Benji
Well-known member
This is the most true statement I have ever come across and a hard lesson to learn
-
Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
Adi's 2001 BMW E39 M5 -- Silverstone Metallic
- Thread starter AdiS
- Start date
AdiS
Well-known member
Yes, this is my understanding as well.
General.Massacre
///Member
You've done great work here Adi, and big props to Garage808 for doing a stellar job in assisting.
The nitty gritty work that most forget about like brackets, lines etc that aren't seen by many, is the important parts. and you've excelled here.
Your statement about getting the best example you can afford, is paramount here, ive burnt my fingers on that exact point. but youve done well here.
Enjoying this thread, i hope to eventually see the car on the road or at a show sometime in person.
The nitty gritty work that most forget about like brackets, lines etc that aren't seen by many, is the important parts. and you've excelled here.
Your statement about getting the best example you can afford, is paramount here, ive burnt my fingers on that exact point. but youve done well here.
Enjoying this thread, i hope to eventually see the car on the road or at a show sometime in person.
TBP88
Well-known member
True words spoken but with the caveat that it also depends on where you want to land. For a driver quality car that you can put miles on, if you're fine with a scuffed up interior and maybe a bit of rough seat wear etc. etc. you can probably save some money. But get one mechanically sound - the bits and bobs add up very quickly on an M car. If you want perfection, you might as well just buy a collector example (but then you'll feel bad every mile you put on it!)My best advice is never to go for an example that needs "rescuing". My M5 is actually a really good starting point, and while it may seem like it needs a lot of work, this is just what they need at 24 years / 100,000km. It was the same with my E46 M3 10 years ago.
You always want to start with the best possible example you can afford - that is always cheapest. In this case, I chose a car from a long term owner who I've known my whole life, and just in general, facelift E39 M5s that are unmolested are just so incredibly rare.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy observing the project! I'll keep things updated as they happen
AdiS
Well-known member
Skip back to Chapter 2 here
Chapter 3: In-car Entertainment
In Chapter 1, I mentioned how I pre-emptively bought a BlueBus while I was in the US. As soon as I bought the M5 and got it home, installing the BlueBus was one of the first jobs I did. To my dismay, it seemed like it wasn't playing nice with the M5's nav. The "Individual M-Audio" system that the car was specced with is actually quite good, but there was some weird behaviour and intermittent distortion that would come and go.
I was pretty sure it wasn't the BlueBus which left 3 possible components:
- Mark III Navigation Computer
- BM24 Radio Module
- DSP Amplifier
To cut a long story short, I wasn't sure which component was the culprit and I had intended to at least upgrade to the Mark IV navigation computer at some point in the future, so I just thought I would sort out everything in one go.
DSP: I sent the DSP over to the UK to Carphonics to be bench tested. Baris said it was perfect, so no issue there.
BM24 Radio Module: I decided to upgrade from the BM24 radio module to the Carphonics BM54 with 50W upgraded internals, along with all the correct retrofit cables. This is where Carphonics take the newer BM54 radio module, update it to the latest firmware, replace all the components the typically fail as well as upgrade the amplifier components to output 50watts RMS. This significantly improves sound quality and ensures that the radio BM module remains reliable.
Navigation Computer: Finally, while we are in there, I purchased a Mark IV nav computer. This module is DVD based instead of CD based for the factory GPS navigation, but more importantly is comes with the latest V32 software running, and it also just works the smoothest/fastest and most reliably with the BlueBus. The interface looks roughly the same as the Mark III nav computer, but it's a fair bit faster and less janky.
This week everything arrived from the UK, my original DSP went back into the car, and I installed the new repaired/upgraded BM54, as well as a Mark IV Nav computer with the latest V32 screen and custom "M" startup Splash screen.
TV Module, DSP, BM24, MarkIII Nav all removed:
All the modules from UK and ready for Installation
All back in
Custom "M" Startup Screen
Mark IV Nav with BlueBus Bluetooth working great!
Conclusion
The upgraded BM54 paired with DSP and the Factory Individual M-Audio sounds great for my purposes, and I'm happy now that I have factory quality bluetooth music streaming all working nicely.
Skip ahead to Chapter 4 here
Chapter 3: In-car Entertainment
In Chapter 1, I mentioned how I pre-emptively bought a BlueBus while I was in the US. As soon as I bought the M5 and got it home, installing the BlueBus was one of the first jobs I did. To my dismay, it seemed like it wasn't playing nice with the M5's nav. The "Individual M-Audio" system that the car was specced with is actually quite good, but there was some weird behaviour and intermittent distortion that would come and go.
I was pretty sure it wasn't the BlueBus which left 3 possible components:
- Mark III Navigation Computer
- BM24 Radio Module
- DSP Amplifier
To cut a long story short, I wasn't sure which component was the culprit and I had intended to at least upgrade to the Mark IV navigation computer at some point in the future, so I just thought I would sort out everything in one go.
DSP: I sent the DSP over to the UK to Carphonics to be bench tested. Baris said it was perfect, so no issue there.
BM24 Radio Module: I decided to upgrade from the BM24 radio module to the Carphonics BM54 with 50W upgraded internals, along with all the correct retrofit cables. This is where Carphonics take the newer BM54 radio module, update it to the latest firmware, replace all the components the typically fail as well as upgrade the amplifier components to output 50watts RMS. This significantly improves sound quality and ensures that the radio BM module remains reliable.
Navigation Computer: Finally, while we are in there, I purchased a Mark IV nav computer. This module is DVD based instead of CD based for the factory GPS navigation, but more importantly is comes with the latest V32 software running, and it also just works the smoothest/fastest and most reliably with the BlueBus. The interface looks roughly the same as the Mark III nav computer, but it's a fair bit faster and less janky.
This week everything arrived from the UK, my original DSP went back into the car, and I installed the new repaired/upgraded BM54, as well as a Mark IV Nav computer with the latest V32 screen and custom "M" startup Splash screen.
TV Module, DSP, BM24, MarkIII Nav all removed:
All the modules from UK and ready for Installation
All back in
Custom "M" Startup Screen
Mark IV Nav with BlueBus Bluetooth working great!
Conclusion
The upgraded BM54 paired with DSP and the Factory Individual M-Audio sounds great for my purposes, and I'm happy now that I have factory quality bluetooth music streaming all working nicely.
Skip ahead to Chapter 4 here
Last edited:
AdiS
Well-known member
Well, the coolest product that Carphonics offer is where they take the factory TV module, retrofit it with Wireless Apple CarPlay, and then they also retrofit the factory satnav screen with a touchscreen. It keeps the factory navigation and software and allows you to switch to Carplay.
Impressive stuff which I'll consider in future if I haven't bankrupted myself
AdiS
Well-known member
Skip Back to Chapter 3 here.
Chapter 4: Maintenance Round 2
Mileage: 103,185km
Service Booking Date: 21 July 2025
Picking up where we left off in Chapter 2, the M5 went back to Garage808 for the long awaited Round 2 of maintenance. One could be forgiven for thinking this car is a basket case, but that simply isn’t true. It was much loved by its previous owner, but it did sit around getting old. You’ll notice that I mention age and/or parts availability as core motivations for doing a lot of the work. Whether these cars have high or low mileage, they all need roughly this amount of work. It is what it is.
Suspension
Despite driving really well, it became apparent that after 25 years the shocks were done as well as a few suspension components. There had already been some rear suspension work done in 2021 by a BMW dealer and quite bafflingly, when it came to the rear control arms, they elected only to replace one side. Thankfully there had only been 3000km since this was done, so bringing the other side up-to-date wasn’t an issue.
Work Completed
Front Shocks (old and new, side by side)
Old Rear Shocks Still in the car
New Rear Shocks in my box of parts that I supplied (it was much more full in the beginning)
Old Rear Shock Mounts are unfortunately NLA, with no decent aftermarket alternatives. Thankfully mine are still fine.
New Rear Shocks Installed
Gear Shifter Rebuild & E60 545i Short Shifter
With age and some mileage, changing gears on an M5 usually feels quite sloppy with long throws and noticeable play in the linkage. This has been true of every M5 that I’ve driven in the past. The solution is to rebuild the shifter mechanism, replacing all the worn components. Optionally, if you prefer a more contemporary and shorter feeling shift action, the E60 545i shifter is a brilliant bang-for-buck short shift option.
Work Completed
Garage808 made a video on this job so you can see exactly what was done:
Gearbox Mounts & Fluid
Knowing that we were going to do the shifter rebuild, in Chapter 2 we delayed the installation of the new gearbox mounts and gearbox oil change to this round of maintenance.
Work Completed
Driveline
I must admit, after fitting the new engine mounts in Chapter 2, the driveline actually felt great. But once more, I adopted a proactive approach with the ever diminishing parts supply and/or increase in parts costs in mind. To this end, I did the following to ensure the driveline up to standard.
Work Completed
This job requires removal of the exhaust, so I chose to replace the mounts as the exhaust was sagging heavily to the left. It turns out that the existing mounts were fine and the exhaust had just been refitted incorrectly in a previous job. Thanks a lot, previous BMW dealer! Further to this, some exhaust mounting hardware was missing or starting to seize, so we replaced all the nuts & bolts that mount the exhaust.
The Diff mounts that came out the car also looked pretty much perfect, but at least now I don’t have to worry them. Part of the concern is that when the front diff mounting starts to fail, the diff can start to rock back and forth and really hammer the front mount bracket on the subframe. This is often how the infamous subframe bracket failure can occur. I just wanted to be sure that this wasn’t going to be a problem, so now it’s done and I don’t have to worry.
The previous owner was a highly skilled driver and I would describe his driving style as “impossibly smooth”. Based on the condition of the propshoft components and rear diff mounts, this certainly seemed to be the case.
How the Diff Looked Before
Old Front Diff Mount
Where the Diff Input seal had leaked before it was addressed back in 2021
Old Rear Mount
Now, everything nicely cleaned up and new parts installed
Chapter 4: Maintenance Round 2
Mileage: 103,185km
Service Booking Date: 21 July 2025
Picking up where we left off in Chapter 2, the M5 went back to Garage808 for the long awaited Round 2 of maintenance. One could be forgiven for thinking this car is a basket case, but that simply isn’t true. It was much loved by its previous owner, but it did sit around getting old. You’ll notice that I mention age and/or parts availability as core motivations for doing a lot of the work. Whether these cars have high or low mileage, they all need roughly this amount of work. It is what it is.
Suspension
Despite driving really well, it became apparent that after 25 years the shocks were done as well as a few suspension components. There had already been some rear suspension work done in 2021 by a BMW dealer and quite bafflingly, when it came to the rear control arms, they elected only to replace one side. Thankfully there had only been 3000km since this was done, so bringing the other side up-to-date wasn’t an issue.
Work Completed
- New Front and Rear Shocks (Genuine BMW)
- New Front Shock Mounts (Genuine BMW)
- New Front Thrust Arms & Bushes (Genuine BMW)
- New Right Rear Control Arm (Genuine BMW)
Front Shocks (old and new, side by side)
Old Rear Shocks Still in the car
New Rear Shocks in my box of parts that I supplied (it was much more full in the beginning)
Old Rear Shock Mounts are unfortunately NLA, with no decent aftermarket alternatives. Thankfully mine are still fine.
New Rear Shocks Installed
Gear Shifter Rebuild & E60 545i Short Shifter
With age and some mileage, changing gears on an M5 usually feels quite sloppy with long throws and noticeable play in the linkage. This has been true of every M5 that I’ve driven in the past. The solution is to rebuild the shifter mechanism, replacing all the worn components. Optionally, if you prefer a more contemporary and shorter feeling shift action, the E60 545i shifter is a brilliant bang-for-buck short shift option.
Work Completed
- E60 545i Short Shifter (Genuine BMW)
- Shifting Arm Bearing (Genuine BMW)
- Shift Lever Bearing (Genuine BMW)
- Gearshift Rod Joint (Genuine BMW)
- Oval Bush Bearings (Genuine BMW)
Garage808 made a video on this job so you can see exactly what was done:
Gearbox Mounts & Fluid
Knowing that we were going to do the shifter rebuild, in Chapter 2 we delayed the installation of the new gearbox mounts and gearbox oil change to this round of maintenance.
Work Completed
- New Gearbox Mounts (Genuine BMW)
- New Gearbox Fluid (Genuine BMW)
Driveline
I must admit, after fitting the new engine mounts in Chapter 2, the driveline actually felt great. But once more, I adopted a proactive approach with the ever diminishing parts supply and/or increase in parts costs in mind. To this end, I did the following to ensure the driveline up to standard.
Work Completed
- New Propshaft Flex Disc (Genuine BMW)
- New Front & Rear Diff Mounts (Genuine BMW)
- New Diff Output Seals (Genuine BMW)
- The Input seal was previously done in 2021
- New Diff Fluid (Genuine BMW)
- New Exhaust Mounts (Genuine BMW)
- New Exhaust Nuts & Bolts (Genuine BMW)
This job requires removal of the exhaust, so I chose to replace the mounts as the exhaust was sagging heavily to the left. It turns out that the existing mounts were fine and the exhaust had just been refitted incorrectly in a previous job. Thanks a lot, previous BMW dealer! Further to this, some exhaust mounting hardware was missing or starting to seize, so we replaced all the nuts & bolts that mount the exhaust.
The Diff mounts that came out the car also looked pretty much perfect, but at least now I don’t have to worry them. Part of the concern is that when the front diff mounting starts to fail, the diff can start to rock back and forth and really hammer the front mount bracket on the subframe. This is often how the infamous subframe bracket failure can occur. I just wanted to be sure that this wasn’t going to be a problem, so now it’s done and I don’t have to worry.
The previous owner was a highly skilled driver and I would describe his driving style as “impossibly smooth”. Based on the condition of the propshoft components and rear diff mounts, this certainly seemed to be the case.
How the Diff Looked Before
Old Front Diff Mount
Where the Diff Input seal had leaked before it was addressed back in 2021
Old Rear Mount
Now, everything nicely cleaned up and new parts installed
Last edited:
AdiS
Well-known member
Windscreen Moulding
Due to age, the windscreen rubber moulding had begun to crack. It’s actually a fairly straight forward DIY, but it can turn into a giant pain to clean the channels after removing the old one, so I had Garage808 take care of this one for me.
Work Completed
I'll update the thread with pics of the new moulding when I have access to the car again. I forgot to take some before writing this post.
Right Rear Door Lock Actuator
In Chapter 2, I took care of the lazy left rear door lock actuator, and in this chapter we took care of the right rear as it also showed evidence of slowing down. You really don’t want these to fail in the locked position, so better to get it done before that happens.
In the process, as was the case with the left side, Colin had to remove the vapour barrier and clean off all the old failing butyl sealant, so now both rear doors have reliable door locks and fully re-sealed vapour barriers. These things are simply a function of age, even with a car thats been garage kept its whole life. 25 years is 25 years!
Brake Fluid Flush
In chapter 2, I had Turner Motorsport Stainless Brake lines installed, not only at the callipers, but also specifically at the ABS module where the factory items are a fire hazard. Unfortunately, this job introduces air into the middle of the brake system and this air is notoriously difficult to bleed out on E39s. Last time I mentioned that the first attempt at bleeding was insufficient, so this time Colin must have spent several hours bleeding, including using diagnostic software to trigger the ABS pump to assist with the process. He went through 6 litres of brake fluid! Anyway, the brakes feel much better now.
Work Completed
Viscous Fan & Clutch
It’s almost cliche at this point, but everyone always says to replace the viscous fan blade and clutch due to age. The reason for this is that the viscous clutch can seize, and the plastic fan blade can get brittle and in either of those cases, you could have the fan blade exploding and damaging everything on the front of the engine, including the bonnet. Not wanting to encounter that experience, I preventatively replaced them.
Work Completed
Old and New Fan and Clutch
Old ones kept as spares as they are still in very good condition
Fuel Pump and Level Sender
Not wanting to be stranded by a 20 year old, broken fuel pump, I decided to preventatively replace it. I also replaced the Right Side Fuel Level Sender as I could see it was misreading, and from some 2021 diagnostic print outs, there were also historical errors related to this part.
Usually when old BMW fuel level senders misbehave, they “over-read” the fuel level, meaning that the fuel gauge will show something like 1/4 tank when it’s actually empty. In my case, it was the opposite: A full tank would have the gauge showing 9/10s.
The motorplan history of the car shows a fuel pump replacement in 2002 at just 15,000km! There was some evidence of poor dealership work, and Colin corrected all of this during this job.
Work Completed
Cleaned up, corrected, and new pump installed
Instrument Cluster Dead Pixels
Probably the most noticeable and annoying issue on this car, and it’s a very common one, was the “OBC High” instrument cluster LCD showing dead pixels. While the car was at Garage808, I had them send it off to Combined Electronics to have this fixed. It’s something one sees every time one drives the car and just like the failed review mirror, screams “old and broken”. I’m really glad I got this fixed!
Work Completed
Old LCD with Dead pixels (not the best photo of how bad it really was)
Pixel Perfect Cluster
Miscellaneous
A small but noticeable detail - the right rear exterior door handle took slightly more effort to pull to open the door compared to the others. Colin adjusted it and now it feels exactly the same as all the others. It’s details like this that really matter, and you’d be surprised as to how many things like these M5s have, both high and low mileage. At the risk of sounding extremely repetitive, there are a lot of age related things on these cars and if you’re most unfortunate as I am to be blessed with an eye for detail, it’s hard to leave some of these things unaddressed.
Work Completed
Wheel Alignment
As the final step, with a fair amount of suspension work having been done to the car, a wheel alignment was in order. Tiger Wheel & Tyre Willowbridge is managed by a former (or perhaps still current) member of BMWFanatics, and they were very good at taking their time to set the alignment properly. The car drives great, and I have to say, the comfort and handling of the E39 platform is just so wonderful. It’s such a nice car to drive!
Note the Improved Bumper Fitment and Exhaust Alignment after the diff job which involved removing the rear bumper and exhaust:
Before:
After
Special Thanks to Garage808
I feel it is important to give a special mention and big thank you to Garage808. Despite this car being un-abused and garage kept it’s old life, it is at an age where almost every job takes much longer than one would expect. Many original parts are seized or very unwilling to cooperate and in reality, the jobs take much longer than what is justifiably quoted and invoiced for.
Colin was careful to take his time to make sure the jobs weren’t rushed, he also put in a lot of extra time to do lots of cleaning and making sure that little details are right. For the most part, this car is very original, but here and there are some past sins from BMW dealer workmanship that needed correcting.
All in all, the car was there for about 5 weeks for this booking and they probably did about a week of free labour with all the extra time it took to complete each job. They did this because they recognise that I want things done properly and carefully, and equally they care about being a part of a restoration project of a special car like this one They agree that this particular example is a rare, un-abused example and that it’s worth the investment that I am putting into it. I am very grateful for this, so thank you to Colin and Adele who have been great to work with on this project, and will continue to be my primary partner in this project when it comes to mechanical work and maintenance.
With Garage808, there's never a doubt that your parts were replaced. They always return the old parts very neatly packed. It's a nice touch. This wasn't even everything, I just put out the big items that were replaced!
Conclusion
Finally, after an eye-watering amount of money, the car is mechanically up-to-date for the most part. A project like this is never done, and there are still more things to be addressed in upcoming chapters. So stay tuned and until then, stay well and drive safe!
Due to age, the windscreen rubber moulding had begun to crack. It’s actually a fairly straight forward DIY, but it can turn into a giant pain to clean the channels after removing the old one, so I had Garage808 take care of this one for me.
Work Completed
- Installed New Windscreen Moulding (Genuine BMW)
I'll update the thread with pics of the new moulding when I have access to the car again. I forgot to take some before writing this post.
Right Rear Door Lock Actuator
In Chapter 2, I took care of the lazy left rear door lock actuator, and in this chapter we took care of the right rear as it also showed evidence of slowing down. You really don’t want these to fail in the locked position, so better to get it done before that happens.
In the process, as was the case with the left side, Colin had to remove the vapour barrier and clean off all the old failing butyl sealant, so now both rear doors have reliable door locks and fully re-sealed vapour barriers. These things are simply a function of age, even with a car thats been garage kept its whole life. 25 years is 25 years!
Brake Fluid Flush
In chapter 2, I had Turner Motorsport Stainless Brake lines installed, not only at the callipers, but also specifically at the ABS module where the factory items are a fire hazard. Unfortunately, this job introduces air into the middle of the brake system and this air is notoriously difficult to bleed out on E39s. Last time I mentioned that the first attempt at bleeding was insufficient, so this time Colin must have spent several hours bleeding, including using diagnostic software to trigger the ABS pump to assist with the process. He went through 6 litres of brake fluid! Anyway, the brakes feel much better now.
Work Completed
- Brakes extensively bled
Viscous Fan & Clutch
It’s almost cliche at this point, but everyone always says to replace the viscous fan blade and clutch due to age. The reason for this is that the viscous clutch can seize, and the plastic fan blade can get brittle and in either of those cases, you could have the fan blade exploding and damaging everything on the front of the engine, including the bonnet. Not wanting to encounter that experience, I preventatively replaced them.
Work Completed
- New Viscous Fan Blade (OE)
- New Viscous Fan Clutch (OE)
Old and New Fan and Clutch
Old ones kept as spares as they are still in very good condition
Fuel Pump and Level Sender
Not wanting to be stranded by a 20 year old, broken fuel pump, I decided to preventatively replace it. I also replaced the Right Side Fuel Level Sender as I could see it was misreading, and from some 2021 diagnostic print outs, there were also historical errors related to this part.
Usually when old BMW fuel level senders misbehave, they “over-read” the fuel level, meaning that the fuel gauge will show something like 1/4 tank when it’s actually empty. In my case, it was the opposite: A full tank would have the gauge showing 9/10s.
The motorplan history of the car shows a fuel pump replacement in 2002 at just 15,000km! There was some evidence of poor dealership work, and Colin corrected all of this during this job.
Work Completed
- New Fuel Pump (OE)
- New RHS Fuel Level Sender
Cleaned up, corrected, and new pump installed
Instrument Cluster Dead Pixels
Probably the most noticeable and annoying issue on this car, and it’s a very common one, was the “OBC High” instrument cluster LCD showing dead pixels. While the car was at Garage808, I had them send it off to Combined Electronics to have this fixed. It’s something one sees every time one drives the car and just like the failed review mirror, screams “old and broken”. I’m really glad I got this fixed!
Work Completed
- Replaced Instrument Cluster LCD
Old LCD with Dead pixels (not the best photo of how bad it really was)
Pixel Perfect Cluster
Miscellaneous
A small but noticeable detail - the right rear exterior door handle took slightly more effort to pull to open the door compared to the others. Colin adjusted it and now it feels exactly the same as all the others. It’s details like this that really matter, and you’d be surprised as to how many things like these M5s have, both high and low mileage. At the risk of sounding extremely repetitive, there are a lot of age related things on these cars and if you’re most unfortunate as I am to be blessed with an eye for detail, it’s hard to leave some of these things unaddressed.
Work Completed
- Adjusted Right Rear Exterior Door Handle
Wheel Alignment
As the final step, with a fair amount of suspension work having been done to the car, a wheel alignment was in order. Tiger Wheel & Tyre Willowbridge is managed by a former (or perhaps still current) member of BMWFanatics, and they were very good at taking their time to set the alignment properly. The car drives great, and I have to say, the comfort and handling of the E39 platform is just so wonderful. It’s such a nice car to drive!
Note the Improved Bumper Fitment and Exhaust Alignment after the diff job which involved removing the rear bumper and exhaust:
Before:
After
Special Thanks to Garage808
I feel it is important to give a special mention and big thank you to Garage808. Despite this car being un-abused and garage kept it’s old life, it is at an age where almost every job takes much longer than one would expect. Many original parts are seized or very unwilling to cooperate and in reality, the jobs take much longer than what is justifiably quoted and invoiced for.
Colin was careful to take his time to make sure the jobs weren’t rushed, he also put in a lot of extra time to do lots of cleaning and making sure that little details are right. For the most part, this car is very original, but here and there are some past sins from BMW dealer workmanship that needed correcting.
All in all, the car was there for about 5 weeks for this booking and they probably did about a week of free labour with all the extra time it took to complete each job. They did this because they recognise that I want things done properly and carefully, and equally they care about being a part of a restoration project of a special car like this one They agree that this particular example is a rare, un-abused example and that it’s worth the investment that I am putting into it. I am very grateful for this, so thank you to Colin and Adele who have been great to work with on this project, and will continue to be my primary partner in this project when it comes to mechanical work and maintenance.
With Garage808, there's never a doubt that your parts were replaced. They always return the old parts very neatly packed. It's a nice touch. This wasn't even everything, I just put out the big items that were replaced!
Conclusion
Finally, after an eye-watering amount of money, the car is mechanically up-to-date for the most part. A project like this is never done, and there are still more things to be addressed in upcoming chapters. So stay tuned and until then, stay well and drive safe!
Last edited:
///M Individual
Well-known member
Incredible work going in. Well done!
Benji
Well-known member
This brings tears to the eyes. Beautiful car and meticulous work, well done sir 🍻Windscreen Moulding
Due to age, the windscreen rubber moulding had begun to crack. It’s actually a fairly straight forward DIY, but it can turn into a giant pain to clean the channels after removing the old one, so I had Garage808 take care of this one for me.
Work Completed
Old and Cracked Moulding
- Installed New Windscreen Moulding (Genuine BMW)
I'll update the thread with pics of the new moulding when I have access to the car again. I forgot to take some before writing this post.
Right Rear Door Lock Actuator
In Chapter 2, I took care of the lazy left rear door lock actuator, and in this chapter we took care of the right rear as it also showed evidence of slowing down. You really don’t want these to fail in the locked position, so better to get it done before that happens.
In the process, as was the case with the left side, Colin had to remove the vapour barrier and clean off all the old failing butyl sealant, so now both rear doors have reliable door locks and fully re-sealed vapour barriers. These things are simply a function of age, even with a car thats been garage kept its whole life. 25 years is 25 years!
Brake Fluid Flush
In chapter 2, I had Turner Motorsport Stainless Brake lines installed, not only at the callipers, but also specifically at the ABS module where the factory items are a fire hazard. Unfortunately, this job introduces air into the middle of the brake system and this air is notoriously difficult to bleed out on E39s. Last time I mentioned that the first attempt at bleeding was insufficient, so this time Colin must have spent several hours bleeding, including using diagnostic software to trigger the ABS pump to assist with the process. He went through 6 litres of brake fluid! Anyway, the brakes feel much better now.
Work Completed
- Brakes extensively bled
Viscous Fan & Clutch
It’s almost cliche at this point, but everyone always says to replace the viscous fan blade and clutch due to age. The reason for this is that the viscous clutch can seize, and the plastic fan blade can get brittle and in either of those cases, you could have the fan blade exploding and damaging everything on the front of the engine, including the bonnet. Not wanting to encounter that experience, I preventatively replaced them.
Work Completed
The existing fan blade that was removed from the car did not feel brittle at all, and Colin said the existing Viscous Clutch was also still fine. So, I’ve kept them as spares for the future. This was another general preventative measure.
- New Viscous Fan Blade (OE)
- New Viscous Fan Clutch (OE)
Old and New Fan and Clutch
Old ones kept as spares as they are still in very good condition
Fuel Pump and Level Sender
Not wanting to be stranded by a 20 year old, broken fuel pump, I decided to preventatively replace it. I also replaced the Right Side Fuel Level Sender as I could see it was misreading, and from some 2021 diagnostic print outs, there were also historical errors related to this part.
Usually when old BMW fuel level senders misbehave, they “over-read” the fuel level, meaning that the fuel gauge will show something like 1/4 tank when it’s actually empty. In my case, it was the opposite: A full tank would have the gauge showing 9/10s.
The motorplan history of the car shows a fuel pump replacement in 2002 at just 15,000km! There was some evidence of poor dealership work, and Colin corrected all of this during this job.
Work Completed
Old, extremely dirty fuel pump with wiring bafoonery from BMW Dealer back in the day
- New Fuel Pump (OE)
- New RHS Fuel Level Sender
Cleaned up, corrected, and new pump installed
Instrument Cluster Dead Pixels
Probably the most noticeable and annoying issue on this car, and it’s a very common one, was the “OBC High” instrument cluster LCD showing dead pixels. While the car was at Garage808, I had them send it off to Combined Electronics to have this fixed. It’s something one sees every time one drives the car and just like the failed review mirror, screams “old and broken”. I’m really glad I got this fixed@
Work Completed
- Replaced Instrument Cluster LCD
Old LCD with Dead pixels (not the best photo of how bad it really was)
Pixel Perfect Cluster
Miscellaneous
A small but noticeable detail - the right rear exterior door handle took slightly more effort to pull to open the door compared to the others. Colin adjusted it and now it feels exactly the same as all the others. It’s details like this that really matter, and you’d be surprised as to how many things like these M5s have, both high and low mileage. At the risk of sounding extremely repetitive, there are a lot of age related things on these cars and if you’re most unfortunate as I am to be blessed with an eye for detail, it’s hard to leave some of these things unaddressed.
Work Completed
Random Pic of the Door In Question
- Adjusted Right Rear Exterior Door Handle
Wheel Alignment
As the final step, with a fair amount of suspension work having been done to the car, a wheel alignment was in order. Tiger Wheel & Tyre Willowbridge is managed by a former (or perhaps still current) member of BMWFanatics, and they were very good at taking their time to set the alignment properly. The car drives great, and I have to say, the comfort and handling of the E39 platform is just so wonderful. It’s such a nice car to drive!
Note the Improved Bumper Fitment and Exhaust Alignment after the diff job which involved removing the rear bumper and exhaust
Special Thanks to Garage808
I feel it is important to give a special mention and big thank you to Garage808. Despite this car being un-abused and garage kept it’s old life, it is at an age where almost every job takes much longer than one would expect. Many original parts are seized or very unwilling to cooperate and in reality, the jobs take much longer than what is justifiably quoted and invoiced for.
Colin was careful to take his time to make sure the jobs weren’t rushed, he also put in a lot of extra time to do little bits of cleaning and making sure that little details are right. For the most part, this car is very original, but here and there are some past sins from BMW dealer workmanship.
All in all, the car was there for about 5 weeks for this booking and they probably did about a week of free labour with all the extra time it took to complete each job. They did this because they recognise that I want things done properly and carefully, and equally they care about being a part of a restoration projects of a special car like this one They agree that this particular example is a rare, un-abused example and that it’s worth the investment that I am putting into it. I am very grateful for this, so thank you to Colin and Adele who have been great to work with on this project, and will continue to be my primary partner in this project when it comes to mechanical work and maintenance.
With Garage808, there's never a doubt that your parts were replaced. They always return the old parts very neatly packed. It's a nice touch. This wasn't even everything, I just put out the big items that were replaced!
Conclusion
Finally, after an eye-watering amount of money, the car is mechanically up-to-date for the most part. A project like this is never done, and there are still more things to be addressed in upcoming chapters. So stay tuned and until then, stay well and drive safe!
On a side, note, how ridiculously expensive is the front diff mount! Only available at BMW as well...
AdiS
Well-known member
Thanks very much! The front diff mount was about R1250 from BMW. Not too bad IMO.
Amazing work @AdiS , this makes one understand the current asking prices on some of these if a meticulous example like yours gets pampered in this manner.Windscreen Moulding
Due to age, the windscreen rubber moulding had begun to crack. It’s actually a fairly straight forward DIY, but it can turn into a giant pain to clean the channels after removing the old one, so I had Garage808 take care of this one for me.
Work Completed
Old and Cracked Moulding
- Installed New Windscreen Moulding (Genuine BMW)
I'll update the thread with pics of the new moulding when I have access to the car again. I forgot to take some before writing this post.
Right Rear Door Lock Actuator
In Chapter 2, I took care of the lazy left rear door lock actuator, and in this chapter we took care of the right rear as it also showed evidence of slowing down. You really don’t want these to fail in the locked position, so better to get it done before that happens.
In the process, as was the case with the left side, Colin had to remove the vapour barrier and clean off all the old failing butyl sealant, so now both rear doors have reliable door locks and fully re-sealed vapour barriers. These things are simply a function of age, even with a car thats been garage kept its whole life. 25 years is 25 years!
Brake Fluid Flush
In chapter 2, I had Turner Motorsport Stainless Brake lines installed, not only at the callipers, but also specifically at the ABS module where the factory items are a fire hazard. Unfortunately, this job introduces air into the middle of the brake system and this air is notoriously difficult to bleed out on E39s. Last time I mentioned that the first attempt at bleeding was insufficient, so this time Colin must have spent several hours bleeding, including using diagnostic software to trigger the ABS pump to assist with the process. He went through 6 litres of brake fluid! Anyway, the brakes feel much better now.
Work Completed
- Brakes extensively bled
Viscous Fan & Clutch
It’s almost cliche at this point, but everyone always says to replace the viscous fan blade and clutch due to age. The reason for this is that the viscous clutch can seize, and the plastic fan blade can get brittle and in either of those cases, you could have the fan blade exploding and damaging everything on the front of the engine, including the bonnet. Not wanting to encounter that experience, I preventatively replaced them.
Work Completed
The existing fan blade that was removed from the car did not feel brittle at all, and Colin said the existing Viscous Clutch was also still fine. So, I’ve kept them as spares for the future. This was another general preventative measure.
- New Viscous Fan Blade (OE)
- New Viscous Fan Clutch (OE)
Old and New Fan and Clutch
Old ones kept as spares as they are still in very good condition
Fuel Pump and Level Sender
Not wanting to be stranded by a 20 year old, broken fuel pump, I decided to preventatively replace it. I also replaced the Right Side Fuel Level Sender as I could see it was misreading, and from some 2021 diagnostic print outs, there were also historical errors related to this part.
Usually when old BMW fuel level senders misbehave, they “over-read” the fuel level, meaning that the fuel gauge will show something like 1/4 tank when it’s actually empty. In my case, it was the opposite: A full tank would have the gauge showing 9/10s.
The motorplan history of the car shows a fuel pump replacement in 2002 at just 15,000km! There was some evidence of poor dealership work, and Colin corrected all of this during this job.
Work Completed
Old, extremely dirty fuel pump with wiring bafoonery from BMW Dealer back in the day
- New Fuel Pump (OE)
- New RHS Fuel Level Sender
Cleaned up, corrected, and new pump installed
Instrument Cluster Dead Pixels
Probably the most noticeable and annoying issue on this car, and it’s a very common one, was the “OBC High” instrument cluster LCD showing dead pixels. While the car was at Garage808, I had them send it off to Combined Electronics to have this fixed. It’s something one sees every time one drives the car and just like the failed review mirror, screams “old and broken”. I’m really glad I got this fixed@
Work Completed
- Replaced Instrument Cluster LCD
Old LCD with Dead pixels (not the best photo of how bad it really was)
Pixel Perfect Cluster
Miscellaneous
A small but noticeable detail - the right rear exterior door handle took slightly more effort to pull to open the door compared to the others. Colin adjusted it and now it feels exactly the same as all the others. It’s details like this that really matter, and you’d be surprised as to how many things like these M5s have, both high and low mileage. At the risk of sounding extremely repetitive, there are a lot of age related things on these cars and if you’re most unfortunate as I am to be blessed with an eye for detail, it’s hard to leave some of these things unaddressed.
Work Completed
Random Pic of the Door In Question
- Adjusted Right Rear Exterior Door Handle
Wheel Alignment
As the final step, with a fair amount of suspension work having been done to the car, a wheel alignment was in order. Tiger Wheel & Tyre Willowbridge is managed by a former (or perhaps still current) member of BMWFanatics, and they were very good at taking their time to set the alignment properly. The car drives great, and I have to say, the comfort and handling of the E39 platform is just so wonderful. It’s such a nice car to drive!
Note the Improved Bumper Fitment and Exhaust Alignment after the diff job which involved removing the rear bumper and exhaust
Special Thanks to Garage808
I feel it is important to give a special mention and big thank you to Garage808. Despite this car being un-abused and garage kept it’s old life, it is at an age where almost every job takes much longer than one would expect. Many original parts are seized or very unwilling to cooperate and in reality, the jobs take much longer than what is justifiably quoted and invoiced for.
Colin was careful to take his time to make sure the jobs weren’t rushed, he also put in a lot of extra time to do lots of cleaning and making sure that little details are right. For the most part, this car is very original, but here and there are some past sins from BMW dealer workmanship that needed correcting.
All in all, the car was there for about 5 weeks for this booking and they probably did about a week of free labour with all the extra time it took to complete each job. They did this because they recognise that I want things done properly and carefully, and equally they care about being a part of a restoration project of a special car like this one They agree that this particular example is a rare, un-abused example and that it’s worth the investment that I am putting into it. I am very grateful for this, so thank you to Colin and Adele who have been great to work with on this project, and will continue to be my primary partner in this project when it comes to mechanical work and maintenance.
With Garage808, there's never a doubt that your parts were replaced. They always return the old parts very neatly packed. It's a nice touch. This wasn't even everything, I just put out the big items that were replaced!
Conclusion
Finally, after an eye-watering amount of money, the car is mechanically up-to-date for the most part. A project like this is never done, and there are still more things to be addressed in upcoming chapters. So stay tuned and until then, stay well and drive safe
Benji
Well-known member
That isnt bad at all, I seem to recall something closer to R2800
AdiS
Well-known member
Thanks, and I'm glad you point that out. Few people realise just how expensive and difficult it is to either keep or make these cars nice. Those who have nice ones, justifiably ask high prices.
