Need some advice...

[focusedintntion]

Hey guys. So my beloved manual 525it will be going up for sale soonish. Life is requiring some changes and I just sadly need to get rid of it. But before it does go up for sale I'm going to knock out the bit of maintenance that needs to be done to get it ready for the next person to love. Car is getting new wheel bearings, new rear subframe bushings, some other odds and ends, but the biggy is all new dampers. Here's where you guys come in.

I can't decide if i should just replace with OE dampers, or go ahead and do something fun like the bilstein b12 kit and lower it a bit. What are your all thoughts on this? Car will be on some oem mpars with fresh tires. I was thinking the slightly lowered car would look fantastic, but I know some people don't like a lowered vehicle. My car just has base model suspension, nothing fancy like SLS.

[kingston]

If you do not have SLS, you will need springs to lower the car, not just dampers. For a point of reference, I just did Koni Yellow and Eibach Pro-Kit springs...that cost right around $1K.

[focusedintntion]

Yes i'm aware of that. The b12 kit comes with dampers and springs. 30mm drop in height. Figured that with the 18" mpars would look killer. But not sure if that would hurt resale.

[WBAD530i]

Yes i'm aware of that. The b12 kit comes with dampers and springs. 30mm drop in height. Figured that with the 18" mpars would look killer. But not sure if that would hurt resale.

If you have the receipts from purchasing all these parts and you barely put any miles on them it will help the resale value because you can backup all the money in parts you spend on it. You can't expect someone to pay you the exact dollar you spent on the parts, but consider the labor you put into it and the worth of the car without all the goodies.

[StephenVA]

If you are selling the wagon, why put $$ into it at all? Unless the parts are falling off the vehicle, leaking so bad that there is oil pouring down the tubes in a seal failure fashion, why replace? Any repairs should on the functional side before a sale: starts, stops, turns, goes. Everything else is optional.

These things are totally depreciated value point now so unless it is low mileage car with lots of options and it would appeal to an audience beyond these forums why replace? The value would only go up few few dollars at most.

I know most here on this forum like buying vehicle where everything has been replaced before on someone else's wallet, but come on. The next buyer will be what the fourth and final owner?

Now if I was buying it, I would tell you replace everything before hand.

[focusedintntion]

I've often debated those things myself. Ultimately is more so a thing of I'm selling a vehicle I'd like to buy. I'd hate to sell the car to someone and then have it have a big failure or the like soon as they get it. Plus a lot of it is things that need to be done anyways. So in the event it takes a while to sell the car, I can still enjoy them for a bit

[R Shaffner]

Got to agree with others here. Even if you keep all the receipts and show them to buyers, they are probably not going to bid the price up enough to cover the cost.

The exception would be if the car has obvious problems, if you'd have to sell it at a deep discount. For example, if the car wouldn't run well for some simple reason, or wouldn't pass inspection, then by all means fix those things so the buyer can give the car a good value. Or if there are some things you can fix yourself, then do those.

But when it comes to customization and other things, I suggest keeping your cost and the price down. Let the buyer have the fun of fixing it up, if he/she wants to.

[juststeve]

If it starts, runs, fluids look clean, moves under it's own power and has no warning lights or major leaks..mechanically it's good to go.
The next owner can bolt on replacement parts..who cares.

Detailing the car and repairing any rust is the best place to spend money if you are looking for a return on your investment.
This thing should be clean, shampooed, waxed and polished to within an inch of its life.

And if this car is a rusty, dented, high mileage heap..unload it as a $500 parts car.

[rjbaren]

I think you are wasting your money. No one is going to give you back what you put in, especially if you lower the car. Putting sport shocks on a wagon isn't going to raise the value. The bushings maybe, but you still won't get all your money back because the new owner won't know the benefit of the replacement. He won't have had the experience of the ride previous to the bushing replacement. Why not let the next owner decide what kind of suspension upgrades he wishes to undertake. If you are selling the car, why not just sell it and move on? Tell him what you feel the car needs and keep the price lower so the next owner can take on the upgrades at his own pace and choose OEM vs. aftermarket.
Spend your money on your other or next car.

[nikatkimber]

If it NEEDS wheel bearings, do those. Other than that I don't think any of it is worth it. Unless totally completely shot.

[StephenVA]

I've often debated those things myself. Ultimately is more so a thing of I'm selling a vehicle I'd like to buy. I'd hate to sell the car to someone and then have it have a big failure or the like soon as they get it. Plus a lot of it is things that need to be done anyways. So in the event it takes a while to sell the car, I can still enjoy them for a bit

I understand completely now with your approach. I would not drop/lower the car or change the suspension to Coil Overs, I would recommend replacing all the wear items in the suspension with OE or OEM compatible parts ($1K front and rear $2K with shocks and struts) and and enjoy it for awhile, then as others mentioned, detail the vehicle and then put her up on the E39 forum first to see who will bite. Most posters are seeking "everything completed and clean car at a low ball price" as unfortunately we are at the end of life as far as the general used car market is concerned. This is why you see most of poor E39s showing up on third tier used car lots with "Buy here - Finance Here" posted all over. If you have to finance 3-5K at used car lots interest rates then there are looming financial questions of credit ratings of the buyers. Translation: bottom feeders used car lots who sell vehicles with auto Ignition shut-offs installed - if your payment (interest rate of 27%+++) does not clear before the 1st, it does not start). No need to hunt for the vehicle as it is immobilized and parked with the transponder pinging away waiting for the hook.

So fix her up and enjoy the ride....

[focusedintntion]

Thanks for the tips guys!