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Thread: Ultra newbie question (sorry)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
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    WRX 06, e92 m3

    Ultra newbie question (sorry)

    I am purchasing a pretty decent condition for the mileage e39 m5. I am meeting him at my local dealer as they have agreed to inspect the vehicle. My question is--once we do find issues (not buying if my guy and the dealer tell me not to or if theres some kind of incriminating issue) after hacking the price down as much as possible, im wondering if i should just pay the premium to have most of the cars issues fixed at the dealer. I was going to do that then get seafoam, changing oil and tires and brakes i can do on my own but the timing belt vanos etc i may be willing to pay the dealer a good price. He has service history too. How i see it is im getting a real good deal and paying the premium to get the small issues fixed will feel like gstting a new car. What do you guys think? Like I said i can do the following; headlights, taillights, brakes rims (if needed) tires etc things like that but stuff like interior trims i want to be BMW and any of the more serious things. What do you guys think honestly should i take it to the cheaper guys? Ill work on the car a little bit (flushing fluids and such) then should i turn it over?

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Los Angeles
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    02 E39 M5, 14 AM Vantage
    First, this forum sees low traffic for e39 m5 so I'd recommend m5board. There's a new member period which is annoying but you should be able to post pretty quickly--recommend signing up there. This entire site is dedicated just to this car.

    Second, to answer your q: there is no reason to use the dealer. You're buying a car some 10 years past warranty. The dealers actually see cars like this much more rarely than your local Indy, because nobody owning such a car wants to pay dealer premium and most owners are enthusiasts who do their own work. Honestly, the best indies are far better than dealer techs. They have figured out the hard way what things fail when on older cars.

    To find a good Indy, try googling "local shop in Xxxx site:m5board.com" or just ask over there. Also look thru the sub forums (m5board) that are local to your area. You'll get a lot of help over there.

    In short - dealer maintenance is for new cars or people who have little experience maintaining a new car that think dealers are better. For a car this old , you'll get better knowledge and work, the exact same parts, and FAR cheaper prices at a local Independent shop. Make sure you pick one that specializes in M vehicles. You know you found one when you visit the shop and most the vehicles on the floor are M's. Yelp is also great for seeing what kind of cars they work on.

    Last note: excellent you are getting a PPI and that is smart. But be warned: there will be things that come up that weren't on the PPI, and they will be expensive. If 10k for 2 years of ownership sounds like a lot to you, you've underestimated the amount of maintenance these cars require. They're cash hogs and make poor daily drivers if you don't have the cash to repair things quickly when they come up.

    Good luck!
    Josh

  3. #3
    Pelican Parts's Avatar
    Pelican Parts is offline Senior Member Supporting Vendor
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    I'm going to agree with you - since the dealer is going to be doing the inspection; they'll likely give you a deal to fix the (hopefully) small issues that come up. Who is the cheaper guys? - a non BMW shop?


    -Dmitry
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pelican Parts View Post
    I'm going to agree with you - since the dealer is going to be doing the inspection; they'll likely give you a deal to fix the (hopefully) small issues that come up. Who is the cheaper guys? - a non BMW shop?


    -Dmitry
    Well yeah thats what i was thinking. Just my local shop or something. I wouldnt have them do anything to serious basically if i can see some tutuorials online that look simple enough for the issues then ill have them do something like that. (I hope that whole chunk made sense) im going to look into some common e39 issues for the specific year and see what we can prevent and have done

    - - - Updated - - -

    For now i know that i can install slotted rotors and brakes most likely brembos, carplay system and does anyone know of a decent speaker system? Like all around the car. I play around with music production and if they sound like sh*t i might scream. Anyways ill also like i said flush everything myself and redo the brakes then bring it back to the dealer. Also i may need leather and new trims all around based on car condition and i have no idea where to buy those so i guess ill just look and google around a trusted site.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Pelican Parts View Post
    I'm going to agree with you - since the dealer is going to be doing the inspection; they'll likely give you a deal to fix the (hopefully) small issues that come up. Who is the cheaper guys? - a non BMW shop?


    -Dmitry
    Lmfao. I just realized you sell parts. Brb!

  5. #5
    Pelican Parts's Avatar
    Pelican Parts is offline Senior Member Supporting Vendor
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    Ha! Let us know if we can be of any assistance.


    -Dmitry
    Your Trusted Source For DIY and Parts
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