Talk me out of buying a cheap E39 Veeky Forums

buy a mint one faggot. an e39 for 2k is going to be shit.

E39 530i’s are great, I dailies one for a while and loved it. However mine was very well maintained, if the one you’re looking at isn’t then don’t bother.

E39 are cheap as fuck, 10 tears ago I realized I could have easily afford a E39 M5, but not even an actual 330 for the same money.

Idk why they are so cheap, but if you like it, go for it, nothing you should worry about.

bottom of the depreciation curve, the market is flooded with beat-on examples

If you want cheap & easy to work on get the E39 528i or 530i
You'll eat shit with a cheap 540

My dad is a mechanic at an indie BMW/Volvo shop
BMW's make my dad hate his job
Kraut "engineering" from the mid 90s to today is hot, overcomplicated, pointless and absolutely retarded

Listen to gs400goy OP. I owned an e39 530i, it was very solid and easy to wrench on top of being super comfortable and somewhat sporty.

The 540i and M5 develop so many problems as they get into high mileage, not worth it imo. You can’t go wrong with bmw NA Inline 6’s.

OP here, the one I want is definitely an 530i.

Good choice the M54 is a great engine
Get the 5 speed and you'll love it forever lol

Don't bother unless it has a V8. The 6 cylinder E39s are slow and don't sound good.

I hope you like fault codes.

It would be a learning curve, that's for sure.

If I want to get into the world of automotive engineering, I have to get used to OBDs and shit, something I won't get from my 1997 Tahoe.

The proper scan tool for reading bmw codes is like minimum 10,000$ and when you pull the codes off of one of these old plastic euro turds get ready cause theres literallly hundreds of codes just sitting there waiting to be diagnosed. Its best just to put some electrical tape over the CEL, and also your gonna have to replace all the bushings, ball joints cooling system and your brain with a logical persons brain for even considering anything old and german.

I'm sure cheaper alternatives exist, I don't need the tacky display to clear codes.

amazon.com/iSaddle-Scanner-Programmer-Diagnostic-Windows/dp/B008RHJTS2

I already told you cheaper alternatives exist. Jesus. what did i say?
Thats like you asking me if its raining outside and then i go look and confirm that it is in fact raining outside. Then I come back and tell you its raining outside at which point you then tell me that its raining outside!!! Why dont you try to help somebody fucking help you, assclown.

>The proper scan tool for reading bmw codes is like minimum 10,000$

>Laptop - $400ish
>Vmware with ISTA+, NCS-Expert/Dummy and INPA - Free, unless you're a dumb fuck
>cable - $30

>$10k

lol, here's a (you) for your hard efforts

>e39 530i, it was very solid and easy to wrench
>my face when i own e39 530i but cannot wrench at all

Oh look, same shit different thread.

RULES TO LIVE BY FOR CHEAPFAG BMW DAILY DRIVERS:

>if you can't work on cars, don't bother. Shop labor rates are inflated for European cars despite BMW being easy to work on, they do this to offset Audi, VW and Landrover shop costs

>there is only one engine for you and it's the inline six. The V8 cooling system will rain down pain, agony and suffering upon your foolish ass. Acceptable engines are the M50/M52 B25, B28 or the M54B30, M54B25. The M60B40 is the easiest V8, but still be wary of it. Avoid TU suffix engines.

>automatic transmissions and differentials WILL fail. Ignore BMW lifetime transmission and differential fluid requirements, change every 60k at most.

>15k oil changes on later models save the dealership money. Change that shit every 6k

>flush your goddamned coolant and brake fluid you lazy shit

>buy a bmw specific code scanner. Failing that, torrent the software and buy a USB scan tool. Bleed your brakes using the ABS pump, test each individual fuel injector, make your interior lights stay on as long or as short as you want. The possibilities are endless with such a tool so just buy it you cheap fuck.

>if the car has rimps or smells like Jerry Curl it's cheap for a reason and that reason is that it was repossessed from Jamal

>your VCG and Guibbo are wear parts. You'll be replacing them so get used to it

>bmw makes their suspension bushings out of pencil erasers, you'll need to repair those too

>nothing exists after the E46, E39, and E38. Yes I know, it's horrible. I wish they'd made sequels to the Matrix movie or The Star Wars trilogy too but alas, they never did. Such a shame BMW didn't survive past 2004.

BMW is a comfy and fun daily that gets alright fuel economy and is just looks beautiful. Follow those tips and tricks and you'll be just fine!

>t. BMW driving European shop mechanic in burgerstan

>same shit different thread
>lists things that cost money

thanks for confirming my post, friend

Those parts actually cost as much as Subaru parts, the aforementioned labor is usually the expensive part as noted above. They honestly don't break more than any other car (that's not a VW) would.

But I'm guessing you're just looking for a reason to be salty so I'll instead compliment your dubs.

OP here, how much do suspension bushings cost? And how hard are they to repair?

Also, do manual transmissions fare better for Beamers?

> Avoid TU engines
I don't think you have any idea what that means lol

> Differentials will fail
Diff bushings will, but not the diff itself

> Suspension bushings out of erasers
They don't wear out any faster than any other car of its age lol

Yeah anything with a ZF 5 speed will be great

>TU
>Technical Update

It means they just slapped some shit on there meant for the next generation of engines as a stop gap between the old engine and the new engine. The M52B25TU is a slow boat anchor of an engine as is the B28TU and the M62 TUBs had twice as many VANOS units to fail. Given, if you aren't a mouth breathing retard you can fix the VANOS with about 80 bucks in parts per head but it is a bit annoying.

Differentials do tend to go out when you don't change the fluid. BMW instructions say to not change it, if you don't, they will grenade. You do bring a good point about the diff bushings, they fail as well. Annoying clunks are awful.

The bushings do go out more often than other cars. Some mercs never need suspension bushings replaced

Manual is definitely preferred over auto, though very much more rare on the 5 series.
Suspension overhaul kits are usually 350 bucks for the front or rear. They're tedious but YouTube can certainly help you figure out how to do it.

>straight six BMWs
>don't sound good
Nigga, have you ever even heard one?

This.

What kind of diagnostic tool costs 10k?

>0 accidents
>Minor burning smell from engine bay
>Great first bmw

>he thinks a pleb-tier M54 sounds good
shuffle off fangirl.

It sounds better than your average Inline 6 fartcannon desu.

The M54B30 and its S54 derivatives both won engine of the year and sound smooth and fantastic. You're off your nut if you don't like it.

>inline fartcannon
You mean V6 cuck mobile engine

Pic not really related but damn these wheels are too good not to post

if you cant afford it when it was new - you cant afford to repair it now (especially with high mileage and beat to shit)

Sounds like you've had some shit cars

Considering it’s a 530 he wants and not a 540 or M5 he can easily pay for repairs.

I looked into them most, along with other models, love the BMW my senpai only owned bmw and merc.

That said, after some considerable thought and hanging on Honda civic type R forums and seeing what those engines can do and what punishment they can take on stock internals at high revs, I decided BMW is not for me anymore.

Type R in other hand...
youtube.com/watch?v=HAiMOu-Tj2U

At 9:50 mark. Ep3 I think. And the shifter is placed like on my table when I drive AC.

God bless Nippon folk

M3 could never deal with the punishment Type R handles, and still if it could, they are far more expensive to own.

Nah they've all been gud.
But 540i is awesome.

>HUH MUH ENGIN OF DA YEAR
The M54 is a meh-tier I6 and you know it. Don't even try to bundle your anemic 530 in with the E46 M3 just because both have "54" in the engine name. They don't even share any parts lol

Seconding the usb tool thing, worked at a bmw dealership in germany for some time and it was amazing how much shit you could control

>nothing exists after the E46, E39, and E38. Yes I know, it's horrible. I wish they'd made sequels to the Matrix movie or The Star Wars trilogy too but alas, they never did. Such a shame BMW didn't survive past 2004.

So I take it an 06 E90 with 112k and no service records would be a terrible life choice.

Why do I want to do it anyway?

> an old as fuck $2k BMW is more expensive to own than a $45k Civic
Weak bait