Authority on Five

After the Massacre

This is how Daisy looks like with the Hagus side mirrors. They will be removed once the M5 mirrors are found.

posted by gabey @ Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Long Distance Delivery

Buying and selling parts is part and parcel of owning a car. I've bought countless amount of stuff from people in the forum and many fellas have also bought stuff from me. Normally, it is the onus of the buyer to meet the seller. However, in today's case, I went against tradition. I traveled a total of 350 km to deliver a set of M5 interior parts to a person in Malaysia. But, it was all worth it when the buyer turns out to be one of the nicest guy I have ever met. He even bought breakfast at the local coffee shop (the beef noodle was delicious). We spent time talking about our passion for E39s and how we went about doing what we did to our car. E39 owners are somewhat different and most likely, it's because most of us are probably 'senior' citizens. No matter, the trip was worth it and I hope to do it again.

To top it off, I had a chance to put Daisy on a long drive again. During our last trip back from Hua Hin, poor Daisy had the misfortune of meeting a motorcyclist who probably thinks his motorbike is a tank. Without going into details about the accident, Daisy suffered damages on the left side. The M5 mirror broke into pieces, the bonnet was dented, the passenger glass was scratched, front fender dented, side skirt scratched, rims scratched and front/rear doors scratched. The car spent 1 week at Juzz4Car for repairs to be done. The M5 side mirrors are now replaced by the Hagus side mirrors while I source for a pair of M5 side mirrors. The bonnet and front fender were replaced by new ones. The accident would not have happened if motorcyclists look before they turn. It would also help if they are sober because that motorcyclist was either drunk or high on drugs. The good things was he walked away from the accident without spilling a drop of blood...not 1 single drop. But the damages to Daisy were severe.

Back to the drive back from Malaysia. As usual, Daisy was impeccable. There's just something about an E39 and the way it drives at high speed that makes you want to go faster and faster. I changed my mind about selling the car every time I take Daisy out for a spin. There are some minor problems that still needs to be solved like the aux input tripping after awhile. Some parts of the car are already beginning to show signs of wear and tear. During the week when the car was in the workshop, all the plastic covers under the car were replaced. Soon, it will be time to replace the rubber seals on the door. The M door sill are also falling apart. Considering that these parts are 8 years old, they definitely last a long time.

The drive certainly proves that good maintenance goes a long way. Don't depend on others completely. Dirty your hands, get to know your car.

posted by gabey @ Monday, May 18, 2009