Show Me Your BMW!!!!!!!!!

[Sardonicus]

ATM said:

Potatoes said:

I wanted a car with the least electronic options as they tend to be crap compared to modern standards and/or break in a 15yr old car.

If you believe JC, he chose a pre face-lift E39 for his barge in one of those Top Gears where they drive across a desert or some random country, because the earlier cars have simpler electronics. Are the pre CAN or something?

Pre CAN approx were/are a lot more robust IMO most late BMW cars I see usually electronics failure of some description e.g steering modules , tailgate wiring, diversity unit failure, boot auto closure loom failures etc etc and BMW love a bit of leccy-tech like never before in most years

[Fox-]

njw1 said:

The 5 speed auto may be a bit old fashioned compared to a modern 8 speed for example but they are still very good gearboxes. I don't think I would want a manual box in a big wafty touring anyway. An autobox suits the car much better imo even if it is only a 2.2. And that said, there's nowt wrong with the 'little' engine in the range, it's still got 6 cylinders, makes an awesome noise and makes more power than most contemporary engines of the same capacity or even larger in some instances.

My E39 530i is a manual and we've had an auto E39 530i in the family too. For me, the 5 speed box was just a bit too old school - it never felt as quick as the manual and frequently did dimwitted things just when you didn't want to. It wasn't enough to tempt me out of a manual at the time.

I've since moved on to ZF 8 Speed autos and now refuse to buy a manual ever again, so I've absolutely nothing against auto. Quite the opposite - but it's only in the last 10 years or so that we've really seen the progress needed to make them the clear choice over a manual.

[RoverP6B]

ATM said:

I find this with most car comparisons from about 50 up. They only ever eek out a small gap unless one car is a proper turd. Given say a pair of cars where one is 250 bhp and the other 350 bhp there isnt much in it. I'd bet the 520 also has a lower final drive to the 540 so that will even things out unless you're talking max speed on the autobahn.

Yeah, it's surprising how little there is in it, the smaller engine isn't a bad option at all. I can't quote FDRs off the top of my head like I used to be able to, but the 520i is a bit shorter IIRC... still long enough for it to do 140mph (yes, I have maxxed it out, more than once, ahem...)

njw1 said:

The 5 speed auto may be a bit old fashioned compared to a modern 8 speed for example but they are still very good gearboxes. I don't think I would want a manual box in a big wafty touring anyway. An autobox suits the car much better imo even if it is only a 2.2. And that said, there's nowt wrong with the 'little' engine in the range, it's still got 6 cylinders, makes an awesome noise and makes more power than most contemporary engines of the same capacity or even larger in some instances.

I wouldn't call the 520i wafty, even on the standard non-sport suspension. There's not a lot of torque (159 ftlb at 4500rpm!) and it really needs to be driven quite hard to get the best out of it. The manual is definitely the box to have in that case, the auto would just strangle it in comparison - but there are times when, in the V8s, I'm quite glad not to have to bother with a clutch, and the Steptronic is usually up to the job. The newer 540i is even good in Drive, the 535i is fairly dimwitted when left to its own devices.

[haventahybrid]

Hi chaps, about to post a question the BMW sub forum so thought I should post a pic of the car!

I sorry for the hi jack but expect someone can say yay or nay fairly quickly. Is £340-360 for a battery fitted a reasonable price for a mobile mechanic? He will also be doing about £600 worth of work on another of my cars at the same time.

Thanks!

[Mike335i]

Nice 3 series, not sure about the battery, but they do need coding to the car so not as straightforward as one some other cars.

[haventahybrid]

Mike335i said:

Nice 3 series, not sure about the battery, but they do need coding to the car so not as straightforward as one some other cars.

Thanks, it's a pretty good little car. Bugger I was hoping he was way off as it seemed expensive. If it's that much I may as well just take it into BMW... due an inspection in january anyway.

[ATM]

haventahybrid said:

Mike335i said:

Nice 3 series, not sure about the battery, but they do need coding to the car so not as straightforward as one some other cars.

Thanks, it's a pretty good little car. Bugger I was hoping he was way off as it seemed expensive. If it's that much I may as well just take it into BMW... due an inspection in january anyway.

I was offered a new battery for my 09 335i by my mechanic yesterday for 135 fitted with 5 year warranty.

[crankedup]

My newly acquired 325i e90 had a new battery fitted by BMW india garage last year for the previous owner. He paid £178 all in for the correct unit. I thought that was a little steep!!!

[crankedup]

Taken today in the grey murk of weather. My newly acquired 325i SE.
Two previous owners, full BMW history with 76000 miles up and running beautifully. I need to have all four wheels refurbed and new tyres fitted next spring/summer. Purchased privately for £7k, very happy![

Edited by crankedup on Wednesday 15th November 14:56

Edited by crankedup on Wednesday 15th November 14:57

[Rsthiswayup]

Hi guys picked up my new 320d msport shadow edition today. Love it, will post a pic tomorrow . Not a lot online about that model, was panicking a bit as I bought on a whim. Absolute love it.

[Potatoes]

Sardonicus said:

ATM said:

Potatoes said:

I wanted a car with the least electronic options as they tend to be crap compared to modern standards and/or break in a 15yr old car.

If you believe JC, he chose a pre face-lift E39 for his barge in one of those Top Gears where they drive across a desert or some random country, because the earlier cars have simpler electronics. Are the pre CAN or something?

Pre CAN approx were/are a lot more robust IMO most late BMW cars I see usually electronics failure of some description e.g steering modules , tailgate wiring, diversity unit failure, boot auto closure loom failures etc etc and BMW love a bit of leccy-tech like never before in most years

Talking about electronics, I got coding today. Made my hazards double blink (doppelimpuls), got the hazards to flash when I lock/unlock and beep when I lock. I did a couple of other changes, had a fun evening

[ATM]

Winters on mine

[ATM]

Rsthiswayup said:

Hi guys picked up my new 320d msport shadow edition today. Love it, will post a pic tomorrow . Not a lot online about that model, was panicking a bit as I bought on a whim. Absolute love it.

If you have a look at modern phones nowadays they have a camera on the back...

[mr alan]

Maybe it isn’t a modern phone. Maybe he has something better to do. Gotta love pistonheads

[Mike335i]

ATM said:

Rsthiswayup said:

Hi guys picked up my new 320d msport shadow edition today. Love it, will post a pic tomorrow . Not a lot online about that model, was panicking a bit as I bought on a whim. Absolute love it.

If you have a look at modern phones nowadays they have a camera on the back...

Maybe it's not the taking of the picture that is holding him up? Maybe it's the uploading?

[ATM]

Mike335i said:

ATM said:

Rsthiswayup said:

Hi guys picked up my new 320d msport shadow edition today. Love it, will post a pic tomorrow . Not a lot online about that model, was panicking a bit as I bought on a whim. Absolute love it.

If you have a look at modern phones nowadays they have a camera on the back...

Maybe it's not the taking of the picture that is holding him up? Maybe it's the uploading?

And the nudge has clearly hit it's spot.

[Smuler]

crankedup said:

Taken today in the grey murk of weather. My newly acquired 325i SE.
Two previous owners, full BMW history with 76000 miles up and running beautifully. I need to have all four wheels refurbed and new tyres fitted next spring/summer. Purchased privately for £7k, very happy![

Edited by crankedup on Wednesday 15th November 14:56

Edited by crankedup on Wednesday 15th November 14:57

You went coupe after all. NICE ONE

[crankedup]

^^^^^^^^^
Yup, the stylish lines made the saloon look very frumpy. Not quite as convenient as the four door but the amount of journeys we need the extra doors, I can easily and happily live with the two.
And of course those extra and useful features like xeones.

[ATM]

crankedup said:

^^^^^^^^^
Yup, the stylish lines made the saloon look very frumpy. Not quite as convenient as the four door but the amount of journeys we need the extra doors, I can easily and happily live with the two.
And of course those extra and useful features like xeones.

Looks cheap at 7 grand.

[crankedup]

ATM said:

crankedup said:

^^^^^^^^^
Yup, the stylish lines made the saloon look very frumpy. Not quite as convenient as the four door but the amount of journeys we need the extra doors, I can easily and happily live with the two.
And of course those extra and useful features like xeones.

Looks cheap at 7 grand.

Was looking for several months to find a 325i or 330i. This car popped up as a private purchase, the owner had just had a new born and found the coupe unsuitable for thier needs. They had already purchased a new merc’ and simply wanted to see the BMW go sooner rather than later. I was sceptical at first owing to the low ad’ price at £7250,spoke on phone and price set in concrete, hardly surprising. However, after a test drive they settled at my offer of £7000.
It could do with all wheels being refurbed and new tyres in three or four thousand miles. Other than that it’s a smart car and runs as it should. I feel it is something of a bargain tbh.