E61 V8 Bearding

[ATM]

Try fiddling around with this

http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width=245&amp...

[here_we_go]

Looking for an estate with a decent NA engine while I can still get one - seems I've discovered this thread a little late (I might have gone for philmots car if I hadn't seen it the day it sold!).

ATM said:

2006 BMW 5 Series 4.8 550i M Sport Touring 5dr
5 Doors, Automatic, Estate, Petrol, 88,000 miles
£9,950.00

no pics

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291796069876

Thinking of dropping by to see this on my way down south on Friday if it's still available. Anything to be looking out for especially in the service history?

[ATM]

here_we_go said:

Looking for an estate with a decent NA engine while I can still get one - seems I've discovered this thread a little late (I might have gone for philmots car if I hadn't seen it the day it sold!).

ATM said:

2006 BMW 5 Series 4.8 550i M Sport Touring 5dr
5 Doors, Automatic, Estate, Petrol, 88,000 miles
£9,950.00

no pics

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291796069876

Thinking of dropping by to see this on my way down south on Friday if it's still available. Anything to be looking out for especially in the service history?

There are no major red flags with service history on these AFAIK. To be honest I just bought mine as it was the only one I could find. Remember they only made about 30 - possible exaggeration.

[hornetrider]

Looks nice enough. I don't think there's anything major in the history to check for, particularly. Just check it's been kept up to date.

No Pan roof on this one so no water in the boot to worry about. Would stand in the boot of the car and get out, get the self levelling suspension working. Check all the electrics work, including rear wash wipe and split tailgate release. Otherwise it's normal checks, tight turns at low speed, anything untoward suspension wise, check rear tyre wear particularly on the inner edges which will show up if there are issues with the rear suspension.

[here_we_go]

ATM said:

There are no major red flags with service history on these AFAIK. To be honest I just bought mine as it was the only one I could find. Remember they only made about 30 - possible exaggeration.

hornetrider said:

Looks nice enough. I don't think there's anything major in the history to check for, particularly. Just check it's been kept up to date.

No Pan roof on this one so no water in the boot to worry about. Would stand in the boot of the car and get out, get the self levelling suspension working. Check all the electrics work, including rear wash wipe and split tailgate release. Otherwise it's normal checks, tight turns at low speed, anything untoward suspension wise, check rear tyre wear particularly on the inner edges which will show up if there are issues with the rear suspension.

Thanks both

[jboy72]

here_we_go - I wanted to send you an e-mail with some "thoughts", but you are not set up to accept them. Feel free to e-mail me via PH if you wish (and are able to). Thanks.

[here_we_go]

jboy72 said:

here_we_go - I wanted to send you an e-mail with some "thoughts", but you are not set up to accept them. Feel free to e-mail me via PH if you wish (and are able to). Thanks.

jboy72 - thanks, haven't played with all the settings on accounts here. I have emailed you through the site, hopefully you have my address now.

[bmwmike]

Currently doing about 6-8000 miles per year and the f10 3.0i is sitting idle most of the time. Eyeing up one of these as the depreciation on the f10 will surely pay the mpg bill... mmmm.

[ATM]

bmwmike said:

Currently doing about 6-8000 miles per year and the f10 3.0i is sitting idle most of the time. Eyeing up one of these as the depreciation on the f10 will surely pay the mpg bill... mmmm.

F it

[jboy72]

here_we_go said:

jboy72 - thanks, haven't played with all the settings on accounts here. I have emailed you through the site, hopefully you have my address now.

Well, barely 3 weeks later and I waved goodbye to my beloved 550i last night. here_we_go and I joked that we would have to post the obligatory "sad to see the car go, hope you got home safely" comments but they are genuinely meant. I had the opportunity to have a final drive from London to Norwich and back at the weekend and I felt like I was on the way to a pet cemetery with Fido in the back. Sad I know, but it was nice to be part of an exclusive club of depreciation proof load-luggers... To all those naysayers who said the pre-LCI is a horrible place to be (not with comfort seats, a panoramic roof and Logic 7 it isn't), that a V8 would depreciate more than a diesel and cost more to run (I don't really know, but a back of fag packet 40p per mile over nearly 3 and a half years doesn't seem that bad to me? Especially as that figure includes £1200 on a new headlight), that I would quickly get bored by the lazy v8 engine and lust after something more frugal instead, that I would find a v8 impossible to sell (how many 530ds are sold "off market"?) - well you were absolutely wrong!

[dom9]

Did 400 miles in the 545iTSE on Sunday... behaved faultlessly although the 'hesitation' from the torque converter seemed to appear when it was hot.

However, on Saturday, someone decided to smash my auto-dim, heated mirror and didn't leave a note (I was parked). Taken a risk on a £30 ebay special from Latvia or somewhere, rather than pay hundreds for a new one.

Wondering to get the car serviced before 3.5k round Europe next month! Could do the plug and coils as I never got around to it before!

[jboy72]

I found a replacement for the 550i at the weekend and it was indeed a derv X5 although a 40d. There are a couple of aspects I am not too happy about but as it was an LCI in Deep Sea Ocean Blue with Oyster and £16k of options I pounced within 10 minutes of seeing the advert on Autotrader (Friday afternoon) and bought it Saturday.

I thought that planting my foot to the floor of a 4wd car with a claimed 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds would feel somewhat similar to performing that trick in the 550i. I was wrong. I now see the 4.8 v8 of the 550i for the work of art it truly is. Other than that I am impressed by the x5 which trundles along nicely on its 325/30/21 rubber (!!).

[dom9]

I am preparing for our 2,500km (minimum) Euro trip starting on Thursday!

8 new plugs and coils at home... Just got to find the time to fit them!

[jboy72]

dom9 said:

I am preparing for our 2,500km (minimum) Euro trip starting on Thursday!

8 new plugs and coils at home... Just got to find the time to fit them!

Pretty much the first thing I did in my 550i - London to Collioure and back with 5 month old twins in the back. A glorious trip.

[Bodie390]

dom9 said:

I am preparing for our 2,500km (minimum) Euro trip starting on Thursday!

8 new plugs and coils at home... Just got to find the time to fit them!

I did a 2550 mile road trip across Europe back in June in my E61 M5, loved every minute of it and doing it in the E61 was perfect. Hope you have fun along the way.

[ATM]

jboy72 said:

I now see the 4.8 v8 of the 550i for the work of art it truly is.

My colleague came to work in his 2006 Cayenne S today. We went for lunch in this car. I noticed a lot more v8 rumbling compared to my 550i. It is definitely the most muted v8 I have ever experienced. I can't decide if that is good or it needs a bit more bark.

Edited by ATM on Wednesday 3rd August 19:21

[dom9]

Thanks guys - will get some pics up en route!

More bark, ATM!

[jboy72]

ATM said:

My colleague came to work in his 2006 Cayenne S today. We went for lunch in this car. I noticed a lot more v8 rumbling compared to my 550i. It is definitely the most muted v8 I have ever experienced. I can't decide if that is good or it needs a bit more bark.

It is aurally challenged but I've driven 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 cylindered cars both turbo petrol/diesel and n/a and its certainly a peach!

[philmots]

Noise was the only real criticism of my old 550, the engine was glorious but just didn't sound V8-y enough!

[ATM]

I drove past another 550i touring today. It was epic. First time I have ever seen another. Luckily I was in mine too. Hopefully they were as excited as me.