D1CKY

Hi, I thought I'd best say hi before I start with all my questions I have been thinking about moving over to a BMW for a while and decided to go for it. Now I am on the hunt for a E39 Touring and trying doing my homework on them (see my thread in 5 series section). Any advice welcome.

Hi, I am on the search for a E39 Touring and thought no better place to look than here. I have been thinking about getting one for a good while now and have decoded to go for it. I have £3000 to spend (not a lot I know). This seems to get me 100k plus motors :/ I am looking for advice on what to look out for. I'm aware of the following: Service history (receipts or invoices are a bonus). Water pumps, thermostat etc (cooling problems). Timing chain tensioners (noisy). Rear bushes (clunking). Autoboxes failing around 120-150k and struggling to select gear. Rust Around boot lid, fuel filler cap Around the rear slam panel, above the bumper where the boot shuts Around windscreen Around sills/skirt spots, sill front edge to front wheel arch and rear arches Damp carpets and wet kick plates (door membranes). Radio ,Sat Nav, Phone, Windows, Heated Seats, On board computer, Xenons failing. Heater blower failing. Lazy windows - slow going up and down (motor/regulator). Dead/missing pixels on the on board computer, radio displays and instrument clusters. Clocked cars have a red dot ? next to mileage and interior wear doesn't tie in with mileage. I forgot to ask what the average life of a clutch in a manual car is ? I know it can have a lot of variables, but I was just after a rough idea. Oh and is the manual gearbox prone to worn syncros etc from 1st to 2nd etc ? Resulting in crunching etc. Anything else would be greatly appreciated.