E39 Buying Advice

[Andrew D]

A friend is thinking of getting an E39, probably an 02/03 525d automatic. What are the main things to look for when examining prospective purchases?

I understand it's got the same inlet manifold as the 530d and thus there's a risk of the swirl flaps becoming part of a larger organisation (i.e. being ingested by the engine). Is this the case and, if so, is there an updated manifold available to eliminate the problem?

Thanks in advance.

[Fox-]

Have a read of this post I made:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Much of it is relevent to the diesels.