Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]

[Sterillium]

stedaley said:

I need a big daily driver! Simple a to b car so I don't have to abuse the tt so much!

How was this to own and run?

Nothing scary in my ownership. Never let me down or needed megabucks spending, but perhaps that's because the cooling system and the gearbox were done just before I bought it and I have done the suspension since? Constant 24mpg but a lighter right foot can do wonders for that... (I lent it to my old man once and he got 41 mpg average (!) but he's a methodical, careful driver... I am not).

[Phil Dicky]

Patrick Bateman said:

Bar the odd thing that should just be a physical button (traction control for one), what's actually so bad about early i-drive that's so different from later versions?

It certainly isn't difficult to use.

A bit clunky I guess but certainly not an issue for me.

[olly755]

Lowtimer said:

Yep, mine had both and I don't think I've ever seen one without the other, offhand. They work together to provide the three user-defined seating position memories.

I’m a terrible car beard so expect to be corrected, but the post facelift cars with electric steering column also retracted the helm upwards upon removal of the key, a la LS400. I don’t think the earlier cars did this.

On the whole it’s not too easy to pin down exacting specifications for the E39, many cars were bought in the parallel import boom of the late 90’s and early noughties and standard specifications were defined by the country of origin. A UK supplied 530iSE may have had a different list of standard equipment to a RHD import car from Belgium or Holland.

[E65Ross]

Patrick Bateman said:

Bar the odd thing that should just be a physical button (traction control for one), what's actually so bad about early i-drive that's so different from later versions?

It certainly isn't difficult to use.

My thoughts exactly. Don't understand the dislike of it. To be honest, in many respects it's very similar to the system I had in my E38 beforehand only idrive is better.

[bolide]

will730i said:

Does anyone know if these should even have been body colour?

The kit can be the same colour (as on Midnight Blue & Azurite Blue) or a different colour (Blue Black). It can even have two options: I have had Malachite estates with matching bumpers and without

The one common factor is that they are semi-matt - a matting agent should be added to the lacquer to reduce shine. This is frequently done incorrectly by bodyshops

Nick Froome

[2stis]

Lowtimer said:

nomank said:

The electric column came with the seats as far as I remember...

Yep, mine had both and I don't think I've ever seen one without the other, offhand. They work together to provide the three user-defined seating position memories.

I have two E39s - one 540i Touring manual with comfort seats, memory and electric column. My other has memory and column but no comfort seats but perhaps that is a different combo due to being an M5.

[Krikkit]

Not quite a smoker, but have any of our denizens had a C32? They pop up occasionally for very reasonable-sounding money considering they're a mid-5s to 60 supercharged estate. That would tick a lot of boxes!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[mondayo]

Krikkit said:

Looking at the spec I'd say that's probably fairly-priced, assuming it's not rotten etc of course.

Comfort seats must be a rare option on them. I'd say the SE spec with 16" wheels is the most desirable spec. I'd be tempted to put style 32's on it and keep those for winter.

Aren't V8 s211's a bit thin on the ground though?

[Lowtimer]

olly755 said:

I’m a terrible car beard so expect to be corrected, but the post facelift cars with electric steering column also retracted the helm upwards upon removal of the key, a la LS400. I don’t think the earlier cars did this..

Mine does. Being a 530i it is by definition a facelift car. I haven't actually driven a pre facelift car with electrically adjusting seats and column so I can't say whether the pre-facelift car has that additional trick.

As to the question of what _stye_ of seat, my car (SE Touring) has standard electric seats, not sport or Comfort seats.

[Scooobydont]

Krikkit said:

Not quite a smoker, but have any of our denizens had a C32? They pop up occasionally for very reasonable-sounding money considering they're a mid-5s to 60 supercharged estate. That would tick a lot of boxes!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I am always wary when the car is a different colour from the front than the back.

[Croutons]

What could be wrong with an E39 535 auto that says:

"goes into reverse gear but struggles up hill for some reason, all forward gears are fine."

Something simple or replacement box? Assume the vendor has taken some sort of advice and has priced it at 800 for a reason.

Edited by Croutons on Tuesday 21st August 08:23

[olly755]

Croutons said:

What could be wrong with an E39 535 auto that says:

"goes into reverse gear but struggles up hill for some reason, all forward gears are fine."

Something simple or replacement box? Assume the vendor has taken some sort of advice and has priced it at 800 for a reason.

Edited by Croutons on Tuesday 21st August 08:23

V8’s use the ZF ‘box, and struggling in reverse is the first sign of failure unfortunately.

[harrykul]

A good friend has a c32 saloon. The drivetrain is great, and the seats are very comfortable, trimmed in Nappa leather. That's about all that I can positively comment on, and he'd probably agree. They all will have rust somewhere or other: his does in all the usual places. Think he's going to sell it if you're interested in a 'project'....

[Krikkit]

harrykul said:

A good friend has a c32 saloon. The drivetrain is great, and the seats are very comfortable, trimmed in Nappa leather. That's about all that I can positively comment on, and he'd probably agree. They all will have rust somewhere or other: his does in all the usual places. Think he's going to sell it if you're interested in a 'project'....

Thanks, very useful.

I'm not ready for a swap yet - but my mileage is going from 35k a year down to less than 10 shortly, so it means petrol is back on the table. I'm hoping to persuade my other half to get out of her tired Subaru Outback before it needs big work and into something less massive, which means a semi-practical estate might be on the cards.

Ideally I'd love an S204 C63 of course, but that's way out of budget yet.

On the other hand I might save myself a headache and let her keep her car, and just buy a Jag X308R instead.

[W00DY]

Lowtimer said:

olly755 said:

I’m a terrible car beard so expect to be corrected, but the post facelift cars with electric steering column also retracted the helm upwards upon removal of the key, a la LS400. I don’t think the earlier cars did this..

Mine does. Being a 530i it is by definition a facelift car. I haven't actually driven a pre facelift car with electrically adjusting seats and column so I can't say whether the pre-facelift car has that additional trick.

As to the question of what _stye_ of seat, my car (SE Touring) has standard electric seats, not sport or Comfort seats.

I'm fairly sure my '98 528i had the steering column present and retract.

[SimonTheSailor]

Has anybody else seen the collection of 5 series cars that are for sale by GSM Cars in the classifieds ? They appear to have a lot of very low mileage cars some with only 2,500 miles on them ? Must be a story behind them or have they just watched the classifieds and got all the low mileage ones ?

[jchallis]

Reduced the sale price of my Honda if anyone is interested? Will be sad to see it go but I'm enjoying the new (to me) Lexus LS600h!

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

[Sterillium]

Re: The silver E39 touring for sale that was discussed a few pages back (I’m selling it)...

Loads of interest, but so far only really from people wanting a cheap old estate. A couple of questions for the thread populous:

1. Am I pricing it too high?
2. Should I be drawn to the hell of eBay?
3. Am I wrong for only really wanting to sell it to someone I think would actually appreciate it?

Help.

[SpeckledJim]

jchallis said:

Reduced the sale price of my Honda if anyone is interested? Will be sad to see it go but I'm enjoying the new (to me) Lexus LS600h!

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Sadly I don't want your Honda, but I do want to know a lot more about the Lexus.

[Croutons]

jchallis said:

Reduced the sale price of my Honda if anyone is interested? Will be sad to see it go but I'm enjoying the new (to me) Lexus LS600h!

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

It's cheap, but your pics are still dire.

4 door in "chavtastic" spec here at 1250, note the pics

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/205217/1997...

While I'm on RR, this Primera GT with low miles is under thread min. Tempting...

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/205706/niss...