All posts tagged: E39

E39 Touring Wagon Rescue Project Series

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Last year in the midst of the Pandemic, I, like many other car enthusiasts, decided to rescue a cheap project car. Many people dove into new projects as a way to cope with the stress of the pandemic, and to focus on something positive. Mine was a $900 E39 Touring I found for sale online back in February 2021. In typical enthusiast fashion, I quickly poured significantly more money into the car than it was worth. I changed the interior, body panels and overhauled the cooling system, brakes, engine and suspension. This financial loss was realized when I sold the car last summer for a loss of over $1,600. Well, at least I have this four episode series on YouTube to remember the good times. Knowing that this BMW wagon or “Touring” was made in very small numbers, I knew it was special enough to try to save. Besides, it was an experiment in creating a rescue series on YouTube for the Bimmerzeit channel. Did any of you buy a BMW project car during the …

Rare 2001 E39 530i Sport Package with Manual Transmission For Sale

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For sale is an exceptionally clean 2001 E39 530i with the desirable sport package and manual 5-speed transmission combination. In my opinion, this is the best all-around BMW you can buy today. Nothing that came before it, and nothing that came after the E39 really lives up to all that this car offers in one great value package. What other car offers: timeless styling, the ability to drive a modern classic on vintage plates with discounted tax and insurance, comfortable for the family yet still sporty with direct road feel and confidence inspiring handling unmatched by any other five series? This car actually belongs to my Father who lives out in the suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois. He bought this car from down South so it is very clean and solid, never exposed to road salts and has been garaged and driven only in Summer under his ownership. I have personally driven this car while visiting my family last summer; the car drives beautifully (and I’ve driven a lot of E39’s). The manual transmission is …

What it’s Like to Own an E28 BMW for 30 Years

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Its July 1987: Full Metal Jacket is playing in movie theaters nationwide and the E24 M6 graces the cover of the July issue of Car and Driver. Gasoline hovers around 0.90 cents per gallon and U2’s Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For hit top of the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. I wasn’t even born yet – until December that year. The Summer of 87 is when the previous owner of my E28 began shopping for and ultimately purchased his 1984 533i from an ad in the local paper. The dealer invoice I have dated July 16, 1987 indicates a sale price of $19,000 which became $21,084.50 after tax and title. He would drive the car for the next 31 years until I bought the car in July 2018. Last week, I sent an email to the previous owner to ask some questions that I had hoped would help me understand more about the car and it’s long time owner. We hadn’t spoken since the pandemic began in 2020, but I knew I wanted …

Rescuing a Classic BMW E39 Touring Sport Wagon

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It’s been nearly five months since I last posted a video on YouTube. It was a fun video where I just drove around in our E53 X5 during a blizzard here in Connecticut. That was early February, 2021. Check it out below: It was around this time that I came across a very sad 525iT which was just listed for sale locally on Craigslist. With several feet of snow piling up during a tough New England winter, there wasn’t much to do but indulge in the pastime we all love: browsing online car ads for old BMW’s. It wasn’t long before I saw the touring ad on Craigslist Fairfield. It had been advertised for $1,600 which seemed like a steal at first glance. That was of course, until I saw the car in person. It was definitely the worst condition car I’ve probably ever seen, let alone purchased. Nearly everything was broken and needed replacing. Service engine soon light illuminated. Seats torn. Driver seat not moving. Interior disgusting. Rust. Dents. Dings. Sunroof stuck closed. Curb …

The Best Used BMW to Buy in 2020

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So you’re in the market for a used BMW? In this post I’ll share with you what I think is an incredible undervalued buy on the used luxury German market right now. This car also happens to be one of the best BMW’s ever made: my all-time favorite BMW, the luxurious and reliable E39 530i. In this post I’ll go over why the E39 is the best used BMW to buy today in 2020. Search for used E39’s on the eBay market here. First, let’s chat about the glorious piece of engineering that is the E39. I have created over 100 DIY videos on this fourth generation 5 series sedan over the last five years of creating on YouTube, so it is fair to say I know them pretty well. My E39 buyers guide here outlines exactly what to look for when considering the purchase of one of these fine machines. A midsize sedan, this five series was available in 525i, 528i, 530i, 540i and M5 configurations here in the US. Manufactured from 1995 to …

Super Cheap BMW B800 Airbag SRS Reset Tool Under $30

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Every BMW owner needs to own a diagnostic scan tool or two. Even the most basic setup, including a cheap OBD-II scanner like this one and a cheap airbag tool will save you hundreds if not thousands over the years of your Bavarian ownership. There’s really nothing more satisfying than scanning a car for friends and family when they’re in trouble, and saving them from paying a $100 diagnostic fee to some repair shop.

Liqui Moly MOS2 Anti-Friction Engine Treatment for BMW

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With today’s advances in fuel economy in new BMW models, those of us driving older models will try almost anything to squeeze out a few extra miles per gallon for our daily drivers. Keeping the tires properly inflated, ensuring fresh synthetic oil is flowing through the veins, and rebuilding those vanos units are the tried and true methods for maintaining better fuel economy. 

Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner Review

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Cleaning the wheels on a BMW with OEM brake pads can be a tedious part of your detailing schedule, but it doesn’t have to be. Finding the right wheel cleaner and technique is the best way to cut down on time spent cleaning brake dust out of every nook and curve of those expensive factory wheels. Today I’ll discuss the Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner and how I found it for cleaning BBS wheels on a BMW. 

BMW Broken Window Regulator Quick Fix

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I’m sure all of us will experience this at some point: you’re going about your life cruising to work in your BMW and you crack your window open for a little bit of fresh air. It makes a horrid clunk sound and you immediately realize that your window isn’t going back up anytime soon. It’s likely that you need a new window regulator; but how do you keep the window up until you can get it fixed? 

The Best E39 Sport Shocks

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If you’re in the market for a new set of shocks and struts for your E39, you’re in the right place. In this post I’ll go over the types of shocks available and how to choose the correct type that will suit your needs. The first thing you need to consider is what model E39 you drive. The 525i, 528i, 530i and 540i were available in either the base model or sport package. Those with the sport package require sport shocks and those without the sport package require base shocks. BMW and parts dealers refer to the sport model parts as M sport suspension.