 5.5 out of a B10 V8S you just press the loud pedal.... once. The later E60/61 B5 was conservatively estimated at 500bhp against the M5's 507bhp and the later B5S's estimate of 530bhp was again rather conservative.

If you want to be able to drive Granny, tiredy wife, kids or grandchildren somewhere in complete comfort then cane it all the way home without changing any settings then get the Alpina.

And if you need a Touring at all then 'M' will only make it every other series in a 5 and not at all in a 3. Alpina will make your car however you would like it, Sir.