E39 pre 2000 and post 2000
Discussion
Hi all,
I've just had a replacement knee put in and so the ol right knee doesn't bend so well at the mo.
The Boxster S is being put to bed for a few months as I can't fit in that at all, the E36 M3 is just about drivable but I've decided to get myself an automatic 525 or 530 for the meantime, as I'm guessing it'll have more legroom and the auto box will make life easier.
Ideally I'd like a 2002/2001 530, easily resellable exterior colour (so probably boring silver!), grey or cream leather, <100K miles, good service history (at either a good indy or dealer), not too bothered about toys but cruise, HIDs, multi CD, sat nav, heated seats, elec memory seats, sunroof, etc would be good.
First question, anyone selling anything suitable?
Second question, I know BMW did a revamp of the whole engine range in 2000, was it the engines before 2000 that had the nikasil problems? (or any other problems?) Or is there really no reason to be sticking to post 2000 cars?
I had an '01 reg 530i a few years back and it was a lovely waftmobile, and with a tweeked ECU went reasonably well too. My other choice is a Volvo S80 as I know they've got absolutely loads of legroom, but I'd rather have the BM.
I've just had a replacement knee put in and so the ol right knee doesn't bend so well at the mo.
The Boxster S is being put to bed for a few months as I can't fit in that at all, the E36 M3 is just about drivable but I've decided to get myself an automatic 525 or 530 for the meantime, as I'm guessing it'll have more legroom and the auto box will make life easier.
Ideally I'd like a 2002/2001 530, easily resellable exterior colour (so probably boring silver!), grey or cream leather, <100K miles, good service history (at either a good indy or dealer), not too bothered about toys but cruise, HIDs, multi CD, sat nav, heated seats, elec memory seats, sunroof, etc would be good.
First question, anyone selling anything suitable?
Second question, I know BMW did a revamp of the whole engine range in 2000, was it the engines before 2000 that had the nikasil problems? (or any other problems?) Or is there really no reason to be sticking to post 2000 cars?
I had an '01 reg 530i a few years back and it was a lovely waftmobile, and with a tweeked ECU went reasonably well too. My other choice is a Volvo S80 as I know they've got absolutely loads of legroom, but I'd rather have the BM.
I might consider selling mine as I have the chance of an exceptional E39 530d Sport in about a month, which I'm in two minds whether or not to go for. (extra outlay being one reason, and this one being so good being the other!)
http://www.autobahnclassics.co.uk/
4 Green lights showing, 4 tyres on 6mm+, car wants for nothing really (I work for a BMW Main dealer)
email me if your interested
http://www.autobahnclassics.co.uk/
4 Green lights showing, 4 tyres on 6mm+, car wants for nothing really (I work for a BMW Main dealer)
email me if your interested
Edited by Mustard on Monday 3rd January 19:15
Norfolkinchance said:
I have a two previous owner 528i SE. Blue with grey leather. 74k FSH going for a song - well sub £2,000.
I'm near Gatwick. PM if you are interested.
Only selling as I've impulse bought something else.
Hi Norfolkinchance, email sent.I'm near Gatwick. PM if you are interested.
Only selling as I've impulse bought something else.
BTW, what did you impulse buy out of curiosity?
You are kidding yourself if you think that you will get back into the boxster at some time in the future.
Buy a waft mobile now and your knee will forever be stiff with a degree of reduced flexion.
What you can't achieve a few months after a knee op you NEVER achieve.
I can't think of a better exercise for your knee than getting in and out of a boxster, and driving it.
Don't buy a waft mobile, take your pain killers and manage with the sportscar.
On a side note, if it has been longer than three months since your operation. Ignore me and buy the nice big waftmobile.
Buy a waft mobile now and your knee will forever be stiff with a degree of reduced flexion.
What you can't achieve a few months after a knee op you NEVER achieve.
I can't think of a better exercise for your knee than getting in and out of a boxster, and driving it.
Don't buy a waft mobile, take your pain killers and manage with the sportscar.
On a side note, if it has been longer than three months since your operation. Ignore me and buy the nice big waftmobile
.julian64 said:
You are kidding yourself if you think that you will get back into the boxster at some time in the future.
Buy a waft mobile now and your knee will forever be stiff with a degree of reduced flexion.
What you can't achieve a few months after a knee op you NEVER achieve.
I can't think of a better exercise for your knee than getting in and out of a boxster, and driving it.
Don't buy a waft mobile, take your pain killers and manage with the sportscar.
On a side note, if it has been longer than three months since your operation. Ignore me and buy the nice big waftmobile.
Hi Julian,Buy a waft mobile now and your knee will forever be stiff with a degree of reduced flexion.
What you can't achieve a few months after a knee op you NEVER achieve.
I can't think of a better exercise for your knee than getting in and out of a boxster, and driving it.
Don't buy a waft mobile, take your pain killers and manage with the sportscar.
On a side note, if it has been longer than three months since your operation. Ignore me and buy the nice big waftmobile
.I don't know if you talk from personal experience or a friend/relatives experience but you can regain lost movement, even years later.
My original accident was in 2001, motorbike accident. My leg ended up in an Ilizarov frame for 9 months (2003~2004). When that came off I had approx 12 degrees of bend in the knee most of which was due to the ligaments being completely torn so the knee joint was loose.
Over the next 5 years I got my knee movement back upto 115 degrees or so. I'd guess the first 60 degrees was gained with the help of a physio over the first 12 months. At that point the physio and the consultant said I wouldn't get any more movement back. Guess I proved them wrong.
You are right in that I've just got to grin and bear it and do as much as I can do now, and then some. Which is exactly what I am doing. Most days I make myself feel physically sick because of the pain from exercising. The morphine I'm on doesn't do much as I've been on prescription co-codamol for 10 years and my body has gotten used to any kind of opiate drugs.
But, pushing myself that far, being in that much pain whilst driving? No thanks! Time and a place and all that!
Waftmobile for 3~6 months so I can get to work and earn the pennies, and carry on the physio when I get back home. (and lunchtime too)
Thanks fwaggie - just emailed you back.
The g/f has been trying to get me into a diesel for a while (she makes bio diesel) and I saw one that might just be tolerable - 306 (GTI spec). I was going to hang on to the beemer until I worked out if I could live with an oil burner but storage etc make selling the sensible choice.
It was either that or the bike (Aprilia Tuono)!
The g/f has been trying to get me into a diesel for a while (she makes bio diesel) and I saw one that might just be tolerable - 306 (GTI spec). I was going to hang on to the beemer until I worked out if I could live with an oil burner but storage etc make selling the sensible choice.
It was either that or the bike (Aprilia Tuono)!
Nope I'm a GP.
I send them in and try and frighten them into exercise when they come back. Unfortunately it only takes a week or so to predict those who will eventually go back to full range of movement and those who will forever struggle to get past 30 degrees.
The best improvement is in their first few days or weeks, after a while their progress gets much slower, and I can count on the fingers of one hand how many people make any real progress after six months.
I'm continually telling people to go back onto their painkillers, or upping the strength. Its a shame really as the normal is for someone to hobble into my room after a few weeks with a straight 'plank like' knee feeling proud of themselves that they are coping without the use of painkillers.
If you are near to the op, go back to your GP talk about NSAIDs, nerve blocks, Physio, injected steroids, or possibly even going back to the hospital for a quick manipulation under GA. Not everything needs to end in morphine.
I send them in and try and frighten them into exercise when they come back. Unfortunately it only takes a week or so to predict those who will eventually go back to full range of movement and those who will forever struggle to get past 30 degrees.
The best improvement is in their first few days or weeks, after a while their progress gets much slower, and I can count on the fingers of one hand how many people make any real progress after six months.
I'm continually telling people to go back onto their painkillers, or upping the strength. Its a shame really as the normal is for someone to hobble into my room after a few weeks with a straight 'plank like' knee feeling proud of themselves that they are coping without the use of painkillers.
If you are near to the op, go back to your GP talk about NSAIDs, nerve blocks, Physio, injected steroids, or possibly even going back to the hospital for a quick manipulation under GA. Not everything needs to end in morphine.
julian64 said:
Nope I'm a GP.
In that case I seriously do appreciate the advice.julian64 said:
I send them in and try and frighten them into exercise when they come back. Unfortunately it only takes a week or so to predict those who will eventually go back to full range of movement and those who will forever struggle to get past 30 degrees.
The best improvement is in their first few days or weeks, after a while their progress gets much slower
I had the op on the 15th December, so it's 20 days post op for me now.The best improvement is in their first few days or weeks, after a while their progress gets much slower
I'm upto approx 80 degrees movement with external help, 40 to 65~70 with the leg doing the bending by itself.
(starts off low and gets free-er as I exercise)
I'm doing:-
- Sitting on bed or sofa with legs horizontal, drawing leg up as far as it'll go but not forcing it lots - doing this lots of the time, try to do this as an "all the time background exercise".
- Sit on breakfast bar with leg hanging over edge, use crutch as a pivot lever so my foot is against the crutch, pull top end of crutch towards me to force knee to bend - this one I try to do two or three times a day and I bend it as far as I can bear to.
- Sit on anything high enough with a slippy surface, whist wearing grippy shoes / trainers so I can initally get my knee to bend as far as it wants to go and then slide my body forward to bend it more.
- Walk up and down the stairs with the bad knee leading (up) / trailing (down) - doesn't hurt much but does seem to do a lot of good in freeing "stuff" up and just makes it all easier to bend.
- Walk on a walking exercise machine 2 or 3 times daily, as for the stairs, doesn't hurt much now and helps freeing stuff up. Started at 5 mins, now at 7 mins, I'm unfit so it's the rest of me that gets tired first doing this.
Just been down to my local hospital physio dept to see if I could borrow a PCT machine (? - automatic knee bending machine, used when lying on a bed) but they cost too much to loan out, they did tell me to go to my GP or get the Nuffield OC to refer me to their physio dept and they could help.
julian64 said:
and I can count on the fingers of one hand how many people make any real progress after six months.
I suppose if people give up and accept it there's no hope for them. Those that have something to aim for will get there, somehow. For me, that was getting back on a motorbike again and riding it.julian64 said:
I'm continually telling people to go back onto their painkillers, or upping the strength. Its a shame really as the normal is for someone to hobble into my room after a few weeks with a straight 'plank like' knee feeling proud of themselves that they are coping without the use of painkillers.
If you are near to the op, go back to your GP talk about NSAIDs, nerve blocks, Physio, injected steroids, or possibly even going back to the hospital for a quick manipulation under GA. Not everything needs to end in morphine.
Well I'm not even two weeks since they sent me home, my first follow up appointment is next week and I'll mention the fact the pain management isn't ideal then.If you are near to the op, go back to your GP talk about NSAIDs, nerve blocks, Physio, injected steroids, or possibly even going back to the hospital for a quick manipulation under GA. Not everything needs to end in morphine.
When I was on the ward we got it sorted so I was on MSTs for the constant pain and Ora-Morph just before physio so I could do the physio, but they didn't put the Ora-Morph on the discharge sheet prescriptions so I've been struggling rather.
Any alternative to morphine is a good thing as far as I'm concerned cause morphine hardly works for me.
How long can they make nerve blocks last? The one I had with the op lasted about 2 days. i suppose now I've had the staples out and the wound has mostly healed up, 2 days might be enough to let me really get it to bend - although I'd be worried about overdoing it and damaging something else!
fwaggie said:
Second question, I know BMW did a revamp of the whole engine range in 2000, was it the engines before 2000 that had the nikasil problems? (or any other problems?) Or is there really no reason to be sticking to post 2000 cars?
No, the nikasil engines stopped in '98. The facelift cars have much better headlights. The earlier ones suffer from condensation; upgrading them properly is around £350. That, and the extra bhp of the 530, is the only reason to exclude the earlier car.
They also have body-coloured bump strips and white indicator lenses (though the lenses were fitted to the last of the pre-facelift cars - like my '00 528i). Rad grilles are slightly different too.
Nerve blocks have a very variable action. some last a few days, occasionally a few months
A leg bender should set you back about fifty pounds a week. Much more than this and you ought to be looking elsewhere. With a leg bender you should be getting up to about ten degrees a week, but it will be quite painful and you will need the ice pack for after a session.
The NHS really should provide these (unfortunately they don't) as I think they are better value for money than physios in this circumstance.
You are well within the time for decent improvement. Most departments would declare success over ninety degrees is returned, but for limp free walking you really ought to be aiming for about 120.
After three months you will find any progress very difficult. Its not a case of you being lazy, its almost like the leg slowly sets in concrete after three months.
But to drag this back to the car forum topic. Aim for the sportscar and forget buying the waftmobile. Don't do anything to make life easier for yourself at this point. No downstairs toilets/commodes, no waftmobiles. Good Luck
A leg bender should set you back about fifty pounds a week. Much more than this and you ought to be looking elsewhere. With a leg bender you should be getting up to about ten degrees a week, but it will be quite painful and you will need the ice pack for after a session.
The NHS really should provide these (unfortunately they don't) as I think they are better value for money than physios in this circumstance.
You are well within the time for decent improvement. Most departments would declare success over ninety degrees is returned, but for limp free walking you really ought to be aiming for about 120.
After three months you will find any progress very difficult. Its not a case of you being lazy, its almost like the leg slowly sets in concrete after three months.
But to drag this back to the car forum topic. Aim for the sportscar and forget buying the waftmobile. Don't do anything to make life easier for yourself at this point. No downstairs toilets/commodes, no waftmobiles.
Good Luckjulian64 said:
Nerve blocks have a very variable action. some last a few days, occasionally a few months
A leg bender should set you back about fifty pounds a week. Much more than this and you ought to be looking elsewhere. With a leg bender you should be getting up to about ten degrees a week, but it will be quite painful and you will need the ice pack for after a session.
The NHS really should provide these (unfortunately they don't) as I think they are better value for money than physios in this circumstance.
You are well within the time for decent improvement. Most departments would declare success over ninety degrees is returned, but for limp free walking you really ought to be aiming for about 120.
After three months you will find any progress very difficult. Its not a case of you being lazy, its almost like the leg slowly sets in concrete after three months.
But to drag this back to the car forum topic. Aim for the sportscar and forget buying the waftmobile. Don't do anything to make life easier for yourself at this point. No downstairs toilets/commodes, no waftmobiles. Good Luck
Where could I get a leg bender from? £50 a week is peanuts considering the benefits, I will need to sort out another pain killer for use during using it and get myself another half dozen cool packs.A leg bender should set you back about fifty pounds a week. Much more than this and you ought to be looking elsewhere. With a leg bender you should be getting up to about ten degrees a week, but it will be quite painful and you will need the ice pack for after a session.
The NHS really should provide these (unfortunately they don't) as I think they are better value for money than physios in this circumstance.
You are well within the time for decent improvement. Most departments would declare success over ninety degrees is returned, but for limp free walking you really ought to be aiming for about 120.
After three months you will find any progress very difficult. Its not a case of you being lazy, its almost like the leg slowly sets in concrete after three months.
But to drag this back to the car forum topic. Aim for the sportscar and forget buying the waftmobile. Don't do anything to make life easier for yourself at this point. No downstairs toilets/commodes, no waftmobiles.
Good LuckI asked at my local physio dept and they won't loan them out.
I'll ask at the Nuffield (where I had the op) but forewarned is forearmed!
Yep I'm painfully aware that tendons like to shrink but (almost) refuse point blank to stretch once they have shrunk!
Cheers.
I have a silver 2002 535i Sport auto with most stuff on it (black leather electrically adjustable seats, sunroof, sat nav/TV, xenon lights etc). It's done only 52,000 miles as I don't get much of a chance to use it except on the occasional weekend, so am half thinking of selling it, but I guess you want something with 2 fewer cylinders and less of an appetite for petrol!
58warren said:
I have a silver 2002 535i Sport auto with most stuff on it (black leather electrically adjustable seats, sunroof, sat nav/TV, xenon lights etc). It's done only 52,000 miles as I don't get much of a chance to use it except on the occasional weekend, so am half thinking of selling it, but I guess you want something with 2 fewer cylinders and less of an appetite for petrol!
Not necessarily, memories of my old V8 Rover SDI still happily burble round my head Got a price in mind?
Now got myself a nice "little" 1998 535i.
Lovely to hear the V8 burble again but I wish it was a bit louder, crikey they've really layed down the sound proofing.
Next task is to put the M3 back to bog standard and get that sold.
And ironically I had another go to see if I can fit into the Boxster to put it away in the garage : yes, I found out I can drive it so long as I wear thin shoes! Typical Too tight to use as a daily driver but I'm happy with the improvement from a week ago.
Lovely to hear the V8 burble again but I wish it was a bit louder, crikey they've really layed down the sound proofing.
Next task is to put the M3 back to bog standard and get that sold.
And ironically I had another go to see if I can fit into the Boxster to put it away in the garage : yes, I found out I can drive it so long as I wear thin shoes! Typical
Too tight to use as a daily driver but I'm happy with the improvement from a week ago.Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff