E39’s-different flavours & a ST Fiesta

[Mr Tidy]

Somehow I missed this thread until now.

I love early 2000s BMWs (probably because I have two) so will be watching for updates. The Alpina looks stunning in that colour.

[stickylabels]

Cheers chaps, I need to hear what it sounds like myself...after nailing the Simota on last year I sorned it about 15 mins later!!

Still, it'll get taxed tomorrow and then I might actually get out in it.

[roadie]

Great thread. I too really like the E39 and one of the things that sticks with me from the time was the effort BMW went to in order that the boot on the touring was flat sided and rectangular.

Your Alpina is an absolute beaut.

[d_a_n1979]

roadie said:

Great thread. I too really like the E39 and one of the things that sticks with me from the time was the effort BMW went to in order that the boot on the touring was flat sided and rectangular.

Your Alpina is an absolute beaut.

Yup; having just done tip runs in my F31. I know in my previous E39 touring it would have been a lot easier

[stickylabels]

Never thought about the boot shape, but yes, it's a proper box. Meanwhile, sunshine up here today, so B10 taxed and out for a few hours to blow out the cobwebs and see if everything still works. I've been driving electric hatches (SEAT Mii/BMW i3) just about all winter and whilst they are fine in their own way, the crescendo of B10 V8 through 2nd & 3rd is a whole different experience entirely.

The Simota & Supersprint have given a still very subtle increase in noise that's still quieter than most things but a good balance for an Alpina. Need to try and record something!

[5 In a Row]

The boot on the E39 Touring is massive - I got a huge amount of kitchen bits in mine on a dump run a couple of years ago.
The self levelling rear suspension made a difference too although it might've hidden the car being overloaded....


Driving the B10 after electric hatches must've been a (welcome) shock to the system!

[d_a_n1979]

stickylabels said:

Never thought about the boot shape, but yes, it's a proper box. Meanwhile, sunshine up here today, so B10 taxed and out for a few hours to blow out the cobwebs and see if everything still works. I've been driving electric hatches (SEAT Mii/BMW i3) just about all winter and whilst they are fine in their own way, the crescendo of B10 V8 through 2nd & 3rd is a whole different experience entirely.

The Simota & Supersprint have given a still very subtle increase in noise that's still quieter than most things but a good balance for an Alpina. Need to try and record something!

Yup; very capable load space and as 5 in a Row said above; the SLS is a superb system and works superbly when the rear end is fully loaded

We'd 2 loads of camping gear wedged into the load space here when the wife & I went camping up to Scarborough late 2020 and met her folks up there as they went up on their new 1200 RS BMW bike




Swallowed it all (some jigsaw work had to go into it to make it fit); but we arrived in comfort with zero issues and got set up easy enough

Deffo need to get some audio / video fly by's of that intake and exhaust now

[stickylabels]

Before we went back to a caravan ours would look like this;



Even with the barfing beagle & McWestie we would still sneak a couple of scooters & some bags into the boot with plenty of room left. Split tailgate super handy too!

With the fresh Sachs dampers on, the SLS kept all this lot level up and down the A9;

[stickylabels]

Meanwhile, in B10 world I have a boring thread alert!

I still can't believe what this cost me, but every time I opened the boot I knew it was missing and I was faced with just a sea of BMW grey......so;.....



....I'm now going off to have a bloomin' good talk with myself, It is at least genuine and in really good nick to be fair and matches the the floor mats you actually see inside the thing...




OCD 1: Wallet Nil....

[d_a_n1979]

stickylabels said:

Before we went back to a caravan ours would look like this;



Even with the barfing beagle & McWestie we would still sneak a couple of scooters & some bags into the boot with plenty of room left. Split tailgate super handy too!

With the fresh Sachs dampers on, the SLS kept all this lot level up and down the A9;

Yup; the split tailgate is superb. Love it on the F31 too, comes in very handy at times (mainly to squeeze that last bit in)

It did a few good trips down to North Walrs/Anglesey stuffed with the camping gear; as you said, the SLS is invaluable when it comes to stuff like this

[d_a_n1979]

stickylabels said:

Meanwhile, in B10 world I have a boring thread alert!

I still can't believe what this cost me, but every time I opened the boot I knew it was missing and I was faced with just a sea of BMW grey......so;.....



....I'm now going off to have a bloomin' good talk with myself, It is at least genuine and in really good nick to be fair and matches the the floor mats you actually see inside the thing...




OCD 1: Wallet Nil....

No need to have a chat with yourserlf Kenny; it's well worth it

[stickylabels]

That's what I keep telling myself Dan!

Finally removed the All season Goodyears from the ST. They have completed the last 2 winters with utter aplomb and done total of 14 months over that time. They have been brilliant and it's not often I say that about stuff. Despite being just 15" diameter and narrower than the stock 18's they still handle the grunt the wee ST can put out.

Back to the slightly jiggly slow speed ride for now from the MPSS tyres (factory original still), I might consider GoodYear replacements for them when the time comes. Wheels got scrubbed & waxed inside and out and some tyre candy too.

[d_a_n1979]

stickylabels said:

That's what I keep telling myself Dan!

Finally removed the All season Goodyears from the ST. They have completed the last 2 winters with utter aplomb and done total of 14 months over that time. They have been brilliant and it's not often I say that about stuff. Despite being just 15" diameter and narrower than the stock 18's they still handle the grunt the wee ST can put out.

Back to the slightly jiggly slow speed ride for now from the MPSS tyres (factory original still), I might consider GoodYear replacements for them when the time comes. Wheels got scrubbed & waxed inside and out and some tyre candy too.

Literally just been chatting with the neighbour re his Jag needing new tyres and talked him into the Goodyear Vector Gen3 all seasons; they're superb

He's just ordered all 4 corners in 17" flavour

I found them to be excellent on my Jap import E39 540i back in 2022 through Sept into a very cold December and that's why I've gone for them for the F31 as the 'winter set' - they handled brilliantly and aren't squidy at all...

The Goodyear Assym6s as summers are excellent too. I really rate the likes of PS4s etc but couldn't get the Conti 7s in the sizes I needed at that time and the Assym6s were £250 cheaper than the PS4s and PS5s and that swung it for me, glad it did

Found them to be excellent tyres Kenny; would highly recommend

[stickylabels]

Totally agree Dan, brother has the 6's on his ST Focus and rates them too.

In B10 land, a package of 'bits' is en-route from BMR performance to compliment the parts fitted over last summer so will post up when they get here.

Last years bits;




Also have a couple of tins of a/c top up. I have used this on both e39s last couple of years and it works fine. One day I'll investigate the leak though....!

[d_a_n1979]

stickylabels said:

Totally agree Dan, brother has the 6's on his ST Focus and rates them too.

In B10 land, a package of 'bits' is en-route from BMR performance to compliment the parts fitted over last summer so will post up when they get here.

Last years bits;




Also have a couple of tins of a/c top up. I have used this on both e39s last couple of years and it works fine. One day I'll investigate the leak though....!

TBH Kenny the Assym6s are superb; the PS4s were fantastic on my E39 touring

But I don't drive like a loon or push my cars enough to notice that much difference any more

The Nexen N'Fera SU1s I've used many times over the years have been great; as have the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's, as have the Falken FK510s etc

The wife's Racing Jazz (ie can't pull skin off'th rice puddin lad) needs new tyres soon; they'll be the Goodyear Vector all seasons too; it trundles 4 miles a day, 3 times a week etc - it doesn't need 'premium tyres' but having something like the Goodyear all seasons on makes it safe in all weathers, all climes etc

Some good bits lined up for the B10 there too

My pals looking at another E39 M5 this weekend which I'll do the driving for as if it's up to snuff as described he'll be coming home in it - this one to keep absolutely factory standard as it's already had a BMW warranty repaired engine 25k miles ago and other bits...

His charged E39 M5 is just being finished (last bits of bodywork being done (professional detail etc) and then it's being collected by its new owner in Germany (UK car but over there as the engine work was cheaper and better he said)...

Their asking prices now are painful; long gone have the Wheeler Dealer days of them being £5k bangers!

[stickylabels]

M5 sounds nice! The £5k banger long gone as you say. Guy up this way has a charged one too, big alloy plenum and it does sound the part too. Wasn't the easiest thing to fit apparently (came from Evolve) with some parts needing some err adjustment.....

Got Falkens on the touring and I think they are ideal for that.

[d_a_n1979]

stickylabels said:

M5 sounds nice! The £5k banger long gone as you say. Guy up this way has a charged one too, big alloy plenum and it does sound the part too. Wasn't the easiest thing to fit apparently (came from Evolve) with some parts needing some err adjustment.....

Got Falkens on the touring and I think they are ideal for that.

Haha exactly the same with Chris's...! It didn't fit at all; the motor building company he's used in Germany have had another one made that fits perfectly, to the same design etc but without the issues. He's sold the Evolve one on and the kit; they weren't happy with it all so sourced the Rotrex charger themselves and made everything else custom and Chris has done a lot of the fitting; they've done the internals and the mapping etc

The only 'issue' with this M5 we're looking at on Saturday morning is it's Sapphire Black IIRC (I thought it was Carbon Black but he says its Sapphire)! Like me, he said he'd never own another black car again Will see how it turns out, it's a £25k car! Not cheap but only 89k miles and nigh on full BMWSH bar the last 2 years where it's been a specialist in Cumbria

Great colour; but you cannot keep it clean (a la one of my 530i Sport's):



Washed; 3 seconds later, filthy

The Falkens are great tyres and do very well indeed; they were fantastic on my F01 to be fair