Good day everyone. I'm 18 years old and I want to study automotive engineering in Ankara. I want to work until my 2nd year and, God willing, buy a manual E39 5.28, or a 5.30 if I come across one. I have no way of buying a clean one anyway, and honestly my goal in buying it isn't to get a clean car, because I actually want the car to give me a bit of trouble. In engineering you can only get so far with numbers and theory alone — if you're not into the mechanical side of things, you can't progress. I want to develop that in myself. My goal when buying the car is definitely not to lower it and cruise around blasting music — cosmetics will be my last job on it during my student years. I'd be glad if the guys who've owned, experienced and been through this car could tell me the things I won't be able to financially handle when I buy it. I'd also like to thank my brother Sinan Koç for instilling in me what car culture should be, and thank the Anlatan Adamlar team for making me watch their videos with a pen and paper in hand.
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7 repliesYou can give details, don't hold back thinking it's small, even if I don't know it I'll look it up and learn.
Translated from TurkishNo matter how much automotive engineering you study (I'm studying it too by the way), at some point you'll need a part or need a workshop to work on it - E39s are from an era when electronics and mechanics started merging, so there can be a lot of electrical trouble, but I think you can deal with it as much as you can. Other than that, there isn't much you can do about the engine yourself. No matter how much you try to do it yourself, the costs will get high at some point, and it's a tiring job - the E39 really is a difficult car
Translated from TurkishSo the E39 is a car I love a lot too, but it can cause you more trouble than you think, and it's genuinely a demanding car. If driving and dealing with mechanics matters to you, I think simpler cars like a Laurel or Altima could work too
Translated from TurkishBut if you're saying "I'll really put in the effort, costs aren't a problem up to a point," then the E39 is truly a fantastic car - in my opinion, the best BMW ever made. But don't forget, being that old a car, it will cause problems one way or another, maybe on the day you need the car most, maybe on a long trip - taking that into account will be in your own interest
Translated from TurkishI own an E39 528i, some parts can really cost a lot. I'm an aircraft technician, I repair my car myself, in some cases home tools/facilities fall short, but I do a lot of the repairs and maintenance myself. At the end of the day it's really a car with driving pleasure that can meet every need. My advice: get an M52B28 - a single-VANOS E39 - that hasn't had its wiring messed with and doesn't have LPG fitted
Translated from TurkishI thought a lot about the Laurel/Altima, but everyone says parts shortages are way too much of a problem, otherwise I originally had the Altima in mind - I even thought I could just weld the differential to get by cheaply. At one point I considered the Nissan Primera, but I gave up on it since it's front-wheel drive. If I get too attached to the Altima, instead of changing cars, I know turbo etc. is a bit simpler to do. The E39 seems really tempting on the other hand, but I mean, before you get a bad E39, a mid-condition Altima comes out to almost half the price.
Translated from TurkishIf I get a 528i M52B28 single-VANOS, you won't have problems mechanically with the engine, but I wouldn't say great things about the car's electronics.
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