RE: Shed of the Week: BMW 528i
Discussion
This does look to be an superb Shed of the week. The E39 is an excellent car when it is running well. They're not characterful or charismatic things, but are astonishingly competent. They're very complex cars though and can be troublesome if they haven't been looked after. This one looks to have been treated well from the photos.
Ahhh, good times.
When I passed my test, I drove my mothers 1.4 civic for a few months, and then had an Astravan company van for about 2 years.
The very first car which ever sported my name on the v5 was a 1998 528i manual in silver..
Mine was brought 4 years ago in my early 20's, for £800. It came with a few choice modifications; 17" sport wheels, piano black inlays, ac schnitzer aluminium pedal set, and a maximum Chav K&N type 57i induction kit ( brilliant thing, really wakes it up above 4500rpm!), with the cold air supply through the offside front wing.
It had 145000 miles on it when I got it, and was on 170000 when it became uneconomical to repair at the third mot of my ownership. Effectively run on a shoe string, I traded it as spares for half what I paid for it and remains was my absolute favorite car owned yet (up to and including my recently aquired E90 330i Msport, which is objectively better in pretty much every way).
I have three cars on the drive at the moment, and no need at all for another big 6 petrol BMW, yet I am very tempted by this. Someone please buy it immediately.
When I passed my test, I drove my mothers 1.4 civic for a few months, and then had an Astravan company van for about 2 years.
The very first car which ever sported my name on the v5 was a 1998 528i manual in silver..
Mine was brought 4 years ago in my early 20's, for £800. It came with a few choice modifications; 17" sport wheels, piano black inlays, ac schnitzer aluminium pedal set, and a maximum Chav K&N type 57i induction kit ( brilliant thing, really wakes it up above 4500rpm!), with the cold air supply through the offside front wing.
It had 145000 miles on it when I got it, and was on 170000 when it became uneconomical to repair at the third mot of my ownership. Effectively run on a shoe string, I traded it as spares for half what I paid for it and remains was my absolute favorite car owned yet (up to and including my recently aquired E90 330i Msport, which is objectively better in pretty much every way).
I have three cars on the drive at the moment, and no need at all for another big 6 petrol BMW, yet I am very tempted by this. Someone please buy it immediately.
fezst said:
New iPhone or this? It really amazes me how much car you can get for under a grand. Wow.
And how easily Apple's sheep are relieved of vast amounts of money. "Here - buy our new phone that's barely any different from our old one. The 32gb one hasn't got enough memory to turn on so pay £100 more for a £5 HDD upgrade"
I vote for the 5 Series.
walsh said:
Ahhh, good times.
and a maximum Chav K&N type 57i induction kit ( brilliant thing, really wakes it up above 4500rpm!), with the cold air supply through the offside front wing.
Seriously? I don't think I've ever come across a car with an "open to engine heat indictuction" kit that does anything other than bog down a car with heat soak. Not to mention the lack of a an ECU update to tell it what to expect.and a maximum Chav K&N type 57i induction kit ( brilliant thing, really wakes it up above 4500rpm!), with the cold air supply through the offside front wing.
I had an M54 engine and wouldn't have done anything other than a panel filter swap if anything.
PHMatt said:
walsh said:
Ahhh, good times.
and a maximum Chav K&N type 57i induction kit ( brilliant thing, really wakes it up above 4500rpm!), with the cold air supply through the offside front wing.
Seriously? I don't think I've ever come across a car with an "open to engine heat indictuction" kit that does anything other than bog down a car with heat soak. Not to mention the lack of a an ECU update to tell it what to expect.and a maximum Chav K&N type 57i induction kit ( brilliant thing, really wakes it up above 4500rpm!), with the cold air supply through the offside front wing.
I had an M54 engine and wouldn't have done anything other than a panel filter swap if anything.
I still loved it, but won't be putting one on the N52, if that tells you anything.
PHMatt said:
fezst said:
New iPhone or this? It really amazes me how much car you can get for under a grand. Wow.
And how easily Apple's sheep are relieved of vast amounts of money. "Here - buy our new phone that's barely any different from our old one. The 32gb one hasn't got enough memory to turn on so pay £100 more for a £5 HDD upgrade"
I vote for the 5 Series.
I personally think it says more about the ridiculousness of the iPhone rather than the value of the 5 series!
Great shed though.
Jay Kay 225 said:
Hasn't had an inspection 2 service in over 60k miles. Its nice and shiny and all, but just how well treated is it really? I do like it though.
Do ANY old BMW's have inspection services?It'd cost almost the value of the car and all BMW do is "inspect" a load of things that most people owning a car that old don't care about. Hardly anything is fixed or replaced in the cost.
[quote=PHMatt]
Do ANY old BMW's have inspection services?
It'd cost almost the value of the car and all BMW do is "inspect" a load of things that most people owning a car that old don't care about. Hardly anything is fixed or replaced in the cost.
Agreed...main service items included on an insp 2 are new plugs, air filter. Some procedures that a careful owner might do are charged separately, including changing diff oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid (where appropriate), fuel filter etc.
A main agent record is not always the best indicator of maintenance - in a car of this age you're looking for evidence of work done.
Do ANY old BMW's have inspection services?
It'd cost almost the value of the car and all BMW do is "inspect" a load of things that most people owning a car that old don't care about. Hardly anything is fixed or replaced in the cost.
Agreed...main service items included on an insp 2 are new plugs, air filter. Some procedures that a careful owner might do are charged separately, including changing diff oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid (where appropriate), fuel filter etc.
A main agent record is not always the best indicator of maintenance - in a car of this age you're looking for evidence of work done.
Lovely shed!
I agree with the BMW history bit, I'd much rather see a load of regular invoices from euro car parts for various oils and seals and a seller with dirt under his fingernails than a stamp from BMW for a checkup and engine oil change in the book for this age/mileage. I could even accept the cambelt change date and mileage written in magic market on the bonnet slam panel...
I agree with the BMW history bit, I'd much rather see a load of regular invoices from euro car parts for various oils and seals and a seller with dirt under his fingernails than a stamp from BMW for a checkup and engine oil change in the book for this age/mileage. I could even accept the cambelt change date and mileage written in magic market on the bonnet slam panel...
KimJongHealthy said:
GranCab said:
Fiat Panda ... 10 days hire from Hertz at Bari = £318.58 
https://www.hertz.co.uk/rentacar/reservation/#vehi...
Driving 528i to Bari and back - £400 in fuel + hotel + 4 days of your life wasted.https://www.hertz.co.uk/rentacar/reservation/#vehi...
Great comparison otherwise.
PHMatt said:
Jay Kay 225 said:
Hasn't had an inspection 2 service in over 60k miles. Its nice and shiny and all, but just how well treated is it really? I do like it though.
Do ANY old BMW's have inspection services?It'd cost almost the value of the car and all BMW do is "inspect" a load of things that most people owning a car that old don't care about. Hardly anything is fixed or replaced in the cost.
When I'm looking for a car it's always condition first however I'm very interested in the attitude of the owner towards the car/maintenance.
MadDog1962 said:
J4CKO said:
Is it just me or does a well preserved and unmodified one of these look classier than a new one ?
I quite agree. Total bargain by the looks of it too. I bet it'll be gone by tea-time if not sooner.Leins said:
jamieduff1981 said:
I'm not a huge BMW fan, but I agree. This to my eye is far nicer to look at, inside and out, than any of the 5-series generations that have succeeded it.
Although not quite as nice as those that preceded it IMOVery good shed though all the same
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff