Thread 28686609

i've decided i am going to get a e39. manual only. 523/525/530 or maybe a 540. i was considering a e36 25/28 but they are too expensive for the age, and the cheap less powerful ones are just so fucking slow.
was thinking of a e46 but they have kept their price way better than the e39's, at least the manuals.
there are a bunch of diesels for either but fuck that. i know you mutts love them since they are a rarity in the us but here in eu its always a econobox engine no matter if its a 1.6 or a 4.0, people drive them for the mpg.

the thing is not sure if v8 or six pot e39 or pay more for a e46. this would be my second daily as a fun car which i diy.

>>28686609 (OP)
V8 is far less reliable than the six. Between e39 and e46 pick whatever you like more.
Be prepared for a shit fest of issues though, no matter how good the condition of the car is.

my condolences anon

not a terrible plan, I agree it doesn't matter too much which six you're getting. Condition and number of pedals is going to do more for the experience.
Don't think a V8 would be worth it, wether you call it unreliable or maintenance intensive. Plus, I've heard (yes, outside of /o/) V8s come with a different steering rack, much slower and not as tight feeling, which kinda defeats the point of a BMW. Haven't drive a V8 myself though
Also, Six cylinder+stick BMWs can be surpisingly good on fuel

>>28686609 (OP)
>this would be my second daily as a fun car which i diy.
Depends on want you consider "fun". E39's make for good dailies, but they're basically just bigger, softer E46's, and that means they're arguably less fun to drive, assuming you want to drive your BMW like a BMW owner. I also assume E46's have more aftermarket support, just because they're commonly used in motorsports, though the E39 is still very well supported.

>t. owned 2 E46's and an E39

I would always choose an e46 over an e39

The e46 is just the better car in every metric
>cheap and available parts
>tons of aftermarket

The e39 is more complex, parts start to get more difficult to get
>e.g. brake booster discontinued which likes to get flooded
>all e39 specific parts are more expensive
>oversized center bore makes 99% of wheels not fit on the car
basically all 5x120 bmw have a 72.6mm center bore and the e39 has 74.1mm

I would get a manual 328i e46, its just the best one

>t. carfag that had 8 different bmw
>picrel, an e39 where it belongs

I daily drive e39 with m57 and automatic, so basically the opposite of what you're looking for. Given that, it's a very comfortable car which you can drive at 170-200km/h in comfort. But I wouldn't call it exciting in any metric, it's basically a really fast grandma's coach. Mine's at ~230hp ~500Nm, but the tranny is holding up surprisingly well.

It wasn't exactly trouble free and parts cost as much as in other BMW, so keep that in mind.

>>28686638
how unreliable are the e46 328/330 models? I'm thinking of getting one.

>>28686641
That's the GTA2 thing isn't it?

>>28686684
NTA but the biggest issues are the cooling systems and vacuum leaks. Expansion tank is liable to crack or blow at around 100k miles. Got a 325i in 2024 at 100k miles and replaced the tank as soon as I got it, was very close to going. PCV system and intake boots can cause air leaks, air pump too if your from a country that has them. Reliable if those issues are sorted out, just got to deal with the general aging stuff.

I love the e39 but its got some problems. Reliability, parts cost, complexity etc
So obviously I will do the only reasonable thing and spend 10k+ putting an LS in it

>>28686609 (OP)
This car is too old. It is expired basically

>>28686609 (OP)
>german

E39s are good cars.
They are big and eat up highway miles.
The V8 better suits the chassis. Make sure to buy one that has had the cooling system gone thru and ideally the timing chain guides as well. Both are major headaches.
The V8 comes with a steering box as opposed to rack and pinion on the 6's, it's not a terrible box.
The 6s are underpowered but they're fun to wind out.
You must get a manual. If you want an automatic V8 barge there are better options.
At this age some parts are becoming NLA.
The gauge cluster pixels go bad, it's a meme.
They sold millions of e39s. Don't impulse buy a shit one. A good 540i/6 M-sport with the appropriate maintenance can be had for $10-12k.
and just to be clear:
DO NOT IMPULSE BUY A SHIT ONE WITH FACTORY ORIGINAL COOLING SYSTEM

I prefer the 6cyls. 8s have steering box which is much worse to drive fast, 6 had a steering rack. M62s also have destructive timing chains.
Depends what you want the car to do really; if its highway driving get a v8, if its windy road enjoyment then the 6cyl.
M52tub28 or M54, either with a manual is what I'd have. I've been around a lot of them and had a 530i 6 speed. It was a treat.

>>28686771
>8s have steering box which is much worse to drive fast, 6 had a steering rack
I didn't know that. This should end the debate right there really.

>>28686775
Not really. For fat american driving straight on a highway at 90mph, V8 and steering box is arguably a better option. It's a good steering box, but it's still a box

>>28686638
>>28686633
e46s require subframe reinforcement to be driven like a BMW

>>28686765
>>28686609 (OP)
Manuals don't belong in any E39

>>28686778
Nope
BMW's steering racks were the best in the business, baby

>>28686609 (OP)
Get a 530, the V8 models couldn't package rack and pinion steering so they had to make do with a steering box.

>>28686778
I would much faster trust an M52 or M54 to go 300k+ miles than I would an M62. I would put it down to which one you can find in better condition and at the best price to make any reliability woes worth it, since manual + V8 would be fun.
I had a 528i with 200k+ miles as a beater years ago and it was pretty great FWIW, engine ran like new with not a single leak - meanwhile the windows were eating regulators seemingly every other month.
>>28686765
>DO NOT IMPULSE BUY A SHIT ONE WITH FACTORY ORIGINAL COOLING SYSTEM
Just change it lmao. I didn't, which just meant I had to get free towing from my insurance when the thermostat popped, of which the tow truck driver recognized the WAT sticker I had on my E39 kek.
>>28687914
Why didn't they make an automatic M5, then?

>>28687926
Why didn't they make an M5 with a steering rack?

>>28686609 (OP)
RIP your wallet

>>28687928
This thread already established that was due to packaging issues. However, the M62, of which the S62 is based on, was offered with an automatic.
With that in mind, why did BMW never build an automatic M5? There was no physical restriction.
>>28687933
>>28687944
>>28687946
Why would we care what some VW-owning stancefag says? We'd take you more seriously if you established these opinions as your own, rather than fellating some literal-who car '''journalist'''' who's opinion is worth less than Scotty Kilmer's.
If you're not buying a manual E39, than a W210 Mercedes E-Class blows it out of the water in every single possible metric anyway, aside from aesthetics (double bones, reliable V8s with a steering rack, diesels that can be boosted to the moon, window regulators that don't break, cooling systems that don't break etc). Just avoid the earliest ones from the '90s that used water-based paint.
Every single opinion this fuck is giving is just another reason to buy a W210 or W211 over an E39. And I say that as having actually owned all three.

>>28687949
Delusional

>>28687951
>everything is sTaNcE!!!
w210s are ugly as fuck, and the E39 is the best sports sedan overall that there is
He probably owns more BMWs than you

>>28686609 (OP)
Get an E46 330i sedan.

These are old cars now anon, you'd have to replace a lot of the bushes and suspension to get factory-like handling now.

E46 330ci is a cool car but they have rear subfame issues from being driven hard. A 328ci would be a good substitute. Anything lower and you get the same 4 cylinder manual behind a 6 cylinder engine (325, 323, 320)

I've only ever driven V8 E39s and the steering is fine. The engines are maintenance nightmares though. I replaced every gasket one of them but the lower timing chain cover and you guessed it, that's where it continued to leak. Water cooled alternators, exploding coolant overflow tanks, timing guides that are as brittle as a boomer's femur, VANOS seal issues that make the car sound like a diesel at idle AND robs you of performance....the list goes on. When they work they are fucking spaceship though, massive leap forward over the E34 and the W210 Merc.

I own a 1998 E430 as well. Really low KM example. Comfy, great cruiser but can't corner like the E39. Also has way less tech (no OBC for fuel mileage, etc etc) whereas the 540i has a fucking television in it.

The M113 engine in the Merc is practically indestructible. The crank sensors shit the bed from age and the rocker covers may leak but both issues are easily rectified. It shares pretty much all parts with the V6 M112 so it's cheap to service. I regularly see ML55s with the same engine with 300,000 to 500,000KM on them.

The W208 CLK class is a bit of a weird car, massive bargain if you can find a CLK430 or CLK55 cheap. The W209 CLK was the E46 competitor of the day and it's held up well. Get a CLK500 or a CLK55 with the M113 and the seven speed. All are autos though.

>>28687917
Drive a 993 or a Miata and come back when you've actually experienced the best racks in the business

>>28688152
Stop trolling; miatas suck, and 993s are common traffic in the parlance of our times
https://youtu.be/36whvegFIqg
>This will not endear me to anyone that's owned or loved an mx-5. I just always judge sports cars on the way they drive; and I've always found the little mazda to be slow, imprecise, and unsatisfying
>I don't know what it is. I feel a bit ashamed in an mx-5
>a machine which drives with all the precision of a boneless limb
B O N E L E S S

>>28686609 (OP)
>fun
330i, especially ZHP, or Z3.

5 series has slow steering.

>>28688249
Delusional
See >>28687946

>>28688249
A man of fine taste

>>28688303
Kek should got an E30 325i and an E92 335i; the experience in z3s/z4s is never as good as the sedan they're based off

>>28688362
That's fine but the Z3s are still dirt cheap, that one cost me $500 plenty of fun for what it is

>>28686684
Not all but at the age of these cars plan on catching up on lots of maintenance. Run great once sorted. The fucking heat pipe is a bitch and wears out. Probably clutch depending on PO. CCV delete is a good idea too.

>>28687914
oh boy, it;s the retarded jason comisa dick sucking faggot. That retard has no idea what the fuck he's talking about.

>>28688396
And yet he has more BMWs than you

>>28688378
>$500
Heh, the door pulls are worth $200 each.

>>28688472
Needed new fuel, a new valve cover, intake, fuel pump assembly, and giubo drives great

>>28688362
As an former e46 325i, e92 320i/325i/335ix2 owner, my 3.0si e85 is the most fun of the bunch, especially after good shocks and LSD.
I test drove first gen Boxster S, SLK350, Opel GT, NC with 2.5 swap and the Z was the most fun out of all of them.

>>28688303
not hating on your car, but your hood looks like the wrap is bubbled in some places.
can they fix that without taking off the entire wrapping?

>>28688648
Yes I think so

>>28686638
I think X5s also got the larger centre bore. Probably 7ers too.

>>28688679
Correction, they did not

>>28687933
>>28687944
>>28687946
What an enormous faggot. Are people really taking car advice from him?
>muh V8 motor is heavy
Adds 100 lbs, it's less than a passenger. The autotragic probably adds more weight.

>>28688212
The automatic e39 tard is calling a 993 common traffic. They made 1.4 million of your car. Aka 1488 thousand.
Shitty nu-top gear host is clearly complaining of the floaty stock miata suspension as everyone does. The steering and shifter are the tightest around. The suspension is soft.
I don't think you have driven many cars if you think a 530i's steering rack is the best that there is.

>>28688736
>1488 thousand.
Uhmmm based???

>>28686638
>I would get a manual 328i e46, its just the best one
I would get one but my best friend has it for 20 years as his daily so i can't get the same car FUCK, what's a good alternative?

>>28688686
And yet he owns more BMWs than you

>>28688801
Even 1 is more than 0 (preferable), yes.

>>28688610
I own a 250 GTO and say the experience in z3s/z4s is never as good as the sedan they are based off. Shoulda got an E30 325i, E31 850CSI, E39 530i, E92 335i, F10 M5 Competition, F13 M6 Competition, W124, W126, R129, W140, W201, C5 Z06, or C6 Z06 already godsdamn

>>28688736
The miata he drove isn't stock lol you can't tell?
miatas suck, by the way
https://youtu.be/36whvegFIqg [Open]
>This will not endear me to anyone that's owned or loved an mx-5 -- I just always judge sports cars on the way they drive, and I've always found the little mazda to be slow, imprecise, and unsatisfying
>I don't know what it is; I feel a bit ashamed in an mx-5
>a machine which drives with all the precision of a boneless limb
B O N E L E S S
I can tell you haven't driven many cars since you think a miata is good at all

>>28688803
You only drive ugly slow gay cars; got it

>>28688815
>Viper V10
Ok, brownie.

>>28688816
>dodge
Whoa, calm down, jamal; don't pull out the 9!

>>28688830
delusional.

>>28688850
For sure

>>28688854
Ain't no niggers in my country, Pablo.

>>28688860
Ah just you?
I'm not hispanic at all, shaykwon

>>28688865
Sorry, I don't speak retarded dropout spic. No idea what you just said.

>>28688398
Doubtful, he only owns a handful. And none of them are m cars because he's a contrarian faggot that champions base models.