I totally agree, I think they are best-looking wheels for E38.
Thanks, Fredo! The engine is M73 5.4L V12 which is essentially the same as M70 in E31, just a bit more modern with upgrades and more hp.
Update. Starting with feedback on the new brake pads. When doing highspeed driving on the Autobahn having good brakes along with good tires is undoubtedly number 1 priority.
These pads are just what the doctor ordered, they are not noisy and the stopping power is phenomenal. It really gives confidence to push the car knowing the brakes grab so good. Big, big thumbs up for this BBK.
The only downside is that they dust like there's no tomorrow but I'd rather take that and have good brakes over noisy and fast wearing pads that dust less.
I wrapped up a project that I knew was coming sooner or later - my slicktop headliner was starting to sag.
Picture taken in June of last year.
It just kept getting worse.
So perfect time to step up to Alcantara and make the interior even more pleasant to be in.
I bought a big roll of original black Alcantara with 1 mm foam backing. Superb quality stuff.
I did a lot of research regarding the glue I was going to use. I've used 3M spray adhesive in the past for some minor repairs which worked out well but I wanted something that I knew was going to stick hard and last a long time.
Enters Technicoll 8044 PLUS - German made 2 component adhesive that's well proven in the industry and especially suited for attaching headliner fabric.
Since I've never done this before, I started with C pillars to practice and understand how the glue works. Once the small bottle is mixed with the big one, the glue needs to be utilized within 12 hours.
The crosslinker (small bottle) is what gives the final strength and resistance to temperature and other conditions. It mixes in 100:5 ratio so I was using small papers cups for mixing.
The glue is applied with a brush on both surfaces and after a flash-off time (5-10 min), they are joined under strong pressure (I was using a roller) and the initial strength is immediate.
I also learned that it's very important that the ambient temperature is optimal - between 15 and 25 °C otherwise it takes a long time for flash-off time. I was working section by section and the glue is really neat and easy to work with.
Redoing pillars was very therapeutic and going along nicely.
My A-pillars were actually looking very poor, the plastic was twisting and the middle tab was broken. I've seen this on many e39's.
I decided not to use them and bought the cheapest new A-pillars I could find, removed the fabric and wrapped them in Alcantara.
This is the final result. The pillars turned out perfect, not a single wrinkle or imperfection. Very pleased.
In case you are wondering why is one of the C-pillars a bit different shade than the rest of the gang, I initially bought just a small piece of Alcantara to give it a try and see if I can actually do this.
Despite buying the full roll and the small piece from the same seller, the shade was a bit off which I realized later but in reality, this cannot be noticed inside the car.
Next up was the headliner. No sunroof meant the removal was a breeze. I love the fact that it's a slicktop, so many benefits.
The old fabric comes off very easily.
The leftover foam and glue are nasty stuff.
I used a brush to remove the gunk and I was vacuuming along the way to minimize the mess. Then went over the board with sandpaper and finally used a compressor to blow out any debris. This process was very time-consuming.
The headliner was the most difficult part of the project as expected. I did some research prior and watched a few videos but it requires skill and practice.
I started just behind the rear grab handle pockets going towards the back and then continued to the front.
There are many curves and deep pockets which are so difficult to do and not get any wrinkles. Overall I did really well but I did end up with few wrinkles around grab handles and the very top in front of the dome light which is luckily not noticeable since it's obstructed by the top of the windshield. Around the sun visors and all other surfaces turned out perfect.
Considering I'm not an upholsterer by any means and this was my first time doing this, it turned out really good. It was a great learning experience and if I were to do this again, I know how I would tackle grab handle pockets to get them perfect and wrinkle-free and generally speed up the process.
The final piece of the puzzle was leather sun visors, courtesies of Clemster! Big thanks to, Adam. They are in lovely shape and I just went ahead and removed the stupid airbag stickers though you can tell they were there which is a bit annoying. Eventually, I want to source Alcantara sun visors but those are difficult to come by.
Everything put back together.
Time-consuming task but worth it since the interior is that much nicer to sit in.
This month marks the 1-year ownership of the M5. 1st of May last year is when I flew to Italy and taken over the stewardship of this fine machine.
I did go through a lot of troubles with Italians to get this car but now I can say that it was worth it. As much as they were crazy in their own ways, they did take good care of the car.
I've covered around 7.000 miles so far and it's been enormous fun blasting down the Autobahn with it. Much maintenance went into it and I plan to keep in perfect shape and improving it as I go.
Some pics after a long overdue wash. I can confirm again that the finish of rims is bang on. They look so good.
Recently we had a road trip to Paderborn, around 3 hours from Frankfurt. The roads up there are spectacular, twisty mountain passes in derestricted zones. Entering long sweeping bends at high speed and the car being stable is unforgettable.
I might be overemphasizing but the M5 really is the king of the Autobahn and just last weekend it proved it to me again. The family was visiting so we made a quick trip to Cologne, 5 people, light luggage (and tools which I forgot to take out) and it propels you to your destination in comfort at remarkable speeds. On the way back, the backseat passengers were actually sleeping despite me driving like I was on fire and hitting 165 mph at times. God bless Autobahn!