The UNOFFICIAL E39 Touring Thread!

[Johntee540]

or you could save your time and order them from ARD and they come with longer bolts...man I should get a cut from Mike for all spacer sales...LOL

ARD Lugs are some of the nicest I have seen. And I tried several other sources including RRT on my race car. Contact ARD. - JT

Congrats! The touring is cavernous inside. I delivered a treadmill from Costco to my friends house. . .just to prove I could! It's a serious road tripping car! I'm changing out to sport Bilsteins in a week or so.

I just did Bilstein Sports F/R on my 99 540iT with Sport Suspension this weekend. Along with new Front Bearings; New Rotors F/R; New Pads F/R (porterfield r4s); UUC Stainless Steel lines; New Subframe Bushings; MBilly5 Rear Sway with Beastpower Brackets; and flushed the brake fluid.

I am a little sore - but I am loving my billy sports! Never waste and exit ramp!

Another new owner subscribing: just purchased a nice 00 528i for my daily driver, black on black, very clean & low miles. Dealer is installing heated seats & I will pickup on Wednesday. Anybody know of an aftermarket source for a rear cargo liner? All I found so far are for the 325 Touring & I believe they are smaller. Maybe the trunk cargo liner for a 5 series sedan might be a close enough fit?? Several sources for them.
Don

WeatherTech has one. I have one. Fits perfect - JT

[ollo ollo]

Ello Ollo ! - What colour is your interior ? I have a couple of the Touring rear pull out load area cover and pull up dog guard parts. They're both in light grey and work perfectly. Let me know if you'd like one. Cheers, Dennis! West London UK!

Thanks Dennis, my interior is black & I will probably go with one from a wrecking yard. Still awaiting a price quote though, & if I run into problems will take your kind offer. I would, of course, pay all postage, packing etc.

The pull out cover is still available either with or without the dog mesh. Assume it would be cheaper w/o the mesh pull up. The Weather Tech cargo liner looks like it would be up to protecting the carpeting from my Lab & Pointer.

I also found that Orvis (the fly rod people) has a good barrier that attaches to the head rest rods & doesn't damage the headliner. go to:http://www.orvis.com/store/product.a...4240&adv=94240

They note it won't do the job for small dogs, escape artists or big, pushy types but my two are pretty easily discouraged by any barrier & not aggressive.

[325icintn]

I just did Bilstein Sports F/R on my 99 540iT with Sport Suspension this weekend. Along with new Front Bearings; New Rotors F/R; New Pads F/R (porterfield r4s); UUC Stainless Steel lines; New Subframe Bushings; MBilly5 Rear Sway with Beastpower Brackets; and flushed the brake fluid.

Do you have SLS in the rear? If so, what were the part numbers for the rear shocks?

Thanks

[evertoconquer]

Hiya


Ello Ollo ! - What colour is your interior ? I have a couple of the Touring rear pull out load area cover and pull up dog guard parts. They're both in light grey and work perfectly. Let me know if you'd like one.

Lastly, Welcome to those recent arrivals to the Touring Club !

Cheers, Dennis! West London UK!

Dennis, can you post a pic of this? I need this and just want to see the color.

Also, i have non air springs in the rear and am looking to lower soon, anybody have any links for suspension systems?

[Johntee540]

Do you have SLS in the rear? If so, what were the part numbers for the rear shocks?

Thanks

I have SLS. The part number for the Bilstein Sports with SLS is BE5-6096-HO 2 $98.75 $197.50 from EAC.

I picked up a pair of rears for $100 NIB and a set of Fronts NIB for $275 off Craigslist. I totally lucked out - right place right time. - JT

[Reefin Dude]

Dennis here are a few pics of the rear spoiler. hard to tell if this is just a rebranding of the OEM one or not. one shot of the stock sport interior in Grey.





G~

[DennisCooper]

Hiya

Evertoconquer - I'll get pics no worries, however, the UK BMW's with the grey interior are the same as the USA ones!! so, it'll be the same as any Touring thats been shown here in pics with grey

Reefin dude - That AC Schnitzer is different slightly I think - I like that theres a part number and other details stamped into it. Can't quite make out those numbers, could you please have a good look and post up the numbers please?!!

The interior could really do without that wood! and as you have the later Sport steering wheel you've already got the look many want in their E39's interior!

Cheers, Dennis! West London UK!

[evertoconquer]

Thanks Dennis, if you can find out shipping to 35150 to see if it is worth shipping here or sourcing one from here. Does it have the netting and everything?

[DennisCooper]

Hiya again,

Yes, It's as if you've taken the part out - I'll dig it out of my spares shed and take some pictures over the next couple of days and post up here and find out how much it'd be to you. It is quite heavy though perhaps 8-10KG (18-22 lbs) so it may be worthwhile to source within the USA. If one just doesn't turn up, then you know there's a couple of them here with me

Cheers, Dennis! West London UK!

[Reefin Dude]

i have not decided yet on the wood trim. it is a bit dark for the rest of the interior. if i do change it out it will probably be to something like brushed aluminum or brushed Stainless. i might be open to other ideas as long as they are not really dark in nature.

the info on the spoiler is:
Herst.: Kohl Gmbh
Dachheckspoiler>PUR< Typ: 51713935

G~

[jbshin]

Finally got to the subframe bushing with Jase007 since he is local. He brought the tool and he did most of the heavy lifting and I somehow managed to cross-thread (or the temporary bolt dragged some stuff into the thread that we called it a night at about 1 AM Monday morning.

Jason graciously came back Monday night (both of us feeling a bit tired) with threading tool to clean out the thread and we managed to put it back together. When we took the bushings out, only the front 2 looked to have decent sized cracks, but the ride was still crap. It now rides smoothly as I had hoped and no more jarring, bouncy ride over bumps.

I cannot thank Jason enough for his generosity. Had I tried this by myself, I probably have the car at a local shop by now. Thanks, Jason!

[RVAE34]

Wicked!!

^^^^ I need me some tailgate spoiler action

[OnTouring]

Just entered the touring family last week and couldn't be happier with it.
I've been around e39s for years, and finally got a touring of my own (thanks dad!). Just thought I'd say hey...and show her off a bit before the modding begins
01 540iT sport- royal red/black





I'm diggin the royal red more and more

[boerboel]

Now that is a great color combo ! How much did you pay Ontouring

[s52e368]

royal red is very pretty!

[TommyFTR]

I have SLS. The part number for the Bilstein Sports with SLS is BE5-6096-HO 2 $98.75 $197.50 from EAC.

I picked up a pair of rears for $100 NIB and a set of Fronts NIB for $275 off Craigslist. I totally lucked out - right place right time. - JT

John,

Are you running the factory Sport Springs/Airbags with the Billy Sports? I have a 528iT with the Sport springs and air bags. I'd like just a little more handling but I don't want to give up the ride quality much. Just curious what your set up is and what you think of it.

-Tom

[Johntee540]

John,

Are you running the factory Sport Springs/Airbags with the Billy Sports? I have a 528iT with the Sport springs and air bags. I'd like just a little more handling but I don't want to give up the ride quality much. Just curious what your set up is and what you think of it.

-Tom

Tom - I just got the car in June of this year and have been sorting it out piece by piece. Have done Thrust/Control Arms; Front Bearings; Rear SubFrame Bushings (made a HUGE difference in ride); Rear Upper Control Arms; Front and Rear Shocks; Transmission Fluid; and new Dinan Air Filter (which the original owner never changed in 72k miles). Still needs Rear bearings; and Rear Lower Ball Joint to be perfect.

I have Sport Package on the 540 with Airbags. I am running the Billy Sports. I also have M5 Sways Front and Rear with a Strong-Strut brace (www.strong-strut.com) . As far as handling goes on a Touring I think it is about as dialed in as it can get unless you go with the available Beefier sways in the aftermarket suspension market.

I have had an Mcoupe; E34 540 that I modded heavily and tracked; E34 M5; 90 E30 M3 that I raced - it was a total track car (nothing will handle as well as that!); and currently I have 2 tourings. I have a 2000 528iT with Premium Package that I upgraded to Sport Springs and Billy Sports with Rear M5 Sway; and a 1999 540iT Sport Package Individual car.

I have played with BMW suspensions for some time. I have always run Bilstein Shocks and have been very pleased. Well except for that one time on the E34540 when I went to the RRT Control/Thrust Arms that dont run a bushing but use a MilSpec Bearing. The turn in was amazing and the control was unbelieable - the ride was punishing. Wasnt the shocks though just the lack of bushings!

I dont want to spark the Billy Sports v KYB v Koni debates here - so I will say that the Improvement in Handling is way well worth the firming up of the ride.

If you want to maintain the current ride and current handling of the car just stick to the BOGE OEM Shocks. If you are looking for a little more firmness and better handling - look into doing the suspension mods I did which are actually pretty mild however all the parts work as a system.

Suspensions are a very personal thing to each individual. No one package of suspension mods are going to be perfect - or- even THE ONE way to do it. I just know after years of working on performance cars and Modding another Touring before I got this one what worked for me. Hope this helps - JT

[DennisCooper]

Hiya

Evertoconquer,

Some pics for you as requested. Was really hard to try and keep some of the cover out whilst taking a pic! it's spring loaded so kept wanting to close! As you can see, it's the same grey colour as you guys get in the USA, I don't think there were any colour change differences with the different E39's in different geographical markets.





I do have two of them! both work and spring loaded function work on each of them and for the load cover and the dog mesh section.

£100 is what I want for each part, and shipping 10KG to the USA is £65. Thus £165 at current exchange rates is around $260 USD. Might be a little pricey, but as you know you could wait around for the next 10 months for one to pop up on US ebay or at a breakers yard, or one might turn up tommorow! Let me know if you'd like to proceed.

OnTouring - welcome to the Touring club! you've got an excellent combination there! quite rare too! I've already mentally modified your car! I can't help it ! - as your's is a facelift.. you need the later Sport steering wheel which will simply swap over! and of course I do have some of those - enjoy the car, I'm envious that you also have a 'fast' one too!

Cheers, Dennis!

[Johntee540]

Finally got to the subframe bushing with Jase007 since he is local. He brought the tool and he did most of the heavy lifting and I somehow managed to cross-thread (or the temporary bolt dragged some stuff into the thread that we called it a night at about 1 AM Monday morning.

Jason graciously came back Monday night (both of us feeling a bit tired) with threading tool to clean out the thread and we managed to put it back together. When we took the bushings out, only the front 2 looked to have decent sized cracks, but the ride was still crap. It now rides smoothly as I had hoped and no more jarring, bouncy ride over bumps.

I cannot thank Jason enough for his generosity. Had I tried this by myself, I probably have the car at a local shop by now. Thanks, Jason!

I believe had the tool earlier in the weekend finishing my Subframe Bushings! Jase007 is a standup guy totally. I have an "Appreciation Celebration" thread on Jason in the main forums. - JT


Located here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1529209

[OnTouring]

Now that is a great color combo ! How much did you pay Ontouring

Thanks! I picked it up for 10.5k, but it could use a little work in the next few months. Luckily the cooling system checked out good, though.

royal red is very pretty!

It is indeed!

OnTouring - welcome to the Touring club! you've got an excellent combination there! quite rare too! I've already mentally modified your car! I can't help it ! - as your's is a facelift.. you need the later Sport steering wheel which will simply swap over! and of course I do have some of those - enjoy the car, I'm envious that you also have a 'fast' one too!

Thanks for the kind words! As odd as it may sound, I prefer the old sport wheel, but if I change my mind I know where to look ;]

[evertoconquer]

Dennis,

Those look great. I'll see what my money is looking like over the next couple of weeks. The price is good as i've had 0 luck finding one of these. I'll let you know.

[98M3_4]

Very nice, the royal red looks sweet. That's the first time I've seen that color, thanks for the pics

[xpcgamer]

Well fellas! My new mod is finally installed. I love how it looks and feels! This is going to complement my new black Corbeau CR1's(crap did I just let the cat out of the bag?) nicely!







Pics don't it justice!

[DennisCooper]

Hiya XPCgamer!

Is this the re-trim done by the guys in Dallas Texas?! of course, it does look great and I can imagine just how it feels too as I deal with the same sort of stuff over here!

Is yours an 'early' 99 model ? is that why you went for the earlier wheel and not the later type? or do you indeed have a later E39 model but prefer this shape wheel?!

I've been looking at seats as well, and of course, the Recaro CS are top choice for me, love their looks, I'll have to check out the Corbeau's now too see if I can get them at trade price like I can *cough* the Recaros...

Black dash top next?! get some black speaker grilles too !!

Then the Vavona can go.. to alcantara to match the gaiters you've got as well !!

cheers, Dennis! West London UK!

[xpcgamer]

Dennis You are correct. I have been talking to those dismantlers I told you about to try and get a black upper dash,center console and arm rest. Joe did my wheel. This is my original wheel. I am build date 03/99 so I thought I had a dual stage. I bought a newer E39 sport wheel(will be for sale soon) and was running that. I realized that my car a Single stage to I started looking for a recover. Does your trade price include shipping to the states or pick up at a Recaro dealer in South Florida? I was looking at the CR1 mainly due to the cost. Look into them. European Car put some in there long term A4 and they looked sweet!