"What did you do to your E39 today V2.0."

[SW530]

I've been working on filling chips.. and starting to think I might want to use a ceramic nano coating. To date I've been using a ceramic sealant detailing spray and it's good for a month or two, maybe 7-8 washes. Sheds water well too. But once I get this paint as good as I can get it, thinking maybe a ceramic coating would be better. Anyone have any experience with ceramic coatings and wouldn't mind sharing your experience? If I do it, it will be a DIY effort.

As I put in the hours to fill the chips I'm dreaming about a wrap in Sterling Grey that I could just cover the front 1/3 of the car and it would cover all the chips and in effect look like a clear PPF. Almost fell off the stool..

[SW530]

For some reason I couldn't find E39 540i badges save for the originals which are over $100. But I did find some chrome and flat black for an E60 which are separates and about 15% smaller than the E39 badges which are separates and not once piece like the originals. I played with the layout a bit, finally deciding to wide space them. What do you guys think, a pass or fail?r1.jpgr2.jpg

[scottieducati]

Ehhhh


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

The zero is farther from the 4, than the 4 is from the 5, and the i is too close to the zero…..

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FAIL

[SW530]

LOL! Good eye. Yep, I was mad at myself for the first three not being equally spaced but the i was on purpose.. it just didn't look right out there by itself.

[GZilla]

Just pay the $100. The chrome 540i E39 badges look classier in my opinion. And holy CB antenna!

[SW530]

I think ultimately I will use the E39 one piece badge, but in person the flat black meshes f avorably with the shadow line trim. There's all sorts of black on this car, but zero chrome other than the trunk badge..

Ham Radio. That's a local VHF/UHF antenna, on longer trips I add a larger HF antenna. I install them so there are no permanent modifications, no holes drilled, nothing that leaves any trace. The E39 lends itself well to that, plenty of adequate power sources and existing cable runs to tap into.

Anyone know if a small .2 fiber optic can be fished down from the valve cover to inspect the TC guides? Was thinking it might be a way to verify if the TC work has been done.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Yeah, what’s with the cb antenna, goodbuddy? Comeback…

[computiNATEor]

For some reason I couldn't find E39 540i badges save for the originals which are over $100. But I did find some chrome and flat black for an E60 which are separates and about 15% smaller than the E39 badges which are separates and not once piece like the originals. I played with the layout a bit, finally deciding to wide space them. What do you guys think, a pass or fail?

Ew, fail. If you want black badges, spray the OEM badge

[R Shaffner]

Not what I'd prefer, but it doesn't look bad to me.

[JimLev]

Yeah, what’s with the cb antenna, goodbuddy? Comeback…

Breaker breaker 19, what’s your 20 good buddy? Any smokies down the road?

Those black numbers look pretty good.

[SW530]

Oh my, an "ew", a handful or fails and a "nothing wrong.." Thanks, message received. I just found a new original E39 badge on ebay for $42.. so ordered it and I have from now till it arrives to decide if I'll Cerakote it flat black or leave as is. I want this done and the chips done before I ceramic coat the car.

Thank you!

(and its a ham radio guys.. there's a difference)

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Breaker breaker 19, what’s your 20 good buddy? Any smokies down the road?

Those black numbers look pretty good.

Haha! Yep, Blue light special out in the silly circle, I was only doing 100mph over the limit, lost them all, stopped at a choke and puke, pulled a 10-100, hopped back in the truck, shoot out west to Idiot Island…. Anyone figure all that out?

And yes, the black badges look good, I think I’m gonna do that too.

[GZilla]

image1.jpg

So the headlights on my E39 were beyond faded, almost all yellow to the point that it was not safe to drive at night. So, I decided to rejuvenate it. Not the best work since I was in a rush, but it's pretty clear. If I was more generous with the 400 grit and my DA polisher, it would have been immaculate. It's like a 6/10 chick, it'll do for now until I install my 10/10 European headlights after the bumper is painted.

[SW530]

Nice! I did mine with the Cerakote headlight restore kit and they came back from really cloudy to about like yours. Hopefully they'll stay that way for a while.. been 8 months so far.

[Ed CT]

Nice! I did mine with the Cerakote headlight restore kit and they came back from really cloudy to about like yours. Hopefully they'll stay that way for a while.. been 8 months so far.

I think the key to keeping the headlights clear is to apply the 2-part enamel spray.

First time I did mine, they started to fade back to frosted after 4 or 5 months. Second time, I did the whole sanding/polishing thing starting with a low grit and ending with a 2000 grit and polishing compound, and a final coat of that 2-part enamel in a spray can (any good auto paint store has this). Aside from having a couple of enameled bugs on the lenses, they're still clear after 5 years.

[SW530]

I think the key to keeping the headlights clear is to apply the 2-part enamel spray.

First time I did mine, they started to fade back to frosted after 4 or 5 months. Second time, I did the whole sanding/polishing thing starting with a low grit and ending with a 2000 grit and polishing compound, and a final coat of that 2-part enamel in a spray can (any good auto paint store has this). Aside from having a couple of enameled bugs on the lenses, they're still clear after 5 years.

No doubt, a clear protection coat is vital for it to last. So the question becomes what's the best clear coat? Automotive clear coats have a lot to recommend them as evidenced by how long our cars finishes last. The ceramic nano coatings say you can put them on your windows and plastics and headlights.. I really hesitate to put anything on glass because nothing can drive me batshi& crazy than a smeared windshield.. and those coatings advertise from 2-7 years, not nearly as long as an automotive clear coat. Cerakote in everything I've used it for so far, shows it to be tougher and longer lasting than automotive paints. And they do make a clear, several of them, flat, satin, and gloss. With their headlight kit once you get done prepping and sanding and cleaning.. then you tear open some packets and "wipe" on a clear coat that brings them from an unfinished to finished state and very clear. Apparently it fills the remaining scratches and imperfections. I wonder if that's the same stuff as their clear coat. Something on my list to ask next time I talk to their rep.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

I just swap out my lenses. New lenses have a UV coating on them, that’s why they lasted long from when the headlights were new. The morning sun really does a number on eating away on this coating. So when the time comes that you sand it down, and polish it back up, that coating is long gone, and that’s why the lenses yellow up real quick. I am about to cut out the lenses on my ‘03 wagon, I’ve polished them back up at least 5 times now, been lazy. But I noticed last week, turned the lights on to go run to the grocery, the drivers side projector failed to aim down, and then come back up, so sure enough, an adjuster broke. So I will be going in and do a projector install, replace the adjusters on both headlights, and put new lenses on. Have everything, just too lazy to do it right now.

Been concentrating on replacing the convertible top frame on my 330. Two spars were completely wrecked, unfixable, the whole reason I got the car at a cheap price. Came with the new frame, PO thought he’d be able todo the swap, but then he realized the limits of his skills, and I bought the car. I’ve been noodling along on it, pulling the old frame apart was real fun, transferring the hydraulic lines, repairing the torn harness that snagged on the bent frame spars, routing them properly, was real fun, only time I looked up a youtube video was to figure out which side of the trunk the pump was on, everything else was pure teardown, taking pictures which was close to useless, since I didn’t bother to label the sides properly, once you have well over a hundred pictures with no point of reference, I said screw it, just put it back together, route everything with trial and error, test for resistance without tearing up the hydraulic lines, as much as I love BMW, sometimes they still amaze me with how stupid they can get…. They routed all the hydraulics and wiring to run needlessly throughout the frame, across a spar in the center, down to the other sides hydraulic rams, the wiring, understandable, as the wires need to run through the frame to get to the locking mechanisms motors up front, the motor that latches the claws down on to the windscreen’s header frame. But the hydraulics, the pump is in the left rear, right up against the wheel well, lines from the pump hook up to the lines coming out of the distribution block with the three solenoids that actuate the proper ends of the rams, four rams altogether. The stupid part was, why run the lines all the way through the frame, when they could have divided it up to the two sides, less chances for hydraulic lines to get scissored all up in case of one coming out of position. I would have kept it simple….. Chris Bangle…. Moron extraordinaire…

But I did get it all figured out, the roof is back on the car, the cloth top is on, it is nice and tight, I have cycled it at least 25 to 30 times now, all good, no leaks, it rained cats and dogs last night, no hydraulic leaks, I’m stoked!!! Still need to install the head liner, that Chris Bangle part of that job, lacing up the side flaps that flap open when the roof is in motion, and the frame links need to move, which would tear the headliner flaps all up if they didn't, as the roof goes down into the compartment, and the tonneau closes up on it. When you put the roof back up, as the roof locks down up front, those headliner flaps pull back out and cover up the frame linkages right next to the rer side windows. They do this by lacing up a series of black chord, running through hoops on the frame. Its kinda ingenious, which is why I know Bangle was involved in that aspect of the job, just the stupid parts…. Haha! God I’d love to rip that idiots head off, and poop down his throat. If you’re reading this, Bangle, you stupid mongoliod, FU!!!

[Ed CT]

A liquid or wipe on clearcoat will always be better than any film clearcoat, which is only going to be as good as the final prepped surface of the plastic headlight lens.

So, your Cerakote kit had a wipe-on clearcoat? That sounds much easier than the 2-part spray can bug-attractant that I used LOL.
If they fog up again, I'll try the Cerakote.

[Ed CT]

Been concentrating on replacing the convertible top frame on my 330. ........ If you’re reading this, Bangle, you stupid mongoliod, FU!!!

Snotty - your 330 is an E90? Other than that stupid Bangled-up Tow-Mater-looking front grill, how is it mechanically? I'm toying with the idea of picking up one (330 or 335)

[SW530]

Its not labeled "clear coat" just "step 3", but what else could it be. That's why it's on my list of questions.

[Nfs021]

Yesterday I dumped out the crappy Royal Purple from the trans. Been in there for just over two years and about 20k miles. Was planning on using Ravenol, but decided to try Liqui Moly Top Tec 1100 ATF that Sreten from M539 Restorations uses. I've talked to him before buying and he's used it for now almost 5k miles with no problems. I didn't use Redline becuase I tried it in my old 540i and didn't like it. Was too much like Royal Purple. Great at first, then crap later on. Anyways so far the Top Tec ATF is working great. The infamous 2nd gear stiffness on the 420G when cold is now smooth. Even 1st and reverse improved too along with the other gears.

Right now I'm in the process of redoing the C and B pillars in new alcantara. Little tricky, but coming out good so far. Going to skip the A pillars for now. Want to try and source some new ones where the middle tab isn't missing. I know, it's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Worst case, I'll buy new peasant spec-er I mean normal 5 series A pillars and recover them in alcantara like I did with the sunroof motor cover in the headliner.

As for headlights. An important thing to help keep them looking good for a long time is to have a clear film like Xpel applied to them whether they are brand new or refinished. If you refinish them though, make sure to let whatever clear coat you use to dry for a week or longer if needed. That way it's for sure fully cured and it'll help avoid any issues when applying the clear film.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Snotty - your 330 is an E90? Other than that stupid Bangled-up Tow-Mater-looking front grill, how is it mechanically? I'm toying with the idea of picking up one (330 or 335)

Ed, it’s an ‘01 E46 330ci convertible, not an E90. I had an ‘07 E90 330 sport, it was in excellent shape, low miles, sold it the next day and pocketed three grand, easy money. It seemed like it drove well, but only drove it home, 15 miles, in traffic, flipped it the next day. I may be helping someone out with his son’s 335 sometime soon. I’ve never had to mess with engine work on those cars, only body repair on a front end, and I had to pull a quarter off of a 335 convertible, that, was a pain in my butt to remove the hardtop mechanism…. They seem like decent cars, some guys hate them, like I do with E60’s, and e65’s, but I kinda not mind Bangle’s 335’s. Would I get one? I don’t know. But those engines seem to be able to make real power without too much money, maybe, but then Bangle keeps coming back to mind, so no.
Some people told me Bangle was involved with the Mini Coopers, I have two R53’s, so I point out that those ones were mostly designed, and engineered by Rover. BMW bought Rover just to own the Mini brand, got rid of all the other cars Rover had. Bangle was purely involved with the R56’s and up, I can’t stand the R56’s and up. Big difference in how the R53’s drive, compared to the Bangle’d up Minis.

[Ed CT]

Oh, an E46. E46's are good. Cousin to the E39. Worked with a guy that had an E90 335 all wrapped in red plasta-dip or something. It was black when he peeled it off. Fast car, tho. Fairly light and with that turbo straight six (I think) it got up to speed quickly. I never heard him complain of any mechanical issues. Might be worth a look to find a decent used one one to have some fun with.

[SW530]

The problem with Royal Purple and Redline is two things. First, they're made for auto transmissions. Second, they work too well. They lubricate so well that when used in a manual transmissions that requires ATF as it's oil, the syncro's don't get the friction they need to work as designed. My transmission builder warned me about this and of course I thought I knew better.. and ended up with a stiff hard to shift transmission, especially when cold. Once I changed it out and put in conventional oil I couldn't believe how well it worked..