2002 E39 530i Touring - Japanese import
Discussion
Lovely car and I love how you have got stuck straight in. I always say I am going to do this and never do. Have some shocks/springs in the garage that I have been meaning to get fitted for 3 years or so 
Coincidentally I am doing the DISA on my e46 330 and have an issue with the O-ring (there wasn't one when I took it off). Refitting it there is no way the O-ring will fit inside the hole in the manifold and it is compressed between the DISA valve and the manifold. Is this right? It won't bolt up close enough to the manifold with the o-ring in that place. I have seen reports saying "scrape out the orange stuff and the o-ring goes in the groove that is left", but that's not what the X8R instructions say...
Coincidentally I am doing the DISA on my e46 330 and have an issue with the O-ring (there wasn't one when I took it off). Refitting it there is no way the O-ring will fit inside the hole in the manifold and it is compressed between the DISA valve and the manifold. Is this right? It won't bolt up close enough to the manifold with the o-ring in that place. I have seen reports saying "scrape out the orange stuff and the o-ring goes in the groove that is left", but that's not what the X8R instructions say...
NiceCupOfTea said:
Lovely car and I love how you have got stuck straight in. I always say I am going to do this and never do. Have some shocks/springs in the garage that I have been meaning to get fitted for 3 years or so
Coincidentally I am doing the DISA on my e46 330 and have an issue with the O-ring (there wasn't one when I took it off). Refitting it there is no way the O-ring will fit inside the hole in the manifold and it is compressed between the DISA valve and the manifold. Is this right? It won't bolt up close enough to the manifold with the o-ring in that place. I have seen reports saying "scrape out the orange stuff and the o-ring goes in the groove that is left", but that's not what the X8R instructions say...
Yeah; I'm lucky I've a respected motorsport mechanic pal and I'll work on the car alongside him; so we can get bits done super quick. Helps that he cut his teeth on Beemers too Coincidentally I am doing the DISA on my e46 330 and have an issue with the O-ring (there wasn't one when I took it off). Refitting it there is no way the O-ring will fit inside the hole in the manifold and it is compressed between the DISA valve and the manifold. Is this right? It won't bolt up close enough to the manifold with the o-ring in that place. I have seen reports saying "scrape out the orange stuff and the o-ring goes in the groove that is left", but that's not what the X8R instructions say...
When I've got a plan in my head for doing stuff to my cars; it usually gets done toot-sweet.
Re the o-ring; how X8R do it is right, that 'red seal' is not where the O-ring sits, it sits up against the inlet mani and the inner face of the DISA; as per their video instruction
d_a_n1979 said:
Much. Looks good, ta.gemma-tsq3r said:
Had a quick nosey! That is beautiful!!
Thank you; I'm thoroughly enjoying the car, more than any of my other BMWs I've hadI think because it's so clean and well maintained (before I started my OCD levels of maintenance), it's been a delight to work on
I'm doing my best to keep this as close to OEM as possible, mainly as it's simple running then, but secondly, because if I do come to sell it, it'll appeal to a wider audience, rather than me going down the usual route (coilovers, aftermarket alloys etc)
I'll be looking into a simple stereo set-up next (not interested in nav as I've Google Maps & CoPilot on my OP6T), but I do want Bluetooth handsfree/music playback and possibly DAB etc; I'll be sticking with OEM speakers, I'm an audiophile, but not in my cars! I'll also be getting a nice twin tailpipe exhaust backbox for the car, a finishing touch IMO, probably from Schmiedmann
And then, just enjoy driving it
No real further updates really apart from I've got Eibach Pro kit springs in the garage to fit to the car when I get time (fronts only, airbags on the rear still)
I'll be getting the steering wheel retrimmed by Jack @ Royal Steering wheels when we're back from a weeks holiday later this month.
I'm also thinking of going for a Schmiedmann back box; they're c£400 but look to be very well made and very much a plug n play and suit the E39 really well as they're tailor made for the Mtec rear Sport bumper and cut out etc...
Also need to look into changing tyres; I've got PS4s fitted currently; they were on the Style 37s when I bought them and I know they get rave reviews; but for me they're noisy and quite a hard compound and with all refreshed OEM suspension, they can make the ride fairly hard. So going to go back to Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's I think; unfortunately Uniroyal don't make the RainSport 3s in the sizes I need
I'll be getting the steering wheel retrimmed by Jack @ Royal Steering wheels when we're back from a weeks holiday later this month.
I'm also thinking of going for a Schmiedmann back box; they're c£400 but look to be very well made and very much a plug n play and suit the E39 really well as they're tailor made for the Mtec rear Sport bumper and cut out etc...
Also need to look into changing tyres; I've got PS4s fitted currently; they were on the Style 37s when I bought them and I know they get rave reviews; but for me they're noisy and quite a hard compound and with all refreshed OEM suspension, they can make the ride fairly hard. So going to go back to Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's I think; unfortunately Uniroyal don't make the RainSport 3s in the sizes I need
Not much to report still; it's just time currently (ie not enough time to do a few things, so it'll all have to wait until we're back from hols)
The car got a good washing yesterday though; wanted to try out some of the new Chemical Guys stuff I bought a few weekends back (snowfoam, car shampoo, tyre gel etc); all VERY good IMO. Very impressed with the finish, the tyre gel in particular. Much better than the Megs version; applies much nicer and leaves no runs, no matter how sparsely you applied it, it still looked like it was running off
A few pics:
The car got a good washing yesterday though; wanted to try out some of the new Chemical Guys stuff I bought a few weekends back (snowfoam, car shampoo, tyre gel etc); all VERY good IMO. Very impressed with the finish, the tyre gel in particular. Much better than the Megs version; applies much nicer and leaves no runs, no matter how sparsely you applied it, it still looked like it was running off
A few pics:
It's the simple things...
Gone from eBay special grilles:
To much better made Schmiedmann ones; better plastic, much heavier and fit much better:
Just a shame I can't seem to take a straight picture haha
Cars in on Friday too for new front top mounts (genuine BMW) and front Eibach lowering springs... Will update with pictures then also
Gone from eBay special grilles:
To much better made Schmiedmann ones; better plastic, much heavier and fit much better:
Just a shame I can't seem to take a straight picture haha
Cars in on Friday too for new front top mounts (genuine BMW) and front Eibach lowering springs... Will update with pictures then also
torx_whisperer said:
Absolutely gorgeous. Would love one of these and yours looks mint!
My 735i is from Japan too - the condition of some of the cars from there is unreal!
Thanks; it is very clean indeed. Some slight paintwork imperfections, but it is a 17 year old car at the end of the day My 735i is from Japan too - the condition of some of the cars from there is unreal!
Certainly no rust though Really glad I managed to find it; I've been after a decent E39 touring ever since I bought my first E39 530i back in May 2015!
Fitted a Grom Audio Bluetooth kit to my touring this morning.
Very impressed with it, very much plug n play; used the CD changer connections (my touring didn't have the CD changer, but the plugs were there in the loom in the rear)
I've situated the hands-free min on the drivers side A pillar top; fed the cable along the door seals, over the top of the B pillar trim, along the passenger door seal and then down the C pillar and in between the rear seat back and base and then the Grom unit is hidden under the boot covering at the rear; where the other stereo parts are as well as the rear top mount covers etc. So very easily hidden.
It'd be slightly different in a saloon as you'd have to suss out a way to feed the wire into the cabin, unless you've got foldable seats etc
Works perfectly, connected to my Note 9 straight away; music playback is good as is the hands-free
Also had my rear wheel 'smart repaired'; I'd stupidly kerbed it in Beaumaris where I caught the apex of a kerbstone. Scuffed about 8" of the very outer edge, next to the tyre. Looks spot on though now
Very impressed with it, very much plug n play; used the CD changer connections (my touring didn't have the CD changer, but the plugs were there in the loom in the rear)
I've situated the hands-free min on the drivers side A pillar top; fed the cable along the door seals, over the top of the B pillar trim, along the passenger door seal and then down the C pillar and in between the rear seat back and base and then the Grom unit is hidden under the boot covering at the rear; where the other stereo parts are as well as the rear top mount covers etc. So very easily hidden.
It'd be slightly different in a saloon as you'd have to suss out a way to feed the wire into the cabin, unless you've got foldable seats etc
Works perfectly, connected to my Note 9 straight away; music playback is good as is the hands-free
Also had my rear wheel 'smart repaired'; I'd stupidly kerbed it in Beaumaris where I caught the apex of a kerbstone. Scuffed about 8" of the very outer edge, next to the tyre. Looks spot on though now
I had two e39 touring in the early 2000’s. The second was a 530i auto almost same as yours. I loved that car, nice to see yours in such good condition. My friend had one at the same time as me & being a car hoarder still has it, it’s now on 230k miles, so loads of life left in yours yet. Keep us posted.
N111BJG said:
I had two e39 touring in the early 2000’s. The second was a 530i auto almost same as yours. I loved that car, nice to see yours in such good condition. My friend had one at the same time as me & being a car hoarder still has it, it’s now on 230k miles, so loads of life left in yours yet. Keep us posted.
Thanks; mines not even run in yet Budleigh said:
Absolutely lovely car - with an amazing interior. Leather is so overdone - nice to see something different.
Thank youIt was one of the reasons why I wanted to go and see it so soon; literally the day after I sold my previous land-barge!
I loved the interiors of my previous E39s, but this interior is so much better IMO. It's comfier, warmer when cool; cooler when warm and it's so easy to just completely hoover the interior clean (and leave funky lines in the alcantara) haha
rather than having to wipe down, leather clean and then leather condition the interior regularly... 
Cars booked in later this month for the rear subframe bushes; I've gone for the Meyle HD ones via BMWmotormec and the removal tool I've rented from Jimmy @ CableShack
I'll also replace the front track rod ends and inner CV joints, then every part of the suspension (bar the rear rose bushes) has been renewed
I've managed to source a set of Style 66 17" alloys for less than £50 (x3 singles off eBay local to me and had a rough spare in my garage); so I'll refurb them myself and use them for winters and will get winter tyres from Camskill/Tyreleader (whichever comes out the cheapest) and the Style 37s will come off and I'll either sell them or get them refurbed with new tyres... Decisions decisions...
Going to get the car into the bodyshop too, I want the rear bumper sorting (there's a very neat crack in it that's hardly visible) but want it sorting before it gets any worse and want rear PDC retrofitting at the same time; will probably go for the Steelmate kit, c£65
I'll also replace the front track rod ends and inner CV joints, then every part of the suspension (bar the rear rose bushes) has been renewed
I've managed to source a set of Style 66 17" alloys for less than £50 (x3 singles off eBay local to me and had a rough spare in my garage); so I'll refurb them myself and use them for winters and will get winter tyres from Camskill/Tyreleader (whichever comes out the cheapest) and the Style 37s will come off and I'll either sell them or get them refurbed with new tyres... Decisions decisions...
Going to get the car into the bodyshop too, I want the rear bumper sorting (there's a very neat crack in it that's hardly visible) but want it sorting before it gets any worse and want rear PDC retrofitting at the same time; will probably go for the Steelmate kit, c£65
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