The return of my E60 M5 - Wallet drained - now Supercharged!
Discussion
Some of you may be familiar with my original thread about this car which I started last May. If not, let me set the scene;
I bought the car Saturday May 5th from Ipswich, this despite me saying that I would never own an E60 M5 due to the bork factor. It was a low owner, low miles car with a good spec;
Colour SILVERSTONE II METALLIC (A29)
Upholstery VOLLLEDER MERINOSILVERSTONE II (X3A9)
Editions And Packages
S737A Interior Mouldings Alu Shadow Brushed
S754A M Rear Spoiler
Comfort And Interior Equipment
S403A Glass Roof Electrical
S415A Sunblind Rear
S416A Roller Sun Vizor Rear Lateral
S428A Warning Triangle And First Aid Kit
S430A Interioroutside Mirror With Auto Dip
S431A Interior Mirror With Automaticdip
S441A Smoker Package
S470A IsofixSystem
S496A Seat Heating Rear
S4MAA M Multifunction Seat
S4MFA Active Backrest Width Adjustment
S423A Floor Mats Velours
S442A Cup Holder
S459A Seat Adjuster Electric With Memory
S494A Seat Heating Driverpassenger
Multimedia
S609A Navigation System Professional
S610A Headup Display
S612A BMW Assist
S633A Preparation Mobile Phone Business
S672A CD Changer For 6 CDs
S677A HiFi System Professional DSP
S698A AreaCode 2 For DVD
Driver Assistance And Lightning
S502A Headlight Cleaning System
S508A Park Distance Control PDC
S524A Adaptive Headlights
S5ACA Highbeam Assistant
S522A Xenon Light
S534A Automatic Air Conditioning
S540A Cruise Control
S563A Light Package
I also has a genuine BMW rear infotainment system fitted. It looks ugly though.
The car had just 75303 miles on it when I bought it. It was in good condition but I did do the stupid thing and bought the first one that I looked at.
The day I bought it
I ran the car for about 6 weeks and had it booked in for rod bearing replacement with a company who appeared to have a good reputation for this work. In the meantime, I had the car serviced by my local Indy and took the car to Paris for a short break, where it performed faultlessly.
Interior shots
I did a few bits to the car, changed the rear lights for the LCI version, different kidney grills, some air scoops to help get air to the filters. I also fitted a genuine BMW iPod unit that allows an iPod to be connected in place of the CD changer and play music via it.
I then took the car to get the bearings done, dropping it on a Friday evening and expecting to collect it on Sunday evening as agreed. The parts I requested to be fitted were BE bearings and ARP bolts.
This is where it all started to go wrong.
I ended up collecting the car a few weeks later as there kept being delays and family issues. I had been advised that I had done this work just in time and that when he was bleeding the VANOS system (which didn't need to be touched on my year of car) a hose had blown, and he needed to get a new one. This took forever due to the aforementioned issues. When I collected the car there was a strong smell of oil, but I put this down to the oil from the burst hose that was still being burned off and my AC didn't work (I was not made aware of this). I drove the car home, parked it up and went to bed as it was late and I had work in the morning.
The car drove fine afterwards which was good. I had to get the AC re-gassed, but because he hadn't replaced the bolts in the AC system, this couldn't be done, so I had to buy some new ones from BMW (less than £2, but this isn't the point). I then had the AC re-gassed so that it would work for our next weekend away.
I took the car for a long weekend away to Newquay with my wife. All was well, the performed fine. On the way back we stopped at a motorway services and I noticed some rainbows in the rain puddles and they seemed to be coming from my car. I kind of dismissed this as I was certain it wasn't my car as there was no way that the company I used would let my car leave his workshop with an oil leak.....
The smell carried on and on over the next few weeks and I was by this point certain that my car was leaking oil. The oil level sensor didn't agree. I thought it was SMG fluid or PAS fluid. The guy came to my house to have a look as he agreed that the leak was not there when I dropped the car off with him. He removed the under tray from my car, cleaned up the sump, and then left saying he would return the next day to put the car together if the leak wasn't there, or to continue looking. He never arrived, and made some excuse about his tyre failing... I was now stuck with a car that was missing some parts to aid its structure which meant I could not really use it. I managed to get it booked in with a local company (same company did my re-gas) and they sorted it for me. They couldn't see the source of the leak either. I was at my wits end with the leak as I hate things like this, so I booked it in with my indy who spent a few days trying to find the leak. Eventually we found it - it was missing 2 bolts from the drives side VANOS unit cover. These were replaced a long with other missing bolts and a new top radiator hose was fitted as the rod bearing company had left it touching the drive belts and was cutting through it.
I picked up the car the next day and it was leak free. Happy days!
The following weekend the engine failed. It started to rattle at 2500 rpm. I had it recovered home then sent it to the company who did the rod bearings for it to be investigated under the warranty, at my cost. The company advised me that the issue was with the VANOS solenoids and bled them after cleaning them. He then took the car out and the fault returned. He advised me that he would take the engine out and investigate the cause. He told me it was because of a failed VANOS pump and that it had wrecked my engine. He said he would build me a new engine using good spare parts that he had.
I ended up getting my car recovered back to me at my cost as he was being kicked out of his unit. After weeks of no progress and very little communication from him I decided that I wanted someone else to build the engine. I arranged with the new company to collect my engine and go from there. The day before they collected it, the original company stripped my engine down completely as he wanted to "prove someone wrong" about himself. I was not aware of this. This was November 30th and my engine had failed on September 15th, some 1750 miles after the rod bearings had been replaced.
Once the engine was collected the new company called me and gave me the story. The damage to the crank / oil pump heads / cams / VANOS units did not look natural. There were none of the bearings included with the boxes of parts and no bolts, other than a solitary bolt left in a rod, which was a standard BMW part. I was left wondering if the work had been done, and if it had, had the parts I requested and paid for been fitted? I will never know.
I think I took the news well.
It took 6 and a half months to get to where we are today. During this period it was found that;
My heads were scrap as they had been removed wrongly.
My cams were scrap as they have been removed wrongly.
My VANOS units were scrap as they have been removed wrongly.
The pistons hadn't been numbered up when removed so needed new rings. This also meant that the block would need to be re-honed.
The clutch was scrap because it had been split in two.
The oil pump was scrap because it had been smashed and the pickup pipe squashed and pried open. There is a witness mark on the pump from something jack or hammer shaped.
The only thing salvageable from my engine was the sump, throttle actuators and the block.
During this time I was talking with other owners who had had work done by this company and they too had issues / failures / other things happen. One particular person said that he had been loaned my wheels while my car as at the original company. I just laughed at this point - what else could I do?
The block was sent away to be re-honed. This took a long time due to back log and the lack of companies who have the correct tooling for Alusil blocks.
While this was away parts started to be gathered. Rings, crank. bearings, bolts, new clutch slave cylinder, release bearing, pivot arm, new clutch, new flywheel, replacement heads, cams, VANOS units, timing chain, injectors etc etc. You get the picture
I also needed a new battery and alternator (I was aware that my alternator was playing up, this was another legacy of the original company who did the bearings). The battery was dead and wouldn't take a charge.
Once the block was back work was started to build the block up. Some parts were on back order which caused a delay, but once they arrived the rest of the engine was promptly finished and I was told it was running. I was then told that there was a problem with a hydraulic leak and that the gearbox wasn't changing gear very well and had failed 3 adaptions. The leak was sorted and the adaptions reset again, but still the gear changes weren't right. The clutch was basically slipping. After throwing the kitchen sink at it he told me had a spare box that we didn't really want to sell, but would because he knew I was now in the s
t. He fitted the new box and I got a call on Friday just gone to let me know that the car was sorted and ready for me to collect. HALLELUJAH! It appears the the gearbox in my car was very unlikely to be the gearbox that was in it when the first company had it. The full tank of fuel that it had when I sent it to the original company had been drained and the fuel pumps look like they have been swapped as well, so I need to buy some new ones as I do not trust these to be any good.
I went up on train to Darlington yesterday morning to collect and pay a not insignificant amount of money for a job well done. I now have my car back in a working state and it feels so much better than it did after the initial work. I have to run the car in now before I can start to use the entire rev range, so I am running it in as requested. I am very confident in the work carried out by the second company as they are imo and other's, the authority on these cars in this country.
While I am very pissed off about the engine failing and the money it has cost me to put it right, I am very happy to have my car back in a working state, exactly 9 months to the date it failed. I cannot thank the company who rebuilt the engine etc enough and despite the amount of work required etc, has looked after me and I appreciate that massively.
Here is how the car (and rebuilt engine) sites today after a quick wash. I returned home this morning at 3am having cover some 350 miles yesterday to start the run in process.
If you got this far, thanks for reading.
I bought the car Saturday May 5th from Ipswich, this despite me saying that I would never own an E60 M5 due to the bork factor. It was a low owner, low miles car with a good spec;
Colour SILVERSTONE II METALLIC (A29)
Upholstery VOLLLEDER MERINOSILVERSTONE II (X3A9)
Editions And Packages
S737A Interior Mouldings Alu Shadow Brushed
S754A M Rear Spoiler
Comfort And Interior Equipment
S403A Glass Roof Electrical
S415A Sunblind Rear
S416A Roller Sun Vizor Rear Lateral
S428A Warning Triangle And First Aid Kit
S430A Interioroutside Mirror With Auto Dip
S431A Interior Mirror With Automaticdip
S441A Smoker Package
S470A IsofixSystem
S496A Seat Heating Rear
S4MAA M Multifunction Seat
S4MFA Active Backrest Width Adjustment
S423A Floor Mats Velours
S442A Cup Holder
S459A Seat Adjuster Electric With Memory
S494A Seat Heating Driverpassenger
Multimedia
S609A Navigation System Professional
S610A Headup Display
S612A BMW Assist
S633A Preparation Mobile Phone Business
S672A CD Changer For 6 CDs
S677A HiFi System Professional DSP
S698A AreaCode 2 For DVD
Driver Assistance And Lightning
S502A Headlight Cleaning System
S508A Park Distance Control PDC
S524A Adaptive Headlights
S5ACA Highbeam Assistant
S522A Xenon Light
S534A Automatic Air Conditioning
S540A Cruise Control
S563A Light Package
I also has a genuine BMW rear infotainment system fitted. It looks ugly though.
The car had just 75303 miles on it when I bought it. It was in good condition but I did do the stupid thing and bought the first one that I looked at.
The day I bought it
I ran the car for about 6 weeks and had it booked in for rod bearing replacement with a company who appeared to have a good reputation for this work. In the meantime, I had the car serviced by my local Indy and took the car to Paris for a short break, where it performed faultlessly.
Interior shots
I did a few bits to the car, changed the rear lights for the LCI version, different kidney grills, some air scoops to help get air to the filters. I also fitted a genuine BMW iPod unit that allows an iPod to be connected in place of the CD changer and play music via it.
I then took the car to get the bearings done, dropping it on a Friday evening and expecting to collect it on Sunday evening as agreed. The parts I requested to be fitted were BE bearings and ARP bolts.
This is where it all started to go wrong.
I ended up collecting the car a few weeks later as there kept being delays and family issues. I had been advised that I had done this work just in time and that when he was bleeding the VANOS system (which didn't need to be touched on my year of car) a hose had blown, and he needed to get a new one. This took forever due to the aforementioned issues. When I collected the car there was a strong smell of oil, but I put this down to the oil from the burst hose that was still being burned off and my AC didn't work (I was not made aware of this). I drove the car home, parked it up and went to bed as it was late and I had work in the morning.
The car drove fine afterwards which was good. I had to get the AC re-gassed, but because he hadn't replaced the bolts in the AC system, this couldn't be done, so I had to buy some new ones from BMW (less than £2, but this isn't the point). I then had the AC re-gassed so that it would work for our next weekend away.
I took the car for a long weekend away to Newquay with my wife. All was well, the performed fine. On the way back we stopped at a motorway services and I noticed some rainbows in the rain puddles and they seemed to be coming from my car. I kind of dismissed this as I was certain it wasn't my car as there was no way that the company I used would let my car leave his workshop with an oil leak.....
The smell carried on and on over the next few weeks and I was by this point certain that my car was leaking oil. The oil level sensor didn't agree. I thought it was SMG fluid or PAS fluid. The guy came to my house to have a look as he agreed that the leak was not there when I dropped the car off with him. He removed the under tray from my car, cleaned up the sump, and then left saying he would return the next day to put the car together if the leak wasn't there, or to continue looking. He never arrived, and made some excuse about his tyre failing... I was now stuck with a car that was missing some parts to aid its structure which meant I could not really use it. I managed to get it booked in with a local company (same company did my re-gas) and they sorted it for me. They couldn't see the source of the leak either. I was at my wits end with the leak as I hate things like this, so I booked it in with my indy who spent a few days trying to find the leak. Eventually we found it - it was missing 2 bolts from the drives side VANOS unit cover. These were replaced a long with other missing bolts and a new top radiator hose was fitted as the rod bearing company had left it touching the drive belts and was cutting through it.
I picked up the car the next day and it was leak free. Happy days!
The following weekend the engine failed. It started to rattle at 2500 rpm. I had it recovered home then sent it to the company who did the rod bearings for it to be investigated under the warranty, at my cost. The company advised me that the issue was with the VANOS solenoids and bled them after cleaning them. He then took the car out and the fault returned. He advised me that he would take the engine out and investigate the cause. He told me it was because of a failed VANOS pump and that it had wrecked my engine. He said he would build me a new engine using good spare parts that he had.
I ended up getting my car recovered back to me at my cost as he was being kicked out of his unit. After weeks of no progress and very little communication from him I decided that I wanted someone else to build the engine. I arranged with the new company to collect my engine and go from there. The day before they collected it, the original company stripped my engine down completely as he wanted to "prove someone wrong" about himself. I was not aware of this. This was November 30th and my engine had failed on September 15th, some 1750 miles after the rod bearings had been replaced.
Once the engine was collected the new company called me and gave me the story. The damage to the crank / oil pump heads / cams / VANOS units did not look natural. There were none of the bearings included with the boxes of parts and no bolts, other than a solitary bolt left in a rod, which was a standard BMW part. I was left wondering if the work had been done, and if it had, had the parts I requested and paid for been fitted? I will never know.
I think I took the news well.
It took 6 and a half months to get to where we are today. During this period it was found that;
My heads were scrap as they had been removed wrongly.
My cams were scrap as they have been removed wrongly.
My VANOS units were scrap as they have been removed wrongly.
The pistons hadn't been numbered up when removed so needed new rings. This also meant that the block would need to be re-honed.
The clutch was scrap because it had been split in two.
The oil pump was scrap because it had been smashed and the pickup pipe squashed and pried open. There is a witness mark on the pump from something jack or hammer shaped.
The only thing salvageable from my engine was the sump, throttle actuators and the block.
During this time I was talking with other owners who had had work done by this company and they too had issues / failures / other things happen. One particular person said that he had been loaned my wheels while my car as at the original company. I just laughed at this point - what else could I do?
The block was sent away to be re-honed. This took a long time due to back log and the lack of companies who have the correct tooling for Alusil blocks.
While this was away parts started to be gathered. Rings, crank. bearings, bolts, new clutch slave cylinder, release bearing, pivot arm, new clutch, new flywheel, replacement heads, cams, VANOS units, timing chain, injectors etc etc. You get the picture
I also needed a new battery and alternator (I was aware that my alternator was playing up, this was another legacy of the original company who did the bearings). The battery was dead and wouldn't take a charge.
Once the block was back work was started to build the block up. Some parts were on back order which caused a delay, but once they arrived the rest of the engine was promptly finished and I was told it was running. I was then told that there was a problem with a hydraulic leak and that the gearbox wasn't changing gear very well and had failed 3 adaptions. The leak was sorted and the adaptions reset again, but still the gear changes weren't right. The clutch was basically slipping. After throwing the kitchen sink at it he told me had a spare box that we didn't really want to sell, but would because he knew I was now in the s
t. He fitted the new box and I got a call on Friday just gone to let me know that the car was sorted and ready for me to collect. HALLELUJAH! It appears the the gearbox in my car was very unlikely to be the gearbox that was in it when the first company had it. The full tank of fuel that it had when I sent it to the original company had been drained and the fuel pumps look like they have been swapped as well, so I need to buy some new ones as I do not trust these to be any good.I went up on train to Darlington yesterday morning to collect and pay a not insignificant amount of money for a job well done. I now have my car back in a working state and it feels so much better than it did after the initial work. I have to run the car in now before I can start to use the entire rev range, so I am running it in as requested. I am very confident in the work carried out by the second company as they are imo and other's, the authority on these cars in this country.
While I am very pissed off about the engine failing and the money it has cost me to put it right, I am very happy to have my car back in a working state, exactly 9 months to the date it failed. I cannot thank the company who rebuilt the engine etc enough and despite the amount of work required etc, has looked after me and I appreciate that massively.
Here is how the car (and rebuilt engine) sites today after a quick wash. I returned home this morning at 3am having cover some 350 miles yesterday to start the run in process.
If you got this far, thanks for reading.
dave_s13 said:
fking hell! Amazing car, terrible journey you've been on.
Sounds like someone needs a kicking or jail time, preferably both.
Cheers, it's been a lot of stress, worry and wondering if it is worth it. I guess I decided it is, but tbh once I had got so far down the journey I had no choice but to persevere. king hell! Amazing car, terrible journey you've been on.Sounds like someone needs a kicking or jail time, preferably both.
Joscal said:
What a horror story! At least you know it’s right now, best of luck with it they really are awesome cars.
Cheers. Yeah it is well put together now and should be reliable barring any lingering issues that the new company cannot legislate for. MrVert said:
Hopefully you'll be able to forget the bad start and enjoy it for what it is.
Awesome
I hope so. Give it 6 months and I am sure it'll be just a thing of the past. The car has risen from the flames. Awesome
timster said:
I did read your original thread you started about the car, can't believe what you've gone through with the car but good to see you kept the faith, glad the car is back to good health long may it continue
Cheers, I hope so too. I had nothing much to say for a while on it so the thread for canned. pidsy said:
I remember the previous thread.
You’ve taken this far better than I or anyone I know would have done.
Get it run in and enjoy it!
Behind the scenes I have not taken it very well. This has caused a lot of stress, worry and problems. My wife is not impressed. You’ve taken this far better than I or anyone I know would have done.
Get it run in and enjoy it!
Cheers, I intend to.
matthias73 said:
Name and praise please.
I live in catterick and there's a good BMW Indy near me, was wandering if it's the same one
Mr VANOS in Darlington is the hero of this tale. Pulled out all the stops to get this sorted in time for yesterday. I live in catterick and there's a good BMW Indy near me, was wandering if it's the same one
0a said:
I wish you good luck. I have driven and been a passenger a fair few times in e60 M5s and they are truly amazing things - we won't see them again, and they are totally true to the M philosophy compared to the modern M cars.
As well as the horrendous fuel consumption, the number of times my boss couldn't get to work or back from a meeting in his put me off (seems some cars are better than others here!).
Cheers. The noise is the thing that makes these, and the high revs performance. It is deceptive in the way it builds speed. As well as the horrendous fuel consumption, the number of times my boss couldn't get to work or back from a meeting in his put me off (seems some cars are better than others here!).
Tbh I don't think they're that bad if you keep on top of them and choose good companies to work on them. Mine was fine up until that moment. Never again.
Welshbeef said:
OP really pleased the car is fixed
Cheers.toastyhamster said:
Bloody hell, and I've been prevaricating over a 996
Glad to hear the car is back and healthy, long may it continue.
Haha, well they can come with their own issues, so considerable thought should go into it. Glad to hear the car is back and healthy, long may it continue.
Cheers I hope so too.
akirk said:
it is so good to finally hear that this is back! hopefully many happy years ahead...
Cheers, I would like to think it'll be reliable now. Time will tell. Ph1listine said:
What a journey! So how much has that set you back all in to put it right?
Cheers. I don't want to go into specifics as it is a little crass, but it is into 5 figures. chris116 said:
That's a shocking story, hopefully that's the end of your troubles and you can enjoy it properly now.
Cheers, I really hope so. cerb4.5lee said:
Really chuffed for you getting it back on the road. Wishing you all the best with it going forward. 
Cheers Lee!SlimJim16v said:
That was a sorry tale, but glad to hear it's sorted. Now you can enjoy it.
Though unfortunately you can't name and shame (bds), the place that sorted it deserves a mention.
Cheers. It is annoying that I cannot, though thankfully for others he seems to have stopped doing work and is now just selling parts on eBay, but not actually sending them it seems.Though unfortunately you can't name and shame (b
ds), the place that sorted it deserves a mention. soad said:
What a journey!! 
At least it’s finally sorted.
Cheers! It has been horrible at times. Worse things happen at sea though. At least it’s finally sorted.
AlmostUseful said:
*makes a note to look for your car if i’m ever in the market for an e60 M5.
Hahaha. Well everything is for sale at the right price. MJK 24 said:
I did sometimes wonder what had happened to this car.
I’m glad you’re now back on the road and have faith in the car, despite the no doubt big bill.
Cheers. I have thought about scrapping it at times but I got so deep into it that I had to carry on. I’m glad you’re now back on the road and have faith in the car, despite the no doubt big bill.
BornRageFree said:
Wow, that's a rollercoaster of a read! Hell of a machine, I wish I had the money to buy/run an E61 M5 (dogs and saloons don't mix)! I'd personally be asking company no.1 to fork out for a decent chunk of the repairs made, no doubt a decent court would take them to the cleaners for something like that...
E61s are good money but they are worth it. The engine is a gem.I am going to be taking them to court now that I know the extent of what has happened.
Moderator edit: no naming & shaming.
Edited by jeremyc on Monday 17th June 09:28
Zarco said:
My favourite M5 of all time. My era and the only one that I've been in probably accounts for that, but hard to argue against that V10 in my book.
I really want one but the ownership prospect scares me almost as much as I want one!
Props for persevering. Let's hope there's many years of happy motoring to be had now.
This is my 3rd M5 in total. I've had 2 E39's and this. The E39's had better low end torque but tbh I do find the V10 lacking. The noise is intoxicating though. I really want one but the ownership prospect scares me almost as much as I want one!
Props for persevering. Let's hope there's many years of happy motoring to be had now.
Cheers.
Welshbeef said:
I guess the issue is the unknown - however if there was a list of things that can go wrong or that are routine servicing but much longer term routine with the £ to do each job listed in a thread then it might help assist potential owners who shy away wrongly or rightly from the fear.
Rod bearings, throttle actuators, SMG pump, injectors. They seem to be the common non electrical issues. Mine has pretty much had all of them. Welshbeef said:
From the reviews I’ve always read these engines need to be fever out hard but on U.K. roads you can only do that in 1st and 2nd so unless your going to ignore that sometimes then 3rd might be possible but the rest of the gears you’d be locked up if caught.
Whereas the E39 and F10 offer something different high low end torque/flat torque curve.
I'd disagree. I haven't been in an F10 yet, but seeing people's posts about them, it doesn't take long to get to license losing speeds. At least with the V10 you're getting banned with an epic engine noise. The s63 sounds sWhereas the E39 and F10 offer something different high low end torque/flat torque curve.
t. And don't think that this an F10 bash, because I still want an F10. The E39 is the best of both worlds for me, but they rust so....Mr Tidy said:
I read your original tale of woe and was gutted for you!
So it's great to see it is now fully fettled and back with you to enjoy.
I followed one under a railway bridge last year and dropped my window to hear it, and luckily the driver gave it some stick - sounded just epic! I ended up following it a couple of miles out of my way just to hear it!
I think there were a few people on the original post who seemed to take a little pleasure in it failing, but it is what it is.So it's great to see it is now fully fettled and back with you to enjoy.
I followed one under a railway bridge last year and dropped my window to hear it, and luckily the driver gave it some stick - sounded just epic! I ended up following it a couple of miles out of my way just to hear it!
Thanks, I am hoping it stays good for some time to come!
detours to hear cars can be a good thing .Court_S said:
Glad to see this fixed properly a last. The first place sound like absolute cowboys cabaging parts from customer cars and lending your wheels out. Hopefully it’s sorted now and you can actually enjoy it for what it is; last of the great M engines,
They were, but unfortunately because they were being protected I never found out until it was too late. People chose not to tell me directly despite them knowing that I was going to use him. The ones I know about I hold little to zero respect for.I hope so - I have plenty of miles to catch up on!
LaurasOtherHalf said:
I’d often wondered what happened to this, the original thread was something else-hats off for getting it sorted eventually though!
Such epic cars, at least in the long run it’ll have been worth it.
Cheers. Yeah the original thread was a complete cluster fSuch epic cars, at least in the long run it’ll have been worth it.
k for me. Yeah the car is epic, and while I know it isn't as fast as the current crop of M cars, I have decided I don't need to go that fast at the moment, so I plan on spending some money on this one to make it even better. Should the right money be waved under my nose though....Welshbeef said:
From memory the specification was nearly full on the car (rear entertainment rtc) add that to in effect a brand new engine and no doubt all preventative work done whilst engine being sorted it’s probably the best E60 M5 in the country - albeit one that is being used not a garage Queen.
The spec is in my OP. The only things I wish it had were split fold rear seats and soft close doors. I could retrofit but I don't see the point.The rear entertainment looks pretty ugly unfortunately and is a big job to remove. Very rare though I believe.
Gallons Per Mile said:
Wow, what a story! Shame it caused you so much unneeded stress, but I think you'll probably have one of the best M5's out there now. Please keep it and use it in anger. That'll go on for a very long time now with only minor maintenance required, all things being even. 
Cheers. I hope so, but I am sure that there are better M5s out there. I need to some of the body work sorted out so going to see a guy I know who is a painter to see what we can do.Edited by jeremyc on Monday 17th June 09:28
jeremyc said:
Let's not try and guess who the alleged bad workman is - it'll only get the thread locked or deleted. 
Yes, I would hate for this to be deleted as it took me ages to type up my OP.mumbojumbo1 said:
Great to see it back on the road, hats off for your perserverance! Time to get out and enjoy it now.
Cheers!thecremeegg said:
Apologies if this has been answered but are you taking the original company to court? If not, is there a reason?
Yes I will be.Gallons Per Mile said:
BTW you say the E39 had better low end torque - you may want to swap out those cone filters for the OEM air boxes. Manafacturer design is always going to be better, especially on a car like this. 
TBH when on the move they're fine. I have the standard boxes but the filters help make the V10 sing. I am planning on getting some better ducting to them as well. I do not really find it wanting for torque tbh.CornedBeef said:
Good work sticking with it through what was clearly a very painful ownership period, I feel for you, that must have been hard. How annoying that the first garage did so much wrong and just ended up making things so much worse (and potentially for swapping out good parts for bad ones! Properly dodgy).
I guess she's now a keeper for a long time too? Any trips to the continent planned to celebrate?
Thanks. It has been a labour of something, not sure love is the word yet I guess she's now a keeper for a long time too? Any trips to the continent planned to celebrate?
It hasn't been easy at all, I am quite lucky that I have an understanding wife.The first garage has basically done everything that they can to screw me over. Karma is a b
h as they say.Yeah I am going to have to keep it for a while to maximise my investment, unless a good offer comes my way. No continent trips planned any time soon. Next trips are up to Southport, Chester and then LLandudno and some North Wales driving. The down to Exeter next month.
Bright Halo said:
Chuffed to bits for you.
Well done for seeing through and getting everything sorted. Hopefully you will now get to enjoy what is a superb car.
Is there anyway of getting redress from the original garage who cocked everything up?
Cheers, I very much hope that I get to enjoy it.Well done for seeing through and getting everything sorted. Hopefully you will now get to enjoy what is a superb car.
Is there anyway of getting redress from the original garage who cocked everything up?
Hopefully - I am going the legal route but as the guy doesn't have a pot to piss in this may prove difficult. Still, I can CCJ him / send in the bailiffs I guess
As if often the case with cars that are laid up for a while I do have an issue to deal with. At 70mph there is a vibration through the steering which feels like the wheels are out of balance. I had the front wheels balanced yesterday (not sure why they didn't do the rears but hey ho) and it is still there. I suspect that the tyres may have a flat spot. Hopefully it is just the fronts as the rears have hardly covered any miles. I will need to investigate though. The bushes up front are poly bushes so I know that it isn't them.
I have some further plans for the car in the long run;
I have a set of Eibach lowering springs so I will be fitting them. I also have some 12mm spacers so will fit them as well.
I have some LED interior lights that I bought just before the engine broke so they will get fitted.
I am going to get the exterior tidied up.
I would then like to see if I can find either a set of rear folding seats (it is straight forward to convert fixed seats to rear as the hardware is interchangeable) or a full red interior, with folding seats.
Android screen.
LCI rear lights (I sold my previous set to put towards the bill).
But mostly, just drive and enjoy it. I'm planning to do around 100 miles tonight of running in and then another 60 tomorrow night then it is off to my local indy for an oil and filter change.
I have some further plans for the car in the long run;
I have a set of Eibach lowering springs so I will be fitting them. I also have some 12mm spacers so will fit them as well.
I have some LED interior lights that I bought just before the engine broke so they will get fitted.
I am going to get the exterior tidied up.
I would then like to see if I can find either a set of rear folding seats (it is straight forward to convert fixed seats to rear as the hardware is interchangeable) or a full red interior, with folding seats.
Android screen.
LCI rear lights (I sold my previous set to put towards the bill).
But mostly, just drive and enjoy it. I'm planning to do around 100 miles tonight of running in and then another 60 tomorrow night then it is off to my local indy for an oil and filter change.
Shaoxter said:
Glad to hear it's back from the dead! Hopefully you can start enjoying your ownership now of these awesome machines
Cheers! How is your E61 going?Straff99 said:
So pleased to see you got the old girl back on the road; I've wondered a few times how you were getting on
Cheers! It has been a long process and I never thought I would get it on the road tbh!Straff99 said:
Don't bother with a V8 - I had a 2015 M6 and hated the thing. They sound dreadful and you spend most of the time sat there with the traction control cutting in. I sold it at a big loss and replaced it with a C7 Corvette. I'm now much happier although I lost a sum that would make YOU feel much happier!
Good luck
That is a concern about the F10 so I will have to see how I get on - I have never been in one or driven one so it is possible that I may not like it.Good luck
I never feel happy about people losing money tbh. Circumstances are circumstances. Cheers!
rayyan171 said:
Been following this car since the first thread, glad that the car only got a glimpse of heaven, before arising again. Preventative maintenance is one thing, but a shoddy mechanic is what makes any car situation 10x as bad, had experiences like this on a C1 which should have no issues.
Yeah it is annoying and disappointing. You entrust your car with someone and you do not expect to be fleeced. rayyan171 said:
Going to guess that the good mechanic begins with M and ends with K 
Yes that would be correct!rayyan171 said:
Well done to this all however, good that it finally was sorted. I would consider the newer CIC iDrive system before going all android, even the NBT can be retrofitted. Other than that, I wish you all the best with the M5 in the future.
Cheers. I would look at CIC or NBT but the costs are prohibitive. The Anvin Android unit is under £400 and I can use Android Auto for Waze etc, and it also retains the standard CCC functionality.rayyan171 said:
I know that you were tempted to cut your losses and sell, but that shouldn't be done with things like these. We also bought a high performance Audi which immediately went wrong on the day. We could have paid nothing to fix, but would have needed to transport it 100 miles away, so cut our losses and did it at the local dealer who did subsidise the repair in the end. Touchwood there has been nothing but routine maintenance (and a door repair 
) for it since. Can't say the same about the X5 (which was fine at purchase time), but that is a different story 
.
I cannot afford to sell unless a really good offer comes my way, which is unlikely. I got a comedy offer of a p/x with an E46 M3 convertible with SMG and a bit of money my way. The second word is OFF ) for it since. Can't say the same about the X5 (which was fine at purchase time), but that is a different story .rayyan171 said:
When it has broken in, get a good video of it!
I'll see what I can do!EmilA said:
As a former E60 M5 owner I know that the costs of running and maintaining one of these cars are quite eye watering. Kudos to you for sticking by this and getting it back up and running.
I still cannot get over how this car sounded, I did a muffler delete on mine and lost the intake noise but the exhaust note was beautiful. I would love to buy another and come to think of it, it may be an alternative to a C7 RS6.
I've been lucky to own a few nice car's over the years yet the E60 M5 was the best car I had owned until I had a C7 RS6 for a few weeks which took the crown.
TBH it hadn't cost me that much in the grand scheme of things until this episode. but it is what it is. The sound is addictive, especially with the K&N's and the stainless cat back exhaust that is on it.I still cannot get over how this car sounded, I did a muffler delete on mine and lost the intake noise but the exhaust note was beautiful. I would love to buy another and come to think of it, it may be an alternative to a C7 RS6.
I've been lucky to own a few nice car's over the years yet the E60 M5 was the best car I had owned until I had a C7 RS6 for a few weeks which took the crown.
I am not a fan of modern VAG's, the fake pops and bangs and farts on gear change do nothing for me, and I would hate to own a car that did either
I took it out last night and put some more miles on it, and I am taking it out tonight to put more miles on it. Running in is expensive
Service and MOT tomorrow so hoping she passes.Sailed through its MOT today 
. I've covered some 525 miles in it now and it is having an oil and filter change today at my local and trusted indy. It's going to be running on Fuchs Titan Pro 10w50.
Cheers, I am hoping to make it a bit better as time goes on.
. I've covered some 525 miles in it now and it is having an oil and filter change today at my local and trusted indy. It's going to be running on Fuchs Titan Pro 10w50.longblackcoat said:
Really pleased that you've (finally) got your car sorted. Not a car for me, I must confess - I had one for a long weekend and just couldn't get on with the gearbox - but those who love them REALLY seem to love them.
Cheers. TBH the box isn't bad once you get used to it. A manual or DCT would be better of course for round town, but when on a blast the SMG is pretty brutal.rayyan171 said:
That offer of the M3 is truly comedic, no surprise that was your response!
I was insulted, and it takes a lot to insult me rayyan171 said:
I think with BMW's in general, they demand a lot but reward a lot, irrespective of which one you have. I find it pleasing that, with the age and mileage of ours, it is still a very well sorted car with no warning lights. It could still be driving today if we did little to no maintenance, but that would mean that it was leaking, had seized callipers and would sag on the rear, and unfortunately many people can't afford to maintain upkeep.
The upkeep is what kills these in the end. You have to buy one with your eyes open and expect some bills. I did, but I didn't expect a 5 figure bill after paying for the preventative work in the first place!rayyan171 said:
I remember seeing a M5 for sale at the dealership where we got our Audi from. It was actually in the showroom, and not on the forecourt, meaning that they were trying to advertise it as their showpiece example. Close examination revealed a bargain price of £13k, under 100K miles but 9 owners... this is the sad truth sometimes with these cars. I truly applaud OP for keeping his, there certainly won't be many example in a similar condition to his today on UK roads.
It's commonplace. I think I am the 4th owner of mine which is good, as it hasn't been passed around. The last 2 owners are obviously known to me and I know it has had some care.Cheers, I am hoping to make it a bit better as time goes on.
Justin S said:
Fantastic to see it back together after such a crap journey . Fingers crossed for a lot of fun times in it now.
Cheers, hopefully it will. Nice long trip out next week as a reward for it.J4CKO said:
Finally a happy ending, impressed how stoic you have been, my toys would be all over the floor along with dummys.
Cheers. Hahaha, outside I looked like a duck on top of the water, underneath the surface I was like the ducks legs when swimming.therusterman said:
Wow, what a rollercoaster that must of been the past few months. It must be frustrating that you went into ownership of this car with your eyes open, and still had major issues!
See your using 50 weight oil, how come your going for this over the 10-60?
Very frustrating, especially as the issues were caused by a 3rd party rather than the car itself.See your using 50 weight oil, how come your going for this over the 10-60?
My engine builder wants me to use it, especially as 10-60 is too thick for this country.
Hereward said:
TheAngryDog said:
...My engine builder wants me to use it, especially as 10-60 is too thick for this country.
Ha, I thought this was just an E39 thing! Pages and pages of Americans (usually in Florida and California) insisting your engine will blow up unless 10-60 was used, totally oblivious to the fact that the UK struggles to reach +10 degrees C for half of the year. 5-40 all the way for me in the UK in my E39.Anyway, sorry to derail. Enjoy your car OP and let that V10 sing.
Cheers!
C7 JFW said:
I've got to be honest, this is a truly incredible story in terms of ownership.
I've lusted after an E60 M5 for a very, very long time. Now, after reading that, honestly, I don't think I will.
Very good on you to have kept your foot in though. I hope you have many, many trouble-free miles to come!
I think when looked after they aren't expensive if you understand what the car is. In my case I would be many thousands of pounds better off had I have chosen a better company to work on it.I've lusted after an E60 M5 for a very, very long time. Now, after reading that, honestly, I don't think I will.
Very good on you to have kept your foot in though. I hope you have many, many trouble-free miles to come!
Thanks.
Court_S said:
Glad to hear the MOT went by without issue.
Bet you can’t wait to get the run in miles out of the way.
Cheers! Definitely. 5k rev's just isn't enough! Bet you can’t wait to get the run in miles out of the way.
Andy665 said:
TheAngryDog said:
I have replaced the diversity antenna already for a new item from BMW. I am unaware of the suppression filter though.
If its in the same place as in my E64 and no reason to think it would not be its behind the drivers side boot trim, one electrical plug either end of it, I know there are a couple of different ones but will look something like the below
Gallons Per Mile said:
I seem to remember someone with an E90 M3 that had rubbish radio reception until he replaced the earth straps that had broken on the exhaust back box. Don't know if your car should have them too but it might be worth checking. Very cheap fix if so.
My car does have an aftermarket system - could be the cause - worth investigating. Thanks.The issue is that it doesn't list many radio stations, and when it does, the reception can be patchy.
scottos said:
Ah man, what a joke! As i was reading through that i thought 'i wish more people know about Steve at 'Mr Vanos', glad to learn it went there. I daresay the competition engine builders i help out at are probably the ones who honed your block etc.
Plain sailing from now on, enjoy!
Cheers. I would have sent the car to him originally but the company closer to me were able to do it over a weekend (which they obviously didn't).Plain sailing from now on, enjoy!
The company who honed the block are in London.
MDMA . said:
TheAngryDog said:
MDMA . said:
I'd recommend The Swan chippy on Stanley Street if you're still in Southport now
Cheers. We are still in Southport so will check them out. Walked past it a few times yesterday I think. Fingers crossed the M5 works out ok this time round.
. Are you a Southport local or regular visitor? We went to Spiga last night. Was a little underwhelmed.
Cheers, so do I. At least is has an engine built by the right man now so I have faith in it.
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