So I think this car deserves its own project thread...

 

It started in November when I got fed up having the Astra and wanted another BMW, but this time with a bit more forethought and planning I ended up flying to Aberdeen with a good friend and purchasing this 2003 530d Sport Touring with 170000 miles on the clock and a massive folder of history.

 

Got us back from Aberdeen to Aldershot on one tank of fuel which I was pleasantly surprised by.

 

Ever since then I have been updating and improving the car to make it a feasible daily as well as a hobby.

 

Anyway I will let the pics do the talking...

 

 

 

 

 

In the last picture is the 540i that three of us have purchased just because V8 (surprisingly better spec then my 2003 sport as well)

 

 

Will keep updating as I upgrade and change the car to suit what spec I want!

looking good :sun: is the v8 manual or auto?

Sadly it is an Auto, still what an engine, 4.4 pre vanos engine its like being punched with a velvet glove.

 

Has some options like Electrical damper control which I have never seen before on an e39

I had the 4.4 in my 740i. The noise and power was immense.

Lovely car the E39.

ah shame sure the auto is still a good drive...how refined are they in standard form? ive only ever heard one in person and that had a cai and s/s decat system....sounded insane :sun:

 

sub 15mpg no doubt

ah shame sure the auto is still a good drive...how refined are they in standard form? ive only ever heard one in person and that had a cai and s/s decat system....sounded insane :sun:

 

sub 15mpg no doubt

Got it up to 32 mpg on way back from Wales, rally suits the auto box as a big lazy waft mobile, although it is in for a service at the moment as the gearbox decided to have a issue whilst in Southampton. This is going that way, edc lowering springs, Alpina 19s and lots of other goodies.

32??? your driving it wrong im not an auto fan seem to make me car sick

 

hopefully its just a fluid change

 

plans sound good exhaust is a must :clap:

What's the 3.0 diesel like? I'm considering a 730d which I think is the same engine but it's a big car and I want poweeeer haha

It's a wonderful engine, just got back from a 438 mile drive and averaged 42 mpg. This is with the older autobox as well. I think it might be a slightly newer engine in the 730d, but it should move it fairly well. If you want power and a diesel buy a 535d.

What's the 3.0 diesel like? I'm considering a 730d which I think is the same engine but it's a big car and I want poweeeer haha

 

My 330d (again, different version of the engine) gets around 35mpg in mixed driving with a heavy foot. Best ever was a brim:brim 60.1mpg from Glasgow to Aylesbury. (That was a boring trip!) 5,200 across Europe in the summer - mountains, cities, auto-routes saw an average of around 44mpg, which wasn't too bad.

 

All the 7 series have a newer engine than the e39, I think, so should be a bit more powerful. Not sure if they started with the 204 or the 231bhp version though?

I think the engine on the 730d in the early ones might be the M57, I'm not sure on the 7 series, I prefer the E38 shape 7 series to be honest...

 

Update on mine has its MOT on Friday eep!

I had an E38 740i but the tech is so old school now and updating it is almost impossible. I'm still undecided. I am tempted by many things. I do love the E39 but I like things that are a bit special...but then again I can be swayed haha!

Get an M5 or an Alpina B10 then if you want special and like the E39 shape. 

 

To be honest I got driven in a F10 5 series and wasn't that impressed, car was really nice but prefer the feel of my 39!

And they do a B10 estate too...

 

Didn't realise that they did a twin turbo 530d version. That musta been pretty impressive back then! http://www.alpina-automobiles.com/en/product-world/model-history/bmw-5-series/bmw-5-series-e39/

And they do a B10 estate too...

Didn't realise that they did a twin turbo 530d version. That musta been pretty impressive back then! http://www.alpina-automobiles.com/en/product-world/model-history/bmw-5-series/bmw-5-series-e39/

Very much so, quite a rare beast, desirable even if you find a breaker as uses the same block as mine so I'm sure bits can be moved over... Uses a better gearbox as well.

Just a quick update, in the last few weeks...

 

Car has passed its MOT albeit failed first time on Handbrake's and currently has 2 advisories, 1 for the exhaust flexis and 1 for tyres so overall extremely happy with this outcome.

 

Long term game plan is to decat, straight pipe into the standard silencer. 

 

Currently averaging 42.8 mpg which isn't bad for an old 3.0 auto diesel. 

 

Currently have some new interior trim coming to replace the wood that is in there currently which is the Technical graphite, will update when it is fitted!

liking them plans :clap:

 

42.8mpg same as me at the moment

BMWs failing on handbrakes?! Well that's a first!

 

Do these have three cats like my 330d, or just one? I removed the big primary cat on mine (made a nice difference) and the resonator (did nothing). From inside, it sounds quite nice - lots of turbo whistle/spool noise and some very satisfying dumping noises. 

 

42.8 is good! I'm on a max. of 37 from my manual 330d. Opps!

I know I was as surprised as the next person  :p

 

I think they only have 1 but will have to confirm that... yours is the N57 engine isn't it on that?

 

I do like the manual big diesels, I may have a manual 530d that picked up for a good price that needs a bit of work but drives really well!

 

Strangely enough prefer the auto box on this though just for the type of car it is!

 

They do sound really good with decat etc. the setup I want sounds like a Mack Truck which just makes me smile!

 

The MPG was after some long motorway driving to be honest, generally I sit at around 35mpg as Surrey lanes tend to be quite windy and not suited for leggy diesels, not all bad for a car on 177000 miles though!

M57, yeah. M57N would have been nice, but my student budget didn't stretch that far at the time.

 

I drove a friends 330d auto - I wasn't impressed. The only auto I'd driven otherwise was an 8 speed 420d, so the old laggy auto in the 330d was a bit of a disappointment in comparison. I can see the appeal though, but just not my cup of tea. Maybe in 10-15 years time when I'm a bit less impatient

 

Ah. On my 5,200 road trip in the summer (to Russia and back) it got 47mpg OBC (so ~43-44 real), which was a mix of motorway (80-90mph cruising for most of it), mountain roads, and towns. It plummets due to the Oxford traffic, I think. My best ever mpg was 60.1mpg (brim to brim) from Glasgow to Aylesbury, spent at a very, very boring 50-55mph on the motorway. For a 3.0 though, I was amazed! But still, for a car on 244,000 miles, as you say, it's not bad at all. (Still hit 130mph on the autobahn too at over 230,000 miles, until it a ) started to get hot b ) a caravan pulled out on me, knocking 80mph off my speed. Given a), I didn't want to try for anything faster a second time!)

 

Interestingly, it rolling roaded at less than 3bhp down on book figures after 200,000 miles! Impressive stuff. The savings from something cheaper would be offset by the purchase price of a replacement, as mine is worth jack all now!

 

We need a video once you're done with the exhaust

Edited 6 May, 201610 yr by TriggerFish

Ah sorry mistake, I thought you had a E9xx flavour 330d!

 

I do get that, I can imagine the 3 series being a bit smaller suits the manual box a fair bit more then the barge like 5 series, saying that I had it parked next to a one series yesterday and it looked narrower and only a couple of feet longer...

 

The cooling systems on the M57 are notoriously weak along with the handbrake etc. Its odd with prices now, there spares are out there for the older BMW's but strangely enough E39's have slowed right down value wise and some of the better ones are now worth more then the replacement E60 BMW. 

 

Had a good weekend with mine, managed to change all the wood trim for Technical Graphite trim and have finished the loom for my flappy paddle steering wheel.

Love these old E39 M Sports. An awful lot of car for frankly not a lot of money now.

Love these old E39 M Sports. An awful lot of car for frankly not a lot of money now.

 

Running costs aren't to bad, the spares networks means you can get the parts relatively cheaply, along with adding any options you want as and when you find them!

So theres me thinking it was going all to well, on the run back from Chertsey to Aldershot, went to overtake someone and DDE warning light comes on and sudden loss of power. 

 

Getting back home find a nice puddle of diesel under the car and dripping still, there's me thinking a huge bill etc. I did cheat and call the AA out (what else do I pay it for) and lo and behold its one of the metal injector pipes that has cracked and has turned the top of the engine into a rather expensive diesel feature!

 

Thankfully have some spares in the man shed so will be a case of manifold off and new pipes on...a massive sigh of relief and back to relaxed motoring!

into a rather expensive diesel feature!

There will be a petrolhead somewhere in the world with something like this in there garden....