No aftermarket nylon or delrin parts - yet. We have some great resources on the forums “looking into it.” But “every few years” is incorrect; this car is now 16 years old. With regular driving and maintenance, the guides will last about this long, and about 150-200k miles. How many cars of a similar age have aged this…

Give it a few years, as the final e39s are driven into the ground and the enthusiast-maintained cars start to change hands at prices above retail.

It’s a great engine in a great chassis...

The e39s use BMW’s “LL01" specification oil, which can be 0w-40, 10w-40, or 5w-30, if I recall correctly.

I’d seriously consider building up your own e39 if you want one; buy a moderate-mileage, manual transmission 530i, throw a supercharger (like the ESS Tuning kit) on it, and clutch and associated maintenance, and you have a lighter car with just as much power as the 40i, with less expensive maintenance than the M5.

This. I’ve had nothing but great experiences with my local shop, Ronin Autowerks, whose owner races his 2002 in the local club events. BimmerShops.com is a valuable resource!

Not any that I’ve seen in my time on the forums. These guides are reported to fail (and the S62's guides in the M5 don’t) because of the operating temperature designed into the M62; it can run at more than 110ºC. After years of use, the extreme temperatures weaken the plastic, and lead to failure between 150k-200k…

Gotta rock BimmerFest and BimmerForums if we are to have any hope of keeping our old Bimmers running!

<throws up in mouth>

Nope. Only the M5 got the limited slip. It’s super annoying; on my 530i, the lack of an LSD is my second-biggest beef, the first being its undersized rear sway bar that creates a lot of understeer.

Actually, it’s a two-minute procedure to turn off that warning message and just get the indicator light. Drove me nuts because I often start my car without my seatbelt fastened (I deliver pizzas in my 03 530i).

Pretty sure that’s an ‘03 540i M-sport; going up quick in value. Note the glossy black window trim, and black headliner, unique to the 03 M-sport 540i.

Ha! Now that would be hilarious.

That is so awesome. More states need rules (or a lack thereof) like Vermont.

Ha! No I swear I just keep an extra roll up there! Gotta have your reading material, too.

I’d love to put it on my Christmas list! :)

Awesome! Now when is your next book coming out? The extra toilet paper on the toilet tank needs some company!

I remember this better than 9/11 actually; I was in school. Weird, huh?

I was only five when it happened; Stewart was my favorite driver (mostly because I could see his bright orange car easily), and I was watching the race with my grandparents on our old, tiny rabbit-ear TV in the living room. Eating a few Oreos. Strange what you remember after all those years.

Yeah, an 400 lb weight gain in just 10 years is huge, but not really that strange, especially comparing the sizes of the cars. Not a huge fan of the X5; never really have been. I just look at it, and ask why. What does the BMW “brand DNA” (whatever that may be now) have to contribute to the scores of tall, top-heavy…