Hi all
Just picked-up a 2003 BSM 530i Sport 5MT over the weekend. Mechanically it's in very good shape with relatively low miles (~78k). Exterior has a fair number of bumps and bruises from PO's daily driver activities. Need to find a good PDR guy to see if I can address some of the worst of the bunch. Rear bumper clear coat has failed too so that needs a respray. Other typical E39 issues including fogged headlamps and pixels out on the dash cluster. Plan is to slowly go through it and establish a maintenance baseline. It was regularly serviced but likely needs a cooling system update and fluids changed. Brakes are in good shape and it's always been a southern car so no rust to contend with. Hope to update this thread periodically as I progress through my check list.
Day I picked it up
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
Foam cannon spray down
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
Clay bar treatment
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
Working through polish and paint correction. Starting to see some progress on the hood. Front bumper needs to be pulled off and re-aligned.
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
Nice! Impressively low mileage, too. Sounds like a good buy! Keep us posted on what's going on with the car.
I don't miss owning a black car, especially because I had to park outside all the time. Good to see you already have a tint.
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
How the heck did you get the hood looking so good? My car, jet black, has been clay barred and polished with a random orbital many times and I always end up with a haze. Congrats on your new car.
2000 528i sport
EMP Stewart water pump
Dice iPod adapter
Alpine amplifiers
MB Quart speakers
MTX BGE12 subwoofer
AudioControl EQL equalizer
Artificial lighting, unless it's specialized ScanGrip color-matching and high- CRI lights, are usually going to hide swirls fairly well. Get it out in the sun and I bet we'd see more.
Also, Jet Black is an unforgiving color. Black Sapphire hides some scratches and other sins in the metallic flake.
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
It has swirls and imperfections. It’s 15 y/o paint and age takes its toll. I got some depth and gloss back using a makita and wool pads before moving on to orange LC pads and a PC orbital. I also did the finish polish outside to detect the swirls. It’s not wise to apply sealant in direct sunlight so that was done in the garage per the photo above. Correct that BSM is not true black like Jet and the metallic flakes help hide some of the imperfections.
What's a "BSM?"
Ed in San Jose '97 540i 6 speed aspensilber over aubergine leather. Build date 3/97. Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA Nr 62319.
BSM = "Black Sapphire Metallic"
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
Welcome to the club - picked up the same [just went over 65k mi], though steelblue, in May: has been a love affair so far :-) especially have been enjoying the sport suspension/seats - didn't think a heavy car cold handle: little did I know ;-)
Thanks. I’m enjoying driving this one too. Surprised at how tight the orginal suspension feels. Few shots of the interior. Headliner is failing on the sunroof shuttle. I will probably re-do it all at the same time. I did the hardtop on my e36 in UV resistant micro suede and it came out well. Not sure what I’ll do with this one. Will also install a SSK and weighted knob when I find the right combo.
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
I recommend a new rod end joint for the transmission shifter shaft and an E60 545i manual transmission lever. Using both will eliminate the tiny plastic washers that used to be in there for whatever reason. Replace the front and rear shifter carrier bushings, too. I went with solid aluminum front bushings from forum user M5Jed, but fresh rubber ones would be good, too.
And then a ZHP shift knob to top it all off
Last edited by computiNATEor; 07-24-2018 at 10:59 PM.
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
So, having owned my 2003 530i in BSM over black car since 56k miles and now being at 228k, I can say you found yourself a good buy. I first converted mine to a 6-speed from an auto using the e46 M3 transmission, but have since put the 3.0 and 6-speed in my 2003 525it wagon and converted the black 530i into a full M5. It's probably the only e39 M5 in BSM that isn't a touring (I know about Redshift's, LOL). My paint has been very well cared for over the years and when clean, still looks incredible.
OP, since you're in Charlotte (as per your PM to me), I highly recommend Charlotte Speed Shop (aka Dents of Charlotte) for PDR and paint touch-up. Tony runs the shop and has a couple guys that work for him and does incredible work. https://www.facebook.com/charlottespeedshop/ www.dentscharlotte.com. A lady hit my car back in January 2018 and they did the repair work and paint and the color matches perfectly. I also had Tony do PDR work on the car prior to that and he was very fair on pricing and you couldn't tell it had about 17 dings after he was done with it. After a hailstorm in AL this past weekend, my wagon got hit pretty bad by 3-4" balls of hail and will need work done on it, so I'll be in touch with him again once I get an insurance inspection done.
Nice car dude!
-Paul
2003 "M5" - Full M5 conversion, AMG C63S 6 piston front calipers, Porsche Panamera 4 piston rear calipers, GC Coilovers, Eibach ARBs, UUC Evo3/DSSR, Borla Exhaust w/Muffler Delete, BMW NBT with Carplay/Android Auto, Bi-Xenons, e38 Style 37 M-Pars, e60 Hubs 530i 6-speed swap build thread2005 Range Rover 4.6is (M62TU Powered) - 4.6is Engine Swap from X5, BMW NBT with Carplay/Android Auto
2006 Porsche Cayman S - Soul Performance Competition Headers and Exhaust, H&R Coilovers, 718 Boxster Spyder wheels, Rennline 35mm rear spacers
I have jet black and doing a paint correction was the best money I have spent
2018 M550ix|Carbon Black Dinan Stage 1|2003 540i|Jet Black|M-Sport
Prior BMW's: 1987 325e|1993 740i|1998 740il|2001 530i|2002 745li|2007 750li|2006 750li|2001 530i|2012 535xi|
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
Here you go:
2018 M550ix|Carbon Black Dinan Stage 1|2003 540i|Jet Black|M-Sport
Prior BMW's: 1987 325e|1993 740i|1998 740il|2001 530i|2002 745li|2007 750li|2006 750li|2001 530i|2012 535xi|
They are bmw specific bbs built - Style 42
They're wheels made by BBS for BMW and they have a BMW style code (42) and they also have a BBS model (RS 740).
Also has anybody else had the clear coat on their 42s fail disastrously? This is one of mine: https://i.imgur.com/HMkHUT2.jpg
The clear coat was peeling so badly that you could just pick off giant pieces of it and there was so much dirt and grime getting under the clear coat. I ended up sanding the outer barrels down to bare metal, primered them, spray painted them silver and then clear coating and they look so much better, took forever to sand down the old clear coat and stuff though. For the center pieces I took them out separately and scuffed them then primered, painted gold, and clear coated them and they look really nice imo now. If you ever try and redo them and you pull the center piece out. I highly recommend having a second set of tires to have on your car while you do this. Also you'll need a can of PB Blaster and let it sit on all the bolts for like an hour or two and pb blast the edge between the outer barrel and center piece. Once you hopefully remove all the bolts without breaking them take a piece of wood and a hammer and hammer the center out from the back.
2003 530i M Sport [Black Sapphire Metallic & Sand Interior]
IMG_1075 by Alex Wilson Photography, on Flickr
Not bad, but the best way to restore them is to put some new DJ Auto lenses on. Not as simple on 2003 models due to epoxy used to adhere them, but so worth it. You have to cut the old lenses off with a dremel and then remove the remaining plastic once the lens is out of the way. Fix the adjusters while in there as well.
Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
-Paul
2003 "M5" - Full M5 conversion, AMG C63S 6 piston front calipers, Porsche Panamera 4 piston rear calipers, GC Coilovers, Eibach ARBs, UUC Evo3/DSSR, Borla Exhaust w/Muffler Delete, BMW NBT with Carplay/Android Auto, Bi-Xenons, e38 Style 37 M-Pars, e60 Hubs 530i 6-speed swap build thread2005 Range Rover 4.6is (M62TU Powered) - 4.6is Engine Swap from X5, BMW NBT with Carplay/Android Auto
2006 Porsche Cayman S - Soul Performance Competition Headers and Exhaust, H&R Coilovers, 718 Boxster Spyder wheels, Rennline 35mm rear spacers
Agreed. And if you're doing adjusters, I recommend updating/upgrading the projectors, too. The Morimoto Evo X-R 2.0 is a direct fit, and you don't have to wire in the bixenons unless you want to (I did).
However, I've heard good results from people who have their lenses clear-coated. Like the same stuff your paint is coated with. You could have the lenses wrapped in a clear-bra/film material, which will also protect them nicely.
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
Thanks gents. I will probably add new lenses and projectors to my future "wish list". For now, I need to address the cooling system, cluster, headliner, PDR, etc. Fortunately the adjusters still seem to be intact and the lenses cleared up well enough to work for me until I get further down my maintenance list.
The lenses look solid, a good improvement, you seem to have your priorities in order. I had mine professionally restored a month or so ago. They look 100% better but I hate the amber, so somewhere down the road I'll drop $900 or so on the eruo's.
2018 M550ix|Carbon Black Dinan Stage 1|2003 540i|Jet Black|M-Sport
Prior BMW's: 1987 325e|1993 740i|1998 740il|2001 530i|2002 745li|2007 750li|2006 750li|2001 530i|2012 535xi|
Well it was a good news/bad news weekend for the 530i. Good news was the headlamp resto turned out great and while waiting for a new bumper gasket to show-up, I headed out to the pick-a-part and got a new driver’s side brake duct, gas door hinge, spare set of heated washer jets, a tail light harness connector, and some random trim pieces. While cleaning-up the tail light area, I noticed I had corrosion in the passenger side harness. Someone had been in here before, cut the plastic connector apart and jammed it back together.
drivers side:
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
passenger side connector:
Untitled by Twistytee, on Flickr
My battery is new, AGM, and properly vented for the blow-off valve, so I’m guessing this was water intrusion through the tail light gasket. The light still works and I’ve installed a replacement connector, but I may need to replace this lamp and gasket if I continue to get error messages.
I also noticed while working on the bumper cover and related duct work that replacing my oil pan gasket needs to be moved up the priority list. So a few cosmetic projects including the headliner will be put on hold while I address this. What else should I tackle while the subframe is dropped? I’m assuming motor mounts although mine still look good - Lemforder ok or is there a better option? I will probably do the oil filter housing gasket at the same time. VCG was recently done and someone was in there before and replaced the two hoses and clamps on the PS reservoir that are prone to leaking.
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