e39 525i Touring SE

[KennyP]

Couldn't resist this '01 touring that came up for sale last year with just 46k miles and 1 owner from new. The po had been the dealership owner at BMW in Huntingdon (Murketts if anyone remembers them!). Unfortunately he was no longer able to drive. The car came with every single piece of paper possible from original order sheets, specs, extras spec'd etc etc. It had obviously sat a lot but was kept under cover at least so no rot had been able to set in.

It was given a cheap oil change and mot which was enough to allow us to drive it back the 400 miles to home. The first 2 weeks of ownership saw a full-on service of just about everything including new tyres. It the got a professional detail and ceramic coat and a tow bar so we could drag the caravan around....

I promised myself to keep it factory.......We made it to 51k miles......

After towing the 'van up to the highlands this summer we decided that either needed to change the old touring for something newer or we could 'improve' it to our tastes. A plan was hatched, new suspension, new wheels, new headunit with bluetooth and better sound and maybe a little more grunt at some point. What we didn't want was a fake Alpina or M sport, so less is more.

So, the last few months saw all dampers replaced with Sachs 'sports' versions (car is an SE so very softly sprung/damped), new top mounts all round, drop links, bump stops and anti-roll bushes. Classic BBS RC090 17" wheels (originals 16's) with slightly wider rubber to fill the arches. An Android Eonon HU replaced the factory in dash CD and fm radio so we now have DAB+, music streaming, telephone, usb inputs and we can also power a subwoofer. A small Vibe amp sits under the boot floor and powers aFocal sub that lies in the boot. This will be complimented with Focal component speakers into the front doors when I get a chance.

It has made a huge difference to how the car drives and feels, much more surefooted (all the original dampers were shot at 51k miles....) and the tech looks very oem if you had the better factory system.

Pics are after detailing when it landed, underbody scrub and Bilt Hamber wax rust proofing treatment (doesn't get much cleaner for a UK car!), new HU, new dampers and BBS on!


Cheers,

[JohnW]

You always end up trimming things to your own taste. That’s one of the cleanest E39s I’ve seen, remarkable! I need to find a cheap daily too really. I’ve toyed with the idea of a 1 series and making up the Alpina that never was, and probably should have been (based on an E82 perhaps) but they all seem molested.

[KennyP]

Hi John, this replaced an M135i (14 plate) that we bought a year earlier. I had similar thoughts to create something nice from it as it was a low mileage full history car with fully electric oyster leather seats. Did a very gentle remap, it already had Eibach springs, improved the speakers and added a small amp. But then things started to annoy me, the interior quality wasn't all that, I just couldn't get on with the steering regardless of setting and then the biggest downfall was my Fiesta ST (all 3 cylinders and 1500cc of it...!) was more fun to chuck around, fast enough in the real world and just better (in my view) to drive. The old touring is just a wafter, smoke around in it, super comfy, quiet and built properly too. And you can nail a caravan on the back!

Cheers

[jolls]

Thank you for posting. The car looks fabulous.

[JohnW]

I understand, it’s horses for courses.

I had annoying bits on the E92s I’ve had including the B3. Especially the cheaper interior plastics. Started to retrim them in the same leather as the seats so they blend and appear OEM.

[AG]

e39 touring for the win. Probably the best 5 ever built.

[KennyP]

Thank you for the positive comments guys, project is now complete (for the time being... ). The front doors have had Focal component speakers installed with plenty of sound matting, my old cheapo Edge amp from previous projects died and was replaced with a tiny mono block Vibe amp that hides under the rear boot tray and this powers the Focal sub which is nice and musical rather than DOOF, DOOF DOOF nonsense..This just lies flat in the boot on non-slip tape and is easily removable for days at the tip! Unfortunately the Focal that were planned for the rear (ceiling) pods don't fit very well so sound matting has been placed into the roof cavity around the standard original speakers. Once some DSP settings were done to EQ things we have ended up with a lovely crisp and balanced sound. It will go loud and deep if you wish and you can feel the air pulsing around your feet.... Importantly for me, nothing is visible (other than the sub) and it all looks factory.

Lastly was the original 'black chrome' exhaust tailpipe finisher. It looked rather tired after 22 years and replacements are silly money. Other options just looked cheap and awful but sizing was an issue with the factory exhaust underneath being a weird 78mm x 55mm squared oblong shape. A tin of black engine enamel, a good scrub and flatten back has brought it up quite nicely and still of course OE.

[ScooBeeFive]

This is great Kenny. You are a man of good taste!

[KennyP]

[KennyP]

Applied for a CoC from BMW a few weeks back which they provide for free! Once it arrived I contacted the clean air communists in Scotland ( ) and to be fair, within 2 hrs they had updated their system and the 22 yr old can again travel anywhere freely for the time being anyway.

Unfortunately I had to buy a new throttle pedal module as the old one gave up....that'll be £239 please said BMW and there is only 1 left in the country, sat down, paid it and all working again..heh-ho old cars eh?

[DogWagen]

Looks wonderful Kenny - strangely enough Murketts was my local BMW Dealer back in the early 1990's; always very good and helpful particularly when we were sold an E30 Touring by another BMW dealer (long story short...approved used but had been a total loss). When they changed to Vauxhall, the Master Techs departed and set up as indies in St Ives (Bensten) and Huntingdon/Peterborough (Bartlett).

[KennyP]

Small world chap! RAF Wyton was my first posting mid '89 so spent a few years around that area. Only returned 30 years later to collect the touring Used to enjoy a pint or 3 at the 3 Pigs in Houghton during the summer nights.

Incredible that a main dealer sold a write off e30 back in the day but I'd heard that Murketts had a good name. I was roughing it in an old Opel Manta Berlinetta at the time with a weber twin choke, 4 speed box and keep fit windows...

Cheers