Specs. / Prices for a 1998 E39 528i SE

[Mahmood]

Can someone give me the standard UK spec. for a 1998 E39 528i SE?

I have looked around and keep coming up with the US spec.

The car I am interested in is specified as follows:

- Ex-demo car with 32,000 miles and full BMWSH (no issues with the M52 Block - confirmed to me by BMW UK)
- 2 Former keepers
- Auto
- Orient Blue
- Sand Beige Leather
- Cross Spoke Alloys-8JX17 + spare 8J x 17 Alloy
- De-Chromed
- Graduated Tinted Screen
- Electric Glass Sun-Roof
- Front Sliding Arm-Rest
- BMW Sports Seats
- Front Seats Heating
- Park Distance Control-Rear
- Xenon Headlights
- BMW 6 CD Changer
- Hi-Fi Speaker System
- M Sports Suspension
- M Multi-Function Steering Wheel

What's the standard spec.? I presume some of the above are options?

Also, what do think is a fair price? The car is A1 condition and owned by an enthusiast and will only sell to a fellow BMW enthusiast.

I could look through Autotrader but I am in Libya at the moment and the bandwidth is poor. To trawl the ads to get an average price will take forever!

Cheers

[Pete-M]

E39 328? The E39 is a 5 series...

[steerfromtherear]

Do you mean a 528i?

[Mahmood]

Well spotted...you're not asleep then

Yes, it's a 528i SE.

Thanks

[78dude]

You can search for Carfolio on google, and you will there be able to find tech datas for the car you are looking to buy...

[B7]

Thats a very high specced car. Basic 528 came would have come with cloth. Rain sense wipers were about the only extra over a 523 apart from a few other small bit like the better interior light pack etc..

So the car your looking at had the following option boxes ticked when the car was bought new:



- Sand Beige Leather
- Cross Spoke Alloys-8JX17 + spare 8J x 17 Alloy
- De-Chromed
- Electric Glass Sun-Roof
- BMW Sports Seats
- Front Seats Heating
- Park Distance Control-Rear
- Xenon Headlights
- BMW 6 CD Changer
- Hi-Fi Speaker System
- M Sports Suspension
- M Multi-Function Steering Wheel

It's a similar spec to my old e39 but mine had the comms pack as well but no seat heating. If it has the higher spec OBC (single row of buttons in a straight line not two rows) then thats a worthy option as well.

Price? These are in freefall at the mo but given the mileage spec and the fact it sounds an absolute peach, 4k is where I'd pitch it MAXIMUM, and that is only if it's absolutely mint and due to the mileage. I nearly bought a nice spec "S" plated 73k 523 manual the other day, one doctor owned from new with fbmwsh for £2795 and you wouldn't have found cleaner. Missed it by 10 minutes!

[stevotheevo]

im after one of these aswell, make sure the build date is post march 1998, nikasil is a huge problem in most cases, or check for the recall from BMW.

[steerfromtherear]

nikasil is a huge problem in most cases,

Absolute rubbish, it a huge problem alright but only in a small number of cases. Sure you hear about it a lot on BM forums but in terms of percentage of cars affected its not huge at all. You just dont get the tens of thousands of happy Nikasil owners posting to let you know nothings wrong.

Better to say make yourself aware of the nikasil problem, research it so you know what to warning signs to look for and 99% of the time if it is fine now it will be fine forever and a day. High sulphur fuel stopped a long time ago so not many fail now that arent already wanked.

I have my 2nd Nikasil engined car now and havent had a moments trouble with either at 120+k each.

[steerfromtherear]

nikasil is a huge problem in most cases,

Absolute rubbish, it a huge problem alright but only in a small number of cases. Sure you hear about it a lot on BM forums but in terms of percentage of cars affected its not huge at all. You just dont get the tens of thousands of happy Nikasil owners posting to let you know nothings wrong.

Better to say make yourself aware of the nikasil problem, research it so you know what to warning signs to look for and 99% of the time if it is fine now it will be fine forever and a day. High sulphur fuel stopped a long time ago so not many fail now that arent already wanked.

I have my 2nd Nikasil engined car now and havent had a moments trouble with either at 120+k each

[stevotheevo]

nikasil is a huge problem in most cases,

Absolute rubbish, it a huge problem alright but only in a small number of cases. Sure you hear about it a lot on BM forums but in terms of percentage of cars affected its not huge at all. You just dont get the tens of thousands of happy Nikasil owners posting to let you know nothings wrong.

Better to say make yourself aware of the nikasil problem, research it so you know what to warning signs to look for and 99% of the time if it is fine now it will be fine forever and a day. High sulphur fuel stopped a long time ago so not many fail now that arent already wanked.

I have my 2nd Nikasil engined car now and havent had a moments trouble with either at 120+k each

i have two very good friends who work for BMW, they both told not to go near a nikasil engined car, thats good enough for me.
cant see the point in risking it myself.
im fully aware that there are thousands of nikasil car still running about with no problems, but for me, peace of mind is far more important.

[B7]

nikasil is a huge problem in most cases,

Absolute rubbish, it a huge problem alright but only in a small number of cases. Sure you hear about it a lot on BM forums but in terms of percentage of cars affected its not huge at all. You just dont get the tens of thousands of happy Nikasil owners posting to let you know nothings wrong.

Better to say make yourself aware of the nikasil problem, research it so you know what to warning signs to look for and 99% of the time if it is fine now it will be fine forever and a day. High sulphur fuel stopped a long time ago so not many fail now that arent already wanked.

I have my 2nd Nikasil engined car now and havent had a moments trouble with either at 120+k each

i have two very good friends who work for BMW, they both told not to go near a nikasil engined car, thats good enough for me.
cant see the point in risking it myself.
im fully aware that there are thousands of nikasil car still running about with no problems, but for me, peace of mind is far more important.

Thing is though Steve, with the nicosil issue, the engines were being changed out fairly early on. Many barely hit 70k before being scrap. IMO if ones got 130k up now, chances are it's gonna be fine. AND and the end of the day, if your only paying 2k (for what was a 40k car new) and you get a couple of years out of it, it's still cheap motoring. The nicosil cars are so cheap now. It's not like we are taking a risk with like 10k anymore.

[Jhonno]

if nikasils haven't gone by now, they will be fine! It was only due to high sulphur content of fuel (recitfied) that caused the problems!!

[stevotheevo]

i hear what your saying guys, but you know whats its like when you get a bee in ya bonnet about something, id be worrying all the time.