dwynne

Drive an E39 long enough and the neck will break off the radiator. Then there are all the cam and crank sensors, etc,etc. I love the BMWs! Just decided I didn't like running the risk of repair bill after repair bill "forever". My M5 had 14k on the clock when it stranded me 2 months in a row - and it was well cared for. But it is not just me, lots and lots of folks can't keep their BMWs and Minis on the road. Both are super cars for the most part, but are just not reliable. Of course, Bangle has just about ruined the looks of the line anyway

Dennis

wedge357

Folks, let's call a truce on all these BMW these, BMW that. Let's not hijack the thread for the new RX-8 owner (LIShinka) who's clearly not really interested in all your yapping. :D :D :D

cleoent

yeah my radiator neck broke at 51k right on the money. I already had the spare one since i knew it was going to blow. I sold it with 54k because i really didn't want to spend the 800 bucks on the thermostat, expansion tank and water pump that was going to break in the next 6k. I still had a few years before the CPS and valve cover gaskets went bad, or the power steering pump, but i wasn't looking forward to it!

RX8-79

Glad we see eye-to-eye on at least that.

Thank you so much for driving my original point home. You just dont know how damn ignorant you sound asserting that thousands upon thousands of cars are 'ticking time bombs' because of problems w/yours and 'lots of friends and co-workers'. You dont sound all that special, so Im guessing you arent friends with 200k plus people, which is how many BMW moves every year; face it, you CAN NOT speak for every one of them. Using your very flawed 'logic', one could call a lot of so-called reliable car companies 'terrible' since every make pumps out the occasional lemon.

I know plenty of people who've had flawless E39's, E60's and E65's; that in itself proves you wrong and that they obviously aren't 'terrible'.

Nope. This is straight from the long-term DEPENDABILITY charts. They go up every year, and they remain above industry average.

cleoent

No you dont.

The e60 and e65 are still very new, there should be 0 long term reliability ratings.

There is no flawless e39.

here's a link (hope it works) to edmunds.com customer reviews of the e39 540.

http://www.edmunds.com/used/1999/bmw...ontent..5.BMW*

The first page has pretty good remarks, but as the pages go on you can see reliablity take a hit.

LIShinka

Well at least all the brand bickering isn't about the RX-8. Seems we can agree on it being a great car.

Wedge357: How do you find the ride with the Eibach springs? I haven't had enough seat time in the car to decide yet, but am already debating them as a possible mod to lower the stance just a little and tighten things up a bit. The car definitely handles great as it is, and I don't want to lose too much everyday comfort (I am gonna try to get back to keeping cars for at least a few years again). Also how do you find the RB breathing combo you have, anything noticable with the butt dyno?

And I'll second the call for a truce on the BMW thing. Stop hijacking my first thread

wedge357

The Eibachs lowered my ride approx 1.5in with fronts lowered than backs, the front fender gap are now only 0.2in higher than back (I think stock is like at least 1inch higher in the fronts, very noticeable). Just make sure whoever you get this job done to follow instruction not to tighten up the front upper links until the car is lowered down (weighted down) check the DIY posts regarding this. Ridewise, Eibachs are slightly stiffer but not by much and after a while you don't feel the difference anymore. Eibachs are progressive springs, they are soft (relatively) with everyday driving but gets stiffer the harder you take the corners. Some people are worried that taking the car lower will prematurely wear out the dampers but I believe it does not apply to the Shinkas since we get a beefier 14mm dampers compared to 12mm stock RX-8.

the RB intake is the best in the market to date IMO and gives you honest HP gains. It also keeps a stock look to your 8 if you don't like it ricey. The exhaust is beautifully made and gives out the right note when you push the throttle but otherwise quiet on the highway. It is slightly heavier than the stock exhaust but just goes much better with the car. The stock tips look too small compared to the bumper holes they pass through. Both RB items should be good for at least 10-15hp and makes your midrange pull better. MPG also improves somewhat based on some people's observation. Butt dyno-wise, it's hard to gauge what an additional 10hp feels like but the car does pull much smoother all the way to redline. :D

wedge357

LIShinka, make sure you upgrade your sound system too, the stock Bose speakers are a shame to this car. My simple upgrades made the Bose system 100% better.

LIShinka

Wedge357: Thanks for all the info in regards to the springs and intake/exhaust. If the car can pull any smoother than I'd say the RB pieces are top notch.

I'm not too much into the sound system, it's good enough for my modest needs. It definitely isn't among the best I've heard, but it's better than most, and for now I keep it low to enjoy the sound of the renesis. Maybe in time I will look into it.

Thanks again for all the info, I'll be looking into the Eibachs as my potential first upgrade.