Regarding the budget - one thing I could have made clearer was that the shipping quote was so high I reckoned I could fix the car for the same money. That’s basically the gist.
yeah now understand on budget target get yourself a slide hammer it will save you a lot of grief (tools never get included in the budget its the rule i use )
But if you had transported it you would have paid well over £2800 to get it where it is now and would have had a dreary video of it on the back of a truck to boot 😂 This way was much better! Had an E39, still want one now (but preferably an E39 M5 which are rarer and more expensive). Will take a good condition E39 528i Touring any day!
I mean, around £2000 (including purchase and work so far) for a car that, when bought, would NOT pass an MOT, but is now road legal for another 12 months, is a big, comfortable boat to drive in, and doesn't have any major structural defects, is not bad by any standards. Sure, the bill is going to go up to fix the rust spots and paint, but in the end I reckon it will be a really nice car for a family for quite a few more years. One question, if I may: are you going to deal with the "milky" mix in the tubing by washing the affected parts, or did all of them get replaced when you switched over the failed component and the tubing?
@@nanianmichaelsI think for a full sorted, freshly serviced and tested quality car like this that you know will be reliable, £2k is buttons really. Then there’s the fact that prices for these are rising, so if you can improve the cosmetics on a strict budget then he’s likely to do well out it.
Got to admit, I’m enjoying these videos more than MA and tavarish. There is something about taking an older car and giving it a new lease of life. Keep up the great work!
@@friguy4444Not normal everyday cars like a 528i touring that's for sure 😂 Freddy and Mat do high end sports cars and usually modify them, not save daily affordable drivers like these classics-to-be that's what I think he's getting at.
I loved Mat Armstrong’s stuff most up to the Murcielago…….it’s a bit like where does he go from here now??!! Not having a pop at Mat but, I think he’s lost some of that charm that the average man can relate do which Nino has…..almost endearment, the willing on of the underdog lol. Nino (not disrespect) is Small time with attainable cars and a total novice (same as Mat was) to which the average man can relate to imo. Alm these guys do great videos, just that MA has gotten so big now it’s not got the nitty gritty anymore which I enjoy. It’s a bit like Wheeler Dealers, love the show but I liked the early stuff best as it was cheap cars for small money, small budgets to repair which has gotten bigger, larger budgets and maybe less on the nitty gritty, intimate repairs. . . . IMO 👍🏻 whatever you think I hope they all carry on with their content
@@friguy4444 I think most others replying have covered this off. Ive watched Matt from his first video and there is something endearing about the daily struggles of car repair & maintenance thats relatable. Still watch them both however it’s become more commercialised. Just think the startup is what we all get passionate about. When you’ve achieved all you want there are only so many super cars you can watch. Does that make sense ?
@@lewis72 I've never driven the M5 but the big sixes are where it's at vs. the V8's cause of the steering rack instead of box. Still, this car no matter the shape or engine is an engineering peak.
Wow, uv just bought my car! I sold it as scrap for £200. It needed an alternator, noisy bearing on the AC pump I think, and wire broken to the rear wiper in the tailgate. It had fsh and £13k spent last 2 years at BMW franchise. Enjoy it, it was my pride and joy and well maintained
Hey Brother i'm no mechanic but for the rounded bolts on the driveshaft a mechanic told me to treat every bolt that has slight rust on it, already like it is rounded- Heat it up, grease it with penetrating fluid and then start to tighten a bit 1/8 turn and only after that try to remove it. This has granted me in removing all bolts without stripping one. Cheers mate!
@@Andrei8pa3 You don't always have too, but often on old stuff some fool has partially rounded the head in the "undo direction" and your initially breaking the corrosion with the best possible purchase on the fastner.
10:45 usually that "milkshake" is just the oil sludge, when you dont let the oil come to temp on shorter runs over and over again it usually looks like that.
Exactly - my friend only drives 2 miles a day and her ridiculously ultra low-mileage Yaris has mayo under the filler cap and on the dipstick. It's serviced every year by Toyota and they've confirmed it's just short trips on a cold engine.
@@Clodhopping Can confirm. Ive owned both a Yaris and an Aygo that only ran like 5-10 miles a day. Full of this mayo/peanut butter. Are those the most luxurious rides with best comfort? Not a chance in hell. However Ive NEVER had cars so reliable and low cost of maintenance. 15 years of Toyota cost me less than 4 months of owning a Volvo
@@FluePeak My E39 520i used to go like that on short runs where normal temp was not reached, it's due to condensation mixing into the oil. Older Vauxhalls used to do it more than most because of their bad crankcase breather system, especially Astra G and H models, Corsas and Vectras in the UK.
@@Clodhopping Yes, not sure that the car needed the CCV changed, looked like the kind of sludge you get from a car standing around in the damp and a load of cold starting with no real warm up. But it's good practice.
As for the half shaft. After you loosen a bolt, turn it back in just snug, then go to the nest one. The last one will come out like the others. Removing all the others lets the flange splay out putting the last bolt in a bind. Same for removing an exhaust manifold. Loosen them all, snug them back up, and finally remove them all. And yes, I learned this the hard way.
That was really good - thoroughly enjoyed it and tbh, I think this channel stands out from the regulars because you're trying to keep perfectly decent cars running for the most part, simply by servicing them. These aren't cars that should be scrapped, these are cars that just haven't been maintained. I also like that you have kept the whole thing at an entirely sensible price point. Yeah it's great to see others doing 'cheap supercars' but they're never, ever cheap and we know the car's just going to sit languishing on a lift in the background for the next few years. Decent car choice, great challenge and as always, just the type of thing many of us would do!
You are not really over budget because if Copart had delivered you would still have to do all the work in the motor. Looks a nice car and someone will get plenty more miles out of it now. I love your honesty and you never move a car on without being sure everything's been fixed - even stuff that could be fixed as a bodge job - if you're not happy with it you won't pass it on to its new owner.
This, if you'd had the car delivered you'd have still needed to spend £1750 on sorting it (admitedly, not in a car park) and not had a novel bit of content to boot.
Not necessarily with everything fixed, you list up front what you've found wrong with it at point of sale, then have the purchaser sign a sold as seen disclaimer that they were informed of KNOWN faults.
For all the negative comments...as the previous owner of this car, I sold it as I wanted a new project. It had nearly full service history, last 2 years were with bmw franchise, and with an MoT looming, new tyres and alternator required, i decided to get rid. It had never let me down in all my years of ownership. Needeless to say im in the raffle to get it back in January.😊
Your noises of frustration, heavy breathing, annoyance, trying not to go mental and obvious joy on nailing something is exactly myself on any given DIY job. Love it.
Love watching your content and you remaining completely grounded and humble - just like the cars that you choose. No flashy super cars, and that to me is the attraction of this channel, these cars are within the reach of most peoples budgets.
I had a 2001 E39 530i Touring manual facelift model. It was an amazing car, great for long journeys. Lots of people fit bigger wheels, but I preferred the standard 16" wheels, as the taller tyre wall gave a better ride. I sold it a few years ago and miss it. I think the manuals are quite rare as most seem to be automatic.
I had exactly the same, also a 2001, I've never actually seen another 530i manual Touring. Mine was also an SE on 16", ran it to just over 200K miles over 20 years but by that stage it was coming round to needing several thousand in bodywork and really needed an engine rebuild, at a time when I needed something brutally dependable, so I had to let it go in 2021
Hero! Just because you're not trained as a mechanic does not mean you aren't one.....never had a formal lesson in my life apart from watching Dad do everything, and I've been spannering for over 50 years. Keep it up! p.s. yes, we all get ripped off .......£80 to trailer a dead Toyota less than a mile and that was "local rates".......
That's not a rip-off, it's expensive to ask to be towed a mile and have someone make his gear ready, do the job which takes him all in all at least 1 hour and still needs to have insurance for the transport which for me costs 200€ a month and additionally for every transport depending on the cargo. Taking 80£ for one hour of painting a carpart is a ripp-off. You bring him the part, most often new and unpainted so no prep besides cleaning, a compressor, a room and a pistol and about 20€ of paint and 15min of work. And you pay generally in Germany 120€ per hour excluding material. Most overpayed "profession".
We've just bought an E39 525i Touring for £1000. It smoked a bit when cold, but wasn't headgasket either, even though it was white. Took a gamble on it being hard valve stem seals and put some Forte seal conditioner in the oil. Smoke stopped 😎 We have an E39 535i saloon we're working on, too.
One of the best videos I ever watched honestly. It was awesome to experience this adventure with you and is very relatable as an old junk bmw fan as myself. Greetings and merry Christmas from Germany
A great thing about BMW's is that if you have an Alternator that isn't charging like it should then you don't have to replace the whole thing (Unless it's totally out to lunch which is very rare). There is an small part on the back of the Bosch units that can be replaced for a fraction of the cost and work. It's called The "Voltage Regulator" It's the part that holds the brushes for it as well as the electronics that tell it what to do. It's cheap compared to the whole unit by far and so much easier to replace on most cars. You should be able to get it for around $60 USD or even less if you can order it online.
Depends on how long he is willing to put up with one. Great cars, but man are they happy to make you go to your garage. In Germany we say "BMW, Bring Mich Werkstatt." Basically bring me workshop
We've just bought a 80 vauxhall Royale saloon,not run 30 years and her only problem was crap carb. She's running fine now and really is a amazing survivor
I am sure you know this already but just in case you dont, if youre ever in a situation like this and your alternator is not charging the battery anymore you can grab a long extension or pry bar with a hammer and tap the alternator to bring it back to life. You can then spray some WD 40 on it. Lots of times the brushes get stuck. I have gotten months of life out of dying alternators using this method.
That’s what I was thinking as well. Not worth repairing all that rust. But you dont know if the new wreckers tailgate has rust underneath as well. Also I reckon the color is quite rare still.
I have a 1999 528iT with 269,000 miles as my daily driver. I also have a 2003 E39 530i with 140,000 miles. Truly amazing cars. I think they will easily last another ten years. Clean the engine and engine bay with a spray solvent. Despite what the factory says, 29/41 is not the best tire pressure. Set them all to 34psi - 35psi. The handling will improve and the tires will last much longer. No wonder you thought it handled like a boat. When set up correctly, it inspires confidence in the handling department. Check all components the cooling system for leaks and oil needs changing every six months. They are easy to maintain but slightly difficult to work (on). Change air filter annually and the two a/c cabin filters. Fix everything that needs attention.
Hey, thanks for the info, I have a 2002 auto 530i in decent condition, needs some work. I never cleaned the engine bay. It's not that bad, but what spray do you use?
@@donotwantahandle1111 i was noticing mine has steam sometimes, just though it was the weather. It's not always. Got no issues and car runs fine but only really do short daily drives about 20mins. I did notice little milkshakeness, but think that's short drives. There's no vaccumm issue with the oil cap. One more thing to add to the list, not really a mechanic, but brought tools to change the intake boot, will try a disa valve rebuild and other bits.
My '98 540i recommended tyre pressures were 36f/39r if I remember correctly. I guess the 6 cyl is lighter than the V8, but 29 psi with those big squidgy sidewalls does conjure up squidgy handling in my mind!
Quality content as usual. Always look forward to your videos. Watching a while now and gone back and watched every video. Please keep it up and you will get the rewards you deserve. I dip in and out with all the other car channels out there and loose interest with alot of them as they change their formula too much however you content just gets better and better. Good luck and hope you and your family have a great Christmas.
DISA valve needs a rebuild. Rubber diaphragm in the circular bit probably split, and the pin for the flap is known to fall out and can go in engine. Upgrade kits have a long pin that can't do that, and thicker diaphragm.
I recently had the same problem with releasing a driveshaft - TH-cam was my friend, after breaking a bearing puller on it, I pulled out my impact drill with a pointed chisel and around 15 seconds later (with no damage) it released. Lesson learnt for me, if it doesn’t release with a few gentle taps, my impact drill will be making an appearance.
Love your channel, you show the real pain working with older cars, old cars with rust definitely make things difficult and question why we do it, the sense of achievement once everything is fix feels great knowing you kept an old car from the scrap yard, keep up the good work 😊
@@OwainPreece-ie6bb Not even arguably in my book. My 1999 E39 was the best car I ever owned period. Would take one in good nick right now if price was right
@ Unfortunately Ive never owned one, Ive driven a few though and they are 👌 I still daily an E46 touring which for me is golden era BMW (e39, e46, e38)
What a mental video! Love the concept too. You pretty much got the car sorted within budget, you only pushed the boat out to get the nice to haves tickled that took you over budget. Top vid, really enjoying the content. currently my favorite spanner spinning channel!
Paused at driveshaft bolts to comment, top top tip…… loosen one bolt then tighten again until you know all bolts will turn. Never take out one then next one etc. This can help cause it’s always the last bolt that get ya 🤦♂️ Edit 😂😂😂 I’ve got the same welder & never used it either… it’s for emergency 🆘 purposes. And I’d go for settings YES too 🤪😂😂
WOW, you did a Vice Grip Garage. Got a car going miles away from home and drove it back. Well done, brilliant job. You forgot to show us the tailgate job finished, but that's small fry, I always find it amazing what you do manage to show. Filming and working on cars the same time all on your own is an added complication. You're doing an amazing job with your channel.
I really enjoyed this one, nice blend of outdoor kerbside repairs and workshop work. The fact you repair without dreaded modifications, is nice to see. You smacking shite out of that axle had me wincing from the first blow. Nice work pal, wish you and your family all the best cheers.
Yes. Legend. I've owned two E39's.. I miss them terribly even though one of them was a money pit! Shall enjoy this series :) I remember doing the CCV valve on the 523i and it was a hand shredding experience.. in hindsight I should have had the intake manifold off to do it. But genuinely these are great cars to work on.. really well put together. Vagueness on the road.. these cars are well known for being sensitive to failed control arm bushings. Will no doubt all need replacing front and rear. Its what makes these both fun projects but absolutely not economically viable.. as whilst they are super reliable and will keep going they will take ENDLESS amounts of maintenance to keep them in the best fettle. But man.. how good do they drive? My first E39 was a battered touring, albeit a touring. I miss it as i am going to have to enter this competition.
@@pallahammer8997 I genuinely stopped counting as it cost me thousands but these cars are so special it almost feels like it's your duty to keep it on the road!
THIS is a car worth absolutely restoring and I guarantee the most views on your channel. That "smoke" is just condensation from sitting for a while. Drive it for a while and it will clear up. Best of luck!
Oh... this is absolutely superb mate. Definitely worth saving and you've done exactly the right thing. I have to say that of all the many car restoration channels that permeated TH-cam both sides of the Pond, you and Tasty Classics are now top of my viewing list. You're both humble, no bullshit nor sensationalistic guys... keep it that way. Stay true
Love the channel and your personality. Get yourself a length of 1" diameter copper or brass bar to use as a drift and an induction heater for seized parts and bolts, It would have avoided damaging the driveshaft and hub.
Yes, a good drive would probably have cleared up that smoking. Likely just condensation from multiple short trips by previous owner not allowing the engine to get to temperature.
Best video so far Nino mate. Been waiting patiently for a new one and this did not disappoint. Absolutely brilliant. Your filming and editing is also great. Looking forward to more buddy 👍🏻
@@KeithCramerLongfield Yeah, espcecially that. The diffrence is like the next genreation is built from magical materials. If they haven't had a crash they do not rust. Something that can never be said for a e39. e60 with half a million runt on salted roads and the underbody still will look mint.
Just a heads up on welding. On second try you had awsome settings you just needed to weld it from inside,where the bolt head and nut is. Hold a welder for a few seconds on it and go in small circles until it's red hot and full with material. Awsome video mate!!👏👏
Best video in a long while ❤. Absolutely in amazed the amount or work you put in the video without all the editing you have to do , and the understanding wife at home. Keep the videos coming well worth the money 😂
I’ve got a top tip for you never leave one bolt in by itself put the other bolt back in and do them up with a little snug then with all six bolts in or how many there are undo the last bolt as the other bolts are now taking the strain If you leave the last bolt in with one bolt you’re adding strain it will not come out especially on manifold hope this helps every day is a learning day. 😂
My new favourite channel! I watch most of the other big YourTubers for better or for worse but you won me over today. Your my what my inner self aspires to be in terms of being a mechanic. I know I'd be useless but I just want to have a go. Love the content, you're informative yet funny. The welding shades, the car wash and the tape removal all had me laughing out loud. Consider me subscribed and watching more later! Wonderful.
Throw the alternator on it & drive it home,if it's been stood for a while it will smoke/codensate a bit,chuck it on & get your slipper down..... I'm not one for criticism usually but bro,common sense could've saved the outer CV joint,put the old nut on backwards and hammer away...... never mind, lesson learned (maybe) !!
Did I misunderstand, shouldn't your comparison be between the Copart shipping quote and the cost of train, hotels, food and petrol? All of the parts would still have been needed back at your workshop to put the car right for an MOT. Loved the episode, as we don't have 'Vice Grip Garage' on this side of the pond - fixing and driving home what you've bought. Thanks, Rob.
My thoughts exactly. I wouldn’t include the train either as you had to get up there in the first place. I’d only include what it took to get the car, from point of pickup, back to your shop. Loving these videos!
@@18_rabbitmaybe this chap is visiting his mother in law who lives in Scotland 😊. The other factor to consider with this project is the weather, if it had been pouring down for a couple of days then what, he would have to buy a canopy to go over it maybe.
Had many BMW's over my 43 year driving history. Right now I have a 3.0 E86 and a 2.0 E46 M and love them both. The E39 has to be my all time favourite though. Looked after correctly they are indestructible. I have always regretted selling my last one, the mighty 530D. Good luck with this old girl my friend, hope you do her proud... ❤
**laughs in E39** this'll be good. There's a secret menu in the dash you can unlock that will tell you vital stats in real time, like coolant temp, Volts, real time RPM and so on. Press and hold right button on cluster until it says TEST No. 1. Push left button and it'll show last 6 digits of VIN. Add them up and go to TEST No. 19, enter that total, and it should be unlocked. TEST No. 7 has KTEMP (coolant temp), Ambient Temp, and RPM, TEST No. 9 shows Volts. Don't mess with the other menus.
Love seeing home mechanic doing stuff like this. Think you nailed it in the end. Nice to see yah show the struggle as well. Little tip for the rear drive shaft use a air hammer. Keep it up.
You did amazing, just remember the price you were quoted was just to deliver it in the condition it was in, and then you would still have to do all the repairs so you actually saved money. Keep up the grind your awesome 💪
Great result! I was furious about those hideous headlights, looked so much better when you replaced them! I’ve got an e39 myself, I feel like you’ve listened when I commented on an earlier video that you should get one 😂. Headlights often have perished adjusters, so if those go bad it’s easy fix and I think you got the headlights that the lenses are removable. Only thing bad is the cooling system on those cars but by the look of it , it looked to have been replaced because the reservoir was attached to the radiator and not separate as the OE. Good find! Wish you’ll upload more of this BMW!! I’m happy to help if I can, I’ve done quite some wrenching on mine and I’ve tackled most of the main issues these ones have
Best channel on TH-cam, Nino - forget predictable Car WOW, etc. This is something real life petrol-heads can all relate to. You are a top bloke. Keep up the great work. 👍
I'm so excited. I've been doing overtime this week at work and I just got off shift and saw that you posted. I'm going to just absorb this entire vid right before bed. (commenting before watching, I'm sure it'll be amazing! Thanks for the upload kind sir!
Great work and the E39 BMW 5 Series with the 6 cylinder petrol engine is such a well engineered car. Sensible swerve with the rusty tailgate! A word of warning. If you've discovered Sretan's excellent M539 Restorations channel, you will want to feature more BMW's on yours and it could get expensive!
My one went to car heaven some time back. The Tourings are prone to the inner sills at the rear rotting out. The tailgate rust is easier to spot! Other than that, it was bombproof, apart from the rear subframe bushes that need replacing when the rear feels harsh. The rubber bushes are filled with oil and over time the rubber cracks and all the hydraulic damping fluid is lost. The rear suspension airbags also have a limited life, but are really easy and cheap to replace. Their electric air-compressor sits under the rear floor and needs periodic checking for water ingress. I found the gearbox change quality was improved filling with synthetic gear oil.
As an E39 touring owner, this is wonderful to see. Mine is a facelift with a few boot lid issues too! But they are wonderful cars and well worth preserving
Another great demonstration of you learning on the go. Always love watching you achieve your goals and get things working. More please. Hope you and your family have a good week and a good Christmas. Marc from Australia 🇦🇺
Great video, great work too. Just a bit of guidance - if you use a large copper Hyde mallet/hammer, you will get a dead blow impact as you hit the shaft, but it won’t impact the shaft to cause the mushroom affect. You can get them in varying sizes - so go for one of the heavier sizes so you get out of it what you need. Hope that’s of help. Guidance from a mechanical engineer.
I stumbled on this video. I’ve absolutely subscribed. After the headache I’ve been through with my E46, this re kindled the fire to push forward. Brilliant video!
Here is a tip for you, when peeling tape from a painted surface, if you pull it back along its self you will minimise the damage to the paintwork. I have to admire your enthusiasm for these projects, well done. BTW what happened to the MK 10 Jaguar you put a lot of work into? I seemed to have missed the conclusion. Thank you.
Did the same thing today, bought a 1990 535i e34 with manual gearbox . Non starter, last MOT 15 years ago 😂 woke up at 3:15 in the morning and drove 225 miles one way to collect that piece of s… art 🫡
Really enjoyed this, both the collection and the work to get it MOT'D. It's great to see you dealing with all the issues we all face at home working on old cars. It's amazing how quickly it all adds up but great to see a car at the end of its life saved, this kind of old fashioned approach is far better for the environment than buying a new electric car from the other side of the planet.
Just found your channel and wanted to say how much I enjoyed what you do and how you presented. I would like to think I would have risked the trip north but in reality I would have bottled it, The whole video was an easy sell for me as I love the e46 / E39 type Beemers - just a shame I didnt get a chance to grab a few tickets - going to enjoy catching up on the rest of your content
Never thought I would spend over an hour watching someone do up an old car but I did, and very entertaining it was. Thanks, although I thought you would have checked the tyre pressures !
Yeh really love these vids. Couldn't care less about cars in the sense that I'm not a car enthusiast - but love tinkering and have fixed my little city car a few times and it's so rewarding especially when mechanics often fob me off or forget to put screws back in !!
I drive a 1998 523i auto saloon with 200,000 miles on it as a daily driver. I also replaced the CCV system for the same reasons. The rear ends of the sills on yours look like they're getting to the point where they're in need of attention. I had to weld up mine a few years back on both sides after crushing them in with a jack... turned out they were rotting from the inside and they didn't look as bubbly as those. It ended up being 3 separate panels on each side that needed repairing and 4 days labour. I'd sort those out sooner than later. Nice work getting this one back on the road, they're good cars and handle nicely when in good order
Cool project - and a brave one! That said, the 6-cyl "should" be more reliable and require less work than the V8 model I bought a few years ago. Also, I like the glacier green paint! (Unlike my boring silver) Comments: 1. I also bought a Noco start booster, which I found really useful. Mine could handle three starts of my 540i before it needed recharging. 2. My 540i started smoking soon after I bought it. I also did a compression test (which was fine). Replacing the PCV membrane fixed the smoke for me too. 3. All my wheel bearings were ok, thankfully! 4. I also had several intake/vacuum leaks which caused the engine to randomly stall. 5. All adjusters were broken on one of the headlights. 6. Don't feel bad about your rear hatch - I found out that mine had been "repaired" with lots of spray foam and filler
Tip for hammering things without damaging, get a lump of solid aluminium, brass, hard plastic to use and smack that with a club hammer instead, can also give more accuracy so not wasting energy
Nino, I struggled getting the driveshaft out when I had to replace one of the rear wheel bearings on my E36 318i I used a puller that bolted to the hub flange (cheap enough from Machine Mart). Vauxhall Corsa C cylinder head bolts (Z12XE engine) can be cut down and used as replacement bolts for the driveshaft.
Very nice video. And so pleased to see that you put in there also your learnings. We all are doing those as going along. Damaging parts, threads. Stripping the screws etc. This is natural as competence grows. Good job.
Regarding the budget - one thing I could have made clearer was that the shipping quote was so high I reckoned I could fix the car for the same money. That’s basically the gist.
yeah now understand on budget target get yourself a slide hammer it will save you a lot of grief (tools never get included in the budget its the rule i use )
But if you had transported it you would have paid well over £2800 to get it where it is now and would have had a dreary video of it on the back of a truck to boot 😂
This way was much better!
Had an E39, still want one now (but preferably an E39 M5 which are rarer and more expensive).
Will take a good condition E39 528i Touring any day!
@@trevorcalder550 Or a copper hammer.
I mean, around £2000 (including purchase and work so far) for a car that, when bought, would NOT pass an MOT, but is now road legal for another 12 months, is a big, comfortable boat to drive in, and doesn't have any major structural defects, is not bad by any standards. Sure, the bill is going to go up to fix the rust spots and paint, but in the end I reckon it will be a really nice car for a family for quite a few more years.
One question, if I may: are you going to deal with the "milky" mix in the tubing by washing the affected parts, or did all of them get replaced when you switched over the failed component and the tubing?
@@nanianmichaelsI think for a full sorted, freshly serviced and tested quality car like this that you know will be reliable, £2k is buttons really. Then there’s the fact that prices for these are rising, so if you can improve the cosmetics on a strict budget then he’s likely to do well out it.
Got to admit, I’m enjoying these videos more than MA and tavarish. There is something about taking an older car and giving it a new lease of life. Keep up the great work!
thats because he is doing random stuff that we would love to do on his own with only luck on his side. fantastic!
?? Well I'm glad you're enjoying this video but what EXACTLY do you think Matt and Freddy do?
@@friguy4444Not normal everyday cars like a 528i touring that's for sure 😂
Freddy and Mat do high end sports cars and usually modify them, not save daily affordable drivers like these classics-to-be that's what I think he's getting at.
I loved Mat Armstrong’s stuff most up to the Murcielago…….it’s a bit like where does he go from here now??!!
Not having a pop at Mat but, I think he’s lost some of that charm that the average man can relate do which Nino has…..almost endearment, the willing on of the underdog lol.
Nino (not disrespect) is Small time with attainable cars and a total novice (same as Mat was) to which the average man can relate to imo.
Alm these guys do great videos, just that MA has gotten so big now it’s not got the nitty gritty anymore which I enjoy.
It’s a bit like Wheeler Dealers, love the show but I liked the early stuff best as it was cheap cars for small money, small budgets to repair which has gotten bigger, larger budgets and maybe less on the nitty gritty, intimate repairs. . . . IMO 👍🏻 whatever you think I hope they all carry on with their content
@@friguy4444 I think most others replying have covered this off. Ive watched Matt from his first video and there is something endearing about the daily struggles of car repair & maintenance thats relatable. Still watch them both however it’s become more commercialised. Just think the startup is what we all get passionate about. When you’ve achieved all you want there are only so many super cars you can watch. Does that make sense ?
All E39's need to be saved, for starters. Big line 6 models even more. A touring? Even better. You're doing the lord's work here, mate.
Even the 520i model is epic IMO.
Pck of the bunch would be a manual 530i Sport.
I've got an M5.
The holy grail - its got a towbar !
E39 is peak BMW.
@@lewis72 I've never driven the M5 but the big sixes are where it's at vs. the V8's cause of the steering rack instead of box. Still, this car no matter the shape or engine is an engineering peak.
Yes they do and to be honest they’re very easy to work on
Good man. Save all E39s!
Absolutely! Love your work, Sreten!
@@NotEconomicallyViableA message from one of the "BMW restoration gods", Nino you are truly in great company!
Sreten has spoken! 😏😂
The King approves this channel. All BMW lords and ladies are to subscribe at once!
To receive a comment from this guy is an honor!! 😊
Wow, uv just bought my car! I sold it as scrap for £200. It needed an alternator, noisy bearing on the AC pump I think, and wire broken to the rear wiper in the tailgate. It had fsh and £13k spent last 2 years at BMW franchise. Enjoy it, it was my pride and joy and well maintained
That's a bummer such a great car
@Not Economically Viable Look at this comment.
Looks like he may not have seen ur comment 😊
I'd be buzzing if I won that BMW .
Will he receive some paperwork in the post ?
@bilbobaggins4366 a thankyou letter ...... Maybe
Hey Brother i'm no mechanic but for the rounded bolts on the driveshaft a mechanic told me to treat every bolt that has slight rust on it, already like it is rounded- Heat it up, grease it with penetrating fluid and then start to tighten a bit 1/8 turn and only after that try to remove it. This has granted me in removing all bolts without stripping one.
Cheers mate!
Good advice thanks
Why do you have to tighten it 1/8 turn first before loosening it?
@@Andrei8pa3 You don't always have too, but often on old stuff some fool has partially rounded the head in the "undo direction" and your initially breaking the corrosion with the best possible purchase on the fastner.
Get some rounded bolt sockets too - Irwin bolt grip ones are good for the money
@@Andrei8pa3 need to try and tighten a bit just to break free the rust and to get the penetrating fluid trough the treads deeper.
10:45 usually that "milkshake" is just the oil sludge, when you dont let the oil come to temp on shorter runs over and over again it usually looks like that.
Exactly - my friend only drives 2 miles a day and her ridiculously ultra low-mileage Yaris has mayo under the filler cap and on the dipstick. It's serviced every year by Toyota and they've confirmed it's just short trips on a cold engine.
Quite normal for cars with big plastic oil covers in cold weather due to condensation collecting. Crappy a class had it from new!
@@Clodhopping Can confirm. Ive owned both a Yaris and an Aygo that only ran like 5-10 miles a day. Full of this mayo/peanut butter.
Are those the most luxurious rides with best comfort? Not a chance in hell. However Ive NEVER had cars so reliable and low cost of maintenance. 15 years of Toyota cost me less than 4 months of owning a Volvo
@@FluePeak My E39 520i used to go like that on short runs where normal temp was not reached, it's due to condensation mixing into the oil. Older Vauxhalls used to do it more than most because of their bad crankcase breather system, especially Astra G and H models, Corsas and Vectras in the UK.
@@Clodhopping Yes, not sure that the car needed the CCV changed, looked like the kind of sludge you get from a car standing around in the damp and a load of cold starting with no real warm up. But it's good practice.
As for the half shaft. After you loosen a bolt, turn it back in just snug, then go to the nest one. The last one will come out like the others. Removing all the others lets the flange splay out putting the last bolt in a bind. Same for removing an exhaust manifold. Loosen them all, snug them back up, and finally remove them all. And yes, I learned this the hard way.
Amazing; now THAT is an excellent idea; the only diff. is that you should tighten back the bolts/nuts
That was really good - thoroughly enjoyed it and tbh, I think this channel stands out from the regulars because you're trying to keep perfectly decent cars running for the most part, simply by servicing them. These aren't cars that should be scrapped, these are cars that just haven't been maintained. I also like that you have kept the whole thing at an entirely sensible price point. Yeah it's great to see others doing 'cheap supercars' but they're never, ever cheap and we know the car's just going to sit languishing on a lift in the background for the next few years.
Decent car choice, great challenge and as always, just the type of thing many of us would do!
Yep I agree - I’d rather see cars like this and a “non” expert mechanic figure his way through it because it’s relatable
You are not really over budget because if Copart had delivered you would still have to do all the work in the motor. Looks a nice car and someone will get plenty more miles out of it now. I love your honesty and you never move a car on without being sure everything's been fixed - even stuff that could be fixed as a bodge job - if you're not happy with it you won't pass it on to its new owner.
This, if you'd had the car delivered you'd have still needed to spend £1750 on sorting it (admitedly, not in a car park) and not had a novel bit of content to boot.
Not necessarily with everything fixed, you list up front what you've found wrong with it at point of sale, then have the purchaser sign a sold as seen disclaimer that they were informed of KNOWN faults.
For all the negative comments...as the previous owner of this car, I sold it as I wanted a new project. It had nearly full service history, last 2 years were with bmw franchise, and with an MoT looming, new tyres and alternator required, i decided to get rid. It had never let me down in all my years of ownership. Needeless to say im in the raffle to get it back in January.😊
Hahaha, cannot believe I'm watching a TH-cam with your old car on it Paul !! Hope you're enjoying your retirement pal !!! 👍
Thats a good looking wagon for sure. Manual wagons always deserve love. Hope it finds a good home!
Yeah there's just somethiing about a manual wagon. Kinda wish it was 6-speed because it could do with a tall gear when on the motorway
@@NotEconomicallyViable2700 rpm at 70?
@ Yeah that’s fine… if you’re doing 70
@@NotEconomicallyViable Not exactly low geared, you should get a diesel then! 😀
Yesssss finally an e39 on a channel I love, MORE E39 CONTENT PLEASEEEEEE
Your noises of frustration, heavy breathing, annoyance, trying not to go mental and obvious joy on nailing something is exactly myself on any given DIY job. Love it.
Love watching your content and you remaining completely grounded and humble - just like the cars that you choose. No flashy super cars, and that to me is the attraction of this channel, these cars are within the reach of most peoples budgets.
Addictive viewing, this channel is my favourite currently, real word no BS stuff. Keep them coming Nino 👍👍👍👍
I had a 2001 E39 530i Touring manual facelift model. It was an amazing car, great for long journeys. Lots of people fit bigger wheels, but I preferred the standard 16" wheels, as the taller tyre wall gave a better ride. I sold it a few years ago and miss it. I think the manuals are quite rare as most seem to be automatic.
I had exactly the same, also a 2001, I've never actually seen another 530i manual Touring. Mine was also an SE on 16", ran it to just over 200K miles over 20 years but by that stage it was coming round to needing several thousand in bodywork and really needed an engine rebuild, at a time when I needed something brutally dependable, so I had to let it go in 2021
Hero! Just because you're not trained as a mechanic does not mean you aren't one.....never had a formal lesson in my life apart from watching Dad do everything, and I've been spannering for over 50 years. Keep it up! p.s. yes, we all get ripped off .......£80 to trailer a dead Toyota less than a mile and that was "local rates".......
That's not a rip-off, it's expensive to ask to be towed a mile and have someone make his gear ready, do the job which takes him all in all at least 1 hour and still needs to have insurance for the transport which for me costs 200€ a month and additionally for every transport depending on the cargo.
Taking 80£ for one hour of painting a carpart is a ripp-off. You bring him the part, most often new and unpainted so no prep besides cleaning, a compressor, a room and a pistol and about 20€ of paint and 15min of work. And you pay generally in Germany 120€ per hour excluding material. Most overpayed "profession".
We've just bought an E39 525i Touring for £1000. It smoked a bit when cold, but wasn't headgasket either, even though it was white. Took a gamble on it being hard valve stem seals and put some Forte seal conditioner in the oil. Smoke stopped 😎 We have an E39 535i saloon we're working on, too.
@@ThemanshedUK Never forget the first time I replaced my E39 rear suspension bushes and realised how long the bolts are - blinking enormous! 🤭
One of the best videos I ever watched honestly. It was awesome to experience this adventure with you and is very relatable as an old junk bmw fan as myself. Greetings and merry Christmas from Germany
When you said “Newer cars aren’t where my hearts at” I was skeptical. Continue this please, love the E39’s.
A great thing about BMW's is that if you have an Alternator that isn't charging like it should then you don't have to replace the whole thing (Unless it's totally out to lunch which is very rare). There is an small part on the back of the Bosch units that can be replaced for a fraction of the cost and work. It's called The "Voltage Regulator" It's the part that holds the brushes for it as well as the electronics that tell it what to do. It's cheap compared to the whole unit by far and so much easier to replace on most cars. You should be able to get it for around $60 USD or even less if you can order it online.
that sounds like it's worth rememberin!
The regulator and brushes can be replaced on pretty much every alternator, though it may not be cost effective on all of them.
That's true of every alternator. Brushes, regulator or rectifier can all be replaced on all alternators
finally an E39. this will be one to watch
Depends on how long he is willing to put up with one. Great cars, but man are they happy to make you go to your garage. In Germany we say "BMW, Bring Mich Werkstatt." Basically bring me workshop
We've just bought a 80 vauxhall Royale saloon,not run 30 years and her only problem was crap carb.
She's running fine now and really is a amazing survivor
I am sure you know this already but just in case you dont, if youre ever in a situation like this and your alternator is not charging the battery anymore you can grab a long extension or pry bar with a hammer and tap the alternator to bring it back to life. You can then spray some WD 40 on it. Lots of times the brushes get stuck. I have gotten months of life out of dying alternators using this method.
Before spashing out in bodyshop, search for a full tailgate and if lucky, might even get one in colour.
That’s what I was thinking as well. Not worth repairing all that rust. But you dont know if the new wreckers tailgate has rust underneath as well. Also I reckon the color is quite rare still.
If this is the new theme, go get it, fix it on-site (flashback to your old videos) and get it home fix and flip, I love it!
I have a 1999 528iT with 269,000 miles as my daily driver. I also have a 2003 E39 530i with 140,000 miles. Truly amazing cars. I think they will easily last another ten years. Clean the engine and engine bay with a spray solvent. Despite what the factory says, 29/41 is not the best tire pressure. Set them all to 34psi - 35psi. The handling will improve and the tires will last much longer. No wonder you thought it handled like a boat. When set up correctly, it inspires confidence in the handling department. Check all components the cooling system for leaks and oil needs changing every six months. They are easy to maintain but slightly difficult to work (on). Change air filter annually and the two a/c cabin filters. Fix everything that needs attention.
Hey, thanks for the info, I have a 2002 auto 530i in decent condition, needs some work. I never cleaned the engine bay. It's not that bad, but what spray do you use?
That pcv valve replacement wasn't easy.
@@donotwantahandle1111 i was noticing mine has steam sometimes, just though it was the weather. It's not always. Got no issues and car runs fine but only really do short daily drives about 20mins. I did notice little milkshakeness, but think that's short drives. There's no vaccumm issue with the oil cap. One more thing to add to the list, not really a mechanic, but brought tools to change the intake boot, will try a disa valve rebuild and other bits.
My '98 540i recommended tyre pressures were 36f/39r if I remember correctly. I guess the 6 cyl is lighter than the V8, but 29 psi with those big squidgy sidewalls does conjure up squidgy handling in my mind!
Quality content as usual. Always look forward to your videos. Watching a while now and gone back and watched every video. Please keep it up and you will get the rewards you deserve. I dip in and out with all the other car channels out there and loose interest with alot of them as they change their formula too much however you content just gets better and better. Good luck and hope you and your family have a great Christmas.
This has Derek Bieri vibes all over. But. 250£ is a steal, the cat plus wheels are easily twice that already.
Ha only difference is he knows what he’s doing!
Fees will bring it up to roughly 450 but its still a deal
Get the cat off and replace with an after market ;) if yk old Hondas then you’ll know the drill
£250, not 250£
@ciararespect4296 who asked?
DISA valve needs a rebuild. Rubber diaphragm in the circular bit probably split, and the pin for the flap is known to fall out and can go in engine. Upgrade kits have a long pin that can't do that, and thicker diaphragm.
Loved this video,was on the edge of my seat,loved the fault finding,and what a result,well done another one saved.
Glad you enjoyed it 🤝
I recently had the same problem with releasing a driveshaft - TH-cam was my friend, after breaking a bearing puller on it, I pulled out my impact drill with a pointed chisel and around 15 seconds later (with no damage) it released.
Lesson learnt for me, if it doesn’t release with a few gentle taps, my impact drill will be making an appearance.
Love your channel, you show the real pain working with older cars, old cars with rust definitely make things difficult and question why we do it, the sense of achievement once everything is fix feels great knowing you kept an old car from the scrap yard, keep up the good work 😊
Lovely car! E39 arguably the best generation of 5 series
@@OwainPreece-ie6bb Not even arguably in my book. My 1999 E39 was the best car I ever owned period. Would take one in good nick right now if price was right
@ Unfortunately Ive never owned one, Ive driven a few though and they are 👌 I still daily an E46 touring which for me is golden era BMW (e39, e46, e38)
What a mental video! Love the concept too. You pretty much got the car sorted within budget, you only pushed the boat out to get the nice to haves tickled that took you over budget. Top vid, really enjoying the content. currently my favorite spanner spinning channel!
Paused at driveshaft bolts to comment, top top tip…… loosen one bolt then tighten again until you know all bolts will turn. Never take out one then next one etc. This can help cause it’s always the last bolt that get ya 🤦♂️
Edit 😂😂😂
I’ve got the same welder & never used it either… it’s for emergency 🆘 purposes. And I’d go for settings YES too 🤪😂😂
WOW, you did a Vice Grip Garage. Got a car going miles away from home and drove it back. Well done, brilliant job. You forgot to show us the tailgate job finished, but that's small fry, I always find it amazing what you do manage to show. Filming and working on cars the same time all on your own is an added complication. You're doing an amazing job with your channel.
That reg plate is alone worth the money, not a bad MOT fail list, another E39 saved
God bless the famous RFC
I really enjoyed this one, nice blend of outdoor kerbside repairs and workshop work. The fact you repair without dreaded modifications, is nice to see. You smacking shite out of that axle had me wincing from the first blow. Nice work pal, wish you and your family all the best cheers.
Yes. Legend. I've owned two E39's.. I miss them terribly even though one of them was a money pit! Shall enjoy this series :)
I remember doing the CCV valve on the 523i and it was a hand shredding experience.. in hindsight I should have had the intake manifold off to do it. But genuinely these are great cars to work on.. really well put together.
Vagueness on the road.. these cars are well known for being sensitive to failed control arm bushings. Will no doubt all need replacing front and rear. Its what makes these both fun projects but absolutely not economically viable.. as whilst they are super reliable and will keep going they will take ENDLESS amounts of maintenance to keep them in the best fettle.
But man.. how good do they drive? My first E39 was a battered touring, albeit a touring. I miss it as i am going to have to enter this competition.
They are all money pits but nonetheless fantastic cars.
@@pallahammer8997 I genuinely stopped counting as it cost me thousands but these cars are so special it almost feels like it's your duty to keep it on the road!
THIS is a car worth absolutely restoring and I guarantee the most views on your channel. That "smoke" is just condensation from sitting for a while. Drive it for a while and it will clear up. Best of luck!
Touch the tailgate in for now, try and source used tailgate if you going to daily it , something will come up
True spirit of Essex man in the best possible sense. Respect on doing all that.
Straight 6 can’t beat em.
Decent set rims too
Oh... this is absolutely superb mate. Definitely worth saving and you've done exactly the right thing.
I have to say that of all the many car restoration channels that permeated TH-cam both sides of the Pond, you and Tasty Classics are now top of my viewing list.
You're both humble, no bullshit nor sensationalistic guys... keep it that way. Stay true
Well done, that was a challenging fix in the car park with a real dose of jeopardy… and I love an E39!
Love the channel and your personality.
Get yourself a length of 1" diameter copper or brass bar to use as a drift and an induction heater for seized parts and bolts, It would have avoided damaging the driveshaft and hub.
I would have thrown the battery on and driven it back chancing the daylight and leaving the pcv valve as it was
It would never had made a 400 mile journey without a working alternator
Being on the back of an AA truck only makes so much content 😊
Yes, a good drive would probably have cleared up that smoking. Likely just condensation from multiple short trips by previous owner not allowing the engine to get to temperature.
Id have done the alternator and left the pcv until I’d got home.
I agree, swap the alty then the blast down the motorway would likely clear the ccv system
Best video so far Nino mate. Been waiting patiently for a new one and this did not disappoint. Absolutely brilliant. Your filming and editing is also great. Looking forward to more buddy 👍🏻
E39 Last of the properly built BMW 👍
Apart from the one after that doesn't rust for fun.
@@KeithCramerLongfield Yeah, espcecially that. The diffrence is like the next genreation is built from magical materials. If they haven't had a crash they do not rust. Something that can never be said for a e39. e60 with half a million runt on salted roads and the underbody still will look mint.
Just a heads up on welding. On second try you had awsome settings you just needed to weld it from inside,where the bolt head and nut is. Hold a welder for a few seconds on it and go in small circles until it's red hot and full with material.
Awsome video mate!!👏👏
Watching this video has just saved my bmw z3 2.8 from the scrap heap, exactly the same symptoms smoke and mayo.
Best video in a long while ❤. Absolutely in amazed the amount or work you put in the video without all the editing you have to do , and the understanding wife at home. Keep the videos coming well worth the money 😂
Appreciate that bud 🤝 I find editing these harder than doing the work on the car!
That guy is making a killing dropping folk off 100 yards away for £100 😂
Haha when you’re the only person available at such short notice you can charge what you like!
@@NotEconomicallyViablehe probably works for copart 🤔😆
Greedy as a pig , i wouldnt do that to a fellow man , i bet it was under 20 min away
Good business starter idea advertising close to busy Copart’s 5 a week would be a good start .
Used to have an E39 530i Brilliant car. Really enjoyed this even entered the comp. Excellent charity
I’ve got a top tip for you never leave one bolt in by itself put the other bolt back in and do them up with a little snug then with all six bolts in or how many there are undo the last bolt as the other bolts are now taking the strain If you leave the last bolt in with one bolt you’re adding strain it will not come out especially on manifold hope this helps every day is a learning day. 😂
trying to decipher this comment rn
use punctuation, please!! 😭
@@caramelldansen2204 "never leave one bolt in by itself, loosen the last bolt with the other bolts still in so they share the strain"
@ I’m dyslexic
@@johnmorrison9072 Fair enough!
I added my own commas and full stops in lieu of his, and understood it completely, you do it in your own head as you read it.
My new favourite channel! I watch most of the other big YourTubers for better or for worse but you won me over today. Your my what my inner self aspires to be in terms of being a mechanic. I know I'd be useless but I just want to have a go. Love the content, you're informative yet funny. The welding shades, the car wash and the tape removal all had me laughing out loud. Consider me subscribed and watching more later! Wonderful.
Throw the alternator on it & drive it home,if it's been stood for a while it will smoke/codensate a bit,chuck it on & get your slipper down..... I'm not one for criticism usually but bro,common sense could've saved the outer CV joint,put the old nut on backwards and hammer away...... never mind, lesson learned (maybe) !!
What a find! A 528i estate with manual! Great vid! This beast has many more miles left in it.
Did I misunderstand, shouldn't your comparison be between the Copart shipping quote and the cost of train, hotels, food and petrol? All of the parts would still have been needed back at your workshop to put the car right for an MOT. Loved the episode, as we don't have 'Vice Grip Garage' on this side of the pond - fixing and driving home what you've bought. Thanks, Rob.
My thoughts exactly. I wouldn’t include the train either as you had to get up there in the first place. I’d only include what it took to get the car, from point of pickup, back to your shop. Loving these videos!
I'm glad that somebody made this point! 😃
@@andymoss no, bcuz if shipped, he'd not have had to go up to scottland himself!
@@18_rabbit Very true!
@@18_rabbitmaybe this chap is visiting his mother in law who lives in Scotland 😊. The other factor to consider with this project is the weather, if it had been pouring down for a couple of days then what, he would have to buy a canopy to go over it maybe.
Had many BMW's over my 43 year driving history. Right now I have a 3.0 E86 and a 2.0 E46 M and love them both. The E39 has to be my all time favourite though. Looked after correctly they are indestructible. I have always regretted selling my last one, the mighty 530D.
Good luck with this old girl my friend, hope you do her proud... ❤
I've driven about 7 cars out of Copart, I guess it depends from site to site
Ahh what - it was a hard “no” for me 😩
Your contribution is so concise, and factual.
As an Irish man I salute you, and wish you well.
**laughs in E39** this'll be good.
There's a secret menu in the dash you can unlock that will tell you vital stats in real time, like coolant temp, Volts, real time RPM and so on. Press and hold right button on cluster until it says TEST No. 1. Push left button and it'll show last 6 digits of VIN. Add them up and go to TEST No. 19, enter that total, and it should be unlocked. TEST No. 7 has KTEMP (coolant temp), Ambient Temp, and RPM, TEST No. 9 shows Volts. Don't mess with the other menus.
Brilliant knowledge.
Loved this video - love the fact that youre jumping in and showing the frustrating parts that we all hate. More of this please 👍👍
Last real Bmw👍👍
Love seeing home mechanic doing stuff like this. Think you nailed it in the end. Nice to see yah show the struggle as well. Little tip for the rear drive shaft use a air hammer. Keep it up.
Vice grip garage UK styleeee....
You did amazing, just remember the price you were quoted was just to deliver it in the condition it was in, and then you would still have to do all the repairs so you actually saved money. Keep up the grind your awesome 💪
Thanks god you changed those headlights 😂
Great result! I was furious about those hideous headlights, looked so much better when you replaced them! I’ve got an e39 myself, I feel like you’ve listened when I commented on an earlier video that you should get one 😂. Headlights often have perished adjusters, so if those go bad it’s easy fix and I think you got the headlights that the lenses are removable. Only thing bad is the cooling system on those cars but by the look of it , it looked to have been replaced because the reservoir was attached to the radiator and not separate as the OE. Good find! Wish you’ll upload more of this BMW!! I’m happy to help if I can, I’ve done quite some wrenching on mine and I’ve tackled most of the main issues these ones have
Someones been watching vice grip garage 😂
Great looking car. Changing those headlights made a massive difference
Best channel on TH-cam, Nino - forget predictable Car WOW, etc. This is something real life petrol-heads can all relate to. You are a top bloke. Keep up the great work. 👍
I'm so excited. I've been doing overtime this week at work and I just got off shift and saw that you posted. I'm going to just absorb this entire vid right before bed. (commenting before watching, I'm sure it'll be amazing! Thanks for the upload kind sir!
Great work and the E39 BMW 5 Series with the 6 cylinder petrol engine is such a well engineered car. Sensible swerve with the rusty tailgate! A word of warning. If you've discovered Sretan's excellent M539 Restorations channel, you will want to feature more BMW's on yours and it could get expensive!
Yeah I've seen bits of his channel. Looks like he does brilliant work. I enjoyed working on this BMW - way nicer than working on an Audi.
My one went to car heaven some time back. The Tourings are prone to the inner sills at the rear rotting out. The tailgate rust is easier to spot!
Other than that, it was bombproof, apart from the rear subframe bushes that need replacing when the rear feels harsh. The rubber bushes are filled with oil and over time the rubber cracks and all the hydraulic damping fluid is lost.
The rear suspension airbags also have a limited life, but are really easy and cheap to replace. Their electric air-compressor sits under the rear floor and needs periodic checking for water ingress.
I found the gearbox change quality was improved filling with synthetic gear oil.
Good suggestions - I really need to get onto those rear subframe bushings.
As an E39 touring owner, this is wonderful to see. Mine is a facelift with a few boot lid issues too! But they are wonderful cars and well worth preserving
Another great demonstration of you learning on the go. Always love watching you achieve your goals and get things working. More please. Hope you and your family have a good week and a good Christmas. Marc from Australia 🇦🇺
Great video, great work too. Just a bit of guidance - if you use a large copper Hyde mallet/hammer, you will get a dead blow impact as you hit the shaft, but it won’t impact the shaft to cause the mushroom affect. You can get them in varying sizes - so go for one of the heavier sizes so you get out of it what you need. Hope that’s of help. Guidance from a mechanical engineer.
Regarding the output shaft, Before buying a new one you could have tried filing down the mushroom and recutting the threads. Works most of the time.
I stumbled on this video. I’ve absolutely subscribed. After the headache I’ve been through with my E46, this re kindled the fire to push forward. Brilliant video!
Here is a tip for you, when peeling tape from a painted surface, if you pull it back along its self you will minimise the damage to the paintwork. I have to admire your enthusiasm for these projects, well done. BTW what happened to the MK 10 Jaguar you put a lot of work into? I seemed to have missed the conclusion. Thank you.
Did the same thing today, bought a 1990 535i e34 with manual gearbox . Non starter, last MOT 15 years ago 😂 woke up at 3:15 in the morning and drove 225 miles one way to collect that piece of s… art 🫡
Love this era of BMW, especially a E39 Touring.
Enjoyable video 👍🏻
That was quite heroic. Takes some inner strength to push through those sort of challenges when it's not your actual trade. Great watch.
Fun to watch. Lovely car, whoever gets it will have a good run about. BTW love the fact no swearing or cursing! Thanks for a great video.
Really enjoyed this, both the collection and the work to get it MOT'D. It's great to see you dealing with all the issues we all face at home working on old cars. It's amazing how quickly it all adds up but great to see a car at the end of its life saved, this kind of old fashioned approach is far better for the environment than buying a new electric car from the other side of the planet.
Just found your channel and wanted to say how much I enjoyed what you do and how you presented. I would like to think I would have risked the trip north but in reality I would have bottled it, The whole video was an easy sell for me as I love the e46 / E39 type Beemers - just a shame I didnt get a chance to grab a few tickets - going to enjoy catching up on the rest of your content
Great car to save. Wafting, practicality and cool factor make this a big win. Nice!
Never thought I would spend over an hour watching someone do up an old car but I did, and very entertaining it was. Thanks, although I thought you would have checked the tyre pressures !
Yeh really love these vids. Couldn't care less about cars in the sense that I'm not a car enthusiast - but love tinkering and have fixed my little city car a few times and it's so rewarding especially when mechanics often fob me off or forget to put screws back in !!
I drive a 1998 523i auto saloon with 200,000 miles on it as a daily driver. I also replaced the CCV system for the same reasons. The rear ends of the sills on yours look like they're getting to the point where they're in need of attention. I had to weld up mine a few years back on both sides after crushing them in with a jack... turned out they were rotting from the inside and they didn't look as bubbly as those. It ended up being 3 separate panels on each side that needed repairing and 4 days labour. I'd sort those out sooner than later.
Nice work getting this one back on the road, they're good cars and handle nicely when in good order
You're such a natural at this TH-cam thing! Hoping for bigger and better things for you in 2025!
NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE COMING TO A TV SCREEN SOON!
🤝
@@NotEconomicallyViable your videos are hilarious
Hotel car park rebuild of a trailered non runner vehicle with no more than a pocket toolkit and a coffee. This is just ace. Bravo.
Cool project - and a brave one! That said, the 6-cyl "should" be more reliable and require less work than the V8 model I bought a few years ago. Also, I like the glacier green paint! (Unlike my boring silver) Comments:
1. I also bought a Noco start booster, which I found really useful. Mine could handle three starts of my 540i before it needed recharging.
2. My 540i started smoking soon after I bought it. I also did a compression test (which was fine). Replacing the PCV membrane fixed the smoke for me too.
3. All my wheel bearings were ok, thankfully!
4. I also had several intake/vacuum leaks which caused the engine to randomly stall.
5. All adjusters were broken on one of the headlights.
6. Don't feel bad about your rear hatch - I found out that mine had been "repaired" with lots of spray foam and filler
Tip for hammering things without damaging, get a lump of solid aluminium, brass, hard plastic to use and smack that with a club hammer instead, can also give more accuracy so not wasting energy
Nino, I struggled getting the driveshaft out when I had to replace one of the rear wheel bearings on my E36 318i I used a puller that bolted to the hub flange (cheap enough from Machine Mart). Vauxhall Corsa C cylinder head bolts (Z12XE engine) can be cut down and used as replacement bolts for the driveshaft.
Very nice video. And so pleased to see that you put in there also your learnings. We all are doing those as going along. Damaging parts, threads. Stripping the screws etc. This is natural as competence grows. Good job.