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Is it wrong that I'm...

2K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  Awbimmer 
#1 · (Edited)
.. browsing the net looking at E39 M5s to replace my heavily modified E63 M6 that I've owned since 2016

I've done so much to the M6, including:
- Rod Bearings
- Throttle Actuators
- 02 sensors
- Ionic Modules
- High Pressure VANOS line
- Bunch or relays
- Front control arms and bushes + tie rods
- Battery change
- Clutch, flywheel, PCLD Sensor
- SMG fluid, diff fluid
- Eventuri Kit
- PAS O Ring
- Several Oil changes
- Interior completely freshened up - leather restoration
- Fuel pump + Fuel Filter + Fuel Pressure Sensor
- Air Ride (1st in the UK)
- Sound install etc.

Though I love the thrill of driving it - it gets driven some 2-4k miles p/a, if that - I just wonder if the E39 M5 would provide a more worry-free ownership. Every time I take the M6 out, I think to myself, what's going to go wrong next!?

Does anyone have any experience from going from the V10 to the e39 m5?

Note, I do have an E34 525i Auto (lowered on Eibach Springs and Hartge 3 pc split wheels) for my daily so that's not an issue. That thing is extremely reliable!
 
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#2 ·
Pic of the beast!
 

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#3 ·
Some more pics of the beast


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#4 · (Edited)
Nice ride,,how many miles now in car.
E39 m5 more reliable than m6 for sure.
I have both .
E39 m5 is a legend and so nice when you drive it.
M6 it just more fun especially after 6k rpm.

I like both.

Thank you.
 
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#5 ·
M6 is 74,500 miles.

Yeah it's a hard one!

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#6 ·
I went E61 M5 to E39 M5 to E63 M6....

You might get bored of the E39, its a great car and a true legend amongst M cars, but its not as sharp unless you have major renewals or upgrades on bushings, bars, springs etc even then the lower centre of gravity on the M6 really is incomparable. There is always something to fix on the E39 also, MAFS, Clutch, Vanos tick, ABS modules & sensors, Rust....so you won't get away from maintenance.

The V8 sounds great, and compares well against most cars. The V10 is not most cars however and not many can best the sound here.

Interior wise you will be happy with the extra room, if that's important to you....but I see you have an E34, so that's covered.

From my opening line - you should see that its very hard to leave the V10!
 
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#7 · (Edited)
I have both, although my experience with the E39 M5 spans 10 years and my experience with the E60 M5 spans 9 months, my concerns are similar. I'm getting older and my driving days might be drawing to a close. I love my E39, I've always wanted a V10, and I'm glad I bought one in spite of those scary stories about SMGs and V10s. The E39 has that stump pulling torque and is a good size. The E60 has that wonderful V10. Just one drive down the Keys with the sunroof open and the V10 at full song - there's nothing like it. I forego my Jimmy Buffett CDs and relish in the sound of the V10 with my fingers on the paddle shifts. I average 14 mpg with the E39 and 9.5 mpg with the E60. On both I have rod bearing concerns, VANOS concerns, clutch concerns (however my original clutch lasted 85,000 miles on the E39), rear control arms on both cars, thermostat issues, leaking valve covers (can't BMW make valve covers that don't leak - I had the same valve cover issues with the 335i too) , battery cables, etc. Like you I sometimes wonder what's going to fail next, but I would never want to drive anything else! If you can wrench some things you are way ahead, if you have a good BMW indy you are ahead, if you like your BMW dealer, you get a chance to sample the newest loaners.
 
#8 ·
I have both, and while I like E39 much better than E63, I admit, V10 is intoxicating and very hard to let go off. I had my fair share of things that went wrong with E63, and yes, you do get that feeling sometimes "whats going to crap out next", but this is somewhat true for all high-performance cars - its not a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry after all. These cars need to be properly maintained ALL THE TIME, and since they are cheap to buy now, many get them, wring everything out of them, and sell once first major problem happens/first big maintenance item needs to get done.

Looks like you have addressed most of the issues with the car anyway, just enjoy driving it. Maybe start saving up a bit, for that next "major" failure, or, if it behaves, maybe that E39 in addition to the E63.

Beautiful car. Mine is Indy red as well.
 
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#9 · (Edited)
You hit the nail on the head TexaZ3. There are OK examples of the E60 our there from 28k to 17k, but the maintenance required in two years could easily exceed the sale price. We all do our due diligence when buying, but how hard the previous owner or owners drove it is often a mystery. How often did they change the oil or use launch control? When it comes to fixing and maintaining these were six figure cars when new and require similar maintenance. My guibo came apart on my E39 and bent the drive shaft and cracked the diff housing on a 23,000 mile M5 I bought from someone older than me, so you never know! I fixed it and went five years before anything expensive ever happened again. I had the privilege of riding in the E60 Ring Taxi 11 years ago and we passed everything in sight and I decided after that I would own an E60 M5 someday. To me, it's not BS, nothing drives like a (well maintained) M5.
 
#11 · (Edited)
It really depends on what you want. An e39 M5 will have less maintenance for sure but it's also less car. The e6X M-cars are glorious for one reason, BMW said "f$%k it" threw all caution to the wind and threw together a crazy production platform. Of course it came at a cost. Things break and it happens relatively often. BUT, what kind of car would be comparable? I could build up a variety of sports cars as project cars that could compete with it in a lot of ways but in the end while the e6X cars break somewhat often in known and diagnosed ways project cars break all the time in weird and unexpected way. In addition to that they usually are lacking in refinement and balance. To get that all perfect you end up endlessly tweaking everything trying to get it right but you do it for a reason: You want the most performance you can get.

So really I think the question you have to ask yourself is, do you want to trade off the performance for reliability? For me my e63 M6 is a toy. If it breaks I park it until it's fixed then go thrash it until it breaks again. But I've had a bunch of race cars and project cars, for me it's just how I expect things to go.
 
#12 ·
All,

Some very valid arguments and thanks for chiming in. Its not a decision I'm taking lightly and I'm in no rush to sell the M6 either. It works and works very well but no doubt the E39 M5 is an all round beats with the low down torque on tap and family friendly. That V8 thunder is also addictive for sure but I now see why it's that hard to leave V10s after hearing them sing to the heavens!
 
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