[alfie]

So I'm always looking in on here but it's not often I post.

I have a 2001 individual. In velvet blue with champagne interior. It is a fairy unique M5.
I have owned the car for 5 years and have always thought I'd never replace her. But as of lately its been used rarely and spends most of its life sitting around. Still sub 100k and a new engine under warranty at 55k. according to my friend who works for bmw.
However my dilemma is it's now starting to suffer from the usual common corrosion in the usual places but also other bubbles too and a little bit of vandalism. And it's starting to dishearten me a little. After recently having the rear diff seals and fluid I was planning to replenish all serviceable fluids new rear tyres and all brakes but I'm beginning to think is it really worth it.
I've had a body shop tell me it would need a full respray and one say it can be repaired obviously the respray being a lot more expensive..
Sometimes I think it will be worth more in bits or to just let her go as she is and let someone else deal with it who maybe has the time but what will I get then.
What do you fellow owners thinks is best?

Here she is when I first bought it.

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[jdauria]

Keep her!

 

[bimmerule]

I would not repaint a BMW individual, it will only diminish its value.

 

[JZelnick]

Find the best detailer you can and have them work their magic. Touchups and paintless dent removal along with a nice 3 stage polish and your car will really look great. Much better option then selling or respraying

 

[banel]

As state in the previous post find a great detailer, but do not repaint

 

[2MS]

She's a beaut! Velvet Blue is a rare color indeed and anything individual from BMW usually commands a better premium if you ever decide to sell. (I should know. I owned a VB in the US) Now it belongs to another board member in the east coast.

 

[alfie]

I'm off to see another repair shop Saturday morning to see what can be done. I'm hoping it's just surface imperfections in the paint and nothing too serious.


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[feeblebob]

I think you're going through my train of thought where it seems like an expensive paperweight sitting around not being used. It all depends how much you value the car, what it's worth to you. If you've fallen out of love with it, and wish you had something else, sell it and buy the replacement. I fell out with mine for a good while and every time I saw it, I felt a sort of dread in that it was going to cost to get it all sorted, but I never really wanted to sell. I'm getting my enthusiasm back now and that's great, but it's still just a car at the end of the day.

As a rare Individual, there's always going to be a market for a car like that, in whatever condition (I can well imagine B10-Bomber reading this and licking his lips... ) I'd agree with others, keep it's originality above all else and get the niggly stuff sorted and use it if you have the desire, sell it if you've fallen out with it permanently, or put it away in proper storage if you really can't decide to keep the vandals and weather etc. off it.

As petrolheads, we build up some sort of misplaced loyalty to these expensive hunks of metal, but we need to keep things in proportion

All the best with whatever decision you come to

 

[Zekerbox]

Find the best detailer you can and have them work their magic. Touchups and paintless dent removal along with a nice 3 stage polish and your car will really look great. Much better option then selling or respraying

I concur!

 

[monsstr]

Find the best detailer you can and have them work their magic. Touchups and paintless dent removal along with a nice 3 stage polish and your car will really look great. Much better option then selling or respraying

What he said.... :biggrin:

 

[blackxs]

I saw this car years ago and loved it and recently I have decided my next M5 I will be painting this color. Velvet blue is gorgeous. Especially being an Individual, with the rare Champagne interior, I think this car more than most deserves to be saved.

A full respray may be your only option depending on the depth of the damage the corrosion has done. It is hard to say but generally by the time it starts showing up under the paint, its too late for the metal underneath, and requires being taken down to metal to have the rust removed, new metal welded in as needed, and new paint over top. I hope it isnt this far gone but if the bodyshop says it is, it may be.

But again.. we have people repainting their Titanium Silver cars for thousands and thousands... those are dime a dozen (sorry to say). Velvet blue is rare, and being a BMW Individual makes it more valuable. A repaint will hurt the value but not as bad as letting rust repaint it for you. Repainting it is the best option and personally I ask... please keep this car on the road in the best condition you can

If you dont want to, then at the very least please sell it to a fellow enthusiast. Wishing I lived across the pond right now... yawnnnn]

edit: reading through his old threads for more pictures of the Velvet Blue and it sounds like it may have already been repainted.
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/146911-someones-vandalised-beast.html

 

[alfie]

Yep it is the second time in my ownership that it has been scratched by the low life's that unfortunately walk among us.
I was lucky that time and a lot of it buffed out and only needed a minor repair.
My friend is in the process of obtaining me information as she works at bmw and the original build spec of this car is very unique indeed from the purple coloured floor mats and carpets to the comfort interior.(massaging seats).
I have no desire for another car except another e39 m5 at this present time and all the positive comments and views from you guys will inspire me to do as much as I can to hopefully have her repaired without losing too much of the original paintwork or let someone else take it on as breaking it would really be a shame and a waste.
I will be able to spend a little time with her this weekend washing and taking to a body shop to see what their reccomendations are and fingers crossed hopefully it won't be as bad as it looks as I suppose even the slightest bit of rust doesn't look good at all and that it's not terminal and only cosmetic and can be easily repaired.



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[BreakMyWindow]

Have you got some pics of the damage to the paint work?

 

[alfie]

No I haven't but I will try get some tomorrow and post up. But here is a list of the rust bubbles I have noticed. Some of the usual suspects

Bootlid on the seam.
Petrol cap area.
Roof above driver. Right we're the window is. (Window out maybe to fix)
Bottom drivers door on the corner
Drivers side sill right at front near wheel arch.
Between drivers door and rear passenger door.
It's a uk right hand side drive.
They aren't particularly big rust spots maybe the size of a small coin however the roof one and the sill are the main concerns.

As for the scratches there is the rear passenger side door (same door as last time just lower down) and the bonnet. Full length of the door and about the size of a hand on the bonnet. Although I reckon the bonnet may buff out But the door being the worst down to primer.
All the panels are straight and sent free just small imperfections maybe but because they are all over I'm concerned it will be noticeable if repaired as opposed to a full paint. Kinda like patchy looking. Maybe it won't having paint on a car is something I've never had done.



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[BreakMyWindow]

By the sounds, the damage doesn't warrant a full re-paint. Primer deep scratch could probably filled in with paint, then the panel could be wet sanded and polished to blend it. As for the sill rust, you would want to remove the jacking pads, and plastic trim under the sills to check for any more rust...

 

[kingpin025]

Ahh the champagne interior; by far the best e39 M5 interior available IMHO.

 

[JimBeemer]

I would not repaint a BMW individual, it will only diminish its value.

Agree 100%! We've all been at that point some time in our M5 ownership. Down in the Florida Keys the corrosion is horrible and my M5 gets a washing every three days, even with the expensive price of water here. I definitely wouldn't do a repaint. I found a good detailer in Miami that focuses on rust spots or paint bubbles. Mine has got a lot of attention around the wheel wells, but it's a dd. Yours is a beauty just as it is. If you sell, you'll end up having M5 withdrawal like some of us have had in between M5s

 

[alfie]

Took a few pictures of the ones that concern me the most. Under that jack pads and that general area seem ok.
The first two are of the sill and the last of the roof.

I've gone all way round the car and these are the main ones. The others are the usual suspects and I believe can be easily fixed.

Maybe I'm worrying about nothing but it's just how it looks to me when I see this on my beautiful velvet blue paintwork haha.


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[BreakMyWindow]

The last shot is definitely a window out job. As for the sill, rusted areas cleaned up and the entire sill can be painted.

 

[MAZI]

Nothing wrong with a respray as long as its done right.
I would have no issue getting it painted.

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