Road trip story & Project thread: 2001 Titanium Silver e39 M5

[Sreten]

A couple of small updates.

M5 currently sits at 48.250 miles.

I decided to proactively replace front strut mounts and upper bearings as that was one the only thing mentioned by the indy shop that did the clutch job.
Not a terribly difficult job and parts for this are cheap so why not.

I completed this task like Edd China did on a Wheeler Dealer episode with the M5. Disconnected the sway bar link from the strut and compressed the spring without removing the strut from the car. Removed the top nut and lowered the strut to the side which gave me easy access to the strut mount and upper bearing.

This is actually more complicated than it seems as working space is limited and I had to buy 3 different spring compressor until I found the one that could fit safely.
But after sorting out one side, the other one went much smoother.







While the rubber mounts were intact and free of cracks, the yellow bearings were shot. Grease has run out and it was spinning hard and noisy.

I've been down with flue in the meantime and haven't had a chance to properly test drive the car and see if I'll notice any difference.

A while back I cleaned up the interior and treated the leather with Gliptone care. I wanted to try Leatherique but that works best in combination with sun and heat, and given that its middle of winter it probably wouldn't be as effective as it would in the summer.

I've used Gliptone before with good results. I do have to say that it doesn't reinstate the smell of finest quality leather, it's more of a chemical smell if anything. But the smell is gone pretty quickly and results are great. After applying the conditioner the leather appears shiny and it's best to rub it in and leave it to sit overnight. Then the leather becomes matte and soft.



Apart from a couple of scratches on the bottom part of the passenger seat from PO and slight wear on the drivers side bolster, the interior is in very nice shape.













On March 3rd I'll be recreationally hitting up Hockenheimring - a race track not far away with the M Flight crew. I'm very excited about that.

[John in VA]

I love seeing all the new parts! Can't wait to get my interior trim changed over to the set like yours & ditch the woodgrain. Thanks for the CD cover piece!

[slater]

great work, man! that interior looks super fresh!

love the leather on the center console...

[Sreten]

I love seeing all the new parts! Can't wait to get my interior trim changed over to the set like yours & ditch the woodgrain. Thanks for the CD cover piece!

Thanks John and you're welcome. Glad it arrived safely.

Technical graphite really gives a nice modern touch to the interior.

great work, man! that interior looks super fresh!

love the leather on the center console...

Thanks, Peterman!

Yeah, the leather center console is nice. My M5 doesn't have it, but the extended leather was a cool option which included full leather dashboard and I think alcantara headliner.

[slater]

Thanks, Peterman!

Yeah, the leather center console is nice. My M5 doesn't have it, but the extended leather was a cool option which included full leather dashboard and I think alcantara headliner.

yeah, that sounds right - i remember reading about that package. definitely a whole level above the ZHP/M Sport interior trim.

[ZHPizza]

great work, man! that interior looks super fresh!

love the leather on the center console...

+1 i wanna take a nap in there

[Sockethead]

Looks fantastic!

[Sreten]

Thanks guys

[Sreten]

Track day that I mentioned earlier never happened, it got canceled due to bad weather. Waiting on the next opportunity.

Got few minor updates though.

Homemade clutch stop which shortens the dead pedal travel and makes for easier and smoother quicking shifting.







I originally ordered the "shorty" clutch stop from the guy on eBay, but after waiting for one month it never got delivered.
I then paid a visit to a local hardware store and found a suitable candidate for my application. It already had a big round head and all I had to do is cut the bolt to 25mm length and it was a perfect fit.

Great little mod. The guy on eBay also sells clutch stops for the e46 platform if anyone is interested in trying this. They are like $12.

Replaced the windshield rubber seal. The old rubber seal was starting to degrade and showing cracks. Perfect time for a new one.



Ripped the old one out which showed how much grime accumulated over the years.



Thoroughly cleaned the channels and gingerly installed the new seal.



Looking nice and fresh.



Then I started the tedious process of cleaning the engine bay. I'm pretty sure it was never cleaned before and it wasn't an appealing look at what should be a nice looking engine bay.



I'm against pressure washing the engine and went for more longer but safer route. Grabbed Liqui Moly engine compartment cleaner, a German version of Windex, water spray bottle and couple of brushes.



Started with cabin filter housing. I used 303 aerospace protectant to treat the plastic.





Finished the left side of the engine bay before running out of daylight. Picking up where I left off next weekend. It is somewhat satisfying work.

[ZHPizza]

Nice job on the clutch stop! Always makes the car more enjoyable to drive.

Are OE BMW parts (like the windshield seal) cheaper over there than the US? I know the Euro conversion makes it more expensive, but as a ratio to everything else, I guess?