Thinking Of Selling My Car

Big Nasty

Hey lads,

Had my car up for a sale a while ago and had a few interested parties but I ended up holding off at the time. The car was worth more to me than what was being offered so I decided to keep her but since then I've spotted something I really like so want to move her on.

She's a black '97 523i with low mileage, just shy of 99k miles, 5k of which I put up over the last three years. The car runs beautifully and has never given me a days trouble in that time. The NCT ran out in July '08 and I never bothered getting it done until the new laws re NCT came in last year. I put her through last September with little or no bother but consequentially she is due again this July. She has been routinely serviced by an indy ex BMW mechanic since the time I've had it. It's manual with cloth seats and walnut dash.

When I previously put it up for sale she had a couple of minor issues, i.e. a few dents and scrapes (nothing major but not entirely clean) and a broken rear drivers side elec window regulator. Since then the sunroof has stopped working and there is a problem with the full beams (not sure what exactly but told it could be a regulator of some description) and the clutch is giving a bit of judder now in heavy traffic (told it could be a flywheel issue).

Apart from that it's a fine car and a pleasure to drive and still very fresh at under 100k miles. I understand it may need some work to pass its next test but it's definitely good for many, many more miles.

So to those in the know (I've got my own figure but interested to hear your own) what would YOU pay private for this car?

Don't have a recent pic but looks pretty much identical to this:

af_thefragile

Those were the last good looking 5 series imo.
The big bulky thing that replaced that was ugly as hell.
The new 5 series looks just like a stretched 3 series.

Anyway, good luck with the sale!

robtri

personally i would put afigure of €1500 on it..... tops.

large engined, high tax, 13 year old car... virtually worthless these days...

unkel

robtri wrote: »

personally i would put afigure of €1500 on it..... tops.

large engined, high tax, 13 year old car... virtually worthless these days...

Gotta agree. Probably worth not much more than a grand. With no issues and a fresh NCT maybe nearly 2 grand. I've a '99 520 2l, visually pleasing (lowered, nice body kit, Eibach suspension, 18" M5 wheels) and it passed the NCT this week. Everything works perfectly fine, except for the ambient temperature sensor. I'd value mine at about 3 grand tops. A 2.5l E39 car in the same condition / same year is worth less than a 2.0l one in this country.

Maybe better to keep the car, OP. Great car the E39!

What's your own figure, BTW?

unkel

Here's a '96 523 from a dealer (presumably with warranty - it is not caveat emptor as in a private sale) with a long NCT with an asking price of €1,950. Surely €1,700 cash would get that. Granted it has 139k miles on it, but the NCT kinda suggests suspension work has been done already.

unkel

The one on donedeal which was the picture you used in your OP is a '98 523 with an asking price of €1,600 as you know

No mention of NCT though...

Anyway, it's mad, isn't it? Goes to show you can get a near perfect condition E39 (an excellent saloon) for only a couple of grand

rabbitinlights

Some car for the cash..... about 1300-1500 should buy it private.

S.

biko

As the buyer would have to start fixing things immediately, clutch, sunroof, window, ... you won't get as much as if the car was without issues.
You'll have to consider letting it go cheap or fixing those things and maybe still not getting enough for it. Big engines are hard to shift with fuel being so expensive.

daveharnett

Seweryn wrote: »

Nice car...
Regarding the price, it is hard to judge, but just to compare - see below my E39, which I sold last year. The mileage was 107k, very well equipped (BMW Business Stereo, cruise control, dual climate control, Steptronic transmission, multi f. leather steering wheel, no leather), car in very good condition and I got only 1,700 for the car...




Good Luck with your choice.

That was a '97, 520i AFAIR

ikb wrote: »

Hi All,
Just sold 99 520i, (1200 yo yos). 150k miles,14 months NCT, 3 months tax,. leather, alloys etc...

OP at 100k, any buyer in the know will be wary of potential cooling and suspension problems. Between the engine size, and the few electrical niggles, I'd say you'd would be doing well to get a grand tbh. If I were a customer, I'd be asking why you haven't NCTed it in advance before putting it up for sale (it will be within the three months pretty soon, right?).

Alanstrainor

The old man had one of these for a couple of years. Fantastic looking car, one of the best looking BMWs ever imo.

Piratez

Car looks well im sure priced correctly you will have no problem selling it. Worth about 1300 euros I would think in the current market.

I couldn't see anyone remotely savvy giving a grand for a soon to be NCTless 523i with clutch probs and electrical issues. In saying that a lad I know sold an NCTless A6 2.4 that needed suspension bushings and was leaking power steering fluid for €1300 (1998 model iirc), they were wanting to come from all over the country to take it, he regretted not asking more for it. So you never know, plenty of numptees out there still

Big Nasty

daveharnett wrote: »

OP at 100k, any buyer in the know will be wary of potential cooling and suspension problems. Between the engine size, and the few electrical niggles, I'd say you'd would be doing well to get a grand tbh. If I were a customer, I'd be asking why you haven't NCTed it in advance before putting it up for sale (it will be within the three months pretty soon, right?).

Actually I should mention that the temp sensor was replaced last year and when I ran it through the NCT I had to replace the wishbones on the passenger side so no worries there. I would be looking for €1200-€1300 as is which I think is fair?

Seweryn

daveharnett wrote: »

That was a '97, 520i AFAIR

The one on the photos was a 523iA 1997 actually (that was my car). A lot of car for the money. These cars are well undervalued in this country, especially with the 2.5 and bigger engines. There is almost no difference in fuel economy between 2.0, 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0. My 2.5 Auto did 30.8 mpg on average and up to 35-40 mpg on a long gentle run.
I agree, they are the last good looking 5-series.

bazz26

I know someone who recently sold a well looked after 2001 525i for around €3500. Was a manual though.

unkel

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I would be looking for €1200-€1300 as is which I think is fair?

To be sure. If you're looking for €1200, then you're not gonna refuse a cash offer of a grand. Which is a pittance for a great car like the E39

What are you planning to buy next?

Big Nasty

unkel wrote: »

To be sure. If you're looking for €1200, then you're not gonna refuse a cash offer of a grand. Which is a pittance for a great car like the E39

What are you planning to buy next?

7

daRobot

MCMLXXV wrote: »

7

What model? E38?

Big Nasty

daRobot wrote: »

What model? E38?

The one and only!

daRobot

MCMLXXV wrote: »

The one and only!

Good stuff! I just got a black 740i sport recently. Great car.

Might sell you mine in a few months when I inevitably fancy a change

unkel

Superb car. I owned an E38 735i V8 auto for 5 years. Very different animal compared to a straight six E39 manual though!

I take it you're gonna go for an E38 with the M62 V8 petrol engine?

Big Nasty

unkel wrote: »

Superb car. I owned an E38 735i V8 auto for 5 years. Very different animal compared to a straight six E39 manual though!

I take it you're gonna go for an E38 with the M62 V8 petrol engine?

Just getting back to this thread now! I've driven the 735 and 740 and they are fine cars. I would much prefer the V8 however most of the time the car is used for driving Sandyford - Baggot St return so that doesn't justify the V8! I know many will say the 728 is underpowered but it's more than acceptable for city driving and on country runs (Mayo / Galway once every two months or so) the 2.8 engine is ample once it gets up to speed. I would much prefer the 4.4 740 but would end up sleeping in the car if I brought one home!

Had a look at this today and it's in very good condition with good service history. It's small money for such a car IMO!

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/7-Series/728-I--N/201004196721150/advert?channel=CARS

I would prefer the facelift model but apart from that it ticks the boxes for me, i.e. colour, wheels, white indicator lenses, etc plus she's NCT'd until 02/12!

He's not interested in a trade in though and doesn't want to move much on the price either, I would say a bit of negotiation would let it go for €2,750 and no better! That means I still have to shift the 523! If I got €1k for it I would take it in a heartbeat! (Anyone!?!)

Opinions?

Big Nasty

Bump! Opinions on the above?

Thanks!

Voodoomelon

Nice car. But if it was me, i'd continue the search for a lower mileage, more recent year. Is money much of an issue? You'd get a cracker here or from the UK for about €5000.

That 97 is a pre facelift as you say, so he must have added the white indicator lenses, make sure they aren't cheap eBay rubbish. Looks in decent enough condition, have you driven it yet? Remember a Sport E38 is also faster off the line if you would consider oneof them, which gives the 728 that bit of extra poke it needs, its not just a cosmetic difference.

Big Nasty

There's plenty out there but I'm finding it hard to get the spec I want in the 728. I've driven the car and it seems fine, if a little sluggish, but I'm not going any bigger than the 728 for the reasons mentioned above. I have a 6.6 to play around with at the weekends anyway!

Prices are just as expensive, if not more in the UK plus VRT is 1042 on a 97 and 2085 on a 99, plus flight, ferry, time off work to VRT etc.

Voodoomelon

Ok I see. So whats the spec you want and whats your price limit? I regularly keep an eye on E38 prices and there's a fair bit of choice as you say, especially with 728s.

Big Nasty

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Ok I see. So whats the spec you want and whats your price limit? I regularly keep an eye on E38 prices and there's a fair bit of choice as you say, especially with 728s.

Preferably Blue (not navy), will consider Black or Silver, White Indicator Lenses, M-Paralells or the same wheels as on the above only! Max budget 4k!

Thanks Voodoo!

unkel

Looks like a nice car

That said, a V8 is typically cheaper to buy, with higher spec and in better shape (engines last a long time). Did you do the sums or are you just guessing the bigger engined car costs a lot more to own than a smaller engined one - like most people in this country?

What mileage do you do? the difference in petrol consumption is about €10 per week at 10k miles per year...

Big Nasty

unkel wrote: »

Looks like a nice car

That said, a V8 is typically cheaper to buy, with higher spec and in better shape (engines last a long time). Did you do the sums or are you just guessing the bigger engined car costs a lot more to own than a smaller engined one - like most people in this country?

What mileage do you do? the difference in petrol consumption is about €10 per week at 10k miles per year...

I did the sums previously and the V8 works out way more when you take tax, insurance and petrol into consideration. It's a 728 or something like a 2.0 Kompressor I'm afraid (i.e. it's a 728!)

ottostreet

have you a link to your 523 yet?

im very much considering one!

Big Nasty

ottostreet wrote: »

have you a link to your 523 yet?

im very much considering one!

Voila!
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1277112

Voodoomelon

Here's a 1999 728i, 113k miles. Replica M-Pars though, they're not genuine. Assuming you got it for £2500, €2900 + €2089 VRT:



http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201010354266406/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/3000/price-from/1000/model/7_series/make/bmw/radius/1501/postcode/bh11ds/quicksearch/true/page/8?logcode=p

---

Here's another very clean example, same price as above, 2000, 115k miles. No M-pars though, but has the full facelift:



http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201007352750619/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/3000/price-from/1000/model/7_series/make/bmw/radius/1501/postcode/bh11ds/quicksearch/true/page/8?logcode=p

---

Nicest of the bunch, 2000, genuine Sport, shadowline trim, M-Pars, sport wheel and seats, steptronic box, anthracite headliner, 130k miles, same price again:



http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201015356607376/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/3000/price-from/1000/model/7_series/make/bmw/page/7/postcode/bh11ds/quicksearch/true/radius/1501?logcode=p

All slightly above your budget I know, but if I were you i'd make an extra stretch again and get a lower mileage 00-01 Sport with sat nav for around €6,500. Definitely worth the extra cash. As Unkel says, you will get a 735/740 for slightly less and it will be more likely to have more toys the newer it is, than the 728.

colm_mcm

what would an older (99-00) 520i (2.0) auto be like on juice? had one for a weekend years ago and quite liked it. would chop the Avensis and go back a few years, just wanna know how hard it's gonna hit me pocket, Avensis is doing between 40 and 50mpg and I've done 5000 mls in the last 3 months.

Big Nasty

colm_mcm wrote: »

what would an older (99-00) 520i (2.0) auto be like on juice? had one for a weekend years ago and quite liked it. would chop the Avensis and go back a few years, just wanna know how hard it's gonna hit me pocket, Avensis is doing between 40 and 50mpg and I've done 5000 mls in the last 3 months.

The 2.0 520i is very underpowered, especially the auto. The 2.2 is far better IMO. I reckon the 520 would be the same as the 523 on juice because it's got to work harder (as does 728 Vs 735/40), not much more than 35mpg. I had considered another 5er but what's the point in that? So many cars, so little time.......

Big Nasty

Voodoomelon wrote: »

All slightly above your budget I know, but if I were you i'd make an extra stretch again and get a lower mileage 00-01 Sport with sat nav for around €6,500. Definitely worth the extra cash. As Unkel says, you will get a 735/740 for slightly less and it will be more likely to have more toys the newer it is, than the 728.

Nice finds, and I totally agree but I haven't got the dollars for them Voodoo!

Voodoomelon

You've given me the bug MCMLXXV, a dealer in the UK just rang me back about a 2000 740i Sport thats identical to my own, but with 138k. I'm SERIOUSLY tempted!

Big Nasty

Voodoomelon wrote: »

You've given me the bug MCMLXXV, a dealer in the UK just rang me back about a 2000 740i Sport thats identical to my own, but with 138k. I'm SERIOUSLY tempted!

I've another project I'm working on too bit by bit and have a few quid squared away for that. I could dig into that money but it would kill me if I did! The thing about that 7 I looked at is that it's NCT'd until 02/12 and if I get it for €2,750 or less I would be happy with it for the next two years.

Voodoomelon

I understand, there's a fair difference between €2750 and more than twice that. You could always jump on it and stick some M-pars on it down the line. Or maybe you'll end up contemplating a 740i like me down the line...

Big Nasty

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I understand, there's a fair difference between €2750 and more than twice that. You could always jump on it and stick some M-pars on it down the line. Or maybe you'll end up contemplating a 740i like me down the line...

Yeah, that would be the plan alright. If I didn't have the other beast I would do so now! I actually like the wheels that are on it, second best to M-Pars IMO. Gonna get my mechanic buddy to have a look at it during the week.

unkel

Voodoomelon wrote: »

a dealer in the UK just rang me back about a 2000 740i Sport thats identical to my own, but with 138k. I'm SERIOUSLY tempted!

I knew I'd convince ya at some point

MCMLXXV wrote: »

The thing about that 7 I looked at is that it's NCT'd until 02/12

Yep, fair play to ya, that is a good point. At that mileage and with the fresh NCT it is likely to have had a big suspension overhaul already. And yes, with your budget you're not exactly putting a large investment into the car. Worst case scenario is something goes wrong, the car is beyond economical repair and you'll just get yourself another cheap one. Plenty of them about and no one is buying.

Big Nasty

unkel wrote: »

Yep, fair play to ya, that is a good point. At that mileage and with the fresh NCT it is likely to have had a big suspension overhaul already. And yes, with your budget you're not exactly putting a large investment into the car. Worst case scenario is something goes wrong, the car is beyond economical repair and you'll just get yourself another cheap one. Plenty of them about and no one is buying.

Do we have the Motors seal of approval then!?!

colm_mcm

MCMLXXV wrote: »

The 2.0 520i is very underpowered, especially the auto. The 2.2 is far better IMO. I reckon the 520 would be the same as the 523 on juice because it's got to work harder (as does 728 Vs 735/40), not much more than 35mpg. I had considered another 5er but what's the point in that? So many cars, so little time.......

I drove the auto, it is slow enough but comfy, think it'd be easier to resell than the newer 2.2 when the time comes to get the next thing that pops into my head.

Big Nasty

colm_mcm wrote: »

I drove the auto, it is slow enough but comfy, think it'd be easier to resell than the newer 2.2 when the time comes to get the next thing that pops into my head.

If I was getting another 5er I would consider the 2.2 but definitely not the 2.0 but that's just me. I really didn't like the 2.0 in comparison to my 2.5. I know I'm hardly practising what I'm preaching here as Voodoo and Unkel would have me in a 740 in the morning as opposed to the 728. The thing is I have a limit of 10L between two cars and while the 735 only marginally croses that barrier the 4.4 740 would bring me up to 11L!!!! :pac:

PirateShampoo

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Hey lads,

The car runs beautifully and has never given me a days trouble in that time.

MCMLXXV wrote:

When I previously put it up for sale she had a couple of minor issues, i.e. a few dents and scrapes (nothing major but not entirely clean) and a broken rear drivers side elec window regulator. Since then the sunroof has stopped working and there is a problem with the full beams (not sure what exactly but told it could be a regulator of some description) and the clutch is giving a bit of judder now in heavy traffic (told it could be a flywheel issue).

Big Nasty

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Yes? I have been completely open and honest about the cars condition and I didn't come on here to sell it, just to get an opinion of this and my next car. I could have gone down the caveat emptor route of letting any potential customers make up their own mind by not disclosing any faults however you will clearly find that the link to done deal mirrors the above discription.

Now have you something to say?

PirateShampoo

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Yes? I have been completely open and honest about the cars condition and I didn't come on here to sell it, just to get an opinion of this and my next car. I could have gone down the caveat emptor route of letting any potential customers make up their own mind by not disclosing any faults however you will clearly find that the link to done deal mirrors the above discription.

Now have you something to say?

Yes, plenty.

If you where being completely honest you wouldn't say it has never given you any trouble then a paragraph later list all the faults.

Big Nasty

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Yes, plenty.

If you where being completely honest you wouldn't say it has never given you any trouble then a paragraph later list all the faults.

But it has never given me any trouble, ok it has its faults, as do you I am sure, but the car runs very well and has never let me down.

Now as I said I didn't come on here to try and sell the car so what business is it of yours what condition my car is in? If you've nothing constructive to say.......

Big Nasty

Was kinda thinking I might be able to stretch to this:

http://www.cbg.ie/Car_Detail.aspx?ID=3709451#

If I do I'm just gonna have to land home with it and face the music! She'll warm to it after a drive in it though I'm sure!
(I'll just have to blame Voodoo!)

Voodoomelon

I saw that one a few months ago, not a bad car at all, still no sat nav though! Also the wheels are fake M-pars, be sure to check their quality.

I'm sticking mine in for the NCT in 10 days, and sticking brand new tyres on all corners in the mean time, i'm pretty sure i'll stick it up for sale and head to the UK for a 740i. Would be nice to meet up some time!

unkel

MCMLXXV wrote: »

(I'll just have to blame Voodoo!)

And not me?

My 735 was that colour - Orient Blau metallic. Very nice colour indeed

@Voodoomelon - about the M-pars - I have them on my E39 520. I think they are OEM, not fake / replica. How can I tell?

MCMLXXV

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Was kinda thinking I might be able to stretch to this:

http://www.cbg.ie/Car_Detail.aspx?ID=3709451#

If I do I'm just gonna have to land home with it and face the music! She'll warm to it after a drive in it though I'm sure!
(I'll just have to blame Voodoo!)

They used to be based by the Green Isle hotel, good lads to do a deal with, years back they had a Rover 600 for sale for €2950, I rang about it and the chap said I could have it for €2700 (this was back in 2006 so she was 7), drove up the next Saturday and after haggling (annoying him) I bought her for €2300, he said he had other cars to sell to make money on rather than pr1ck about haggling with me :pac: I sold that cat in 2007 for €3500 here in Cork

I reckon you'd get that off them for less than €4000, particularly if the salesman is a chap called James.