Calling North East Bimmer fans.

[susser]

I'm looking at a car here, from Norfolk.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2001-Y-BMW-530i-SE-AUTO-Awes...
Can anyone tell me anything about it please.
Ta.

Edited by susser on Tuesday 20th January 15:24

Edited by susser on Tuesday 20th January 15:24

[trs998]

I'm susser's son (the possible buyer!)

Anyone prepared to have a look-see, or know anything about the dealer?
I'm hoping someone up in the general area might pop up and say something like "oh, yes, he's honest" or "noooo, don't go near him, the car doesn't exist"

Any help appreciated!

[raharley]

You know it doesn't go backwards ?

[trs998]

I've been looking for a e39 530i for ages. If I want these options I can't imagine I could find it for less than 6-7k.

My backup option is to sell this again, in which case I don't expect I'll lose much.
I suspect I can replace the gearbox with a secondhand one, even if it's not possible to replace the reverse clutch or brake band. I have also got various obd tools to diagnose parking sensors/airbags.

I think that even with a new gearbox (approx 3k), this would be a better deal than a cloth/no gadget car from autotrader.
All 530is on autotrader are low-spec until you get up to around 6k. I judge this car to be a all-ok price of around 6k...

[raharley]

If you/you and a friend have the tools handy and can do the gearbox - fine - but the labour will kill you taking it to a mainstream garage. Just remember to factor this in..and also sourcing a good 2nd hand one if you go down that route.. other than that - looks very smart but I can't comment on the seller..

[Fox-]

It looks like a complete shed. Sorry, but it is. Scuffed bumpers, dodgy gearbox, why bother? The E39 530i is a fantastic car but dont buy somebody elses unloved, uncared for cast off because it will cost you dearly.

[trs998]

hmm. I must admit this pushed me towards "shed"
http://noreverse.org/index.html

So:
car: 2000
auto gearbox off ebay (garanteed 60 days) 736 delivered (or another with 525 engine 800)
airbag module: unknown (need to get obd on it first)
bumpers: front 240 quid, rear unknown (not on ecp)
PDC sensor: £60 a pop (1+ ?)

3000-4000

Seems good price, with more risk. Assuming that's all that's wrong...

[Fox-]

trs998 said:

Seems good price, with more risk. Assuming that's all that's wrong...

Isnt that an optimistic assumption? It's clearly not somebodies pride and joy with all the bodywork imperfections. Mine has 30k more miles, is 9 months newer BUT is immaculate in comparison to that one..

[matt uk]

Have to agree with Fox – looks like a shed.

Even with a perfect gearbox, it ain't worth £6k - not even remotely close – nearer half of that.

530i SE, Y-51, 130,000 miles:
(i) New £31,650
(i) Dealer £3,715
(i) Private £3,240
(i) PartEx £3,170
(i) Trade £2,895

It went into a main dealer as a part-ex, and has been flogged on to an ebay seller with the gearbox fault still in place… so that’s two trade companies who don’t think they can fix the fault and get their money back on what the car is worth…

There are too many good ones out there to travel all that way for a snotter.

[trs998]

Well, having dithered, calculated and vacillated...

I am now the winning bidder (50 mins to go)

I figure:

• The gearbox may well fail on any other E39 (seems quite common) so I figure I'll end up buying an auto box in the next year anyway...
• I don't pay labour rates to repair things, meaning I can fix it cheaper than any dealer
• Bumper scuffs aren't immediately expensive given i'm not selling it on.
• Ditto parking sensors
• The options are very rare and I've been looking for exactly this car for 6 months (well, plus double glazing)
• I need one before the end of the tax year and this is the only vaguely right (yes, i know it's wrong) one in 6 months I've found for under 6k.
• I've got ebay frenzy :P

[Fox-]

trs998 said:

* Bumper scuffs aren't immediately expensive given i'm not selling it on.

No but they are hugely indicative of the life the car has led. Like I said, mine is utterly immaculate, which reflects the attitude both myself and its original owner had towards it. This one is a shed, presumably because it's previous owner saw it as a tool and didn't give a stuff about it.

trs998 said:

* The options are very rare and I've been looking for exactly this car for 6 months (well, plus double glazing)

The only rare options on there are the ones that were rare for good reason. S-EDC is a bloody nightmare - you don't want it. At that cars mileage its due a suspension refresh as the dampers will be tired. Only with S-EDC the dampers are some sort of eye waterngly stupid price, I think they are £300 each. Great. It's also not the most reliable of systems.

The Nav is nice to have but its broken on that car. Look at the display. Looks very old fashioned those graphics, right? Thats because it's getting its output from the TV Module, something it will do if the navigation computer fails.

Massaging seats. So what?

trs998 said:

• I need one before the end of the tax year and this is the only vaguely right (yes, i know it's wrong) one in 6 months I've found for under 6k.

Thats because cheap E39's are a bloody nightmare and a whole world of pain and heartache. The cheap ones are the shabby ones and the multi owner cars with suspect history.

If you want an E39 do it properly or don't bother, fixing a money pit will get very boring, very fast.

Oh and the airbag light is on as well. Could be any number of things wrong there, and until the problem is fixed, you have no airbag system as its disabled.

Oh and only 25% left on the tyres as well so it needs 4 new tyres pretty soon, thats another £500.

So £2500 for the car. £1500 for the gearbox. £500 for tyres. £300 for a new nav computer. £1200 to replace the dampers, £500 for a general tidyup and you've paid £6500 for a 130k mile Y plate SE.

You could have had my mint Sport for 6k

Edited by Fox- on Tuesday 20th January 20:40

Edited by Fox- on Tuesday 20th January 20:47

[susser]

trs998 said:

Well, having dithered, calculated and vacillated...

I am now the winning bidder (50 mins to go)

I figure:

• The gearbox may well fail on any other E39 (seems quite common) so I figure I'll end up buying an auto box in the next year anyway...
• I don't pay labour rates to repair things, meaning I can fix it cheaper than any dealer

He doesn't pay me rates at all not even bloody rent money. My blood sweat and tears went into building that garage an' all.
Dad.

[jamoor]

Fox- said:

trs998 said:

* Bumper scuffs aren't immediately expensive given i'm not selling it on.

No but they are hugely indicative of the life the car has led. Like I said, mine is utterly immaculate, which reflects the attitude both myself and its original owner had towards it. This one is a shed, presumably because it's previous owner saw it as a tool and didn't give a stuff about it.

trs998 said:

* The options are very rare and I've been looking for exactly this car for 6 months (well, plus double glazing)

The only rare options on there are the ones that were rare for good reason. S-EDC is a bloody nightmare - you don't want it. At that cars mileage its due a suspension refresh as the dampers will be tired. Only with S-EDC the dampers are some sort of eye waterngly stupid price, I think they are £300 each. Great. It's also not the most reliable of systems.

The Nav is nice to have but its broken on that car. Look at the display. Looks very old fashioned those graphics, right? Thats because it's getting its output from the TV Module, something it will do if the navigation computer fails.

Massaging seats. So what?

trs998 said:

• I need one before the end of the tax year and this is the only vaguely right (yes, i know it's wrong) one in 6 months I've found for under 6k.

Thats because cheap E39's are a bloody nightmare and a whole world of pain and heartache. The cheap ones are the shabby ones and the multi owner cars with suspect history.

If you want an E39 do it properly or don't bother, fixing a money pit will get very boring, very fast.

Oh and the airbag light is on as well. Could be any number of things wrong there, and until the problem is fixed, you have no airbag system as its disabled.

Oh and only 25% left on the tyres as well so it needs 4 new tyres pretty soon, thats another £500.

So £2500 for the car. £1500 for the gearbox. £500 for tyres. £300 for a new nav computer. £1200 to replace the dampers, £500 for a general tidyup and you've paid £6500 for a 130k mile Y plate SE.

You could have had my mint Sport for 6k

Edited by Fox- on Tuesday 20th January 20:40

Edited by Fox- on Tuesday 20th January 20:47

I think the airbag thingy generally is a warning for the passenger seat mat, I always though airbags will be deployed rather than the car being selective about it.

[bmw2002]

You must keep us updated on how this £2100 shed fares over the next few months

[trs998]

Well, Jamoor has dampened my enthusiasm on winning it...

So £2100 for the car. £700 for the gearbox...
Can't comment on the rest though you sound like you know!
"£500 for tyres. £300 for a new nav computer. £1200 to replace the dampers, £500 for a general tidyup and you've paid £6500 for a 130k mile Y plate SE."

We'll see. I'm not intending to sell so scuffs etc aren't important right now.
It'll be out of service for a while during which it'll get tidied, prodded, checked, kicked, sworn at, etc. and a new gearbox!

Edited by trs998 on Tuesday 20th January 22:11

[bmw2002]

Or this.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/859254.htm

Oh well, as I said, keep us updated.

[trs998]

Will do, collecting it on saturday if all goes to plan.

Then hopefully getting it working over the next few weeks!

[Fox-]

susser said:

He doesn't pay me rates at all not even bloody rent money. My blood sweat and tears went into building that garage an' all.
Dad.

Sounds like the arrangement with my Dad, he's fitting my new steering wheel tommorrow, only he doesn't know it yet